Edutainment - The Wonder Platform

COVID-triggered lockdown and distancing has thrown lots of challenges. Training, upskilling have become major issues. But not anymore, says NIDHI AGARWAL, FOUNDER&CEO - BOOKAWORKSHOP, who has developed an Edutainment platform. Nidhi talks to BNC in an exclusive interview on their USP and the future of edutainment as the exciting business model

 

Unlocking PR value, Beyond Perfection

PR has come a long way since Adam-and-Eve. The profession has begun to assert itself. We have grown much beyond the pink-shirt, party happy culture to emerge as effective bridges of communication. Whether we are corpcom professionals or agency practitioners, we have begun to play a meaningful role in building and maintaining relationships through our messaging internally as well as externally, with the senior management and with the TGs.

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Be digital sharp, not just savvy

 

By B N KUMAR

(This article first appeared on Reputation Today)

The days of physical distribution of Press Releases and Invites, which my generation of PR professionals used to do, were over long ago.  After frequent visitors from PR departments and agencies, media offices have started experiencing flood of mails from PR agencies and departments. Then came the tsunami of mails with PR agencies discovering mass mailers. That’s how media started distancing themselves from Press Release ATMs of certain PR agencies, much before the current distancing came into being.

One has to be digital savvy to survive in this era. But being savvy is not just enough. As I mentioned in one of my previous columns, the journalist at the receiving end enjoys select-all-delete option.

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PRCI salute to media warriors

Nagpur chapter coordinates sanitisation of journalists’’ workplace

NAGPUR: In a bid to salute media warriors, working round the clock in the larger interest of Nation to provide worldwide updates on various issues of interest, during tough times of COVID-19 pandemic, Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) Nagpur Chapter has undertaken a unique initiative to sanitize the workplace of journalists.

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CVN - the perfect PR professional

Dr C V Narasimha Reddi (87) , A lifetime PR man, reminisces Media Connect veteran SOMASEKHAR MULUGU.

CVN, lived, dreamt, talked & wrote PR. Many of us will miss him.

