NEP Talk Series: Paradigm Shift in Educational Development: Learning Through NEPs since Independence by Dr Resmi P Bhaskaran

Another key speaker of the NEP talk series organised by the Department of Sociology and Social Work Students Association and Socius, Applied Sociology Students Collective, was Dr Resmi P Bhaskaran, a trained applied economist specialising in policy research.

She brought up some glaring issues in policies through her presentation in a chronological manner to assess how we started and where we are now. According to her, policies provide a roadmap, and thus the NEP is an essential document because education has become an integral part of politics. In today’s dynamic environment filled with technology and progress, the concept of education has changed, and so have the aspirations of students.

According to her, this third National Education Policy should accommodate these changes in socio-cultural and political spheres. The quality of education influences the quality of democracy and thus influences economic, societal and political developmental processes through the right attitudes, values and knowledge.

She talked about the year 1948 when then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had a meeting with the education ministry to discuss the policy and utilised the chance to revolutionise the issue, just as we should today. She talked about the history of educational planning in terms of funding and the different committees created for the same.

She first analysed the first policy presented right after independence, when the economy was focused on reconstructing itself and its trajectory. As per statistics, nations at this stage that invested in education were more successful at this reconstruction, as they boosted the development of science and technology. The policy back then made education more of public responsibility than a private one due to costs.

She then discussed the second policy in 1986 and revised it in 1992, which focused on human resource development, female education, and scientific temperament. This policy faced the challenge of second-generation illiteracy and a population boom, and semi-skilled teachers had to be brought in, which also affected the quality of education. She also talked about the spillover benefits of widespread education.

Finally, she assessed the third policy, the NEP 2020, that adapted to the 21st-century goals for its planning. According to her assessment, the NEP considers the SDG goals but ignores imbalances in region-wise educational supply.  She ended by saying that no document or policy is ever conclusive and must constantly be challenged.

This was followed by a question-answer session that covered budget allocation, education of the girl child and income disparities. Teethi Nag from 3MSOC delivered the vote of thanks, which concluded the session.

NEP Talk Series: Questions of Equality and Identity in NEP 2020

 The Department of Sociology and Social Work Students Association, along with Socius, Applied Sociology Students Collective, under the NEP lecture series, organised a session on “Questions of Equality and Identity in NEP 2020.” Ms Neha Ashar from 3MSOC was the host for the session. The session began by welcoming the esteemed guest, Dr Amman Madan, faculty with the School of Education at Azim Premji University. Dr Victor Paul, other faculty members and the students were also welcomed. Dr Amman’s expertise lies in the use of education as a tool to address social stratification and the issue of identity.

The session highlighted the positive aspects of NEP. According to sir, every Post Graduate discipline should become multidisciplinary but should be recognised by the government and schools must be exposed to vocational training. NEP focuses a lot on functional literacy. i.e., it aims at children learning to read and write. The policy also talks about equity and justice.

The NEP provides emphasis on scientific-technical research.  In the Indian class structure, 15% of the jobs are white collar. Education is a part of the system of equality. Therefore, NEP might help in bridging economic gaps by improving employability. There is a commitment to attack social inequality.

The session provided the participants with insights on the aspects of fee structure, nationalism, the ideas of age-old tradition, its drawbacks and more understanding of the policy. The session ended with a vote of thanks by Ms Annet Rose from 5PSEco.

NEP Talk Series: Student Roundtable

The Department of Sociology and Social Work Students Association and Socius, Applied Sociology Students Collective, conducted a student roundtable discussion on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Mr Dhruv Ahluwalia from 5PSEco smoothly moderated the session. Dr Rajeev was of immense help in making the event a successful one. The National Education Policy 2020 lays significant focus on various topics concerned with education in the 21st-century. 

The panellists came in with vibrant perspectives and insightful views on all the substantial issues and benefits of the policy. Ms Serene Teresa of 1MSOC spoke about the focus on avenues that vocational education opens for eager students and the poor student-teacher ratio that results from teacher absenteeism in government schools in India. Ms Supriya Bedi from 1MSW CCP spoke at length about the privatization of education through the National Education Policy 2020 and its effects through decolonization and neo-liberalization of schooling. The privatization of education on the marginalized sections of India’s social fabric was examined as it exponentially increased the cost of education. Ms Pooja Anbu of 5PSEco praised the National Education Policy 2020 as a step towards thinking globally but acting locally and the National Education Technology Forum (NETF) to close the digital gap among rural and urban Indian students. Mr Harangal from 5PSEco discussed a philosophical flaw in the policy in that he examined the effects of favouring private education over public education systems.

