Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Consumer Day, 2011
SPEECH OF THE HON’BLE MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION ON THE OCCASION OF WORLD CONSUMER RIGHTS DAY 2011 (15.3.2011) ********** My Senior Colleague in the Cabinet and Minister of Law and Justice Sh. Veerappa Moilyji, Hon’ble Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Shri Dalveer Bhandari, Hon’ble Justice Shri Ashok Bhan, President of National Consumer Dispute and Redressal Commission, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs Shri Rajiv Agarwal, Members of the National and State Commissions, Distinguished guests, Members of the Media, Ladies and gentlemen. I am extremely happy to be with you all on this occasion of the celebration of World Consumer Rights Day. 2. On 15 March we celebrate World Consumer Rights Day – a day on which consumer organizations and governments worldwide endorse and re-commit themselves to the guidelines for consumer protection, which were adopted by the United Nations in 1985. 3. The origins of this day can be sourced back to in the famous declaration of John F Kennedy to the United States Congress on 15th March, 1962. He said, (and I quote) “Consumers by definition include us all. They are the largest economic group, affecting and affected by almost every public and private economic decision. Yet they are the only important group... whose views are often not heard.” In that declaration for the first time he spelt out the four basic consumer rights: the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose and the right to be heard. It really launched the consumer protection movement in a big way. People started thinking seriously about their rights as consumers and Governments all over world started giving due importance to the subject of consumer protection. The U.N. guidelines on consumer protection of 1985 are a founding stone which made many countries in the world start consumer protection programmes in right earnest. 4. The consumer movement in India is as old as trade and commerce and yet until 1986 there was no systematic movement in the country for safeguarding the interest of consumers. As we are all aware, the consumer movement got a boost only after the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. It is a unique legislation, providing for the establishment of Consumer Fora at district, state and national level exclusively for the consumers. The concern in the Constitution of India for protection and promotion of an individual’s rights and for the dignity and welfare of the citizen makes it imperative to provide for the welfare of the individual as a consumer and a customer. The rights under consumer protection act 1986 flow from the rights enshrined in articles 14-19 of the Constitution of India. The right to information Act 2005 which has opened up governance processes of our country to common man also has far reaching implications for consumer protection. 5. Today, the Consumer Protection Act has succeeded in having a sobering effect on the markets, forcing the providers of goods and services to introspect and internalize the concept of consumer welfare and address consumer grievances more deligently. However, the larger benefit it has been affording to the consumers is the provision of an additional legal recourse in the consumer fora, to redress their grievances. In this background, it is essential that Consumer Fora function successfully, retaining their character & effectiveness so that consumers do not lose their confidence in the justice delivery system. While the overall performance of the Consumer Fora may be satisfactory, as out of 35.09 lakh cases filed so far 31.46 lakh cases, nearly 89.68% stand disposed, the need of the hour is to ensure that the Consumer Fora do not slip onto the path of civil courts, making litigation long drawn out and taking several years to dispose of even cases involving small compensation. 6. Friends, let me assure you that the needs of the National Commission are always on the priority agenda of the Government. In so far as the State Commissions and District Fora are concerned, as we have been continuously impressing upon them, the State Governments are again requested to make all efforts for providing the necessary infrastructure and manpower to the Fora so that the objectives of the Act are fulfilled. To reduce the pendency of cases thirteen cities across the country have been notified by the Govt. where NCDRC can hold Circuit Benches .The number of Members of the Commission has been increased from 5 to 9 enabling the Commission to set up 5 Benches. Further 2 additional posts of Members have been created for a period of five years for setting up an additional Bench to clear backlog of cases in NCDRC. 7. The Government is implementing an important scheme CONFONET to make the Consumer Fora more efficient, transparent and systematic in their functioning. This project for Computerization & Computer Networking of Consumer Fora in the country is being executed on a turnkey basis by the National Informatics Centre. This project, approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 48.64 crores during 10th Plan for the entire country, has been extended to 11th Plan at a cost of Rs 25.69 crores. Under this scheme, the consumer fora at all the three tiers would be fully computerized and inter-connected enabling them to access information leading to quicker disposal of cases. With the implementation of this scheme consumers across the country will be able to file complaints online and can also find out the status of the case on the website. Out of 35 State Commissions and 607 District Fora, 34 State Commissions and 593 District Fora have been covered under this project so far. Similarly, we have another scheme titled ‘Strengthening of Consumer Fora’ where financial assistance is being extended to States/UTs to supplement their efforts in strengthening infrastructure of the Consumer Fora. An amount of Rs.10.30 crores have been released so far to 7 eligible States under this scheme during 2010-11. 