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Union Budget 2022-2023 garners mixed response from country’s leading educationalists

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The Union Budget gains applause for digitalization of education and making it accessible at the grassroots level. Still, many believe more could have been done to elevate the quality of education as well.

The leading names among the country’s higher education fraternity welcomed the Union Budget 2022, announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1. The sector appreciated the budget being in line with promoting human capital through digital tools such as the ‘one class one TV channel’ programme proposed under the PM e-Vidya scheme.

It laid out a progressive vision the Government holds for capitalizing on India’s demographic advantages by suggesting a digital university, creating a conducive environment for inter-university collaborations, and introducing a number of skill development programmes. The Union budget 2022-2023 has allocated Rs 63,449.37 crore to the Department of School Education and Literacy, an increase of about 6.6 per cent (Rs 9,000 crore) over the current financial years. It sets a straight road for the Government to achieve its long-term mission of increasing the employability of the country’s youth by promoting upskilling, reskilling and several learning measures equipping them with new-age skills.

Dilip Puri, Founder & CEO, Indian School of Hospitality, appreciated the move stating, “We welcome the new initiatives introduced by the Government in the Union Budget 2022 to revive and boost our economy. The Government has identified areas that need financial assistance and support, and a clear focus is laid on the education sector. The setting up of digital universities is a progressive move by the Government – by reaching out to every student in the remote corners of our country, they will give them access to education by collaborating with world-class institutes and educators. We hope the execution comes through swiftly and accelerates the growth of edtech. We are also delighted that the Government showed specific interest to promote and facilitating upskilling and reskilling programmes. We hope through continuous skilling avenues we are able to direct our efforts towards skilling aspirants and increase employability in the hospitality sector.”

Shishir Jaipuria, Chairman FICCI Arise and Chairman Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, also commended the government’s efforts in aligning the budget provisions with the progressive elements of National Education Policy 2020.

Shishir Jaipuria said, “The Union Budget 2022 takes forward the vision of universalizing quality education as enshrined in the National Education Policy 2020. The decision to expand the PM e-VIDYA scheme to 200 TV channels and to also develop high-quality e-content in all spoken languages will benefit the students of grades 1 to 12, who suffered learning loss due to the closure of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The formation of Digital University, as announced in the budget, will be a laudable initiative. The Digital University will help to make world-class education accessible in different Indian languages to all students, even in far-flung areas. The simultaneous proposal to train teachers to build their competency and empower them to develop quality e-content will ensure better learning outcomes. I welcome the move to set up 750 e-labs in science and mathematics and 75 skilling e-labs that will nurture scientific temperament and critical thinking skills important for 21st-century learners.

“Going beyond the e-learning initiatives, the government has rightly decided to designate five academic institutions as ‘centres of excellence to deliver courses in urban planning and design. The move will take forward the vision of India-specific urban development. The budget 2022 is aimed at providing a major push to e-learning, reduce learning gaps and make education inclusive.”

Niranjan Hiranandani, Provost – HSNC University appreciated the government’s construct of a well-rounded budget, promoting equal accessibility of education and growth mindset among students, irrespective of their backgrounds.

Hiranandani said, “Industry lauds & welcomes the thrust to the digital ecosystem while focussing on building and upgrading the digital infrastructure for quality education. Setting up of digital universities will enhance the availability of education to the rural students following the hub and spoke model. With easy access to education in regional language, every student will get an opportunity to empower and equip themselves.

“Moreover, measures for quality e-content appear promising to educate teachers effectively for better e-teaching outcomes. Besides, there is a surge in the scope of personalized learning, especially in the digital ecosystem. The budget also puts required emphasis on skilling, which makes an individual employable and sustainable. The skilling courses will not just encourage learners to apply critical thinking and creativity but also make them industry-ready, which is evidence of shaping the youth of India for a better future.”

Understanding the need for skill-based education, Bikram Agarwal, CFO, Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, praised the budget offerings.

Agarwal said, “The most important takeaway of the Union Budget 2022 is the slew of decisions that have been taken to empower the digital learning ecosystem in the country. The formation of Digital University and the initiative to create quality e-content in all Indian languages will make learning inclusive for all. Besides these moves to nurture academic rigour, the decision to launch the DESH-Stack e-portal will help to skill and upskill learners.

