May 14, 2020 | Adamas University

Man, Economy and Nature: Why Study Environmental Economics?

With the onset of Covid-19 nature has once again reasonably pointed out the conflict between man and nature; that man is not indispensable and most definitely not beyond nature. Before the onset of the pandemic, it was not uncommon to find Delhi smog stories, air quality deterioration reports and reporting of consistent reduction in the quality of life in urban cities making frequent runs in almost all leading newspapers. However, with the pandemic in play, as much distress and disability it has caused to mankind, it has also initiated a cleanliness swipe of its own on the environment. The has been a significant improvement in the air quality globally including India. With the lockdown curbing the frequency of vehicles in the streets the nitrogen dioxide levels a pollutant generally emitted by vehicles have plummeted drastically as reported by European Space Agency. (Hindustan Times, 23.03.2020). Some other feel good news that have made headlines are:

Elephants spotted roaming the streets in Kerala
Nilgai spotted roaming the Delhi NCR regions
River dolphins have returned in Hoogly, Kolkata
Tiger sighting increased in Sundarbans due to decline the number of launches and steamers
Ganga is visibly less polluted with improved colour of water

The pandemic created isolation has worked as an opportunity to understand the robust power of nature, our heavy dependence on natural resources for our functioning, for the economy’s functioning. While it can be argued that the environment cannot flourish at the expense of the economy, the dependent relationship of the economy on the environment and vice-versa needs to be given its due recognition and we should agree to acknowledge that this environment-economy model will not be sustainable unless we appreciate our reliance on mother nature. And this brings us to the discipline of environmental economics and the necessity to learn this field of study.

The Environment- Economy Relationship

The economy of any nation is run by its agents, the actors which include producers, consumers, and the government. Each of these entities are dependent on the environment for resources and their actions in turn determines the impact of environment. For instance, a steel plant depends on the environment for iron ore and coal among others. The production in turn generates a pollutant called fly ash which is damaging for crops and hence human health. The demand for steel and steel products by consumers in turn decide how much would be produced and hence how much environmental damage would be created.

This relationship clearly points out the interdependency of environment and economy. This brings us to the question on sustainability. Since the economy comprises human beings who as per economic theories aim at maximization of their selfish interests, the resource extraction from the environment immediately raises questions as to what is left behind for the next generation. Since most resources used for production purposes are depletable, we need to ask ourselves: are we leaving behind sufficient resources for the future generation? Or are we consuming at the expense of their welfare? What should be the approach to ensure sustainable development without deteriorating the environment at a faster rate than the rate of economic growth?

Herein comes environmental economics to answer questions of this sort!

Why Should you Study Environmental Economics?

The core question is how to allocate the finite resources of earth to meet “the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Economics, combined with earth system sciences, is crucial for understanding both positive and negative impacts of alternatives and the trade-offs involved. The application of economic principles and empirical findings becomes imperative to meet the rising demands for a decent standard of living given the limited resources. Although economic activities generate pollution, it is not an inevitable consequence. The role of the government comes into play here. Governments implement policies to regulate the level of environmental damage and effluent through various command and control measures like tax or subsidies or pollution standards. The market can be used as well to maintain environmental standards through incentive-based measures such as tradeable pollution permits and Coase Bargaining. Generally, though, these measures will involve some costs there is a tradeoff between a cleaner environment and economic costs. The core questions in environmental economics concern this trade-off or conflict:

How much needs to be spent on pollution control? Can optimal pollution be zero?
How do we compare the environmental benefits and costs of adhering to environmental standards? Should everyone be equally proactive in working towards maintaining the environmental standard?
Do we need the government at all to reduce pollution?
Who owns clean air? How do we decide how much environmental good or service to be provided? Do we pay for environmental goods?
Why is there no market for environmental goods? If there is no market, who assesses the damages to environment?
Why are some companies rampantly violating environmental regulations and how do others follow them? How do we control externalities generated in case of environmental goods?