   It was sometime in 1982, in our Journalism class, a Public Relations Officer from the Municipal  Corporation of Hyderabad (MCH), gave a guest lecture on how the menace of street dogs was effectively managed in the twin cities of Hyderabad & Secunderabad through publicity campaign.
  Honestly, most of us heard with attention, but I felt it more funny than serious. Stray dog menace was indeed serious, rabies common and in Telugu it was commonly called ‘Pichai Kukkala’ problem and people dreaded walking in some areas.
  But, the class became unforgettable as a few months later, I was a Journalist with the Press Trust of India (PTI) and this officer was in our office meeting my manager Mr Sham Rao Harnur. Mr Harnur introduced me again and I reminded him of the class lecture. The Gentleman & PR professional was CV Narasimha Reddi.
   Soon, I realised that the stray dog exercise did have an affect, but the bigger campaign that the MCH began was with the slogan “ Ours is a beautiful city. Let’s keep it clean” was proving more popular. The common brain behind them was Mr CVN, as he is widely popular now.
   Narasimha Reddi garu had a huge respect for the PTI and The Hindu Group. He is not just a passionate PR professional, but a constant motivator. He and our Journalism School Prof S Bashiruddin, breathed life into PR. Most of us students dismissed it as too soft, organising events, ticketing for bosses and building up company image during those days.
  My relationship with Narasimha Reddi is indeed long, fruitful engaging and always learning. In the last decade, a call in the morning around 7 am, would often mean it was CVN, he would first enquire about my family and then seek my opinion on some economic or scientific issue of contemporary interest. The phone call was because he was ageing and travel was getting tough.
  For years, CVN would occasionally drop by at the Hindu office, meet several of us, discuss and then go back. It was after his retirement, towards the end of the 20th century. He would call up Journalists and pat them for a good story too, which often bosses did not do. His reach was across all language newspapers and extending to the country too.
  CVN scaled heights in his career from being a PRO of a few Govt depts to serving several Chief Ministers of United Andhra Pradesh. He has touched many Journalism schools across the country with his lectures, articles & books in  a career of atleast 6 decades.
   The last time, I met CVN garu was at the ASCI, when we organised the Prof Bashiruddin Memorial Lecture in September, 2019 delivered by Krishnaprasad, former Editor, Outlook. He was in a wheelchair, spent more than an hour for Bashiruddin, whom he considered his guru in PR. Thereafter, his health has been failing with him going in and out of CARE hospital, where he finally breathed his last on Ugadi day (Telugu New year), March 25.
   Right from my PTI days, CVN had tremendous trust in my reporting skills. Occasionally he would get me to do PR releases on conferences, where he though I could do justice after getting the nod from Mr Harnur and later Jamaluddin  Ali Khan. He also got me to talk at PRSI  meetings once making me deliver a keynote on economic challenges around 2010, when the world economy was slowing down. Further, he would often call me to judge at PRSI, though many times, I used to excuse stating my lack of expertise, though he would not agree.
  CVN was the most prominent, common and visible face of the PRSI. Though, at times, I used to tell him to hand over the baton to nextgen. He was a tireless voice, brining out PR Voice regularly, organising events and working closely with Universities to upgrade PR syllable. I too was involved in one exercise as board members of OU Journalism dept. During his 80’s he travelled to the US to deliver lectures on PR. He connected strongly with the Brahmakumaris and involved them in PR activity, though, I have no clue why & how?
  At the personal level too Narasimha Reddi garu became close, when I had to suddenly return from New Delhi in 2001 on transfer by the Hindu Group. I had to get admission for my son, whom we pulled out of APJ Public School at LKG level. When I called him, he asked me to meet the Principal of Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Jubilee Hills, Ms Rama Devi. After a discussion, a small test and assurance that we will be responsible parents to the child’s education admission was granted. Interestingly, as my better half, Jayanthi was into education and son was 5 yrs Rama Devi garu suggested admitting into Class 1. Thus Ujwal, gained 8 months, got good education in the school and turned engineer and is pursuing masters abroad. Incidentally, my daughter Krithika too was lucky to get admission in sibling quota and passed through BVB. CVN would always make it a point to enquire about their education and feedback about the School.
  Though, a teetotaller, CVN garu would be an active participant in friends circle. When RJ Rajendraprasad, RE, The Hindu and well known Journalist retired in 2002, he hosted a wonderful party at home. Friends like R Neelamegham, Subhas Patel, Rajeshwari Rao, PS Sundaram, K Srinivasa Reddy and many attended.
  Though, CVN was nearly 3 decades older to me, his attitude, spirit, curiosity and motivation were evergreen till the last. I will always cherish those great moments. Om Shanthi.

PR Beyond 2020....And we have miles to go...

As a tribute to veteran communicator DR. C.V. NARASIMHA REDDI, who passed away at Hyderabad today, PRapport presents his last article written, literally from his bed, on the occasion of the 14th Global Communication Conclave held at Bengaluru on March 6 & 7, 2020. Dr Reddi was a recipient  of the Dr Anil Basu Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Relations instituted by PRCI. He was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by ABCI .

“If I were to my last dollar, I would spend it on public relations” said Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. In fact, public relations (PR) has emerged as a key component of any business in this day of instant communication.

Before we enumerate the future of public relations in the 2020, it is most appropriate to take stock of the state of the art public relations in India. PR played a significant role in the two remarkable achievements of independent India – Emergence of India as the world’s largest vibrant democracy and that India has been transformed into global economic player, poised to become world’s third biggest economy.

With one lakh PR professionals, over 30 lakh extension communicators including nine lakh ASHAs on the one side and one lakh newspapers; 1000 TV channels; 500 radio stations; 36 lakh internet connections; and about 120 crore cell phones; 1.6 lakh post offices; on the other, constitute the world’s biggest communication network.

What is the state-of-the-art public relations in India? It is a mixed bag, containing a few sophisticated and competent PR professionals second to none in the world on the positive side, while a majority of non-professionals without any professional education reflecting the negative aspect of the profession. According to Adfactors, PR Agency that 90% of PR personnel have not read any book on PR. The distinguishing trait of the profession is “Quantity of PR Personnel”, rather than “Quality of the Profession”. The need of the hour is professional excellence.

