RIP Soumitra

Perhaps my first and last visit with the legend Soumitra in Kolkata's Rabindra Sadan

Festival Period and Corona Virus _ Diwali, Kali Puja in Kolkata

Hearing the news of Bengali actor and legend Mr. Soumitra Chatterjee (85) passing away was (not) shocking, but saddening and painful. TODAY is Diwali and I've just finished cleaning up my house until I surfed the news of the legendary actor passing away at a private hospital Belle View near Park Street area in Kolkata. He was admitted in the hospital for sometime now.

One can just imagine the amount of pain Mr. Soumitra must have underwent.

went through ever since #covid2019 virus started impacting all of us wef March 2020. As of today 15th November 2020, 129,674 Indians are dead and as per statistica over 1.3 million people are already dead, primarily after contracting this deadly respiratory virus #covid. 

I was in the Fiji Islands, when the outbreak started and went on covering 215 countries entangling global territories those been affected by #COVID19 disease. Till date it went on killing people and our legendary actor Soumitra was added on the list of #2020 (THE YEAR).

Education In Pandemic Times

Was crossing this billboard, yesterday at Chowringhee, and the name of this coaching institute PACE was clearly visible from a distance. Something rattled inside and went for a small dive, just to understand the SOW. The size of coaching in India and how much a geographic location can be of any advantage. In my research, read how a dusty, sleepy, bustling industrial KOTA is now as per our hon PM Mr. Narendra Modi is now the Kashi of assisted education. 

“Indians, prefer spending more on education over healthcare”, however what happens when schools and colleges are closed and social distancing is the biggest keyword, we have read in last 6 months. Like every other industry, big or small, has been impacted by Covid19. In this paper, we will analyze, to what extent, education, especially a traditional coaching institute such as Pathfinder will be affected and the ongoing relationship between a Coach and a Coachee (student).  

 

Unfortunately, every industry is going digital, except the coaching industry, and it’s a corroborated fact. Students, want most things, if not everything for ‘free’. So, its very important to establish value, before numbers. I believe, that the coaching market can be improved with better search techniques. With players such as BYJU, Toppr.com and other startup coaching centers coming up, existing leaders must expedite the branding, marketing process to improve sales funnel. In private customer expenditure in India, Education happens to be among the top 5 fast growing commodities. The growing competition plus increased expectations from parents has, what some may define, as ‘domino effect’. Meaning, having coaching classes is viewed as a crucial step which, is very much evolved/evolving side by side to the mainstream education system.

 

Do You Know- The All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) has around 1,600 whereas approximately 1,70,000 enter the exams. Similarly, 25,000 seats in the IITs and NITs 14,00,000 understudies show up for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), every year. According to studies, by 2021 there would be 9.6 Million online education users in India. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA), over 2 crores Indians were educated (rural). To match current demand, there is an additional requirement of 200,000 schools, 35,000 colleges, 700 universities and 40 million seats in the Coaching/training centers. More are getting educated.

So why exactly there is this perennial growth of coaching industry in India?

 

1.      Relatively low quality of teaching, especially in Govt.

2.      High competition

3.      Increased disposable income

4.      Peer/parental pressure

5.      Fear of exams

6.      Huge rise in web infrastructure, mostly by smartphones and easy data plans

7.      Digital payments getting acceptance by the day

8.      A matter of pride and prestige

 

Some Quick Facts

 

·       Data from the National Sample Survey Office’s 71st round survey reveals that more than a quarter of Indian students, over 70 million, take private coaching, and around 12 per cent of a family’s expenses go towards private coaching.

·       In FY 2019, BYJU’s revenue was $194 million (Rs 1,440.9 crore) and Aakash Institute ($165 million, or Rs 1,225.3 crore).

·       Indian Coaching Industry is a $40 Billion industry growing at a CAGR of 35%.

·       There are over 1 million coaching classes across India.

·       India's advanced education fragment is to reach $35.03 billion by 2025.

·       Coaching industry is valued at INR 270,000 Crore, growing at a rate of 35%

·       70% of the guardians favor of training or coaching establishments, ASSOCHAM.

·       India had 36.64 million understudies interested in advanced education in 2017-18.

·       Students prepping up for entrance tests is projected to become a Rs 70,200 crore business by 2021, CRISIL

·       87% of younger students and up to 95% of the higher grades go to private coaching institutes, ASSOCHAM.