Courses in environmental economics will vary in the emphasis they give to these issues. Most will include some microeconomic theory, looking at how firms and individuals behave when production or consumption involves externalities. This course will teach you to apply economic concepts and quantitative tools to analyse, value and appraise a wide range of environmental decisions, policies, and problems. You will also learn to look at the methods used to measure environmental benefits, where you can implement your analytical skills. Environmental policy issues will be an important part of this course. With the help of this course, you will be trained to understand some of the especially important issues involving the socio-political economic scenario. Environmental economics is a highly interesting discipline to delve deeper into and I encourage you to take a taste of it!

Why demand for CMA certification is increasing in recent years?

Why CMA?

Every business needs to be dynamic in real sense in order to cope up with the intense competition in the global economy. Not only that, Today’s business world demands excellence in complex accounting and financial management skills that can gear up in fetching strategic business decisions. Employees need to be technologically smart, have competency in analytics with valuing ethics in business. Here lies the importance of studying Certified Management Accountant (CMA) course.

What is CMA?

CMA is one of the most reputed designations that come with bright careers, especially for accounting and finance organisations with distinct avenues for placements not only in India at overseas also. CMAs are responsible for allocation and management of funds of business. They also need to focus on financial analysis and decision making aspects for sustainable development of business. CMAs are specialised in implementing advanced technologies in cost and overall business management, keeping updated with the recent trends in global business.

Mr. Doreen Remmen, Chief Financial Officer of Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), recently stated in his quotations in Hindu Business Line, “What’s happening is that management accountants are being freed from the burden of transaction processing and we now have opportunities to use our skill sets to really support creating wealth, building the economy and building companies”.

There are basically two types in CMA courses- CMA India and US CMA. CMA India course is offered by the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants in India. US CMA certification course is mainly a U.S. based course, being offered by the IMA that has been recognized globally.

There are some basic differences between CMA India and US CMA. CMA India focusses mainly on cost reduction with a course duration of nearly 3 years along with an article-ship for six months. US CMA highlights not only on cost reduction and cost controls but also on auditing. It allows for exemptions in certain subjects that are already taught in the undergraduate level. It also does not require to pursue any article-ship and so this course can be completed in six months. This course is being offered as an Add on course for under graduate commerce students by the renowned private university- Adamas University. Alike CMA India, US CMA is being recognized for placements both in Indian as well as foreign companies.

What causes rising demand for CMA course?

CMAs are in high demand in recent times. As world is getting updated day by day technologically, several companies are facing critical issues in the competitive edge of globalization. With the technological innovations in the global economy, there is an urge in need for having certification that can build an aptitude specially premeditated and skilled for the present business era. Thus, CMAs play a pivotal in the recent times in growing a business in strategic sense.

CMAs are considered as a repository of dynamic managerial thoughts to develop a business in a sustainable manner. Their role ranges from a vast range of categories including financial manager, budget analyst, financial risk manager, financial analyst, cost manager, cost accountant, chief financial officer, relationship manager, etc.

CMA course considers the aspects of Corporate Governance, Finance and Accounting (including responsibility accounting). Due to better finance and business appeals of CMAs than non-CMAs, CMA certification provides enhanced values not only at the country level but also globally. This course also provides better growth opportunities in terms of placements and promotion.

Besides, working as employees in financial or accounting firms, CMA certification also create a platform of providing financial and accounting consultancy services at an independent agency level.

Table 1: Percentage of qualified CMAs throughout the world

The overall percentage of qualified CMAs has increased significantly since the last year throughout the whole world. America comprises of the largest percentage of CMAs in the global scenario, followed by Europe, Asia and Middle East countries.

Table 2: Region wise Salary and Total Compensation for CAs and Non-CMAs

Another most highlighting issue for increasing need of CMA certification is the lump sum remuneration. The base salary and total compensations of CMAs are much higher than Non-CMAs. Middle East experiences the highest difference in salaries between CMAs and Non-CMAs, followed by Europe, America and Asia.

Thus, upcoming students need to provide their resume a career developing gear with CMA certification and get higher earnings, more job opportunities at global level and enormous benefits and reputation with passage of time.

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO EXPERIENCE AND DESIGN OF BRANDING

While across the advertisements (in convergent medium) the magnitude of brand, the creation of pertinent, appealing, distinguish experiences, and gearing design: by identify needs and deliver them in the context of what the Ad agency can create. It’s holistic approach to have retention power in the minds of the public, in the sense of combining insight, strategy, design and technology.”