I visualize seven trends of PR in 2020. They are as follows:

1.      Adaption of PR 2.0 New Model

            As a measure of revamping PR in the decade ahead, the need of the hour is a paradigm shift with PR 2.0 new model as coined by Brian Solis, it is otherwise called convergence of traditional PR with internet and social media.

            Dr. Doug Newsom, Professor Emerita, Texas Christian University, USA observed that “convergence of traditional PR with internet is a pragmatic approach to manage stakeholders relationship. However, understanding, how to use and manage social media channels is of great importance”.

2.      Artificial Intelligence (AI)

            In 2020, no organisation can escape from AI, to maintain effective relations with the public. Transcriptions, automated translation, speech to text services, printing of publications, relations with customers will be some of the AI driven technologies to reach largest section of masses. The machine driven human intelligence opens new frontiers and opportunities for PR professionals.

3.      PR Education and Training

            In the UK PR is offered as a major course both at UG and PG level such as BA (Hons), MA PR, MS PR. The University of Sterling offers MSc (PR), both in regular and distance mode. Four majors are offered in USA at UG level – Journalism, PR, Advertising and Mass Communication.

In contrast, Public Relations Education in the Indian universities is still a nascent stage. Notwithstanding the fact that PR is one of the growing professions, most of the conventional universities in India offer multi-cuisine, all-in-one communication and journalism courses in which, out of eight courses, public relations is one.

When Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University submitted proposal to the UGC for recognition of MA Mass Communication and Public Relations, it has rejected the proposal on the plea that this course is not in its approved list. It clearly means that the UGC has not recognised PR as an academic discipline.

The New Education Policy (NEP) Draft 2019 recommended the introduction of a four year bachelor degree especially in liberal arts. It is most appropriate and relevant that in tune with the NEP, the UGC must launch a four year Bachelor’s Degree with three majors as Journalism, Public Relations and Advertising. Such a policy, undoubtedly, will produce proficient PR personnel.

Training: In fact, PR is skills oriented profession. One can be successful in this profession when PR personnel are equipped with professional skills – Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, etc. A major lacuna in the practice of Indian PR is lack of any induction or in-service PR training. As opposed to developed countries, where the percentage of skilled workforce is between 60 to 90 per cent of the total work force, India has an abysmal 4.69 per cent of workforce with formal vocational skills. It is worse in the PR field. The Indian Institute of Mass Communication was established in New Delhi for imparting training and research. Unfortunately, this institute confined to the training of Indian Information Service officers and conducting Diploma courses in Journalism, Advertising and PR, which are nothing but replication of universities courses. Therefore, it is suggested that all State Governments should establish Mass Communication and PR Academy at the State level for the training of communication and PR professionals.

4.      PR Research and Innovation

Lack of research and innovation are the two major pitfalls of public relations practice in India. If the US has reached great heights in the fields of science and technology and emerged as the number one in the world’s economy, it is because of its priority for research and innovation. A National Research Foundation proposed by the draft NEP is a good step in the direction of research in India. The Government as well as corporates spend crores of rupees both  on image building advertising and public relations campaigns, but rarely their impact on the public mind is assessed.

An international PR firm, BBDO in its survey revealed that “PR industry may never be fully respected, unless it can provide measurement of its value of different programmes. Therefore, research is the rocky but sunlit pathway for PR professionals to climb once for all out of the quacks and spin doctors’ status, where our work is judged by instinct and intuition. Each PR department must have a research division on par with All India Radio’s Audience Research Unit with adequate budget.

Innovation is yet another field of activity to project new theories, new practices that enlighten the stakeholders. Innovation alone can take PR to greater heights.

5.      Consolidation of PR Departments

If the 2019 decade made presence of PR as management function, 2020 envisages consolidation of PR departments with specialised branches such as Media Relations, Internal Communication, External Stakeholders relationship, Advertising, Publications, Social Media, Feedback mechanism, etc.

6.      PR Reporting

Lack of measurement of PR programmes is the greatest lacuna of PR profession, like marketing, management demand results from PR in improving the image of the organisation. One of the short comings of Indian PR is lack of management recognition for PR on par with HRD or marketing.

Public relations reporting is a process of keeping the management informed about PR activities and accomplishments. The PR manager has to periodically report progress to the top management. It is a report card of the PR department. PR reporting is a challenge to PR professionals. However, if they do it systematically, management undoubtedly recognise their hard work in projecting the corporate affairs to both internal and external public.

