BLOOMING INSIGHTS

COVID-19 outbreak in India gave a hard hit to all sectors of the economy. The education sector, which is the base for the growth of all other sectors, also faced disruption. COVID pandemic gave a push to the online model of education. The use of technology in education proliferated much more than ever before. Learners were exposed to the digital format of education and a huge variety of innovative content. The future of schooling and schools of future are both subject to intense debate especially after the announcement of the National Education Policy 2020 . The broad understandings that have emerged are as follows:  ·    There is an incredible shift from physical infrastructure towards digital and virtual requirements.  ·    Skill-building is an immense requirement of the 21st century. ·    Edtech can't replace traditional face-to-face modes of learning in schools, which is the greatest equalizer in education.  ·    Differential and accelerated instructional interventions are re

The menace of non-performing assets (NPA) has long crippled the growth of the banking sector in India and has incapacitated from whole-heartedly participating in the economic growth process. The COVID-19 pandemic has further aggravated the position, as a result, the NPAs which had reached below 10% in pre-covid times have again crossed the 10% mark. Seeing the gravity of the situation, Honourable Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget, announced the setting up of "ASSET RECONSTRUCTION COMPANIES'', to solve the peril of NPAs. But what is a BAD BANK???? Bad Banks and their Structure In simpler words, a bad bank is an asset reconstruction company that engages in buying bad loans (NPAs) from the commercial banks at discount and tries to recover the money from the defaulter by recommending a systematic solution over some time. The Govt has decided that the bad bank structure will consist of two asset reconstruction companies viz., National Asset Reconstructi

TW: Depression/Suicidal thoughts Ever noticed when you’re in a depression, it’s like you’re lost, and the problem of being lost is: you don’t know where to go. You become a sort of half-blind manner in the fog deluding yourself by remaining vague. Depressed people can go to such dark places you can’t imagine. The worst part the depressed person thinks is that everywhere I look is nothing but catastrophe. And I can't see any way out of it. I can't see any path forward. It's hopeless. It isn't going to get any better, no matter where I turn: There's no escape. The suffering is unbearable. And I'm no use whatsoever to anyone. It will be better for everyone if I was just gone. I planned to take my own life, a few times ago because I lost someone close to my heart, but even in deep sorrow I asked myself why I shouldn’t?...that saved my life! It’s a question that cuts close to my bone. My best friend committed suicide. I was just beating myself up about that what coul

There was a man who had four sons. Being an amazing father, he had fulfilled all the needs and wants of his children. He was a proud parent and had full faith in his children. The man was about to retire when one of his sons demanded a car. Without even thinking once, he told his employer that he would like to withdraw the entire amount from his gratuity fund. The employer who is aware of today's scenario asked the man to think and take a wise decision as he is about to retire and will require this money during his retirement. But the man being overconfident of his children taking care of his financial needs, withdrew the entire amount and gave it to his son. Later on, when his sons were settled in their own lives, he informed them that he and his wife want to live their retired life by spending time with their family and particularly their grandchildren. This sounds like a perfect life and retirement. But the irony is that this man had the most difficult retired life although he h

What is the Taliban? Taliban, essentially a fundamentalist Islamist politico-religious movement based in Afghanistan, engages in militant activities, to carry out Jihad (holy war). Consisting mainly of Pashtuns and other tribal groups like Tajiks and Uzbeks, they not only allude to religious conflicts but tribal conflicts as well. Background Originally formed to counter USSR, the group traces its origin in its support by Pakistan (training of mujahideen), Saudi Arabia (funding), and the US (weaponry). However, with the fall of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan by 1992, the Taliban finally took over the territory by 1996. Mean-end continuum conflict Driven by the ideology of Deobandi Islamist beliefs, they strictly enforced Sharia laws via terror attacks, Jihadi menace, targeted assassinations, and curtailing human rights. The ends they justified as being fair in their heads were achieved through unfair means. U-turn However, this continued for five years, and things took a drastic turn i

Banking in India forms a strong base for the economic development of the country. Significant changes in the financial framework and the management have been seen over the course of the years with the advancement of technology in the banking sector. The History of Banking in India traces all the way back to before India got its independence in 1947. The development of banking sector can be divided into three stages: Stage I: Pre-Independence Period Stage II: Post Independence Period Stage III: The Liberalization or the Banking Sector Reforms Phase which started in 1991 Pre- Independence Period The First bank of India was the "Bank of Hindustan", which was set up in 1770 by Alexander and Co. and situated in the then Indian capital Calcutta. However, it ceased to operate in 1832. During the Pre -Independence time frame more than 600 banks had been registered in the nation but very few survived. Following the path of Bank of Hindustan, different banks were set up in Indi

Monetization means expressing or converting something into the form of currency. Asset monetization refers to the transfer of revenue rights and operational duties to the private investor for a specified period in return for a huge chunk of money that will be further invested in other asset creation known as “asset recycling”. For instance, NTPC, NHPC, or Power Grid, when they monetize their assets, instead of going to the government and getting resources for asset creation, the revenue received from monetized assets are used for creating more and more infrastructure in the country. Key Aspects in Asset Monetization: The ownership of the underlying asset is not handed over to private investors. Brownfield – de-risk assets, stable revenue streams. Structured partnership under the defined contractual framework with strict KPIs and performance standards. The concept of asset monetization came into the limelight when Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman announced National Ass