What is a brand?

A brand is the means in which a company, organization, or person is perceived by those who experience it. Merely a name, term, design, or symbol, a brand is the decipherable feeling a product or business bring to minds.

So what is all about?

For example, the broad experience design can be is of the hospital whose new website’s online services were designed to replace many branch services, and so what branches were for – and therefore their design and branding – had to change to reflect trade services replacing its allies.

The example which can be taken into consideration is the design of the ‘Apple’. The company’s brand and approach to customer experiences defines what products it develops and it makes us thinking why the logo has been given for this.

What is UX design mean?

It is software for designing or mixing the brand. It stands for User experience (UX) design and it use to make products that offer consequential and relevant experiences to users.

Customer’s satisfaction-

The important key reason, then, for taking an experience design approach is the increased interconnectedness of everything. Today the world of Omni channel and for convergent because “consumers don’t see variation between channels — mediums of interaction — and so jump from one to the other and expect the same seamless experience everywhere“. The unique branding allows individuals to think where, when and how an ad can interact with its target customers.”

Elements of Brand:

• As discernments, brands encompass a multitude of different elements.

• It helps to pursue further in the purview of the next concept to be explored in branding.

• The essential elements of a brand include the brand compass, company culture, name and tagline, identity, voice and messaging, website, and brand architecture.

Embracing the changes:

The ‘holistic’ nature of experience design, it can be performed on a brand by a creative agency, or must it be part of a company change for this one need to have access to part of the pie, so for a student the understanding of these must be done through in their education and Adamas University providing its agnostic platform for multimodal learning of Integrated Marketing Communication.

Ingredients in Branding:

The brand compasses the summary of the most essential truths about the brand.
It’s the outcome of the work done in the brand strategy phase, including research and positioning.
A brand compass shows the direction of brand is headed and why.
It is made up of five parts:
Purpose,
Vision,
Mission,
Values, and
Strategic Objectives.

Experience the future:

The on-growing complexity of in action in the Omni-channel world where the customer relationship is always foremost, makes understanding of the need of improvement the existing customer experience a challenge for all especially in Indian advertising scenario.

The voyage a customer has with his industry typically crosses multiple functions and managers and often experience with inefficient communication and too many competitions make the mistake of assuming that superficial design efforts can fix the problems.

It’s based on a simple design that everything should be based on the following assumptions:

An engaged consumer is worth more than a loyal consumer
Engagement comes from the expectation mapping, which means being relevant, and shall provide the value
It’s more expensive to allure the new one but wise is to intact with the existing ones.

Experience design doesn’t replace the core idea of innovation. It harmonizes the efforts. Innovation should augment and widen the current portfolio and brand. Innovation for existing products, services, and customer experiences is quite meaningless.

Branding is important because it makes a impressive impression on consumers but it also consent to the customers to know what to expect from the company they rely with or they have some interest.

There are many niche areas that are used to develop a brand including advertising, customer service, promotional merchandise, reputation, and logo.

So prospects of job are also more lucrative if one successfully understand the aspects of brand;

Designing of Brand
Learning required software’s
Brand positioning
Brand architecture
Brand value
Brand equity
Ethics/copyright
Convergent media approach
Last but not the least creativity

The above mentioned point enables the students to deal with to come up the idea of the creation of brand, the idea behind it, to connect with the real world in contemporary times. And yes, should have an impact on consumers mind for a longer period of time.

The department of Communication Management of School of Media, Communication & Fashion will guide you more about the concept of … BRANDING….

Technical Education for the Development of Society

Since the start of the 21st century the Government has known about the negative improvement of specialized education. One of its fundamental preconditions would be advancement of instructive projects at various degrees of the instructive framework as per the prerequisites of instructive practice and in line with current needs of the work showcase. In this way, it will bolster the instruction prompting the advancement of employment aptitudes of elementary school students to guarantee proficient direction of understudies, especially at optional professional schools.The significance of specialized instruction for the general advancement of kids is talked about comparable to the planning of understudies to learn at optional professional schools. An effective fruition of themes in the subject of Technology at elementary schools (PS) is an essential for a simpler change of understudies to optional professional schools.

Why is it necessary to teach technical subjects?