CEO as Chief of PR Strategist at the board level

If PR is regarded as strategic top management function, the Director of PR must find a place in the Board which formulates policies for all management disciplines. Unfortunately, the PR by and large is at the middle level under HR or Marketing. Therefore, public relations must be placed at the top management level with a Director or Vice-President (PR) who should be made responsible to the CEO. And CEO, who is accountable to all disciplines, must assume the role of Chief of PR for designing PR strategy.

A Bright Future- Five Factors: 

If challenges are converted into opportunities and if all such opportunities are tackled with a vision, a bright future beckons Indian PR, because of five important factors. These factors include (i) India continues to sustain world’s largest democracy; (ii) India is poised to become world’s third biggest economy; (iii) India will become world’s largest English speaking nation; (iv) India will be the hub of world’s largest media network with over one lakh newspapers; and (v) India is likely to have 50 states instead of 29. (The author was Editor, Public Relations Voice & Former State Director, Information & PR Department, AP)

Dr. CVN Reddi (extreme left) receiving  Dr.Anil Basu Memorial Life Time Achievement Award for Public Relations  at the 11th  Global Communication conclave, Bengaluru, on March 03, 2017.

Newspaper agents care two hoots for Janata Curfew; dump papers on retail vendors

Newspaper agents care two hoots for Janata Curfew; dump papers on retail vendors

MUMBAI, March 22: Ignoring the Janata Curfew call by the PM, certain newspaper agents have dumped today's papers on retail vendors.
"We decided to give off to our delivery boys as most parents would not allow their children to go out today,' said a retail vendor who suppliers papers to a large number of homes at Kopar Khairane, Navi Mumbai.
He said the vendors informed the distributors not to send papers today, yet the bundles were dumped on the retailers.
"We brought these bundles home as the agents refused to take them back. 'Now we have to sell them in raddi as they are of no value tomorrow," he said.
This retailer alone is forced to suffer a loss of Rs 2,000 for the day.
Hope the newspaper managements will take a pragmatic view and not charge the vendors for the papers distributed on Janata Curfew Day.

Kill Corona! Let's support Janata Curfew on March 22

‘Janta Curfew’ to be observed on 22 March from 7 AM to 9 PM

Citizens to thank the selfless service providers of the nation at 5 PM on 22 March

‘COVID-19 Economic Response Task Force’ set-up to meet economic challenges of the pandemic

PM advises citizens to avoid ‘panic buying’; assures availability of essentials
Posted On: 19 MAR 2020 8:41PM by PIB Delhi
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the nation on combating the challenge of COVID-19. On the occasion of ‘Navratra’, Prime Minister made nine requests to the people.

Prime Minister said that patience and resolve of all Indians  is vital in fighting the global pandemic which has wreaked havoc all over the world. He requested citizens to follow certain measures to ensure the containment of the fast spreading virus. He emphasized on the importance of not taking the pandemic lightly and the need to be aware and proactive towards prevention of COVID-19.

Prime Minister urged citizens to follow the mantra of “when we are healthy, the world is healthy”. He stressed on the importance of following self imposed norms like ‘social distancing’. Requesting citizens to patiently abide by the norm, he urged the need to isolate oneself and come out of the house only if imperative, while trying to work from home and avoid unnecessary travel. He also urged that senior citizens above the age of 60 should not come out of their homes for the coming few weeks. Highlighting the stress on the hospitals, he urged everyone to avoid routine check ups during this time and to extend the date of surgeries scheduled, wherever feasible.

‘Janta Curfew’

Prime Minister urged citizens to follow the concept of  ‘Janta Curfew’ on 22 March, 2020 from 7 AM to 9 PM, wherein no one apart from those involved with essential services is supposed to venture out of home. He said that the success of such a people’s movement and the experiences gained from it will prepare us for the challenges ahead. He added that our efforts on March 22, would be a symbol of our self restraint and determination to perform duty in the national interest.

Urging the state governments to take the lead, Prime Minister asked all youth organizations including NCC and NSS, civil societies to generate awareness among people about the ‘Janta Curfew’. He urged everyone to try to inform at least ten other people over phone about this self imposed curfew.