·       Around 3.43 million competitors in 2018, had tried out the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 2016-20 plan, Govt Data.

·       29% of India's population is in the age group of 0-14 years

·       The GoI has permitted 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) since 2002.

·       India has become the second largest market for e-learning after the US

·       e-Learning is expected to breach US$ 5.7 billion by 2020

·       35% of Indian students take coaching in their lifetime

·       33% of the middle-class income is spent on their children's education

 

The business must adapt useful technologies, essentially to extract the value of time. There are ERPs which can be automated crucial functions, such as enquiry management, fees management, and admission management. We also need to consolidate services, such as module/test packages, live classes, start selling online courses. Conducting tests online, mock exams and practice tests where students can interact with teachers must be put into practice.

Happy World Photography Day

“Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is.”

— Anonymous

They say, what a nice picture, I'd say how nicely a picture is taken. So, what is a nice picture? 

On the occasion of #worldphotographyday, myself a small learner and observer of life, who happens to document them, as is, it is, ofcourse there would be a story hidden, behind each photograph. 

As a child, I was never to be seen in pictures, because yours truly was a defacto family photographer. Those days, analog camera, the roll and printing and subsequent Joy and excitement enveloped the printed versions, #matt finish...

It's like the pre instant maggi time, where a picture equalled to hard toil, sweat and dirt, like giving a birth. Don't want to sound like a dinosaur, in 2020, I do not have a camera. Just a mobile phone.

My last spoil was a Samsung #s10, and happy so far. Graduated from rigid and  fixated Microsoft  Nokia to flexi and modern Android. Hmm. There is a difference... Myth buster of an old Millennial.

Photography has become easier, cheaper and better. No matter quality, quantity is humungous. 

Some facts

350 Million photos are uploaded every day, with 14.58 million photo uploads per hour, 243,000 photo uploads per minute, and 4,000 photo uploads per second on Facebook.

50 Billion photos are uploaded on Instagram. There is Google, Pinterest and thousands of websites that needs visual content first. Hence, photography.

A picture speaks a thousand words, is apt. A video can tell you a story. The future is video. A finer version of photography. 

I wish all my best to all my well wishers. As an artist and visualizer, happy #worldphotographyday to all. 

Trivia

1. The picture of the 🐦. What so special about this photo? Is it the timing, or the bird, or how it let me took its photo or its a special bird giving a message. Photography can mean different things to different people. 

My friend Paritosh, told me once that ancient people used to think the atma (spirit) is attached to a photo, hence some people never let themselves to be shot.

The Rise of Mamata Banerjee - ( Scotch Report) West Bengal CMO wins highest Skoch Award for unique E-Samadhan portal

Leading from the front Mamata Banerjee has reinvented West Bengal to take it to the top of the SKOCH State of Governance charts in 2018. In the process, from villages to cities, Panchayat offices to chief minister's office, West Bengal has witnessed a governance transformation.

India is a land of contradictions. Digital goes hand in hand with agrarian; and modern looks well matched with traditional. And one state that seems to reflect this fabric of India in recent times is West Bengal. Clad in a white saree with blue border and the quintessential blue slippers, the leader of West Bengal is known as Mamata didi. A stranger to Mamata Banerjee’s stature wouldn’t believe in the grit she holds within but holds she does, and she holds steely determination and firebrand social activism. Leading from the front, Mamata Banerjee has reinvented West Bengal and in the process, from villages to cities, Panchayat offices to chief minister’s office, the state has witnessed a governance transformation in ways unprecedented.

The fourth largest state economy in India, growing at 15.64 per cent, West Bengal is leading the charge along the growth curve of India. The state is the perfect blend of economic strength and dynamism, with a strong consumer base, vibrant industry, large talent pool, industryfriendly policies, transparent governance and record social and physical infrastructure development. So, it is no surprise that the state of West Bengal has emerged the topper this year from 9th position in 2017 and 14th position in 2016 SKOCH State of Governance ranking.

As part of the State of Governance study, SKOCH sent request letters and also contacted through different channels like telephones and emails to all ministries, departments, municipalities, district administration and other government bodies for sharing project details and their achievements. There was overwhelming response from across the government departments and organisations of West Bengal. A total number of 44 projects were shortlisted from West Bengal for further assessment and evaluation. All of these projects were thoroughly studied and examined by domain experts. Based on the detailed study of these projects, West Bengal topped the overall ranking and also in several sectoral ranking including Finance and Revenue, Urban Development, Rural Development, Tourism and Culture and Governance.

