Latest news with #TataInstituteofSocialSciences
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Professor Badri Narayan Tiwari takes charge as VC of TISS
MUMBAI: Nearly 22 months after the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) was left without a full-time head, Professor Badri Narayan Tiwari took charge as the university's new Vice Chancellor (VC) on Wednesday. He is the first VC appointed at TISS under the University Grants Commission's (UGC) latest selection rules introduced in 2023. Professor Badri Narayan Tiwari takes charge as VC of TISS After Professor Shalini Bharat, the previous VC, completed her five-year term in September 2023. Since then, Professor Manoj Kumar Tiwari, the director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai, was assigned the additional charge at TISS. The appointment process began with a nationwide advertisement that attracted 127 applications. A confidential search panel shortlisted 10 candidates and interviewed them in December last year. Based on the interviews, three names were forwarded to the Union Ministry of Education for final approval. The appointment order for Professor Badri Tiwari, who is also the director of the GB Pant Social Sciences Institute in Prayagraj, was issued on July 30, and he took charge on the same day. 'I am very glad to have this position. It comes with both responsibility and challenges,' he said after assuming office. Known for his deep research and writings on democracy, development, popular culture, and the intersection of power and culture, Professor Badri Tiwari has a strong academic and literary background. He has written extensively in both English and Hindi, with notable works such as Republic of Hindutva: How the Sangh Is Reshaping Indian Democracy, Fractured Tales: Invisibles in Indian Democracy, The Making of the Dalit Public in North India, and Women Heroes and Dalit Assertion in North India. Apart from his academic contributions, Professor Badri Tiwari is also a respected Hindi poet. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2022 for his poetry collection Tumdi ke Shabd.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
From Goa trip saving to a startup: How a social science student built a donkey milk business with just Rs 60,000
A college trip to Solapur sparked the idea From Goa holiday savings to soap production Live Events Creating income for working families (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel In 2016, a postgraduate student at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) used Rs 26,000 she had saved for a Goa vacation to start a small skincare venture using donkey milk . That idea, launched with crowdfunding support of another Rs 34,000, has now grown into Organiko , a social enterprise that helps over 150 families across Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh earn a sustainable income by ethically selling donkey milk. As per a TheBetterIndia article, the field project turned into a business rooted in ethical sourcing, rural livelihoods, and sustainable conducting a pilot study in Solapur, Maharashtra, the student came across the Lashkar community, migrant labourers who rely on donkeys for work at brick kilns and construction sites. Despite the animals being critical to their livelihood, families struggled to care for them due to low and unstable milk, though rich in nutrients, had no local demand. Seeing an opportunity, the student explored how this undervalued resource could be transformed into a product with market value. After facing initial resistance and suspicion from the community, she spent months building Rs 26,000 saved for a holiday and Rs 34,000 raised through crowdfunding, she produced the first batch of 250 handmade soaps. Drawing inspiration from her mother's home remedies, she enrolled in a soap-making course and experimented with ingredients in a rented room near her returning to Delhi, she tested her products at public exhibitions. The encouraging response prompted her to register the venture as a formal business, per the report, Organiko's products now include handmade soaps, face packs, and are set to expand into sunscreens, creams, and serums. The items are priced between Rs 350 and Rs 1,400 and shipped to customers across states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, and Delhi. The brand processes more than 500 orders each month, according to The Better donkey milk used in these products is collected under strict hygienic conditions. Donkeys are milked only on alternate days and only after their young ones have been fed. The milk is stored in clean, temperature-controlled containers to maintain per the report, Organiko has helped many families increase their monthly income from around Rs 5,000 to Rs 14,000. One such example is a construction worker in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, who manages a group of donkeys. After partnering with the enterprise in 2019, he began selling donkey milk at Rs 1,300 per litre, an income stream that did not exist earlier in his enterprise pays close attention to animal welfare while maintaining fair and transparent supply chains. The focus remains on ethical sourcing and helping working families earn more from their 2024, donkey farming was officially included under the National Livestock Mission by the Department of Animal Husbandry, making it easier for others to apply for government support.