8. Ladies and Gentlemen, At the root of the consumer protection is the recognition that there is unequal relationship between the consumers and producers. Protection lies the consumers is accomplished by setting minimum standards, quality specifications and safety standards for both goods and services and establishing mechanisms to redress their grievances. Today it is widely acknowledged that the level of consumer awareness and protection is a true indicator of development of the country and progressiveness of civil society. The main reason for this is the rapidly increasing variety of goods and services which modern technology has made available. In addition, the growing size and complexity of production and distribution systems, high level of sophistication in promotional and selling practices, in advertising and other forms of mass marketing methods and increased mobility resulting in reduction of personal interaction between buyers and sellers have contributed to the increased need for consumer protection. 9. Education helps an individual as a consumer in making an informed choice and protects him from trade and business exploitation. But more is needed in the effective functioning of national market to create an increased awareness of consumers rights. For this, consumers have to be educated about their rights and responsibilities through a concerted publicity and awareness campaigns. In this regard, special emphasis needs to be given to vulnerable groups such as women, children, rural families and working class. There is thus necessity for continuing consumer awareness campaigns on a large scale to sensitize population on basic concepts and encourage them to protect their rights. We also need to provide simple and less expensive alternate modes of grievance redressal. 10. Consumer is said to be the King. But he is often found to be in fetters. Special efforts are required to free him from such chains, so that , he becomes enlightened of his own rights and feel empowered to prevent his exploitation in the market place. 11. On this important day, let us rededicate ourselves to work for the welfare of the consumers and resolve to make them aware of their rights and responsibilities. Let us also ensure that goods and services are available free from hazards and exploitation and jointly strengthen the institutional legal framework for this purpose. Effective functioning of consumer dispute redressal machinery for rendering quick justice is a very important ingredient in this framework. I am confident that it will continue to deliver excellent service to the consumers in the future also. Jai Hind. **********
Lunching of B.Com Courese in YMCA, 8.3.11
SHADWELL’S Launching of B. Com Professional Programme & Seminar on Higher Education and Employability 6.30 PM, Tuesday 8th March, 2011 At New Delhi Y.M.C.A ****** Inaugural Address Prof. Dr. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Chairman of the session, Shri E.T. Mohammed Basheer MP, Prof. Dr. P.T. Chande, President of the Association of Indian Universities, Shri P.C. Chacko MP, Shri M.B Rajesh MP, Shri P.K Biju MP, Shri Jose K. Mani MP, Shri Hibi Eden, Shri Chandy Oommen, Fr. Jose Vattakuzhy, Prof. Sunil Bakshi, Dr. M.M. Rehman, Prof. James Joseph, Dean of ShadWell’s, Mr. Tom B. Mannapurathu, Chairman & CEO of ShadWell’s and friends, I am happy to be here today for three special reasons: (i) ShadWell’s is young; (ii) this is an educational programme; (iii) ShadWell’s is based in Kochi, in my constituency. When I say ShadWell’s is young, I mean not only that ShadWell’s is just three years old, but also that men at the helm of affairs are very young. Look at the bright handsome face of Tom, the Chairman, or at the revealing face of Jettin, the Vice-Chairman. They symbolize the youthful vigour, drive, imagination and optimism of the young entrepreneurs in Kerala. They are assisted by a team of young men and women who dare to share the dreams of ShadWell’s. Equally important is the fact that the refreshing youthfulness of ShadWell’s is enriched by the wide and varied professional experience of its Dean Prof. James Joseph, whose teaching experience of ten years in different colleges is frilled with 23 years of experience as Education Administrator in Kerala University and the Govt. of Kerala. I congratulate these young men for the bold initiative they have contributed to the educational scenario of the country. The second reason for my enthusiasm in joining you today is that this function takes me back to the realm of Education, where I really belong. And thirdly, I enjoy a sort of intimacy with ShadWell’s as the nerve centre of its activities is in Kochi, within my parliamentary constituency. The launch of B.Com professional programme in Delhi is a welcome move. I hope this would inspire other entrepreneurs all over the country to design and develop similar innovative academic