Source - https://inclusion.skoch.in/story/951/the-rise-of-mamata-banerjee-1251.html

UNLOCK 3.0: Vigilance Is The Core

In a recent press note, FICCI recommends, that being vigilant (about everything) is going to decide how India defeats Corona, in this #covid19 health battle.

As MHA issued guidelines, on easing lockdown wef August 3rd. FICCI beleives, that vigilance is the core thing. The body recommended, to ease prohibitions in aviation, sports, schools and tourism sector.

As the world continues to battle the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become clear that a strategy of long-term total lockdown is simply unsustainable for most economies. As lockdown orders continue to be enforced in many parts of the country, businesses and livelihoods are under tremendous pressure due to the collapsed demand, layoffs, and wage reductions.

Towards this, the Government of India has proactively responded to the concerns raised by both citizenry and industry to enable staggered reopening of the economy. As we approach the end of ‘Unlock 2’ on July 31, 2020 and prepare ourselves for ‘Unlock 3’,  we need to look at lifting of existing restrictions keeping in mind 'Threat of COVID is not over yet and we need to remain vigilant'.

Vigilance is the core of FICCI Recommendations for Unlock 3.0.

FICCI, in consultation with industry experts, has prepared this document to present solutions on how sectors such as aviation, sports, tourism, which still has some prohibitions, can best contribute towards the national effort of containing the spread of COVID and rebuilding the economy. FICCI recommends that it is now time to consider easing the prohibitions placed on these sectors, provided businesses follow the guidelines laid out in this document to the fullest. The Paper also recommends opening up of Cinemas and multiplexes, with adherence to all possible safety precautions. FICCI recommendations also contain the proposed SOPs, which could be followed for opening up of multiplexes.

Indo-German development cooperation: Massive support for the poorest

In a giant leap, the government of the Federal Republic of Germany has offered to join hands with the government of India along with the World Bank In its efforts to provide for an social protection system catering to the needs of especially urban poor and vulnerable groups such as migrant workers in the wake of COVID 19 pandemic.

As an emergency support measure, a fast disbursing loan in the volume of EUR 460 Million (Rs 3893 Crores) has been committed to support India's move towards a systematic social protection scheme.

The salient features of the intended system based social protection are:

·         develop systems and processes which will allow coordinated action across ministries and states

·         achieve a good balance between social assistance and social insurance programmes

·         allow for portability of ' in kind benefits' which could improve outreach to vulnerable groups e.g.  migrant workers

 

·         through digitalisation, capacity building at state levels and streamlining of efforts and existing central, state and local government programmes achieve targeted delivery, need based flexibility and rapid response

Image source - Twitter

German Embassy India (@GermanyinIndia) | Twitter

unlock3 MHA issues Unlock 3 Guidelines, opens up more activities outside Containment Zones

Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued new guidelines today, for opening up of more activities in areas outside the Containment Zones. In Unlock 3, which will come into effect from August 1, 2020, the process of phased re-opening of activities has been extended further. The new guidelines, issued today, are based on feedback received from States and UTs, and extensive consultations held with related Central Ministries and Departments. 

Salient features of the new guidelines

Restrictions on movement of individuals during night (Night curfew) have been removed.

Yoga institutes and gymnasiums will be allowed to open from August 5, 2020. In this regard, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) for ensuring social distancing and to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Independence Day functions will be allowed with social distancing and by following other health protocols, e.g., wearing of masks etc. In this regard instructions issued by MHA on 21.07.2020 shall be followed.

After extensive consultation with States and UTs, it has been decided that schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till August 31, 2020.

International air travel of passengers has been permitted in a limited manner under the Vande Bharat mission.  Further opening up will take place in a calibrated manner.

All activities, except the following, shall be permitted outside containment zones: 

Metro Rail.

Cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places.

Social/ political/ sports/ entertainment/ academic/ cultural/ religious functions and other large congregations.

Dates for opening of these will be decided separately, based on the assessment of the situation.

Lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the Containment Zones till 31 August, 2020. Containment Zones are required to be carefully demarcated by the State/ UT Governments with a view to contain the spread of COVID-19, after taking into consideration the guidelines issued by MOHFW.  Within the containment zones, strict perimeter control shall be maintained and only essential activities allowed. 