Students put forth their views and opinions in the most lively manner, and the discussion successfully turned out to be invigorating and fruitful. The session ended with a vote of thanks from Ms Varsha Lourdes from 3MSOC.

Mental Wellness: A Webinar on Mental Hygiene

The Department of Sociology and Social Work Students Association, Christites Against Substance Abuse (CASA) and Project Rooh, under the Millennium Fellowship (Class of 2021) organised the webinar on Mental Wellness: A Webinar on Mental Hygiene and the Usage of Positive Psychology Techniques.

The guest speaker for the event was Ms Rachel Jayasellan, a certified NLP Practitioner. She has conducted psychological and educational assessments at Reach Clinic. The session started with a small survey on what one understands about Mental Hygiene. Ms Rachel explained the meaning of Mental Hygiene, which is a way to react to a situation or control ourselves; however, using substances is more of giving control to an external environment. Mental Hygiene is all about predictability. It is a way of seeing certainty through uncertainty. She then talked about positive psychology techniques.

Ms Rachel conducted another survey through the platform Mentimeter on, “What are some negative beliefs/statements you have heard about”. She then pointed out two crucial things:

• Take decisions where your mind and body is safe
• Negative beliefs and statements don’t define an individual or your mental health.

She then explained the five essential techniques/interventions followed with the client: Mindfulness, Meeting and Finding, Kindness, Empathy and Gratitude.

After this, she circulated the third survey regarding the three things we are grateful for through Mentimeter. After this, she wrapped up the session, answering a few questions asked by the audience. The session ended with a vote of thanks by Ms Samuykta Ramakrishnan from 5PSEco.

Thrifting - A Sustainable Virtue

The Department of Sociology and Social Work Student Association, in collaboration with Millennium Fellowship (Class of 2021), presented this refreshing Webinar on Thrifting - A Sustainable Virtue. The two speakers invited, Ms Kinjal Jain and Ms Punya Chhajer, run successful thrift store online businesses on Instagram. The course of this Webinar followed an interactive question-answer session moderated by Manisha D from 3MSW HRDM and Keerti Narayanan from 3PSEco.

To better understand the concept of Thrifting, Ms Punya introduced us to some of the essential concepts related to thrifting. She spoke about Fast Fashion, Ethical Fashion, Sustainable Fashion and Slow Fashion.
Fast fashion is a highly profitable and exploitative business model based on replicating catwalk trends and high fashion design at a mass scale at a low cost. Most of these clothes are made by workers with low wages in deplorable conditions below the poverty line. Ethical fashion focuses on human and animal rights which implies good working conditions, fair wages, pensions and fair treatment of humans and animals—maintaining a balanced ecosystem while respecting animals and our environment and designing fashion garments according to ethical guidelines.
Sustainable fashion is being concerned about the environment. It includes a fashion with recyclable, organic fibres, which can also be repurposed. Fashion items with minimal chemical fibres, toxic dyes, and less virtual water and energy consumption are sustainable. Slow fashion emphasises the importance of quality over quantity. It tries to understand the nuances behind clothing. The shelf life of a particular piece of clothing should be at least more than two years, and the company that manufactured the clothing should be transparent enough to reveal its policies and practices.
Ms Kinjal added to the discussion by covering the environmental impact of fast fashion on oceans due to microplastics and microfibres taking over the marine ecosystem. Promoting second-hand wear requires a change in mentality; Fast Fashion items should be reused and recycled.
The next question addressed some of the pros and cons of thrifting, wherein Kinjal provided a practical insight by showing thrifting's positive and negative sides. She gave the audience tips encouraging them to start thrifting. She cautioned the audience about scams on social media sites in the name of thrift stores.
The discussion then took a turn to address some of the policies of thrift shops regarding unused clothing. Punya addressed this question by elaborating on some of her return policies which may go back to the seller or get donated if the item is not sold. She talks about her pricing mechanisms based on the condition of the clothing item - whether it's not worn, old, new, et cetera. Kinjal specified having fair prices by grounding high prices to match the realistic expectations of the buyers and sellers. She focuses more on the sustainable aspect of thrifting rather than thrifting as a business model for second-hand clothing.
Kinjal shares the history of her store as she saw her friends thrifting for the first time and then continued to thrift more in the future. "Making people conscious of thrifting trends is one of my cherished memories." Punya specified that one could buy items from other second-hand stores; however, it is becoming more popular than social media influencers endorse. Thrifting should not be undertaken as a trend; one must make a conscious effort to become more sustainable through thrifting.
Following this discussion, both the speakers elaborated on some of the myths related to thrifting. Kinjal explains some of the major misconceptions between thrifting and reselling clothes and hand-picked items, often displayed in thrift stores online. "Customers should know which ones are the thrift stores, reselling stores, and other hand-picked curated items."
Both the speakers elaborated on some of the myths related to thrifting. Kinjal explains some of the major misconceptions between thrifting and reselling clothes and hand-picked items, often displayed on thrift stores online. "Customers should know which ones are the thrift stores, reselling stores, and other hand-picked curated items."
Punya says that many thrift stores are marketed as being affordable; hence it is looked down on. She says, "Only people of a certain financial level thrift. This is not true as thrifting is not about financial status; it is more about giving an item a longer life." Thrifting is affordable; however, there should not be misconceptions about prices and thrifting.

