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[ad_1] Around 84 per cent of employees globally say the organisation’s culture has improved since the start of the pandemic, an EY Survey said. The EY 2022 Work Reimagined Survey found that 36 per cent of employer respondents say they want employees to come back to the office five days a week. The survey canvassed the views of more than 1,500 business leaders and more than 17,000 employees across 22 countries and 26 industry sectors. In India, the responses are captured by more than 100 business leaders and more than 500 employees. The survey shows that, as many countries emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, employees have gained significant influence over their employers and that their ‘wish list’ from potential employers is changing. “Employees across India now hold more control in the job market, with more than half of respondents saying they are likely to quit in the next 12 months – driven mostly by a desire for higher total pay, better career opportunities and flexibility amid rising inflation, a shrinking labour market and an increase in jobs offering flexible working,” the EY 2022 Work Reimagined Survey said. EY India, Partner & India Leader, Workforce Advisory Services, Anurag Malik said, the survey found that over the last year the labour market changes meant the balance of power has shifted to favour employees. “As employers shifted gears providing more flexible work options, there is more that they will need to invest in – that includes higher pay and overall brand building of the organization,” Malik said. Flexible working arrangements which were by far the biggest factors leading to employee moves according to last year’s survey – are now less of a driver given that many are already working for companies that offer flexibility in some form, he added. Looking at the various age groups across the countries surveyed, Gen Z employees and millennials in the country are the most likely to quit their jobs this year (64 per cent), while across the sectors, it is those with technology hardware, telecommunications, and industrial products jobs that are most eager to leave, the survey said. [ad_2] Source link

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[ad_1] By Prof Neelam Rani and Jatinder Handoo India’s recent budget announcements regarding incentivizing energy transition and climate-friendly policy initiatives are the reinforcement of her commitment towards a 100% net-zero economy by 2070 and reducing its reliance on fossils-based energy to renewable energy up to 50% by 2030. To put it in perspective China and the USA, the world’s first and second-largest producers of Green House Gases (GHGs) have committed to attaining net-zero emissions by 2060 and 2050 respectively. As a fast-growing economy with the lowest per capita emissions in the world coupled with an aim of attaining $5Trillion GDP by 2025, India’s commitment toward global commons (climate), shows her leadership, resolve, and sensitivity to mitigating deleterious effects of global warming and progression towards Decarbonized Indigenous Economic Transition (DIET). The action of India, be it at the Conference of Parties 26 (CoP26) in Paris in 2015 or at Glasgow in November 2021 demonstrates how seriously India takes its collective global responsibilities amid its own economic growth targets. Global commitments and national policy initiatives towards Net Zero: Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, to mitigate risks arising out of climate change, at CoP26 in Glasgow in November 2021 presented to the global leaders India’s Panchamrit mantra (five ambrosia). While he reinforced India’s commitment to further limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius of the pre-industrialized era, he also exhorted developed nations to support India financially by issuing funding of USD 1 Trillion. PM Modi assured the world leaders that India shall voluntarily make the following transitions all by 2030. • Enhancement of the non-fossil energy capacity to 500 Gigawatts (GWs), • Using renewable sources, to fulfill 50 percent of energy needs, • Decreasing carbon intensity of the economy by 45 %, • Minimising carbon emissions by 01 billion tonnes India Budget 22: In tandem with the Glasgow commitments, Indian finance minister Ms. Sitharaman in her annual budget (FY2022-23) speech made some much-needed policy announcements to reinforce the Government of India’s (GoI’s) commitments to reducing the harmful effects of climate change. As a policy tool, she chose to make an investment announcement worth INR 195 billion as production linked incentives (PLIs) to promote domestic make-in-India manufacturing of the high efficiency photovoltaic (PV) modules to meet the goal of 280 GW of installed solar power by 2030. Shift for using public transportation in urban areas complemented by clean-tech, special mobility zones with zero fossil-fuel policy, and promoting Electric vehicles (EV) by the implementation of battery swapping policy through ‘Battery as a Service’ business (BaaS) model are a welcome move. Another noteworthy announcement is regarding the launch of Sovereign Green Bonds (SGBs). Although the issuance of green bonds is not a completely new idea. In India, many corporate sector firms have already issued green bonds, but an announcement to issue the SGBs in 2022-23 for mobilizing resources (INR 240 Bn. as per a Bloomberg report) for green investments in infrastructure is a policy announcement that shows a strong intent and commitment of Indian Government towards building green and climate-resilient infrastructure As per a survey on sovereign bonds (Sovereign Green, Social, and Sustainability (GSS) Bonds ) conducted by