programmes to meet the challenge of employability. B. Com degree of IGNOU along with an International Certification in a specialized area of study, plus International Certificate in Financial English would be a valid passport to the province of an attractive career. The students are equipped to face a selection process with confidence by going through soft skill development programmes during the entire course. This integrated programme is an answer to the questions raised regarding quality and employability. Hence, it is quite fitting and proper that a seminar on Higher Education and Employability is also being held. The percentage of youth in population places India in a prestigious position, and India is, thus, known as a ‘Young Nation’. Our major concern is to make the best use of this demographic dividend for nation building. The 11th Plan which is described as ‘Education Plan’ has laid strong foundations in this direction. There has been much discussion on the 3 E’s i.e., Expansion, Equity and Excellence, in the recent times. Expansion of higher education facilities to the multitudes is a Herculean task. In 1950, we had 20 universities, 700 colleges, 20,000 students and 2000 teachers. By 2010, the numbers recorded a steep rise. We have more than 500 universities, 24000 colleges, 16 million students and 5 lacs teachers. Still, the Gross Enrolment Ratio, i.e., the percentage of students getting enrolled for higher education after grade XII, is only 12. The National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), in a report, has suggested that the minimum threshold level of required GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio) to contribute to rapid and sustainable economic development of the country would be 20%. The global level today is 23%. India has now set the target of 30% GER for 2020. To achieve this level of enrolment in higher education, we need to open 800 universities and 3500 colleges additionally, so that 46 million more seats can be created in higher education. The Government will not be able to meet this requirement solely with its own resources. That is why the private players are welcome. And, this is the relevance of initiatives like ShadWell’s. But the second ‘E’, i.e. Equity should be a guiding principle in all efforts made in partnership with private institutions. Special care should be taken for inclusiveness, to protect the interests of the marginalized segments of society. The third ‘E’, i.e., Excellence, is the greatest challenge in the Indian educational scenario. Disturbing questions are being asked about the quality of our education. We lament that none of our premier institutions find a place in the best 100 universities in the world. Our system fails to ensure the optimum growth of our students because it is over-rigid in its structure and under-funded in terms of resources. The ‘A-3’ generation in our Campuses—Anytime, Anywhere, Anything generation—can learn anything at anytime sitting anywhere. When times call for immediate response and positive change, our slowness, technical barriers and inadequacies frustrate the students. Initiatives like choice-based credit and semester system have marked a remarkable change. The revolution in thinking and approach to learning brought about by IGNOU is epoch-making. In the environment of life-long learning promoted by IGNOU and other universities, the test of employability has become more relevant. Employability, no doubt, is a vibrant determinant in quality and content of education. And, this is where we lag behind. Some surveys show that only 8% of our graduates are employable. It means, only 8 out of 100 graduates are equipped to do the right job for which they are supposed to be qualified. An Engineer working as a Technician, an MCA doing Data Entry or an MBA working as Clerk in a government office would be a sad commentary on the educational system. In short, the challenge is to enhance the employability of our educated youth. One remedy for the malady would be to integrate application dimension that leads to employability, within the curriculum. Another method would be to provide add-on programmes as value addition with a view to sustaining employability potential, highlighting communication, application, creativity, innovativeness and other employability skills. While the professional courses lack in quality, we find that the traditional mainstream courses have few takers as their employability is less. This is where add-on courses, with strong employability component, become relevant. Proven, quality-endorsed courses from anywhere would be welcomed by the students. One way to improve employability would be Industry-Academic Linkage. The Employer knows what he expects from his employees. Many institutions now resort to tailor-made programmes for industries. Involvement of industry in course design, pedagogy, and methodology of teaching would make a lot of difference. Accreditation has become compulsory now. But outcome-based accreditation is yet to come to stay. How employable is your product is a question to be considered in accreditation. I am happy that such vital concerns are enkindling our young minds. ShadWell’s is an initiative for others to emulate. ShadWell’s is making its humble contribution for enhancing the employability of our commerce graduates. This is a bold step. I congratulate ShadWell’s and wish them success in their endeavour. Today, incidentally, happens to be the International Women’s Day; and that rings a bell for ShadWell’s. A programme launched on the Women’s Day ought to have special packages for empowerment of women. With this special suggestion, I launch the B.Com Professional Programme of ShadWell’s. I also inaugurate the Seminar on Higher Education and Employment. JAI HIND