Post the discussion, a short quiz was held, moderated by the session's facilitators, and then a short Q and A session resulted in further discussion. Some important points were about the future of thrift stores and India and the inclusivity of sizes in these thrift stores. An interesting discussion also occurred regarding the ethical and sustainable practices of thrifting itself. Thrifting is more about giving life to an already worn piece of clothing rather than consciously only buying sustainable and ethically sourced fashion items.
The session was brought to a close by a vote of thanks delivered by Keerti Narayanan of 3PSEco.

Cancer Awareness and A Healthy Lifestyle

In collaboration with Sanjeevani - Life Beyond Cancer, the Department of Sociology and Social Work Student Association organised a webinar on Cancer Awareness and Healthy Lifestyle. The webinar began with a short video depicting the achievements of Sanjeevani - Life Beyond Cancer, an organisation that works in the field of comprehensive cancer care. Ms Annu, a member of the organisation, introduced the founder, vision, and goals. She then talked about their different initiatives and invited the main speaker, Ms Florina Singh.
Ms Florina Singh briefly talked about all the topics she planned on covering throughout the webinar. She defined cancer as the growth of abnormal cells and explained the factors that contribute to this growth and control these factors, such as low immunity and unhealthy lifestyles. She stated that cancer is the second leading cause of death in the country and is also affected by genetics. She then presented a video on how cancer cells and immunity cells work. She then spoke about food and nutrition, determined by timing, quantity, combination, and mindset. She highlighted that one must be thankful for the food, as our emotional attitude affects digestion. Next, she covered the importance of breathing and spoke about how we should take more prolonged and deeper breaths. Then she talked about mental health and how one must discuss issues about mental health more. Negative thoughts, anxiety and depression create an environment for cancer cells to develop and thus must be processed the right way. She highlighted some techniques to control negative emotions, such as reverse counting and journaling.
Next, she discussed cancer's early signs and symptoms that are ignored much too often. These include unusual bleeding, minor sores, painful lumps, gastric issues, sudden changes in moles, a nagging cough and more. She also demonstrated a self-check for breast cancer by checking for lumps.
She mentioned the different treatment options, such as chemotherapy and radiation. She then spoke about the various risk factors of cancer such as tobacco and marijuana use, obesity, stress, lack of sleep, low physical activity and an unhealthy diet. She also showed the audience a small video on the importance of good sleep. She spoke about the most common types of cancer, the first being lung cancer for men, followed by breast cancer for women.
In conclusion, Ms Florina emphasised the importance of psychosocial support to help cancer patients process their diagnosis and treatment options. One must be empathic and try to be as inclusive as possible. She shared anecdotes about how she and people she knows help patients by going for walks or cooking for them. She said that 80% of cancer might be treated by medication, but 20% of it depends on one’s willpower.
She ended with a quote by Stuart Scott, “You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and in the manner in which you live.”
The co-host then thanked all participants and announced a quiz for the audience. This was followed by a question-answer session as well as sharing of experiences. Dr Victor Paul thanked the guest speaker and commended her work. He also thanked the organising team and the association, following which the quiz winners were announced. Ramya Mohini Yerram, the General Secretary (UG), delivered the vote of thanks, which concluded the session.

Christites Against Substance Abuse (CASA) Roundtable - What We Can Learn from Gandhi: Combating Substance Abuse

Christites Against Substance Abuse (CASA) under the Department of Sociology and Social Work Student Association conducted the semester’s first student roundtable on the 1st of October. A panel of five students was set to participate in a discussion on the theme ‘What we can learn from Gandhi: Combating Substance Abuse’ on Gandhi Jayanti and National Anti-Drug Addiction Day. The welcome address was presented by Pooja A from 5PSEco. She warmed up the audience by conducting a short quiz, promising a gift for the first person to answer each question correctly. She then introduced the panellists - Isha Singhal from 1MSW HRDM, Nikita Choudhary from 1MSOC, Monica Mohanasundaram from 1MSW CCP, Divyajyoti Swain from 5PSEco, and Rahith Saini (name changed) from 5PSEco.

