Tag: learn

Categories
Learn

FDA Maharashtra tightens noose around ‘unsafe’ food practices

Recent event on role of regulators in food products industry had the State FDA explain new initiatives in the sector.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Too often, we complain that ‘the Government’ takes no interest to safeguard the food sold across the city and State. Where is the focus on public health and safety, we ask. However, there are several enforcements and rules in place already, but most people are not aware of the same.

“Food Safety Standards Act 2006 has undergone a change since its enforcement on August 5, 2011 with a shift from ‘adulteration’ to ‘safety’. The Act has an educative approach with friendly legislation. It has a penalty system for contamination and substandard foods. Unsafe foods would face prosecution. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra has 7.7 lakh licenses issued, which is the highest in India at 36 per cent. This was possible since FDA Maharashtra organised different camps to bring about awareness of the Act,” explained Suresh Annapure, Joint Commissioner, Food, Greater Mumbai Division, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra. He was speaking during an interactive session on ‘Innovative Food Products in India – Regulators Role’ organised by MVIRDC World Trade Centre and the All India Association of Industries.

“The first online pilot project was held in Mumbai and Thane offices. On April 15, 2014, [the target of] 100 per cent licenses was achieved,” Annapure said. He added that the procedure for issuing licenses was now available online, providing transparent and time bound activities. On a futuristic note, he said that he was looking forward to working with industries especially with the ‘Make in India’ campaign, in order that consumers get wholesome food, thereby making the people of India healthy.

Added Dr Joseph Lewis, Chairman, Regulatory Affairs Committee, Protein Foods and Nutrition Development Association of India (PFNDAI), “Food regulations are about balancing food diversity with safety practices. India is abundantly blessed with 52 per cent cultivable land (11 per cent world average) with 46 to 60 different soil types and 15 major climates all conducive to producing a variety of agricultural commodities. However, innovation provided the challenge from converting the agricultural commodities to processed foods. Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 provided a mere framework for combating adulteration while Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 widened the scope of the law to include a risk framework.” He added that a “harmonisation in the processes of standardisation, adulteration and innovation” was needed. “There must be freedom to innovate while adhering to safety measures. The Indian law does not take into consideration safety of the foods when adulteration is assessed. Propriety foods are not a category of food by itself but represents an enabling ‘provision’ in food law.” Innovating with safety is a provision made in FSSA 2006.

Dr Laxmi Ananthanarayan, Associate professor, Department of Food Engineering and Technology (DFET), Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) spoke on ‘Ensuring Food Safety and Quality through Advanced Technology’. She said that food needed to be standardised, safe for consumption, acceptable from sensory view point and nutritious. Markets for food are now global giving ample scope for contamination with the arrival of genetically modified foods. This gives rise to good manufacturing practices. “Quality of food is not always visible and so food quality and food safety are interdependent. FSSA law should provide specification on consumer protection. There should be production specification and scope for value-addition with changing lifestyle and access to variety of food,” she said, adding that adapting to emerging and advanced technologies was the solution.

(Featured image courtesy www.city-discovery.com. Image used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Event

Love fashion? This forum is for you

The Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion will host its 2nd ‘The Future of Fashion’ forum tomorrow in Mumbai.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

For those seriously interested in fashion and wanting to make a career in the field, comes this wonderful opportunity to interact with and hear from industry stalwarts in Mumbai.

WWNL 1.22The Whistling Woods Neeta Lulla School of Fashion will present ‘The Future of Fashion Forum’ tomorrow, January 24, 2015, an event for all those aspiring to make a mark in the ever-evolving fashion industry. This school of fashion located at Film City, Goregaon, claims to be the first to conduct this kind of an event. Neeta Lulla, Subhash Ghai, and Meghna Ghai Puri will inaugurate the event along with fashion veteran Hemant Trivedi.