SHADWELL’S
Launching of B. Com Professional Programme
& Seminar on Higher Education and Employability
6.30 PM, Tuesday 8th March, 2011
At New Delhi Y.M.C.A
******
Inaugural Address
Prof. Dr. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Chairman of the session, Shri E.T. Mohammed Basheer MP, Prof. Dr. P.T. Chande, President of the Association of Indian Universities, Shri P.C. Chacko MP, Shri M.B Rajesh MP, Shri P.K Biju MP, Shri Jose K. Mani MP, Shri Hibi Eden, Shri Chandy Oommen, Fr. Jose Vattakuzhy, Prof. Sunil Bakshi, Dr. M.M. Rehman, Prof. James Joseph, Dean of ShadWell’s, Mr. Tom B. Mannapurathu, Chairman & CEO of ShadWell’s and friends,
I am happy to be here today for three special reasons: (i) ShadWell’s is young; (ii) this is an educational programme; (iii) ShadWell’s is based in Kochi, in my constituency. When I say ShadWell’s is young, I mean not only that ShadWell’s is just three years old, but also that men at the helm of affairs are very young. Look at the bright handsome face of Tom, the Chairman, or at the revealing face of Jettin, the Vice-Chairman. They symbolize the youthful vigour, drive, imagination and optimism of the young entrepreneurs in Kerala. They are assisted by a team of young men and women who dare to share the dreams of ShadWell’s.
Equally important is the fact that the refreshing youthfulness of ShadWell’s is enriched by the wide and varied professional experience of its Dean Prof. James Joseph, whose teaching experience of ten years in different colleges is frilled with 23 years of experience as Education Administrator in Kerala University and the Govt. of Kerala.
I congratulate these young men for the bold initiative they have contributed to the educational scenario of the country.
The second reason for my enthusiasm in joining you today is that this function takes me back to the realm of Education, where I really belong.
And thirdly, I enjoy a sort of intimacy with ShadWell’s as the nerve centre of its activities is in Kochi, within my parliamentary constituency.
The launch of B.Com professional programme in Delhi is a welcome move. I hope this would inspire other entrepreneurs all over the country to design and develop similar innovative academic programmes to meet the challenge of employability. B. Com degree of IGNOU along with an International Certification in a specialized area of study, plus International Certificate in Financial English would be a valid passport to the province of an attractive career. The students are equipped to face a selection process with confidence by going through soft skill development programmes during the entire course. This integrated programme is an answer to the questions raised regarding quality and employability.
Hence, it is quite fitting and proper that a seminar on Higher Education and Employability is also being held.
The percentage of youth in population places India in a prestigious position, and India is, thus, known as a ‘Young Nation’. Our major concern is to make the best use of this demographic dividend for nation building. The 11th Plan which is described as ‘Education Plan’ has laid strong foundations in this direction.
There has been much discussion on the 3 E’s i.e., Expansion, Equity and Excellence, in the recent times.
Expansion of higher education facilities to the multitudes is a Herculean task. In 1950, we had 20 universities, 700 colleges, 20,000 students and 2000 teachers. By 2010, the numbers recorded a steep rise. We have more than 500 universities, 24000 colleges, 16 million students and 5 lacs teachers. Still, the Gross Enrolment Ratio, i.e., the percentage of students getting enrolled for higher education after grade XII, is only 12. The National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), in a report, has suggested that the minimum threshold level of required GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio) to contribute to rapid and sustainable economic development of the country would be 20%. The global level today is 23%. India has now set the target of 30% GER for 2020.
To achieve this level of enrolment in higher education, we need to open 800 universities and 3500 colleges additionally, so that 46 million more seats can be created in higher education.
The Government will not be able to meet this requirement solely with its own resources. That is why the private players are welcome. And, this is the relevance of initiatives like ShadWell’s.
But the second ‘E’, i.e. Equity should be a guiding principle in all efforts made in partnership with private institutions. Special care should be taken for inclusiveness, to protect the interests of the marginalized segments of society.
The third ‘E’, i.e., Excellence, is the greatest challenge in the Indian educational scenario. Disturbing questions are being asked about the quality of our education. We lament that none of our premier institutions find a place in the best 100 universities in the world. Our system fails to ensure the optimum growth of our students because it is over-rigid in its structure and under-funded in terms of resources. The ‘A-3’ generation in our Campuses—Anytime, Anywhere, Anything generation—can learn anything at anytime sitting anywhere.