These Containment Zones will be notified on the websites of the respective District Collectors and by the States/ UTs and information will also be shared with MOHFW.

Activities in the Containment Zones shall be monitored strictly by State and UT authorities, and the guidelines relating to containment measure in these zones shall be strictly implemented.

MOHFW will monitor the proper delineation of Containment Zones and implementation of the containment measures.

States to decide on activities outside Containment Zones

States and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may prohibit certain activities outside the Containment zones, or impose such restrictions as deemed necessary. However, there shall be no restriction on inter-State and intra-State movement of persons and goods. No separate permission/ approval/ e-permit will be required for such movements.

National Directives for COVID-19 management

National Directives for COVID-19 management shall continue to be followed throughout the country, with a view to ensure social distancing.  Shops will need to maintain adequate physical distancing among customers. MHA will monitor the effective implementation of National Directives.

Protection for vulnerable persons

Vulnerable persons, i.e., persons above 65 years of age, persons with co-morbidities, pregnant women, and children below the age of 10 years, are advised to stay at home, except for meeting essential requirements and for health purposes.

Source http://164.100.117.97/WriteReadData/userfiles/Unlock%203%20-%20Order%20and%20Guidelines%20Dated%2029.7.2020.pdf

Pib

What Happens to The Billion Dollar Cruise Industry, Hit By Corona Pandemic

Travel and tourism is one thing that was the biggest hit in the Covid 19 pandemic in year 2020, which they say was supposedly a 'boom' year for the shipping industry. My personal experience in Fiji, and coming home was something.

I can tell you, how difficult it can become, if you Outside your home country. Coming home and restricted, largely.

Coming back to cruise ships. I used to see the Pacific Explorer tucked at the Port of Suva. 

Even if the tourism business is under  pressure ahead of the crucial summer season in the northern hemisphere (Europe and America). Th risk of catching coronavirus, social distancing rules at sea is as good as a log and adds pressure. The ships across the world are merely marooned by a shore or a harbour. Mostly appear ghostly (can imagine though).

Thousands of people got laid off in a swipe. Carnival - 32,000 waiting for repratriation, Royal Carribbean - 26000, out of 77,000 (rest assured remaining shall go home sooner). 

RC Symphony is five times bigger than Titanic

Have been reading on the billion dollar luxury cruise industry and how hard it has been to avoid this inevitable damning Covid19 crisis. Absolutely, off the hook and attacked the humanity like a whip.

As we write, the US, Miami based Carnival Corporation must have planned to sell off 13 ships Manning nine brands. It also announced  a $4.4bn loss in 2Q20

“To reduce our cash burn and have a more efficient fleet once we do resume cruising, we have aggressively shed less efficient ships,” Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald informed.

So what happens now? Travel is off the plan? What happens to thousands of alternative jobs this industry indirectly generated? Governments across had issued "no sail" edicts. 

In my next edition, shall explore options. We have. Or not.

Live Life... The Fijian Way

last dispatch

Investment of 75,000 Crore or $ 10. Billion in India's Future By Google - Sundar Pichai

COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT

Investing in India's digital future

Sundar Pichai

CEO of Google and Alphabet

Editor’s note: Today at Google for India, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced a $10 billion Google for India Digitization Fund to help accelerate India’s digital economy. Below is an edited transcript of his remarks.

Google for India is always a really special time, and I only wish I could be there in person.

One of the challenges of this moment is that we can’t visit the people we love, or the places we call home. During this time, the ability to be online has been a lifeline to so many of us: whether you’re a small business trying to stay afloat…a parent looking for updates on how to keep your family healthy … or a student trying to keep up with your studies. Being helpful in these moments is at the core of Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. 

A new generation of Indian innovation

This mission is deeply personal to me. Growing up, technology provided a window to a world outside my own. It also brought us closer together as a family. Every evening we were drawn to the television by Doordarshan’s special rendition of “Sare Jahan Se Accha.” I tried to explain this to my colleagues the other day, but I eventually gave up and just showed it to them on YouTube. 

When I was young, every new piece of technology brought new opportunities to learn and grow. But I always had to wait for it to arrive from someplace else. Today, people in India no longer have to wait for technology to come to you. A whole new generation of technologies are happening in India first. 