climate bonds initiative, London in November 2020, it was revealed that around 22 countries had already issued sovereign GSS bonds totaling USD96Bn. The same report also informed that at least 14 other sovereign governments across the world had expressed their intention to issue GSS bonds. At present, there is no single ministry in the country that is responsible for moving India towards net-zero the Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of New and Renewable energy (MNRE), and Ministry of Heavy Industries (which implements the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles in India (FAME INDIA) scheme to promote electric vehicles), have largely been the driving force behind India’s effort in this direction. However a single “Net Zero Ministry” would be highly desirable. Why Does It pinch to be Green: Challenges at home in Implementing Green Prescription While the whole climate narrative is aimed at attaining net-zero status, for a layperson in India (and elsewhere), it is pertinent to understand what is the meaning of net-zero emissions and what it takes to reach there? why net-zero is so important for us in India, the costs associated with it, and finally, willingness to absorb a pinch of the green. If left unchecked, according to a Deloitte document presented at the 2021 Sustainable Development Impact Summit of the World Economic Forum, the Indian economy could lose USD 35 trillion by 2070 (which is equivalent to 12 times the nominal GDP (2020) of India as per the world bank data ). Needless to say, this will have an adverse political, social and economic impact on the livelihoods and lives of millions of Indians further aggravating socioeconomic inequality and widening disparity. However, at the same time, if India leads the way forward with climate action, it could gain USD 11 trillion in economic value. It is therefore clear, is the third-largest polluter and emitter of GHGs. It is not a matter of choice but a compulsion for India, to lead the way through. The Critical Role of India’s Financial Sector in facilitating transition to net-zero – Public Policy Announcements to Finance in Action. The transition to net-zero economies is easier said than done. As per a recent report published by a London-based independent think-tank ODI, When we look at the energy-intensive sectors in India, primarily coal-based power production, energy-intensive manufacturing which entails petroleum, cement, chemicals, and primary metals), quarrying and mining, etc., all these activities add to 60% of GHG emissions. Not just emissions, but these sectors together account for approximately 12% of all bank lending within India. To more surprise, nearly half of this lending flows to a few big firms, thus the concentration of risk. On top of it, additional foreign borrowing to the tune of USD 76 billion is also there which further accentuates the density of investments in the GHG emitting sector. It is

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[ad_1] By Mayank Kumar The year 2021 has been a turning point in the development of Blockchain, with the rise of crypto, Metaverse and India adopting digital currency by 2023. Making Blockchain more mainstream, the second half of 2021 saw the Metaverse emerge as a new trend, wherein real-world experiences like social interactions, work, education, retail needs and much more are being united in this virtual world. The virtual reality of the Metaverse is directly related to technologies like Blockchain, augmented and mixed reality, NFT, and many others. However, without such distributed and decentralised ledgers, the Metaverse – which is essentially a network of three dimension (3D) virtual worlds would be incomplete due to challenges around centralised data storage.  Functioning on the principles of decentralisation, globally as the digital data source, Blockchain technology sets the Metaverse apart from the traditional internet, as we know it. Significance of Blockchain Technology in The Metaverse Many industry leaders have argued that the software part of the Metaverse ought to be operated on the Blockchain model, since it offers a secure decentralised database, wherein independent nodes can interact in a single, dynamically updated network. This ensures decentralisation of storages thereby improving security, enhancing user trust through the presence of tokens which transmits user data in encrypted formats. Therefore, captivating the public imagination, the virtual world of the Metaverse is becoming an alternate reality, and in this reality, Blockchain is creating a significant impact, even in its infancy stages. According to a recent report by technology research firm Gartner, a quarter of us will spend at least an hour a day in the metaverse by 2026. According to the website, users will be able to conduct activities like shopping, studying, working, and even building virtual homes, with cryptocurrencies acting as the digital currency. Therefore, Metaverse adoption is accelerating and will soon become a big part of our daily lives in the future. However, to truly enable this transformation, cryptocurrency will play a big role, to create a digital economy in the metaverse, unlike the web’s PayPal and credit card options. Digital ownership, digital collectability, value transfer, governance, accessibility, and interoperability are six of the most important Metaverse categories where Blockchain has proven to be useful. As a result of its transparency and cost-effectiveness, Blockchain technology is ideal for driving innovation and growth of the Metaverse. Demand and supply of skills: Blockchain related courses have seen a rise in demand A growing number of professionals and students alike have expressed an interest in