“At the same time, the Government aims to improve learning at Agriculture University by revising and revamping the syllabus to address the practical needs of modern agriculture. I also appreciate the decision to involve academia in defence research and development for better designing and development of military platforms and equipment. The scope of this budget is quite wide. It touches upon several aspects of the education sector and is to be lauded.”

While many applauded these moves, some believed that the government could have done more. The budget critics felt that this year saw lesser investments and initiatives relative to the last year’s budget for promoting quality education across all strata of society.

Reacting to the budget, Professor Tarun Jain, Associate Professor of Economics, IIM Ahmedabad, said, “The Finance Minister has mentioned supplementary teaching through additional TV channels (PM eVidya) to make up for the education loss of the last two years. This is minuscule given the tremendous learning loss that our children have experienced. Significant investments in improving school quality are critical for ensuring that our demographic dividends are actually realized. This has to run against the reality that barely 8 per cent of rural students and 23 per cent of urban students have access to the Internet.

Even when students have Internet access, the quality of online education remains poor. We have to benchmark the budget commitments against the aspirations of the Indian people. High-quality education is both a critical component of what young people hope for, and also have some of the highest returns on investment in the economy. Thus, the Government should consider boosting investments in public education considerably.”

Overall the Union Government received a favourable response for its budgetary recommendations to promote skill-based learning powered by digitalization. From short-term skilling programmes to upskilling, reskilling, apprenticeships and lifelong learning, a wide range of training opportunities have been put across by setting up thousands of skill centres and special training centres. The budget ensured that the Government’s focus on skill training would continue to make youth employable, further contributing to the country’s growth and economic health.

Business

Is Market Correction Over? Sensex Soars By Over 1,900 Points; Nifty Gains Over 2%

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The marquee indices closed with monumental gains as Dalal Street recovered with some requisite optimism ahead of the Maharashtra state election results on November 23.

Indian Markets Close With Bumper Gains

On Friday, November 22, the marquee indices closed with monumental gains, as Dalal Street recovered with some requisite optimism ahead of the Maharashtra state election results on November 23.

The BSE Sensex closed for the day’s proceeding with some big numbers. The oldest index in Asia closed with gains of a colossal 1961.32 points or 2.54 per cent. This took the overall value of the index to 79,117.11.

The situation was equally euphoric at the National Stock Exchange. The NSE Nifty closed at 23,830.90, having gained 481.00 points or 2.06 per cent.

In addition, the Nifty Bank index also made gains of over 1.5 per cent. Thebanking index closed with gains of 858.50 points or 1.70 per cent, pushing it beyond the coveted 50K mark, propelling it to 51,231.40.

Gainers and Losers

The days went exceedingly well for most listed companies, the day closed with a green wall. At the BSE end, SBI, Titan and TCS were the biggest gainers with all of the said companies gaining over 4 per cent.

ITC, L&T, Infosys and Reliance also made major gains in excess of 3 per cent by the end of day.

This comes after days, nearly a two-week long period of decline, that marred the market, pushing Sensex below its 80K mark, and Nifty, much below its 25K mark.

It remains to be seen, whether the much discussed market correction that brought about bringing the indices to their actual value, has come to an end or whether sea of red will continue in the time to come.

In addition, it also remains to be seen, whether, the election results for teh critical state of Maharahstra would have an effect on the market, in the next trading week.

Asian Markets

The Asian markets also flourished green with great momentum, as these indices closed on a positive note as well.

Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.68 per cent or 257.68 points, moving towards the 40K mark, closing at 38,283.85.

Another Tokyo-based index, TOPIX, closed at 2,696.53, gaining by 0.51 per cent or 13.72 points.

As we move to China, the story was a lot different, as, contrary to the Indian and Japanese markets, the Chinese markets closed in red.

Hang Seng closed with significant losses in its numbers, closing with a massive fall of 1.89 per cent or 371.14 points, at 19,229.97.