Thanking the selfless service providers

Prime Minister said that there are many brave people who are in the forefront of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic like medical staff, police, government servants, airline staff, media persons, bus/train/auto operators and those involved in providing home delivery.

To pay respects to their huge service to the nation during such trying times, Prime Minister suggested that on March 22 at 5 PM, all citizens should acknowledge and salute their efforts by standing in the balconies and at the doors of their houses and clap or ring bells for five minutes as a show of appreciation .

He urged the local government across the country to indicate the timing through blaring out a siren at 5 PM.

Meeting the Economic Challenges

To deal with the economic challenges caused by the pandemic, Prime Minister announced the creation of ‘COVID-19 Economic Response Task Force’ under the Union Finance Minister. The Task Force will consult stakeholders, take feedback, on the basis of which decisions will be taken to meet the challenges. The Task Force will also ensure implementation of the decisions taken to meet these challenges.

Prime Minister also urged the business community and higher income groups to look after the economic needs of those from lower income groups, from whom they take various services, urging them not to cut their salary on the days they are unable to render the services due to inability to come to the workplace. He stressed on the importance of humanity during such times.

He also assured the countrymen that there would not be any shortage of essential items like food, milk, medicines etc. He urged people to not resort to panic buying.

Prime Minister exhorted everyone to work together and contribute fully to overcome the crisis of COVID-19. He urged the citizens not to fall prey to misinformation. Prime Minister said that  during the time of such a global pandemic, it is important to ensure that ‘humanity wins and India wins’.

#SaveWater4CoronaCare; PRCI, NatConnect launch joint campaign

• Focus on vanishing wetlands, too

MUMBAI: Aligning itself with the UN-driven World Water Day being observed on March 22, communicators’ national body Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) and environment NGO NatCnnect Foundation have launched a campaign to save water for corona care, while addressing the issue of vanishing wetlands and the increasing menace of effluents.

“Such events involve group meetings and gatherings, but in view of the COVID-19 threat across the world, we cancelled our ground events and launched online campaigns to increase awareness about saving water,” said B N Kumar, director of NGO NatConnect Foundation.

“We also seek to focus attention on the need to take preventive care against the deadly virus by regularly washing hands with clean water,” said M B Jayaram, PRCI Chairman Emeritus and Chief Mentor.

"Moreover, when we are faced with climatic change conditions, we firmly believe that conservation of water will help us fight the crisis, as the UN campaign stresses" he said.

The World Water Day website says Climate delay is almost as dangerous as climate denial.  Every country in the world must work more quickly. Extreme weather events are making water more scarce, more unpredictable, more polluted or all three.

It is in this context that the online campaign #SaveWater4CoronaCare assumes significance.  

The campaign also speaks about the need to increasingly use recycled or STP treated water for non-potable purposes and even toilet flushing and conserve precious drinking water, said Kumar.

Governments and civic bodies should also take rain water harvesting and charging the ground water seriously, Jayaram said.

Another environment focused NGO Shri Ekvira Ari Pratishtan has also joined the campaign calling for saving wetlands “as our national treasure” and maintain ground water tables.  “We need to save wetlands and village water bodies which are being wiped out due to urban and infrastructure development. Wetlands do help in maintain ground water tables and our so-called planners take pleasure in their short-sighted approach of filling the water bodies under the guise of development,” said Nandakumar Pawar, head of Shri Ekvira Ari Pratishtan.

COVID-19 - Lessons from Freakonomics

By S NARENDRA

(Former Information adviser to PM/PIO Govt of India)

The Government of India has done well to declare the threat, an existential one, posed by the global Corona virus -19, a national disaster. There could be two opinions about the   adequacy of the measures taken   so far to protect the   people against the CV-19 pandemic. It is well to remember that the pandemic   has overtaken the seven continents with least warning and overwhelmed most countries’ governments. The countries with enormous financial and health -related resources are finding it difficult to cope with the CV-19 challenge.

It is a time for citizens to proactively support the official measures by following the guidelines stipulated regarding personal hygiene and social distancing. The latter is a tough call in a densely populated country like India where people live cheek by jowl. The burden of keeping the Virus away largely falls on the individual and the family, calling for a total transformation of human social and personal behaviour.  As of now the government’s attention is concentrated on putting in place   policies and programmes to control the virus spread and on   mitigating the pandemic‘s adverse effects on the economy and people’s livelihoods.