The subjects Technology and Work Education are instructed at elementary schools, planned for furnishing understudies with information and abilities in the specialized region. They are the subjects which give instructors space to outfit students with the abilities in an innovative school condition. The subjects have incorporated character. With appropriate educating, they lead to the comprehension of the connection between hypothetical subjects and specialized items, found, in actuality. They are portrayed by solid interdisciplinary bindings, associated with the history, science, biology, physics, mathematics and different regions.

Development is fundamentally impacted by mechanical advancement, which makes in fact prepared and instructed people. Applying technical information in practice is an essential for an effective society. It is important to instruct imaginative individuals and innovation is a medium that makes it conceivable. Specialized training depends on the acknowledgment that innovation makes ready for the present just as the eventual fate of human presence.

The improvement of speculation in preschool age is fundamentally influenced by dealing with tasks with various sorts of toys. To start with, there are distinctive straightforwardpuzzles. Later an infant begins searching for progressively complex toys. He/she findsspecialized toys dependent on creating or breaking down exercises, for example round ofbuilding obstructs in which a kid plans genuine items – models comparing to reality. When working with specialized toys, taking care of games, kids create their faculties, thinking and capacity to communicate. It includes making a methodology and goal of the work, considering first and afterward making a move.

Technical education and school reform

The school change in specialized training was required to make conditions to guarantee that each understudy, subsequent to finishing elementary school, had obtained a generalspecialized instruction, which could liaise in further investigation and in regular day to day existence. In our sentiment, bolstered by the present instruction frameworks , the alumni of essential training should know the fundamental specialized terms, they ought to comprehend the utilization and effect of innovative improvement of the society, the relationship among various kinds of innovation, the connections between innovation and different fields of life, they ought to comprehend the effect of innovation on social, social, financial and political perspectives. Graduates ought to know about the effect of innovation on the earth, they ought to comprehend the job of society in the turn of events and utilization of innovation and they should know the connection among innovation and recorded turn of events. It is likewise imperative to comprehend the standards of the structure procedure and the significance of innovative work in innovation. Besides, theyought to have the option to autonomously propose, work, keep up and assess specialized procedures and frameworks.

The advancement obviously shows that the specialized instruction, inside this affirmed school change, negatively affects secondary school and afterward on college instruction in specialized field. As of now, the general public has effectively an absence of qualified alumni in different fields of specialized specialization in designing, development, electrical and synthetic enterprises, either laborers or college graduates. Numerous organizations manage this circumstance by tolerating outside specialists or then again retrain their staff through instructive establishments, where they have to contribute considerable assets.

Technical education from the perspective

India is famous for creating alumni of the most elevated bore, however just a not very many contrasted and its populace get top notch specialized instruction. India has throughout the years essentially reinforced the quality and accessibility of specialized training, multiplying the work pace of graduates who are currently more qualified to the necessities of Indian Industry.

In this way, there is a desperate need of support up traditional investigation and showing specialized training, as it won’t just assistance in the improvement of the nation, yet additionally the individual having those aptitudes. Specialized training is a piece of instruction that is straightforwardly identified with the picking up of data and aptitudes required in assembling and administration businesses.

For obtaining specialized training, there are two basic streams in India – formal and casual. Polytechnics, Industrial Training Institutes, Industrial Training centres, midway supported plan of Vocationalisation of Secondary Education by the Ministry of Human Resource Development are not many of the conventional wellsprings of specialized instruction in India. Though self-learning and little private foundations giving transient specialized course are secured under casual one.

New mechanical and work inclines in India have plainly determined the need of specialized training. Be that as it may, the base of specialized training must be made solid at optional degree of instruction and an obvious way for the understudies to push forward in this field must be made. Progressively specialized degrees of high calibre alongside specialized colleges must be built up.