learning about Blockchain-related topics over the past few years. More students in India have chosen the technology or courses related to it on ed-tech platforms between March 2021 and March 2022, recording a 138% increase from the previous year. According to industry data, the revenue generated by Blockchain courses increased by 170% from March 2021 to March 2022. Furthermore, Blockchain-specific courses and certifications offered by higher ed-tech platforms have witnessed a surge across learner enrollments and overall revenues. This serves as an indication of the growing inclination for a career in such technology-advanced areas following a series of events, with Metaverse being one of the core drivers, followed by the growing interest in digital currencies. In India, EdTech courses in partnership with leading universities like IIIT Bangalore and Purdue University are offering Blockchain courses to upskill learners to create a specialised talent pool of techies and avoid skill gaps in the future. When considering learner inclination or even the course selection process, EdTech firms are witnessing more interest from learners for long-term courses in Blockchain, as compared to the shorter Executive or Bootcamp programs. This trend can be attributed to the fact that learners are focused on creating a career in this domain and therefore, opting for in-depth courses will help them develop the right foundation around skills like NodeJS, Git, Blockchain Fundamentals, Bitcoin Concepts, Blockchain Architecture, Ethereum, Hyperledger along with the overview of other Blockchain Frameworks (Polkadot, Cosmos, Stellar, Quorum), Smart Contract Development (Solidity), etc. for progressive career growth in the domain.  With the growing popularity of the domain and evolving job specs, professionals of today are  are aiming to transition to roles like Blockchain Developer, Ethereum Developer, Node Js Blockchain Developer, Hyperledger Developer, Solidity Developer, JavaScript Developer, by upskilling across skills like Ethereum, Hyperledger Fabric, Distributed Application Development (smart contracts development, backend development, API). Furthermore, to ensure concrete outcomes higher-ed are offering learners career services like one-on-one mentorship, interview preparation and placements upon course completion. A promising future ahead for blockchain techies Decentralisation through Blockchain will be the key enabler for the Metaverse to innovate further and this will further propel the demand for such techies, as the platform will evolve in the coming times and overall adoption shall further increase. While at the current inception stage, we are witnessing a steady increase in interest levels in Blockchain and the demand will increase significantly to reach$227.99 billion by 2028; estimated to grow at a CAGR of 72.9% from 2021 to 2028. There is no end to the possibilities that this list can lead to. In the truest sense of the word, we have not yet entered the metaverse of madness. The days when technology is used in the same way as the Internet are not far away. The authors is co-founder and MD, upGrad. Read also: 5 things to keep in mind while choosing a teacher online [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] My older sister, Brigette, shares her shopping trips and menu plans every week! You can go HERE to see all of her weekly menu plans and you can go HERE to read all about her family! Aldi 1 box Crispy Oats – $1.15 1 family-size box Frosted Flakes – $2.45 1 box Krispy Rice – $1.39 2 large containers Oats – $4.78 1 box Crackers – $1.85 1 pkg Pepperoni – $1.99 1 16-oz pkg Deli Meat – $3.19 1 pkg fresh boneless Chicken Breasts ($1.99/lb) – $9.81 1 gallon Orange Juice – $3.49 2 gallons Whole Milk – $5.32 1 8-oz pkg Sliced Cheese – $1.39 1 32-oz tub Plain Greek Yogurt – $3.19 3 individual-sized cartons Greek Yogurt – $1.74 2 dozen Eggs – $5.16 1 can Baking Cocoa – $1.79 2 boxes Butter – $3.28 1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $1.69 3 cartons Strawberries – $3.87 2 bags frozen Cauliflower Rice – $3.98 4 cans Green Beans – $2.16 1 bag Spinach – $1.19 1 carton Artisan Lettuce – $2.49 1 bag Limes – $1.95 1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $2.39 1 bag Tomatoes on the Vine – $1.79 1 bunch Bananas – $0.98 1 3-head ct pkg Garlic – $1.49 1 3-ct pkg Multi-Colored Peppers – $1.99 1 bag 8-ct Mini Avocados – $2.69 1 jar Pasta Sauce – $1.19 1 can Garbanzo Beans – $0.62 1 jar Extra Virgin Olive Oil – $3.49 1 jar Balsamic Vinegar – $1.79 1 can Parmesan Cheese – $2.05 1 bag Tortilla Chips – $1.25 1 bag Potato Chips – $1.29 2 loaves Bread – $1.00 1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.58 1 bag Chocolate Chips – $1.19 Total: $95.08 Lidl 4 bags frozen Broccoli Cuts – $3.00 1 bag Red Grapes (reduced to $0.89/lb) – $1.89 1 Pineapple – $1.19 Total: $6.08 Grocery Total for the Week: $101.16 Weekly Menu Plan Breakfasts Oatmeal, Fruit, Yogurt, Smoothies, Cereal, Toast Lunches Crackers and Peanut Butter, Bananas, Grapes, Peppers x 2 Deli Meat/Cheese Sandwiches, Chips, Tomatoes/Avocados, Strawberries x 2 Leftovers x 3 Dinners Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Cheese, Broccoli, Biscuits Grilled Chicken, Creamy Milk Rice, Broccoli Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Fried Cauliflower Rice Build-Your-Own-Burrito (Seasoned Ground Venison, Shredded Lettuce, Shredded Cheese, Avocados, Tomatoes, Salsa, Tortillas, Limes, Chips), Green Beans Pepperoni Pizza, Breadsticks, Tossed Salad French Toast, Venison Sausage, Green Beans, Hashbrowns Leftovers [ad_2] Source link