The Indian government, like many others such as China, USA, Britain, and, the European Union, is contemplating fiscal and monetary measures to stimulate the economy. As many economists have pointed out, the economic theory has no answers as it has never faced, nay never contemplated, the dislocation of life caused by CV-19 pandemic. It is outside the Demand-Supply framework (the invisible hand of market forces) of the discipline. A noted American economist, Tyler Cowan, in a recent online post wrote that   basic   economic concepts like ‘inflation’ are   no longer useful when the toilet and facial tissue paper, sanitisers, soaps, face masks become more valuable than the commodities in the normal basket of goods whose prices are studied for measuring inflation,  and   adjusting   lending interest rates.

The Union and state governments are now required to deal with a hydra-headed problem on an emergency basis. The CV-19   has arrived on the back of an economic slowdown, that had drastically reduced the government revenues. The shut-down of vital economic activities in most sectors due to the pandemic will inevitably further dim the governments’ revenue   outlook. It is a double whammy because now the governments are required to deal with a many-headed problem with massive resources. Considering the enormity of the challenge, the governments will do well not to rush out for   bailing out businesses which are making the most noise. Perhaps, the outlines of the economic and social challenges are yet to emerge fully for thinking of a measured response. The world, including India , seems to be headed for the long haul.

There are likely to be some unintended consequences from the on-going ‘National Disaster’ which may need to be reckoned by policy makers. Such consequences are studied under the title of Freakonomics by some noted economists. CV-19 is exposing in both the rich and poor countries the massive inadequacies in the health infrastructure, a key contributor to any nation’s human resources. It will do a lot of good if the media and experts are allowed to put the Indian public health infrastructure, and the economic model that tilts it in favour of privatising health, to a lot of public scrutiny.

Perhaps, for the first time the nation will be X-raying this sector, hopefully gaining the sector the priority it deserves in central and state budget allocations. Many health sector experts have lamented that the center  and states governments combined  expenditure on health is far lower than her neighbours. The economist Joseph Stiglitz has pointed out that the trend of moving away from public to private health care in India was pushing fast more people in  to poverty. The present situation is a great opportunity for bringing back health care into the national political agenda. Unfortunately, the gains in the health sector are post-dated, invisible and offer less scope for political kickbacks that accrue from building physical infrastructure. Hence, it tends to receive lip-service.

The COVID induced closure of educational institutions   again offers an opening for examining the deficiencies of distance education and utilising the tremendous possibilities offered by the technology for delivering quality educations and skills to the masses at less cost. Its quality has to be improved vastly  and used for improving the standard of education imparted in government schools and colleges. The government, academia and technology innovators need to be brought together   to collaborate in this sector. If the governments care to use a significant part of the any stimulus money for the above two objectives, it would go to improve India’s competitive advantage, encashing the available demographic dividend.

A third priority should be to bring relief to the informal sector due to the shutdown. This sector provides the bulk of the employment to about 472 million total workforce. The formal sector accounts for about 10 per cent of the jobs  but  has more voice in policy making. The economic distress caused to workers who have no job guarantees, no social security   cover, is unimaginable because of the shutdown. Going by the expert’s opinion, COVID emergency could last   fairly   long. Announcements such as facilitating more credit to SMEs are conventional solutions which may not be adequate in this dire situation. The livelihood of the   huge number of wage earners whose only tradable asset is physical labour is under threat. How to fulfil their basic food needs requires immediate   attention. One does not know whether the governments should consider opening something like opening free soup kitchens. In New York, according to the New York Times report, some 750000 school children were dependent upon the school provided   one daily meal. The shutting down of schools has deprived them of this daily meal. If that is the situation in USA, imagine the plight of children of families in India who have no daily regular wage -earning work. This is mentioned here mainly to point out the enormity of the problems facing the polity.