When times call for immediate response and positive change, our slowness, technical barriers and inadequacies frustrate the students. Initiatives like choice-based credit and semester system have marked a remarkable change.
The revolution in thinking and approach to learning brought about by IGNOU is epoch-making. In the environment of life-long learning promoted by IGNOU and other universities, the test of employability has become more relevant. Employability, no doubt, is a vibrant determinant in quality and content of education.
And, this is where we lag behind. Some surveys show that only 8% of our graduates are employable. It means, only 8 out of 100 graduates are equipped to do the right job for which they are supposed to be qualified. An Engineer working as a Technician, an MCA doing Data Entry or an MBA working as Clerk in a government office would be a sad commentary on the educational system.
In short, the challenge is to enhance the employability of our educated youth. One remedy for the malady would be to integrate application dimension that leads to employability, within the curriculum. Another method would be to provide add-on programmes as value addition with a view to sustaining employability potential, highlighting communication, application, creativity, innovativeness and other employability skills.
While the professional courses lack in quality, we find that the traditional mainstream courses have few takers as their employability is less. This is where add-on courses, with strong employability component, become relevant. Proven, quality-endorsed courses from anywhere would be welcomed by the students.
One way to improve employability would be Industry-Academic Linkage. The Employer knows what he expects from his employees. Many institutions now resort to tailor-made programmes for industries. Involvement of industry in course design, pedagogy, and methodology of teaching would make a lot of difference.
Accreditation has become compulsory now. But outcome-based accreditation is yet to come to stay. How employable is your product is a question to be considered in accreditation.
I am happy that such vital concerns are enkindling our young minds. ShadWell’s is an initiative for others to emulate. ShadWell’s is making its humble contribution for enhancing the employability of our commerce graduates. This is a bold step. I congratulate ShadWell’s and wish them success in their endeavour.
Today, incidentally, happens to be the International Women’s Day; and that rings a bell for ShadWell’s. A programme launched on the Women’s Day ought to have special packages for empowerment of women.
With this special suggestion, I launch the B.Com Professional Programme of ShadWell’s. I also inaugurate the Seminar on Higher Education and Employment.
JAI HIND
Launching of B. Com Professional Programme
& Seminar on Higher Education and Employability
6.30 PM, Tuesday 8th March, 2011
At New Delhi Y.M.C.A
******
Inaugural Address
Prof. Dr. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Chairman of the session, Shri E.T. Mohammed Basheer MP, Prof. Dr. P.T. Chande, President of the Association of Indian Universities, Shri P.C. Chacko MP, Shri M.B Rajesh MP, Shri P.K Biju MP, Shri Jose K. Mani MP, Shri Hibi Eden, Shri Chandy Oommen, Fr. Jose Vattakuzhy, Prof. Sunil Bakshi, Dr. M.M. Rehman, Prof. James Joseph, Dean of ShadWell’s, Mr. Tom B. Mannapurathu, Chairman & CEO of ShadWell’s and friends,
I am happy to be here today for three special reasons: (i) ShadWell’s is young; (ii) this is an educational programme; (iii) ShadWell’s is based in Kochi, in my constituency. When I say ShadWell’s is young, I mean not only that ShadWell’s is just three years old, but also that men at the helm of affairs are very young. Look at the bright handsome face of Tom, the Chairman, or at the revealing face of Jettin, the Vice-Chairman. They symbolize the youthful vigour, drive, imagination and optimism of the young entrepreneurs in Kerala. They are assisted by a team of young men and women who dare to share the dreams of ShadWell’s.
Equally important is the fact that the refreshing youthfulness of ShadWell’s is enriched by the wide and varied professional experience of its Dean Prof. James Joseph, whose teaching experience of ten years in different colleges is frilled with 23 years of experience as Education Administrator in Kerala University and the Govt. of Kerala.
I congratulate these young men for the bold initiative they have contributed to the educational scenario of the country.
The second reason for my enthusiasm in joining you today is that this function takes me back to the realm of Education, where I really belong.
And thirdly, I enjoy a sort of intimacy with ShadWell’s as the nerve centre of its activities is in Kochi, within my parliamentary constituency.