Isha initiated the discussion, talking about abuse and misuse, tolerance and dependence, and forming plans to prevent the same. She quoted Gandhi on his perspective on substance use and its effect on gender and domestic violence, morality and society. She ended by stating that we must either reduce or entirely eradicate the use of such substances, as it is not worth the fleeting moment of ecstasy, and related it to Gandhian Marxism and his notions of ahimsa.

Next, Nikita highlighted the increase in substance abuse, especially in adolescents, during the pandemic. This could be attributed to loneliness, sudden mental changes, and higher domestic violence rates. The announcements of lockdowns led to hoarding of alcohol.

Nikita talked about how Gandhi perceived alcohol to be a manifestation of the devil that destroyed both the individual and society and advocated for compulsory sobriety. She spoke about how political parties use alcohol to maintain political dominance in specific constituencies. She also talked about Gandhi’s principle of Sarvodaya and how it led to the upliftment of society.

Next, Monica highlighted the sexual abuse aspect of substance abuse, such as harassment and marital abuse. She also talked about how the patriarchy ingrained into our society forces women to stay silent about this abuse. She put forth a fundamental question, can a ban on alcohol consumption substantially reduce domestic violence? Such violence has several other dimensions, but alcohol prohibition can reduce its reduction. She talked about how Bihar and Mizoram have tried implementing such measures, but its success was debatable in practice due to a lack of mandates that regulate the black market and other such loopholes. She then questioned the state of today’s generation due to such prominent substance abuse in recent years. She ended by saying that we should keep in mind the dharmas of Gandhi, especially the principle of ahimsa.

Then, Divyajyoti took the discussion forward by talking about substance abuse as a growing problem and then looking at it from Gandhi’s perspective. He then highlighted research that prohibition does not reduce substance abuse. Personal freedoms in the modern world mean the forced ban is often counterintuitive, and thus we must inculcate Gandhi’s notions of responsibility and understanding into a balanced use of substances. He talked about the development of self-control as a skill. Further, he said that labelling alcohol as synonymous with the devil creates a stigmatised society, and one must thus approach the issue differently.

Finally, Rahith Saini (name changed) ended the discussion by summarising Gandhi’s thoughts on alcohol, smoking, and vices. He supported these thoughts that such substances cause severe issues to public health and society but also said that we must not go so far as to call it the drink of the devil. Instead, we must find a balanced and responsible point of use. He highlighted India’s long-standing history of cannabis use and thus said that responsible use is possible if we have constructive discussions about the same. He talked about Gandhi’s belief in naturopathy and rejection of medical drugs. He used this to talk about how some drugs are indispensable for medical use and thus disagreed with Gandhi on this point. He concluded that bans never work; however, the decriminalisation of substances combined with better mental health infrastructure can better solve the problem. We must look at it as a societal problem instead of a criminal one.

Following this, Pooja took over, throwing the floor open to the audience for any questions. One student asked Rahith Saini (name changed) about how we can induce a cultural shift when it comes to substance abuse, who replied by talking about the importance of being open-minded and communicative. She also welcomed closing remarks from the panellists, who spoke about how we must work towards reducing the negative effect of substance use and how there is a lot to be learned from Gandhi about the same.

She then invited Dr Reena Merian Cherian to address the audience, who talked about the practical applicability of self-control and appreciated the emphasis on women. This concluded the session, as the association extended their gratitude to the audience and the panellists.

Careers in Social Sector

The session organised by the Department of Sociology and Social Work Student Association began with a welcome speech for Mr Ravi Sreedharan. He has worked in the corporate sector for 24 years before quitting to join the social and developmental industry in 2011. The speech began with a small story on the unfortunate situation of the Indian education system, mainly related to the government where the majority of the population is getting educated and how one can bring in a systemic change to reform the education sector as a whole.
He emphasised the need to enter the social sector and how the time is never better than during the Covid 19 pandemic. He reiterated the fact that it was neither capitalism nor was it the market that helped everyone. Instead, the civil society, i.e., the social sector, was helping everyone in their hour of need.