India Gazette
09-07-2025
- India Gazette
J-K Police launches women safety and empowerment initiative 'BHAROSA'
Ramban (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 9 (ANI): In a landmark move to strengthen women's safety and public confidence in policing, the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban (DKR) Range, under the leadership of DIG Shridhar Patil, launched BHAROSA comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing the under-reporting of crimes and enhancing awareness of women's rights, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas on Wednesday. According to an official release, this was a three-day capacity-building programme, held in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, which trained 95 women police personnel in gender sensitisation, effective complaint handling, and community engagement strategies. As part of its extensive outreach efforts, 94 awareness programmes have been conducted, benefiting over 4,400 individuals, said the release. The release highlighted that response mechanisms have been strengthened through the 24x7 Women Helpline (112), the JK Police eCOP app, and rapid response teams. On the empowerment front, more than 4,700 people have benefited from cyber awareness and legal aid initiatives. In a significant step, police officials are also reaching remote areas to educate people, especially women, about their legal rights, delivering awareness directly at their doorsteps, added the release. The initiative has led to a notable increase in crime reporting, improved public trust in police services, and the adoption of advanced technology, including AI-powered surveillance and GPS-enabled patrols. It has also ushered in critical reforms such as digitised FIR systems, e-FIR facility, SOPs for crimes against women, and the enforcement of the POSH Act, which further added. (ANI)
The Print
09-07-2025
- The Print
J-K Police launches initiative for women's safety, empowerment in Chenab valley region
He said a three-day capacity-building programme, held in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, trained 95 women police personnel in gender sensitization, effective complaint handling, and community engagement strategies. Structured around the three pillars of prevention, response, and empowerment, the initiative under the leadership of Deputy Inspector General of Police, Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban (DKR) Range, Shridhar Patil has already shown measurable impact on the ground, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, a police spokesperson said. Jammu, Jul 9 (PTI) In a move to strengthen women's safety and public confidence in policing, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has launched 'Bharosa' – a comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing the under-reporting of crimes and enhancing awareness of women's rights in Chenab valley region, an official said. As part of its extensive outreach efforts, 94 awareness programmes have been conducted, benefiting over 4,400 individuals, the spokesperson said. He said the response mechanisms have been strengthened through the 24×7 Women Helpline (112), JK Police eCOP app, and rapid response teams. On the empowerment front, more than 4,700 people have gained from cyber awareness and legal aid initiatives, he said. In a significant step, the spokesperson said police officials are also reaching remote areas to educate people, especially women, about their legal rights, delivering awareness directly at their doorsteps. The initiative has led to a notable increase in crime reporting, improved public trust in police services, and the adoption of advanced technology, including AI-powered surveillance and GPS-enabled patrols, the spokesperson said. He said it has also ushered in critical reforms such as digitized FIR systems, e-FIR facility, Standard Operating Procedures for crimes against women, and the enforcement of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act. 'Bharosa' is a result of collaborative efforts among law enforcement, civil society, government agencies, educational institutions, and local communities, and reflects the Police's steadfast commitment to creating a safer, more inclusive, and just environment for women across the region. PTI TAS NB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Gulf Today
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Climate change heightens risk of Indian farmer suicides
On a small farm in India's Maharashtra state, Mirabai Khindkar said the only thing her land grew was debt, after crops failed in drought and her husband killed himself. Farmer suicides have a long history in India, where many are one crop failure away from disaster, but extreme weather caused by climate change is adding fresh pressure. Dwindling yields due to water shortages, floods, rising temperatures and erratic rainfall, coupled with crippling debt, have taken a heavy toll on a sector that employs 45 percent of India's 1.4 billion people. Mirabhai's husband Amol was left with debts to loan sharks worth hundreds of times their farm's annual income, after the one-hectare soybean, millet and cotton plot withered in scorching heat. He swallowed poison last year. "When he was in the hospital, I prayed to all the gods to save him," said 30-year-old Mirabai, her voice breaking. Amol died a week later, leaving behind Mirabai and three children. Her last conversation with him was about debt. Their personal tragedy is replicated daily across Marathwada, a region in Maharashtra of 18 million, once known for fertile farmland. Last year, extreme weather events across India affected 3.2 million hectares (7.9 million acres) of cropland - an area bigger than Belgium - according to the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment research group. Over 60 per cent of that was in Maharashtra. "Summers are extreme, and even if we do what is necessary, the yield is not enough," said Amol's brother and fellow farmer Balaji Khindkar. "There is not enough water to irrigate the fields. It doesn't rain properly." Between 2022 and 2024, 3,090 farmers took their own lives in Marathwada, an average of nearly three a day, according to India's Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan. People walk across the dried-up Godavari river in Beed district in Maharashtra. File / AFP Government statistics do not specify what drove the farmers to kill themselves, but analysts point to several likely factors. "Farmer suicides in India are a consequence of the crisis of incomes, investment and productivity that you have in agriculture," said R. Ramakumar, professor of development studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Farming across many Indian smallholdings is done largely as it has been for centuries, and is highly dependent on the right weather at the correct time. "What climate change and its vulnerabilities and variabilities have done is to increase the risks in farming," Ramakumar said. This "is leading to crop failures, uncertainties... which is further weakening the economics of cultivation for small and marginal farmers." The government could support farmers with better insurance schemes to cope with extreme weather events, as well as investments in agricultural research, Ramakumar said. "Agriculture should not be a gamble with the monsoon." Faced with uncertain weather, farmers often look to stem falling yields by investing in fertilisers or irrigation systems. But banks can be reluctant to offer credit to such uncertain borrowers. Some turn to loan sharks offering quick cash at exorbitant interest rates, and risking catastrophe if crops fail. "It is difficult to make ends meet with just farming," Mirabai said, standing outside her home, a tin-roofed hut with patch-cloth walls. Khadija Bi (right), whose son Shaikh Latif Sheru, a farmer who committed suicide due to mounting financial loans, sits under the shade of a tree along with her family members at their farmland in Mochi Pimpalgaon village of Beed district. File / AFP Her husband's loans soared to over $8,000, a huge sum in India, where the average monthly income of a farming household is around $120. Mirabai works on other farms as a labourer but could not pay back the debt. "The loan instalments piled up," she said, adding that she wants her children to find jobs outside of farming when they grow up. "Nothing comes out of the farm." The agricultural industry has been in a persistent crisis for decades. And while Maharashtra has some of the highest suicide rates, the problem is nationwide. Thirty people in the farming sector killed themselves every day in 2022, according to national crime records bureau statistics. At another farm in Marathwada, 32-year-old farmer Shaikh Imran took over the running of the family smallholding last year after his brother took his own life. He is already more than $1,100 in debt after borrowing to plant soybean. The crop failed. Meanwhile, the pop of explosives echoes around as farmers blast wells, hoping to hit water. "There's no water to drink," said family matriarch Khatijabi. "Where shall we get water to irrigate the farm?" Agence France-Presse