The launch of B.Com professional programme in Delhi is a welcome move. I hope this would inspire other entrepreneurs all over the country to design and develop similar innovative academic programmes to meet the challenge of employability. B. Com degree of IGNOU along with an International Certification in a specialized area of study, plus International Certificate in Financial English would be a valid passport to the province of an attractive career. The students are equipped to face a selection process with confidence by going through soft skill development programmes during the entire course. This integrated programme is an answer to the questions raised regarding quality and employability.
Hence, it is quite fitting and proper that a seminar on Higher Education and Employability is also being held.
The percentage of youth in population places India in a prestigious position, and India is, thus, known as a ‘Young Nation’. Our major concern is to make the best use of this demographic dividend for nation building. The 11th Plan which is described as ‘Education Plan’ has laid strong foundations in this direction.
There has been much discussion on the 3 E’s i.e., Expansion, Equity and Excellence, in the recent times.
Expansion of higher education facilities to the multitudes is a Herculean task. In 1950, we had 20 universities, 700 colleges, 20,000 students and 2000 teachers. By 2010, the numbers recorded a steep rise. We have more than 500 universities, 24000 colleges, 16 million students and 5 lacs teachers. Still, the Gross Enrolment Ratio, i.e., the percentage of students getting enrolled for higher education after grade XII, is only 12. The National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), in a report, has suggested that the minimum threshold level of required GER (Gross Enrolment Ratio) to contribute to rapid and sustainable economic development of the country would be 20%. The global level today is 23%. India has now set the target of 30% GER for 2020.
To achieve this level of enrolment in higher education, we need to open 800 universities and 3500 colleges additionally, so that 46 million more seats can be created in higher education.
The Government will not be able to meet this requirement solely with its own resources. That is why the private players are welcome. And, this is the relevance of initiatives like ShadWell’s.
But the second ‘E’, i.e. Equity should be a guiding principle in all efforts made in partnership with private institutions. Special care should be taken for inclusiveness, to protect the interests of the marginalized segments of society.
The third ‘E’, i.e., Excellence, is the greatest challenge in the Indian educational scenario. Disturbing questions are being asked about the quality of our education. We lament that none of our premier institutions find a place in the best 100 universities in the world. Our system fails to ensure the optimum growth of our students because it is over-rigid in its structure and under-funded in terms of resources. The ‘A-3’ generation in our Campuses—Anytime, Anywhere, Anything generation—can learn anything at anytime sitting anywhere.
When times call for immediate response and positive change, our slowness, technical barriers and inadequacies frustrate the students. Initiatives like choice-based credit and semester system have marked a remarkable change.
The revolution in thinking and approach to learning brought about by IGNOU is epoch-making. In the environment of life-long learning promoted by IGNOU and other universities, the test of employability has become more relevant. Employability, no doubt, is a vibrant determinant in quality and content of education.
And, this is where we lag behind. Some surveys show that only 8% of our graduates are employable. It means, only 8 out of 100 graduates are equipped to do the right job for which they are supposed to be qualified. An Engineer working as a Technician, an MCA doing Data Entry or an MBA working as Clerk in a government office would be a sad commentary on the educational system.
In short, the challenge is to enhance the employability of our educated youth. One remedy for the malady would be to integrate application dimension that leads to employability, within the curriculum. Another method would be to provide add-on programmes as value addition with a view to sustaining employability potential, highlighting communication, application, creativity, innovativeness and other employability skills.
While the professional courses lack in quality, we find that the traditional mainstream courses have few takers as their employability is less. This is where add-on courses, with strong employability component, become relevant. Proven, quality-endorsed courses from anywhere would be welcomed by the students.
One way to improve employability would be Industry-Academic Linkage. The Employer knows what he expects from his employees. Many institutions now resort to tailor-made programmes for industries. Involvement of industry in course design, pedagogy, and methodology of teaching would make a lot of difference.
Accreditation has become compulsory now. But outcome-based accreditation is yet to come to stay. How employable is your product is a question to be considered in accreditation.
I am happy that such vital concerns are enkindling our young minds. ShadWell’s is an initiative for others to emulate. ShadWell’s is making its humble contribution for enhancing the employability of our commerce graduates. This is a bold step. I congratulate ShadWell’s and wish them success in their endeavour.