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[ad_1] Bhavesh Mehta, 54, had locomotive disability in the left leg due to polio infection since the age of two. Life was tough as Mehta had to undergo five surgeries to rectify his leg and had no stable job. But things changed for the better after joining Accenture in 2006. Mehta, now a procurement category manager, says Accenture gave him a lot of training opportunities and promoted him twice. Balachandra Hegde, 48, lost his left leg in 1987, at the age of 14, when a blade of a grass-cutting machine that rotated at 2,500 RPM speed flew off due to a technical fault and cut his leg. Hegde, who is vice-president and Lead, software, at Wells Fargo, says workplaces are changing. “Companies now have an equal opportunity policy. They are far more inclusive and understanding of the needs of people with special abilities. A lot depends on a person’s own motivation and zeal to succeed,” says Hegde, who has worked with JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs in the past. Mehta and Hegde should count themselves lucky. A majority of private sector companies still have a long way to go in being inclusive in their approach. According to a study by jobs portal Indeed in March this year, only one in five organisations or less employ LGBTIQ+ and people with disabilities (PWD). Experts say there are several myths associated with hiring PWDs, from them not being able to meet performance standards to needing more sick leaves. These are, however, not backed by data. This is despite data that shows companies that are working successfully towards disability have also achieved tangible financial benefits. For example, studies done in the US by Accenture Research has shown such companies are growing sales 2.9 times faster and profits 4.1 times faster than their peers. A majority of companies not having a concrete plan on employing PWDs is alarming, because the last official data available on them from the 2011 Census shows that there are 26.8 million people in the country, forming 2.2% of the population. The proportion might look small, but to put this in perspective—it is more than the entire population of Australia and several European nations, and, therefore, significantly high to be ignored or refrained from contributing to India’s economy.Some of India’s large companies say there is a definite shift in mindset, and that they are hiring PWDs and making their workplaces disabled-friendly. Vidya Lakshmi, executive vice-president and head of HR, Wells Fargo India & Philippines, says, “This is a significant size of talent pool for any organisation to tap into, so the business case is straightforward from both a talent attraction and business value standpoint.” Wells Fargo says that it started hiring PWDs e in 2017 and the number has grown significantly since then. Wells Fargo employs them in mainstream roles that contribute to the growth of the company and businesses across various lines of businesses and levels — from technology, operations to human resources and risk. In 2013, SAP Labs India started ‘Autism at Work’ programme, which prioritised recruiting applicants who are differently abled. Sindhu Gangadharan, senior vice-president and managing director, SAP Labs India, says, “By making neurodiversity a priority, we are fostering a more inclusive workplace.” Diageo India through ‘Project Saksham’ is providing long-term support for the employment and development of people with special abilities in its supply chain functions. Aarif Aziz, chief human resource officer, Diageo India, says, “We have 40 employees with special abilities across four manufacturing units. ‘Project Saksham’ has helped boost their confidence, enhanced soft skills, and given these employees an opportunity to contribute to the manufacturing process.” Accenture says that it has been hiring and growing persons with special abilities and leveraged technology to create a barrier free workplace. The IT major provides assisted technologies and also any ergonomic adjustments that such employees would need to facilitate their life and work. The company also has accessibility centres of excellence, where people can choose the right kind of enablement devices they need after experiencing them. Lakshmi C, managing director and lead (human resources), Accenture in India, says, “We have created internship programmes that boost employability among persons with disabilities, and also work with ecosystem partners, including non-profits, to support skill building in persons with disabilities to make them employable for the digital economy.” However, despite the efforts, organisations highlight that there are challenges to participation of PWDs in the workforce. “The database of skilled PwDs is not centralised, hence the journey in the space has been incremental over the years,” says Lakshmi of Wells Fargo. Anita Iyer Narayan, managing trustee at Ekansh says that there is a need for sensitisation towards differently abled people across all stakeholders. “We can only use the standardised guidelines to make sure places are accessible. Most international companies are at least making an effort to ensure that their premises and workshops are accessible, and ready to hire. However, there is a dearth of qualified candidates due to lack of investments in training, and need for inclusive and integrated education.” Ekansh is working towards the inclusion and empowerment of persons with special abilities. Some HR experts say there is an added advantage of hiring PWDs – they are less likely to leave the job, because the opportunities are limited at present. Also, PWDs holding senior positions are a great source of inspiration for others. Their story of struggles and success also send a message that the organisation cares for its people. That intangible gain is priceless. (With inputs from Geeta Nair in Pune) [ad_2] Source link