Sovereignty, socialism, democracy, justice – India failed as the pandemic hit us, where the fractures in India came to light with the plight of migrant workers during the pandemic. The social sector and civil society are the country's essential pillars, and working with them will lead to a meaningful and impactful life. He highlighted how important it is for youngsters to enter the social and developmental sector for the better growth of India. Such a feat requires a big heart and cognitive and technical skills to solve complex problems. The proper knowledge, attitude, and skills will go a long way in the future.

Being the founder of the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), Mr Ravi explained the importance of developmental studies, sectoral expertise, and opportunities offered through social work. He also highlighted the curriculum at ISDM, which has been meticulously tailored to meet the needs of the emerging social and developmental sector ecosystem.

He talked of the importance of sustained impact – where there is persistent problem solving and not creating more problems to solve just one. One should give critical importance to social issues at scale and, when not shown, can develop into much more severe problems.

The session concluded with the Alumni of CHRIST, Ms Ann, who studied at ISDM sharing their experiences and their transition into the developmental sector. Mr Aseem Purohit, a part of the leadership team at ISDM, who also moved to the social industry after being in the corporate sector for over 32 years, shared his experiences.

International Food Loss and Waste Reduction Day - Online Campaign

 The Department of Sociology and Social Work Student Association posted on their Instagram page for the International Food Loss and Waste Reduction Day on 29th September 2021. It would not be beyond any of us to realize that food ownership carries with it a weight of responsibility - an understanding that we are its custodians bound to treat it carefully.

The Sociology and Social Work Student Association keeping this responsibility in mind observed the international food loss and waste reduction day on the 29th of September 2021. The Instagram post reached an audience of 152 viewers and garnered interactions based on users sharing the post on their own handles as well.

We got to know a lot about waste and how households generate around 61% of waste and India shares about 8.7% of annual per capita food wastage.

Food loss can happen due to a lot of reasons such as bad weather, processing problems, lack of cold storage, overproduction and unstable markets.

But Food waste can be controlled at an individual level for the greater good of the community.

How can one contribute towards waste reduction?

1. Plan your meal – Every day at the start of the day we should plan our day along with the meals to avoid food wastage.
2. Turn waste into compost pits – All the food waste is biodegradable which means that it can be put into the soil which will act as a good fertilizer.
3. Love your leftovers – Once you start loving your leftovers you will find ways to reuse them and not just throw them in the bins.
4. Practice FIFO; First In First Out – During FIFO is a storing and rotating food system in which the food which has been in the storage longest will be out first and then the next food will be used.
5. Shop Smart – To reduce food wastage we should always shop smartly and thought rationally as to what to buy.
6. Sharing is caring – When you feel that some food is extra or some resources are extra it is always advisable to share it with someone who lacks it so that there is no loss of food and resources in general

All the things mentioned above work on an individual basis. Our actions should reach a global level so that maximum food is produced, used and not wasted. The introduction to technologies, innovative solutions, and finding new ways to work and manage food will only help us achieve SDG goal 12 which is responsible consumption and production.

The Instagram post can be accessed through the following link:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUZcx3BIN2n/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Inauguration of International Alumni Association - New Zealand Chapter

The Department of Sociology and Social Work Student Association organized the inauguration of the International Alumni Association - New Zealand chapter. The host for the event was Ms Shrutilaya S. The program commenced with the lighting of the lamp and invocation song. Ms Ankitaa Mohanty welcomed the dignitaries, faculty members, coordinators, and other participants to the program. Prof Cyril John, the Alumni coordinator, introduced the necessity of the international alumni forum to the participants.
This is a platform that helps the students connect with the alumni. Followed by this, Dr Victor Paul, Head of the Department of Sociology and Social Work, and Fr Dr Jose C C, Pro-vice Chancellor, addressed the gathering, respectively. Ms Neha Ashar introduced the office bearers of the alumni association of the region. Mr Ajith Wilson (President), Ms Shiny Joseph (Secretary), and Mr Nithin Manuel (Treasurer) are the office bearers of the international alumni association of the New Zealand chapter.
On behalf of Ms Shiny, the report was presented by Mr Justin. Followed by this, Mr Ajith shared the program's vision with the participants. Mr Samuel George and Dr Hemalatha K felicitated the gathering. Dr Victor Paul addressed the alumni about the recent developments and changes in the department. Mr Nithin, Mr Ephrem, Mr Justin, Mr Alen, Ms Madhavi, and Mr Manoj shared their experiences of being in CHRIST (Deemed to be University) and their current job positions. The session ended with a vote of thanks by Ms Neha Ashar of 3MSOC.