Today, incidentally, happens to be the International Women’s Day; and that rings a bell for ShadWell’s. A programme launched on the Women’s Day ought to have special packages for empowerment of women.
With this special suggestion, I launch the B.Com Professional Programme of ShadWell’s. I also inaugurate the Seminar on Higher Education and Employment.
JAI HIND
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
SPEECH on Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards-2009 on 12.1.2011
RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL QUALITY AWARDS 2009
January 12, 2011, (1600 h),
Auditorium, Convention Centre, Scope Complex,
New Delhi
PROF. K.V.THOMAS
HON'BLE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE,
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION &
VICE PRESIDENT, BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS
*****
Shri Rajiv Agarwal, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs; Shri Sharad Gupta, Director General, BIS; Distinguished awardees, guests, Ladies & Gentlemen.
It gives me great pleasure to be with you today on the occasion of presentation of Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards 2009. This National Quality Award was instituted more than 18 years ago by the Bureau of Indian Standards with an objective of promoting overall Quality of Indian products and services. It has been designed in line with international quality awards, like 'Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award of USA', 'Deming prize of Japan' and 'European Quality Award'. With the passage of time this award has been getting its due recognition.
In this era of liberalization and globalization, quality of products and services is one of the key factors for the success of any organization. In today's competitive market, on account of changing requirements of the consumer and his becoming more demanding, it is imperative that an organization not only maintains quality, but also, continually strives to improve it.
When I speak of Quality, I do not mean only the quality of products or services. In fact, I mean quality in totality in all aspects. If an organization has to continuously improve its market share, then, in addition to profitability, it has also to take into consideration the benefits it provides to all its stakeholders, namely, customers, employees, suppliers and society at large.
Total Quality Management (TQM), being an important approach for improving the competitiveness of Indian Industry, is the approach applied in the assessment of this Award. For TQM to succeed, an organization needs to integrate its philosophies and practices in its day to day approach of running the business. Quality not only includes tangible aspects, but also intangible aspects, such as social responsibility of an organization towards environment, and its stakeholders, etc. I am told that BIS is taking various initiatives towards this endeavour. BIS has published Indian standards on other important social issues like social accountability and fraud & corruption control, and has also taken initiative for development of standard on Good governance practices.
During the past few years, India has witnessed a tremendous change in the socio-economic and technological environment, which has benefited the common man in his day to day activities. From a seemingly moderate economy a decade ago, today India occupies a prominent position in the global arena. India has made tremendous strides in the IT and telecom sectors, which are recognized not only nationally but worldwide. Our IT professionals are the most sought after in the entire world today and as a result of this, even the developed nations have started outsourcing their business activities in India, thereby resulting in emergence of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) etc. as major service sectors. I have been informed that Bureau of Indian standards has taken
initiatives in developing an international standard related to IT enabled business process outsourcing.
Besides the above, our country is also seeing a steady growth in the service sector, which is already exceeding 50 % of the GDP. The Indian consumers are looking forward to services of international class in sectors such as health, banking, finance, insurance, tourism, hospitality, transportation and education. The Government of India is one of the biggest service providers. With a view to improving service quality, at the initiative of Government of India, BIS has prepared Indian Standard on ‘Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Service Quality by Public Service Organizations’. I have been informed that various Central Government offices under Department of Posts, Central Board of Excise & Custom, Central Board of Direct Taxes, and Department of Electrical Inspectorate, Thiruvanthpuram are certified under this scheme. Government Offices in various states are taking steps to implement this Indian standard.
In order to further protect the interest of consumers, BIS has been operating product certification scheme and has granted more than 23000 licences. This scheme is voluntary in nature. However, in public interest, Central Government has notified 77 products for mandatory compliance with Indian standards under licence from BIS. BIS has taken various initiatives to not only reduce the time taken for grant of licence but also has an effective mechanism to check misuse of the ISI mark, through raids carried out by its Enforcement Department.
I am happy to note that some of the earlier awardees of the Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards have also won international quality awards. This demonstrates that the principles on which these awards are given and also the evaluation mechanism are based on sound principles and we can look forward to these awards being considered at par with the best in the world.
I take this opportunity to congratulate all the award winners and recipients of commendation certificates. I am sure that they will continue to follow the concept of sustainable and continuous improvement of the quality of goods and services and strive to be the role models for other Indian industries in future as well.