The forum is aimed at offering an in-depth perspective to fashion aspirants on how to launch a career in fashion across vocations like fashion designing, styling and trend spotting. The panel will include some of the renowned names from the world of fashion like Sonaakshi Raaj and Falguni & Shane – top designers of the India fashion industry. The event will also feature personalities like Vinay Nadkarni, Anjana Sharma, Payal Singhal, Gaviin Miguel, Mohini Boparai, Nisha Jhangiani, Ken Fernandez, Shubhika Davda, Arden Dsouza, Anna Romanczuk, Darshini Lal, Gaurang Shah, and Bhamini Subrhamanium as guest speakers, amongst others. The forum will comprise of various panel discussions where the distinguished names from the industry will share their insights on the rapidly evolving fashion and retail industry. The topics for panel discussion include ‘Developing the Fashion Eco System’, ‘Changing Face of Fashion’, ‘Insight by New Age Designers’, ‘Visual Merchandising’, ‘Masterclass – Indian Textiles Blend with Contemporary Fashion’ and ‘Master Haute Couture’.

neeta lullaNeeta Lulla (in pic on left) says, “This is the second year of the Future of Fashion Forum and building on the grand success of last year, the forum this year is going to be grander with stalwarts from the industry gracing us with their presence and interacting with aspirants wanting to create a niche in the ever-evolving fashion industry.”

Entry to the event is free and open to all. The event will take place on Saturday, January 24, between 10 am to 6 pm. The fashion school is located at Whistling Woods International, Filmcity Complex, Goregaon (E), Mumbai – 400065.

Categories
Learn

Who will employ the disabled?

Here’s inclusivity: the Community Business Membership Network recently launched a unique research initiative to find avenues for employing disabled persons in India.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

India has a staggering number of physically disabled persons, but the employment opportunities for them are not as many there should be.

Recently, to coincide with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, Community Business, a not-for-profit organisation focussing on corporate responsibility and a thought leader on Diversity and Inclusion,launched its latest research ‘Tapping A Pool of Disabled Talent in India: Focus on University Students’. This research is an initiative of Community Business’ unique membership network, the Diversity and Inclusion in Asia Network for India (DIAN India), a group of leading companies committed to progressing Diversity and Inclusion in their organisations in India and driving positive change in the wider community.

According to the United Nations, there is an estimated 70 million people with disabilities in India, of which only an estimated 100,000 are in employment. The new Companies Bill, which includes a mandate that 2 per cent of corporate profits be devoted to Corporate Social Responsibility and proposed changes to the Disabilities Bill, are placing increased focus on people with disabilities.

Disabled person at Costa Coffee India“Many companies are looking to fulfill their obligations as a socially responsible employer.” explained Pooja Shahani, Country Manager, India, at Community Business. “However, the more enlightened companies are seeing it as an opportunity to explore how they can embrace those with disabilities, referred to by many in India as the ‘differently-abled’, as part of their overall talent management strategies. These companies recognise the potential of disabled individuals as a largely untapped talent pool and are keen to understand the needs of this target group so they can attract them to their organisations and support them to develop meaningful careers.”

The research is designed to increase understanding on the issues around recruiting people with disabilities in India and focusses particularly on university students with disabilities. In conducting the research, Community Business interviewed eight leading disability experts in India and engaged with over 100 university students with disabilities from 50 different universities in India through an online survey and face-to-face facilitated dialogues. Drawing on the findings and perspectives shared, the report highlights that when it comes to the recruitment of students with disabilities, companies should:

– View students with disabilities as an important talent pool. Recognise that students with disabilities – who have overcome the personal challenges they face and make it through to university – are likely to be well-educated, determined and committed individuals. As the research findings show, the majority have ambitions and aspirations – nearly all (94.9 per cent) expect to work when they graduate and over three quarters (78.3 per cent) are optimistic about their prospects.  They consider opportunities in both the private (60.3 per cent) and public (62.8 per cent) sectors while a role in a multinational company (69.2 per cent) is the most popular choice.

The top three most important factors for selecting a job are long-term career opportunities (75.6 per cent), salary and benefits (71.8 per cent) and nature and scope of work (66.7 per cent). Students with disabilities are no different from other ambitious graduates and their desire for long-term, well-paid and interesting work is the same as their peers.

– Go beyond social obligations and recognise the business case for hiring people with disabilities. Overcome the mindset that bringing candidates with disabilities into a team is something that a company ‘should’ or ‘needs’ to do or is merely part of some CSR initiative. Instead, fully acknowledge that if harnessed correctly, tapping into this pool of talent provides a potential source of competitive advantage.