There was a report that the air quality over China had improved due to the COVID 19   induced lockdown. Ironically, the human caused global warming effects will be less due to the global economic shut down.  Every past year in this millennium has seen an increase in global temperature.2020 may be an exception. This is one of the Freakonomics effects. The policy makers, if so inclined, can draw some lessons and build them into post-COVID policies. The CV-19 is compelling us to change our social and personal behaviour. We have the option to resume our   life with  business as usual in the post- COVID era,  leaving our fate, that of the universe, to market forces and climate change. We also have the option, having come out of an existential threat, to modify our life -styles defined by instant gratification of wants and adopt a more environment sustainable life style. One hopes that the  traditional economic theory hinged to consumption-based capitalism  that shapes government policies listens to the lessons coming out of  the COVID crisis, and its consequences for people whose life is on the fringes of the market forces but who are vital to the  overall economy.

On the informal sector that accounts for nearly half of India’s GDP and major portion of the employment and wage earners by the necessary shutdown is unimaginable. The shutdown of most social and economic activities necessitated by CV-19.

A very important point is that the challenge posed by COVID -19 has  to be fought at the state, district and village level   without the clash of political egos. In this humbling moment in the nation’s history, the sagacity of leaders in Delhi and the state capitals will be tested. It is a time to show  a shared vision and resolve for infusing confidence in the people that the political system is united in navigating them out of the pandemic.

Wanted: Tectonic shift in teaching & Learning

Geetha Shankar at the Learning Tree!

The yawning gap between teaching and learning has to be bridged, writes Geetha Shankar

A couple of months ago, I received an email from a person who was recently laid off from his job. He in his early thirties and was a participant in one of my training programmes conducted for a company. I didn’t have direct work experience with him, and it was only a classroom passing for a day.  I called him over for coffee and spent a couple of hours with him.  This is a pretty common occurrence–I get these types of distress calls regularly.   

The new dynamics of digital, education, work, family culture   is transforming not only the way we communicate, learn, work, live but how we think, feel, see, hear, talk and change.  We cannot afford to be naïve and experience knee jerks to witness the job market changing.  The word “Job” is a misnomer now.  Because “jobs are going to be replaced d by tasks or contracts”  Philip Brown in his book Global Auction talks how companies are slashing costs by reducing or closing full time jobs into tasks through auctions and the lowest bid gets it. “The youth need to get their portfolio careers and bid for contracts than apply for jobs. Because that is where the future is.” 

As days go by, I wonder and realise how progressively the youth are transforming how they communicate, share and learn from each other. In a nutshell they are going open. Going open is a social Revolution according to David Price, because it represents a fundamental challenge to the established order of things and something that cannot be ignored. It disrupts everything and things are not going to be the same again.

In this Renaissance, the Youth stand as winners and losers as well.  Winners because they are connected and are motivated by the easy access to ideas and information and are better connected than ever. Barriers in learning have been dismantled and their capacity to learn has spiraled.

And the Youth stand as losers too in this game. The exaggerated prediction of the knowledge economy that its value will flow in abundance, has probably turned out to be a blind faith. We have a market flooded by unemployed graduates and learning has not led to earning nor up-gradation of any skills.  There is a dearth of commodity jobs and innovation jobs.

Where did we go wrong?  I vividly remember the endless lessons in my school and colleges, where I was taking notes so rapidly, as my teacher wrote on the black board or said something (before it was rubbed off or vanished from my memory). I believed that writing down will assist my memory. It did of course to get good grades in my exams. I mock at myself when I read Mark Twain:  “College is a place, where a professor’s lecture notes go straight to the students’ lecture notes without passing through the brains of either”.

If we wonder sometimes why we don’t remember what we learnt in schools and colleges, it could be because of many factors like distraction and lack of passion etc. Learning is ultimately an act of self-determination.

Please consider these points:

Ø  No one can be made to learn anything - For knowledge and understanding to stick we need the learner’s intent, which is the desire to learn.
Ø  Teachers can only help learners to see the relevance which drives self-motivation and how learning can make a difference in one’s life. But cannot motivate learners to learn.
Ø  Engagement has to precede learning - Learners have to be in the flow to learn without being unaware of the time. Otherwise learning becomes superficial, without depth
Ø  Survey shows that informal learning is more favored than formal.   L L& D professionals like me would agree on the 70: 20: 10 principle. 70%gained through experience in job, 20%through coaching/ mentoring, 10% through formal structured course / syllabus
Ø  Indulging in Repeated application of Knowledge is more efficient than Recalling information.
Ø  Capacity to learn is also affected by our mind sets. If we conclude that our intelligence is limited because of our brains rather than effort, our capacity to learn also comes down. 