Last but not the least, I would like to thank all those who participated in this award process. Though all of them could not make it to the final round of winners, I am sure they will continue their pursuit towards excellence and will emerge as winners during coming years.
THANK YOU
Jai Hind
January 12, 2011, (1600 h),
Auditorium, Convention Centre, Scope Complex,
New Delhi
PROF. K.V.THOMAS
HON'BLE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE,
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION &
VICE PRESIDENT, BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS
*****
Shri Rajiv Agarwal, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs; Shri Sharad Gupta, Director General, BIS; Distinguished awardees, guests, Ladies & Gentlemen.
It gives me great pleasure to be with you today on the occasion of presentation of Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards 2009. This National Quality Award was instituted more than 18 years ago by the Bureau of Indian Standards with an objective of promoting overall Quality of Indian products and services. It has been designed in line with international quality awards, like 'Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award of USA', 'Deming prize of Japan' and 'European Quality Award'. With the passage of time this award has been getting its due recognition.
In this era of liberalization and globalization, quality of products and services is one of the key factors for the success of any organization. In today's competitive market, on account of changing requirements of the consumer and his becoming more demanding, it is imperative that an organization not only maintains quality, but also, continually strives to improve it.
When I speak of Quality, I do not mean only the quality of products or services. In fact, I mean quality in totality in all aspects. If an organization has to continuously improve its market share, then, in addition to profitability, it has also to take into consideration the benefits it provides to all its stakeholders, namely, customers, employees, suppliers and society at large.
Total Quality Management (TQM), being an important approach for improving the competitiveness of Indian Industry, is the approach applied in the assessment of this Award. For TQM to succeed, an organization needs to integrate its philosophies and practices in its day to day approach of running the business. Quality not only includes tangible aspects, but also intangible aspects, such as social responsibility of an organization towards environment, and its stakeholders, etc. I am told that BIS is taking various initiatives towards this endeavour. BIS has published Indian standards on other important social issues like social accountability and fraud & corruption control, and has also taken initiative for development of standard on Good governance practices.
During the past few years, India has witnessed a tremendous change in the socio-economic and technological environment, which has benefited the common man in his day to day activities. From a seemingly moderate economy a decade ago, today India occupies a prominent position in the global arena. India has made tremendous strides in the IT and telecom sectors, which are recognized not only nationally but worldwide. Our IT professionals are the most sought after in the entire world today and as a result of this, even the developed nations have started outsourcing their business activities in India, thereby resulting in emergence of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) etc. as major service sectors. I have been informed that Bureau of Indian standards has taken
initiatives in developing an international standard related to IT enabled business process outsourcing.
Besides the above, our country is also seeing a steady growth in the service sector, which is already exceeding 50 % of the GDP. The Indian consumers are looking forward to services of international class in sectors such as health, banking, finance, insurance, tourism, hospitality, transportation and education. The Government of India is one of the biggest service providers. With a view to improving service quality, at the initiative of Government of India, BIS has prepared Indian Standard on ‘Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Service Quality by Public Service Organizations’. I have been informed that various Central Government offices under Department of Posts, Central Board of Excise & Custom, Central Board of Direct Taxes, and Department of Electrical Inspectorate, Thiruvanthpuram are certified under this scheme. Government Offices in various states are taking steps to implement this Indian standard.
In order to further protect the interest of consumers, BIS has been operating product certification scheme and has granted more than 23000 licences. This scheme is voluntary in nature. However, in public interest, Central Government has notified 77 products for mandatory compliance with Indian standards under licence from BIS. BIS has taken various initiatives to not only reduce the time taken for grant of licence but also has an effective mechanism to check misuse of the ISI mark, through raids carried out by its Enforcement Department.
I am happy to note that some of the earlier awardees of the Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Awards have also won international quality awards. This demonstrates that the principles on which these awards are given and also the evaluation mechanism are based on sound principles and we can look forward to these awards being considered at par with the best in the world.
I take this opportunity to congratulate all the award winners and recipients of commendation certificates. I am sure that they will continue to follow the concept of sustainable and continuous improvement of the quality of goods and services and strive to be the role models for other Indian industries in future as well.
Last but not the least, I would like to thank all those who participated in this award process. Though all of them could not make it to the final round of winners, I am sure they will continue their pursuit towards excellence and will emerge as winners during coming years.
THANK YOU
Jai Hind
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