– Develop a targeted approach. While students with disabilities look to a broad range of sources for information and advice when they think about applying for a job, most of them (60.3 per cent) rely on their personal network (including their friends, classmates and families) and very few (15.4 per cent) participate in mainstream graduate recruitment fairs. Companies relying on traditional, general channels alone may be unintentionally missing out on opportunities of reaching disabled talent.

– Work in partnership with universities and local disability-organisations. In considering how to attract, retain and develop disabled talent, companies are encouraged not to work alone but to work in partnership with both universities and local disability organisations. By working together, each party can leverage their unique strengths and resources to create meaningful and appropriate programmes that increase opportunities and prepare future employees to be effective in the workplace.

– Demonstrate commitment. The research highlights that when it comes to looking for an employer, the students’ biggest concern is the overall culture of the organisation and attitude of colleagues (71.8 per cent).  At the same time, their most important criteria for selecting an employer is whether a company can clearly state its commitment to diversity and inclusion and/or being an equal opportunities employer (82.6 per cent).

The study also showcases eight leading companies in India who are already positioning themselves as employers of choice for disabled talent. These companies include: Accenture, BNY Mellon, Capgemini, EY, Goldman Sachs, Tata Consulting Services, Thomson Reuters and Wipro.

Commenting on the research, Fern Ngai, CEO of Community Business, said:  “We hope that in sharing experiences and perspectives from a significant sample of students with disabilities in India and showcasing good practice by leading companies, this study will not only provide valuable insights to employers looking to market and differentiate their companies as an employer of choice for this talent pool, but also inspire more companies in India to open their doors to disabled talent.”

(Pictures courtesy www.thehindu.com, www.dailymail.co.uk. Images are used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Learn

Coming soon: Pre-approved energy efficient buildings

TERI and UTC’s Center of Excellence for Energy Efficient Buildings in India will work on reporting frameworks and evaluate existing buildings.
by TERI News Features

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and United Technologies Corporation (UTC) recently launched the Center of Excellence for Energy Efficient Buildings in India. The Center has been establishled at a time when the Government of India has introduced the Smart City Programme to address the challenge of rapid urbanisation and the efficient use of energy resources.

The Center of Excellence will work towards the development of an energy-use reporting framework for existing buildings, evaluation of the existing building energy rating systems, derivation of tool and techniques for energy management, real time reporting of consumption, and identification and cost benefit analysis of conservation measures.

Dr RK Pachauri, Director General, TERI, said: “I am extremely happy that we are launching this initiative. We hope that this will be a model not only for this country but for other countries as well. With UTC, we can work together in bringing about a smarter world and a more sustainable world, particularly as it relates to buildings and habitat design.”

Zubin Irani, President, Building and Industrial Systems India, UTC, said: “Given the energy challenges faced by the nation, energy efficiency in the buildings sector is an important priority. World over, there has been a rapid pace of innovation when it comes to technologies and systems that go into making a building more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. It is important to note that not only do many of these technologies reduce the energy footprint of a building or infrastructure project but they also pay back for themselves in a matter of few years.”

“The Center of Excellence shall have a core research agenda on enabling energy efficiency in existing buildings in India. The collaboration between TERI and UTC in this endeavour shall help unlock the potential of energy saving in this sector,“ said Mili Majumdar, Director, Sustainable Habitat, TERI.

Globally, buildings account for 40 per cent of the total energy consumption. By using energy efficient technologies, energy consumption could be reduced by up to 60 per cent. In India, the building sector accounts for approximately 35 per cent of the total energy consumption and is growing at a rate of eight percent annually.

“One of the primary objectives of the UTC-TERI Centre of Excellence is to evaluate energy efficiency and ascertain energy requirements in existing buildings. The findings of the study have the potential of facilitating the new Government’s ambitious plan of building 100 smart cities as it will involve upgrading existing cities, expanding and building around them,“ Irani added.

The Center will first conduct a Pan-India study of 100 buildings and is scheduled to cover a wide range of climatic zones, covering cities such as Allahabad, Ajmer, Vishakhapatnam, Varanasi, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata,Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Jaipur etc. These have been selected as per the Smart Cities Programme recently initiated by the Centre.