It’s been incredible to see the rapid pace of change unfolding over my past few visits. From the excitement of young people using the latest apps and services, to the ways people are using smartphones to improve lives in rural villages, to the more than 2,500 Indian YouTube creators who each have over a million subscribers. I’ve actually turned to some of these creators for help over the last few weeks … for example, to learn how to make dishes like paneer makhani or pizza with my kids.

Indian small businesses go digital 

One of the most exciting success stories has been the digitization of small businesses. Just four years ago, only one-third of all small businesses in India had an online presence. Today, 26 million SMBs are now discoverable on Search and Maps, driving connections with more than 150 million users every month. What’s more, small merchants across the country are now equipped to accept digital payments. This has made it possible for more small businesses to become part of the formal economy, and it improves their access to credit.

The global pandemic has supercharged the adoption of digital tools. Digital payments, for example, have enabled families across India to access goods and services during lockdowns. For them, grocery delivery services have been invaluable—though I’m sure my grandmother misses haggling over the price of her vegetables in person.

When we build for India, we build for the world

Of course, all this progress was only possible because of a strong foundation of digital connectivity. Thanks to Prime Minister Modi’s vision for Digital India, the country has made huge progress in getting a billion Indians online. Low-cost smartphones combined with affordable data, and a world-class telecom infrastructure, have paved the way for new opportunities.

At Google, we’ve been proud to be a partner in India’s digitization journey since 2004, when we opened our first offices in Hyderabad and Bangalore. In those days, our focus was on getting helpful and relevant information to Indian users through Search, whether they were searching for their favorite Bollywood star or cricket scores.

From there, we spread awareness of the Internet in rural villages through programs like Internet Saathi. It’s helped more than 30 million women across India gain digital skills to improve their lives and their communities. 

Google’s efforts in India have deepened our understanding of how technology can be helpful to all different types of people. Building products for India first has helped us build better products for users everywhere. 

A recent example is GPay, our fast, simple way to pay contactless or online. Together with the rise in BHIM-UPI adoption, GPay makes it easy to pay the rickshawala, or send money to family back home. India is setting the global standard on how to digitize payments, and it’s now helping us build a global product.

Our AI-powered reading tutor app Bolo, now called Read Along, is another example of a technology built specifically for Indian users. Last year I visited with students in Mumbai who were using the app to learn to read on their own. It was amazing to see their excitement when they read a new word in Hindi for the first time. It received such positive reception, we’re rolling it out to the rest of the world—now children in 180 countries can learn to read in nine languages, with more to come. 

And our AI flood forecasting system was designed to keep people safe during India’s monsoon season. I’ll never forget how the 2015 floods in Chennai impacted so many families. I’m hopeful that this technology will bring greater peace of mind to the hundreds of millions of people affected by floods each year around the world.

Our next chapter of investment: Google for India Digitization Fund

These are just a few examples of how innovations that start in India can benefit the rest of the world. But India’s own digital journey is far from complete. There’s still more work to do in order to make the internet affordable and useful for a billion Indians…from improving voice input and computing for all of India’s languages, to inspiring and supporting a whole new generation of entrepreneurs.

Over the years, we’ve invested in many Indian businesses through Google, as well as through our growth equity investment fund CapitalG.

Today, I’m excited to announce the Google for India Digitization Fund. Through this effort, we will invest ₹75,000 crore, or approximately $10 billion, into India over the next 5-7 years. We’ll do this through a mix of equity investments, partnerships, and operational, infrastructure and ecosystem investments. This is a reflection of our confidence in the future of India and its digital economy.

Investments will focus on four areas important to India’s digitization: 

First, enabling affordable access and information for every Indian in their own language, whether it’s Hindi, Tamil, Punjabi or any other

Second, building new products and services that are deeply relevant to India’s unique needs

Third, empowering businesses as they continue or embark on their digital transformation

Fourth, leveraging technology and AI for social good, in areas like health, education, and agriculture

As we make these investments, we look forward to working alongside Prime Minister Modi and the Indian government, as well as Indian businesses of all sizes to realize our shared vision for a Digital India.

There’s no question we are facing a difficult moment today, in India and around the world. The dual challenges to our health and to our economies have forced us to rethink how we work and how we live. But times of challenge can lead to incredible moments of innovation. Our goal is to ensure India not only benefits from the next wave of innovation, but leads it. Working together we can ensure that our best days are still ahead.  

Source - https://blog.google/inside-google/company-announcements/investing-in-indias-digital-future