The loss was even greater in mainland China, as the Shanghai-based SSE Composite also ended the day’s trade with deep cuts. The index crumbled by 3.06 per cent or 103.21 points of its value and closed at 3,267.19.

South Korea’s KOSPI was in tandem with other market as closed with some good news. KOSPI closed with an increase of 0.83 per cent or 20.61 points, closing for the day at 2,501.24.

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Business

‘Innocent Unless And Until Proven Guilty’: Adani Group Issues Statement In The US Bribery Indictment; Denies Charges, Calls Them Baseless

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The Adani Group, which has been at the eye of the storm since the beginning of the new day, has issued a statement in the US Indictment matter.

Adani Denies Charges

The company, in a statement procured by the conglomerate-owned IANS, said, “The allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied.”

Furthermore, the statement asserted its stance and added, “As stated by the US Department of Justice itself, “the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” All possible legal recourse will be sought.”

Committed to Highest Standards

The Adani Group further added that it has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations.

US Court Indicts Adani and Co.

The company, in an attempt to assuage stakeholders, partners and employees, said that the company is a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws.

The storm was kicked off by a post from short-seller group Hindenburg, which shared the news of the US Federal Court’s indictment of Gautam Adani and seven others associated with the company.

Billionaire Gautam Adani has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay over USD 250 million (about Rs 2,100 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts.

The press release from the US court elaborated on the allegations and claimed that the company and its leadership had indulged in mass bribery activity, in which the company bribed Indian officials to bag a contract for its Adani Green Energy company.

This in turn led to misleading American investors and global financial investors.

The court reportedly also issued an arrest warrant against Gautam Adani and seven others.

Adani Shares Tank

In the aftermath of the report, Adani Group company shares tanked at Dalal Street. With Adani Enterprises shares hitting the lower circuit, losing 20 per cent of their value. The situation was the same with the other Adani stocks, including Adani Green Energy, which is in the middle of the new storm.

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Bharat NCAP Awards 5-Star Crash Test Rating to Mahindra Thar Roxx

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The Mahindra Thar Roxx has earned a prestigious 5-star rating in Bharat NCAP’s latest crash tests, reflecting its commitment to safety. Recently evaluated under stringent testing, the SUV excelled with a 31.09 out of 32 score for adult occupant protection and 45 out of 49 for child safety.

Tested in its AX5L and MX3 variants, the Mahindra Thar Roxx delivered notable results, scoring 15.09 out of 16 in the Frontal Offset test and a perfect 16 out of 16 in the Side Impact test. The assessment revealed strong protection for most areas, with adequate ratings for the driver’s chest and lower legs.

The Mahindra Thar Roxx has received high marks for child occupant safety, scoring 24 points in Bharat NCAP tests, along with 12 points for CRS (Child Restraint System) installation and a Vehicle Assessment Score of 9. This top-tier safety rating applies to all Thar Roxx units produced from November 2024 onward, underscoring Mahindra’s dedication to enhancing safety features across its SUV range. Additionally, Mahindra’s XUV400 and 3XO models have also achieved 5-star safety ratings, further emphasizing the automaker’s commitment to robust safety standards.

The Mahindra Thar Roxx offers two interior themes – Classic Ivory and a new Dark Mocha Brown. Comfort and convenience are prioritizing with ventilated seats, leatherette upholstery, a digital driver display, a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen, a high-quality Harmon Kardon sound system, a panoramic sunroof, rear AC vents, wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-way adjustable driver’s seat, combining practicality with luxury.

Mahindra Thar 5-door comes packed with safety and interior upgrades to enhance its appeal. On the safety side, it includes essentials like six airbags, three-point seatbelts for all occupants, hill control features, electronic stability control, and a seatbelt reminder. Advanced driver-assist features, such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping support, lane departure alerts, and a 360-degree camera system with blind spot monitoring, add an extra layer of protection.

Mahindra Thar Roxx offers two engine choices: a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and a 2.2-litre diesel. The petrol engine comes in two setups—150 bhp and 330 Nm of torque for the manual, and 174 bhp with 380 Nm for the automatic. The diesel option is available only with four-wheel drive.

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