The study will include an energy survey, derivation of tools and techniques for identification and cost benefit analysis of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs), calibration and validation of simulation tools, development of Measurement and Verification (M&V) protocol for implementation of ECMs, development of financial mechanism, development of remote monitoring protocol and review and revision of existing building energy standards/codes/rating systems. The initiative is expected to deliver the proposed results within the next five years.

Talking about the future plans of the Centre of Excellence, Irani said: “The ultimate aim of the Centre of Excellence is to enhance the energy efficiency quotient in all buildings across the country. Staying true to this goal, the initial plan of the Centre of Excellence is to identify existing buildings and assess energy use and consumption patterns which would eventually help in base lining the energy performance of buildings with a solid roadmap to make them more energy-efficient.“

(Picture courtesy sustentabilidade.allianz.com.b. Image shows the CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre in Hyderabad.)

Categories
Learn

Tata Group to sponsor education of 1 crore children

The State Government of Maharashtra has also pledged its partnership and support for the project aimed at teaching job skills.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

As far as new initiatives go, this one’s a sure hit.

Today, December 3, 2014, Cyrus Mistry, Chairman of Tata Group met with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and discussed the company’s proposal to sponsor the education of 1 crore children in the State. The Tata Group is soon launching its ambitious education plan aimed at providing scholarships and job-oriented learning to Maharashtra’s children.

The duo met to discuss the scope of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives by companies, and Mistry is said to have appraised the CM about his company’s plans, as also asking the Government to provide support for the same. On his part, the CM is learnt to have shown an interest in the State Government partnering with the Tata Group for the project.

This project is envisioned to include children studying in the primary grades as well. “The idea is to provide skills training, so that children are better equipped to face the job market,” Mistry said during the meeting.

As per a July 2014 report in The Times of India, the Tata Group spent Rs 1,000 crore on CSR initiatives in 2013-14. This was the highest CSR spend by any Indian company. A larger amount of the CSR spend went into skill development, health and education. The Group seems to be extending its plans for the education sector this year as well.

Categories
Learn

Doctors will become teachers for World Diabetes Day

The Indian Diabetic Foundation (IDF) launches nationwide campaign to curb the spread of early onset of diabetes among school children.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

In probably the largest initiative of its kind, aimed at creating awareness on childhood obesity and diabetes, The Indian Diabetic Federation (IDF) in collaboration with Fortis Raheja Hospital has initiated a nationwide campaign to curb the spread of early development of diabetes among school children.In its initial phase, the campaign would cover city-based schools with diabetologists and nutritionists delivering guest lecture’s in schools on health benefits associated with the intake of healthy breakfast.

Diabetes in Indian childrenThe launch of this nationwide campaign will happen today, November 14, which is World Diabetes Day and is also observed as Children’s Day in India.

“The focus is on motivating children to consume a healthy breakfast. When awareness is inculcated in children, it easily reaches their parents. When children start advising adults on the harmful effects of fast food accumulation, it can easily bring about a solution. Our effort is to create awareness among the students and teachers about the value of nutrition and healthy food, the difference between junk and poisonous food and inculcating the values of consuming homemade food,” said Dr Anil Bhoraskar, Diabetologist, Fortis Raheja Hospital and the Chair Elect of South East Asia – Indian Diabetic Federation.

Dr Bhoraskar added, “Through the series of lectures, we strongly recommend that people should avoid sugar and fats in their daily intake, as it contains high Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids. If people do not take proper breakfast in the morning, they tend to munch more of fatty foods, which are high on salts and detrimental to the body. The disease normally seen in adults because of obesity is now being seen with an increasing frequency in children, particularly Type 2 Diabetes. Today, more number of children below 12 years are susceptible to type 2 Diabetes and the complications worsen post the age of 20 years.”

The IDF hopes that the programme will sensitise children and parents about the serious problem of childhood obesity caused due to the intake of unhealthy breakfast. In an effort to educate parents about feeding their children with healthy breakfast, IDF has decided to distribute booklets on nutrition and its positive effects on their child’s health.

(Pictures courtesy www.niticentral.com, www.thehealthsite.com. Images are used for representational purpose only)

Exit mobile version