As parents, educators and professionals of the 21^st Century, let us start looking within ourselves and stop looking around.  We can join together to make schools, colleges and universities an engaging place for the Youth. We can prepare youths for life beyond formal education.

Heng Swee Keat speaks about the hats to be worn by Educators-.   They are the Hats of an Ethical Educator, Hats of a Competent Professional, Hats of a Collaborative Learner, Hats of a Transformational Leader, and the Hats of a Community Builder through Service learning.

It’s time for us to rethink radically as to how we learn, innovate at work, and reshape our education system and do what is essential in supporting the youth to enjoy vocationally focused education and lifelong learning in response to the societal shifts. (The author is Director-PRCI and Chairperson- YCC)

CHANAKYA March 2020 - Flip version

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Silicon Valley of India to host 14th Global Communication Conclave

·       Theme: PR Beyond 2020; Venue shifted from Kochi due to Coronavirus scare

·       Chanakya & PR Excellence Awards to be presented

BENGALURU: The Silicon Valley of India Bengaluru is all set to host the 14^th Global Communication Conclave organized by Communicators premier body Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) under the aegis of  World Communicators’ Council (WCC)  on March 6 & 7 with theme being PR Beyond 2020.

Being held in association with Bangalore University, the Conclave venue is Jnana Jyothi Auditorium, 11, Palace Rd, Ambedkar Veedhi, Gandhi Nagar, Bengaluru -560009. PRCI Kerala chapter was to host the event which is now shifted to Bengaluru in view of the coronavirus scare. The Kerala Government has declared it a State disaster.

PRCI - http://www.publicrelationscouncilofindia.com/ - is the pan-India platform of communication, PR, media, advertising, HR, marketing communication professionals, mass communication teachers and students.

“As we all are aware, 20:20 represents perfect vision. We at PRCI strongly feel that it is time to look beyond perfection since there is always room for improvement. It is not a mere coincidence that the theme will be discussed in the year 2020,” said M B Jayaram, Chief Mentor and Chairman Emeritus of PRCI.

A notable aspect of the Conclave is that it is being held in association with the just launched World Communicators’ Council (WCC). Promoted by PRCI, WCC aims to be a one-stop Global Knowledge Powerhouse in mass communication.

The Torch of Knowledge Jnana Jyothi Auditorium

B N Kumar, Chairman of PRCI Governing Council said: “The two-day global event will be packed with knowledge sessions with ample opportunities for networking for the delegates. As in the previous 13 Global Conclaves, PRCI will have top notch professionals from Corporates, Communication, Media, Advertising, HR, Marketing and Mass Communication academicians at the 14^th Conclave. Our previous Conclaves have seen an attendance of over 500 delegates. We expect many more numbers in the Manthan of ideas in the City of Gardens.”

Explaining the theme, S Narendra, president – National executive of PRCI said: “PR has come a long way, from being courier boys, travel assistants or glorified protocol managers. Now, we strongly feel that it’s time to look beyond all these and see where we fit in and command value that we PR or communication professionals deserve,” said Narendra, ex-advisor to many PMs and former Government of India spokesperson.

Dr T Vinay Kumar, Conclave chairman and president-elect, PRCI national executive, said: “We regret that Kochi will miss the event due to the coronavirus issue. But we are confident that PRCI together will put up a grand show at Bengaluru.”

Sunil Kannath, director-international of PRCI explained that WCC will endeavor to integrate communication organisations and professionals globally for sharing knowledge and contribute to the exchange of ideas and experiences to communicate for a better world, as the motto says.

“We hope to see a synthesis of ideas from among the youth as we will have a dedicated session for the segment,” said Geetha Shankar, chairperson of PRCI-YCC.

PRCI will also honour corporates and achievers with its signature Chanakya awards, 12^th in the series and induct professionals into the unique PR Hall of Fame. The Conclave will also recognize talent with the much sought after PRCI Excellence Awards, 10^th in the series.