Notes on the historical development of the technical education

The improvement of perspectives on the idea of substance and capacity of subjectsconcentrating on innovation was changing in accordance with the general improvement of a idea of basic instruction. By appropriation of the new Education Act with respect to joined educational system, physical work was brought into the schools in Czechoslovakia, which was composed as open works, for example, reparation of school gardens, help with work in farming, etc. The accentuation was put on making understudies’ advantage in innovation. Connecting schools with society, science and innovation procured more noteworthy significance in this period. Content of the working instructing in first and second year of elementary school was incorporated into workmanship training. It was not the correct choice, in light of the fact that the workmanship instruction has diverse preparing and instructive destinations as specialized training. At the lower optional degree, specialized instruction content was set up in two variations: customary, which was somewhat like the past subjects; and a dynamic educational plan, which generally applied prerequisites for the improvement of innovative intuition at work.

INSTA-LOCKER UNVEILS TEENAGERS’ CRISIS

During lockdown, the Insta-locker room controversy has once again revealed the crisis of the teenagers. There have been many similar instances where teenagers have been a part of crimes in our country relating to sexual activities including the Nirbhaya rape case.

Background:

The Bios Lockerroom is an Intagram chat group having boys aged between 15 – 25 years from Delhi and Noida. This Instagram chat group came into limelight when a screenshot of the chats from the group was leaked in the social media wherein teenagers were found talking about rape and sharing obscene pictures of girls. Later it was claimed that the screenshot was actually shared by a girl to test the character of one of the boys in the group. Two days after this Bios lockerroom controversy, another such chat group came to the fore wherein teenager girls were found objectifying men and making unsavoury remarks against them.

Reaction of Bollywood Celebrities on this matter:

Bollywood celebrities including Swara Bhaskar, Richa Chadda and Sonam Kapoor expressed their anger on this controversy through twitter and instagram. Swara Bhaskar said that boys are growing now-a-days with toxic minds about how to rape and gang rape. Sonam Kapoor on the other hand blamed parents of such boys for this. Richa Chadda’s comment however is found to be more apt as she has used the term “teenagers” instead of “boys” in her comment. She commented that now-a-days teenagers are being confused between sex education and porn and they are unable to figure out the difference between the two.

Legal angle in the case:

Let us now understand which penal provisions are attracted for such crimes as per our Indian Legal System.

Section 354C of Indian Penal Code – Any person found watching or taking pictures of a woman engaging in private act without his or her consent may be imprisoned for upto 7 years and may also be penalised with a fine.
Section 66E of Information Technology Act – Any person found sharing pictures of private body part(s) of any man or woman without his or her consent may be imprisoned for 3 years and may also be penalised with a fine of ₹ 2 lakhs.
Section 67A of Information Technology Act – Any person found sharing pictures of sexual activity of any other person may be imprisoned for 5 years and may also be penalised with a fine of ₹10 lakhs.
Section 67B of Information Technology Act – Any person found sharing pictures of private body part(s) of any teenager or found commenting on the same may be imprisoned for 5 years and may also be penalised with a fine of ₹ 10 lakhs.
Section 354D of Indian Penal Code – Any person found stalking a teenager girl or woman or even found hacking her email or internet may be imprisoned for 3 years and may also be penalised with a fine.
Section 14 and 15 of POSCO Act – Child pornography is an offence under section 14 of this Act. As per section 15 of this act, if any person stores any porn involving a teenager in his or her phone, computer or any such device and has an intention to share it, then the person may be imprisoned for 5 years.

Root cause behind this matter:

Let us come to the root cause behind such issues. Some are saying free use of internet is the reason behind involvement of teenagers in such acts. But it is not really about free usage of internet. Referring to teenage boys as toxic minds is also not correct.

The root cause is the lack of proper sex education in our country both at school level and at home. In our country sex is still a taboo. Elders try to hide sex matters from children which in turn make children more inquisitive and when they do not find anyone to discuss and explain the matter to them they resort to porn and such chatgroups.

Conclusion:

Some have made this an issue of feminism but I believe rules should be same for all be it a boy or a girl. The matter is in court and we should leave the matter to them to decide upon it and give the judgement. Media should however be careful about not revealing the identity of the child in such cases just for increasing their TRPs as it is prohibited in Juvenile Justice Act, 2015.

Restricting porn sites is not the solution as now-a-days even many of the web series are no less than porn. We all have to understand the importance of proper sex education and discuss this matter freely with our children. Children need to be given space to express their point of views. We as parents and teachers have to take the responsibility of ensuring that our children are not misled in matters relating to sex. This is the only way to protect the teenagers from such acts.