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Even though the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) of retirement body EPFO had decided on an 8.8% interest rate, the Finance Ministry has lowered it and approved an 8.7% interest on PF deposits for over 5 crore subscribers. 
 "The (EPFO's apex decision-making body) CBT, at its meeting held in February 2016, has proposed an interim rate of interest at 8.8 per cent to be credited to the accounts of Employees' Provident Fund subscribers for 2015-16. The Ministry of Finance has, however, ratified an interest rate of 8.7 per cent," Labour Minister <keyword id="115762" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bandaru-Dattatreya">Bandaru Dattatreya</keyword> said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha today. 
 
This is probably the first time that such thing has happened, when the Finance Ministry has not agreed to the CBT’s rate of interest. 
 
Earlier, EPFO had provided 8.75% rate of interest in 2013-14 and 2014-15, 8.5% in 2012-13 and 8.25% in 2011-12. 
 
As per EPFO's estimates worked out in September, it can easily pay 8.95% rate of interest, leaving a surplus of Rs 100 crore. 
 
<a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/photo/51011641.cms">Image source</a>

Finance Ministry lowers proposed PF interest rate to 8.7% for the first time

The central board of trustees of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=EPF&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Employees' Provident Fund Organisation</a> (EPF) has reversed the decision of previous UPA-II government and will now give interest on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=inoperative+accounts&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">inoperative accounts</a> from April 1, 2016. 
 
Inoperative EPF accounts means there has been no contribution from either the employee or the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=employers&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">employer</a> for 36 months. 
 This will benefit around nine crore <keyword id="1907154" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="inoperative-accounts">inoperative accounts</keyword> of subscribers switching jobs. 
 
"We have taken a pro-worker decision to give interest on inoperative accounts with effect from April 1, 2016," said labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya. 
 
A sub-committee will be constituted for the same.

Your PF will now earn interest, even if your employer has stopped contributing to it

<keyword id="7723175" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="what-is-provident-fund" source="Orion">What is Provident fund</keyword>? PF or Provident Fund or as it is commonly known as, Employee Provident fund(EPF) is a government backed savings scheme which allows a salaried employee to invest a certain amount every month on which a fixed amount of interest is paid by the government. It is a retirement savings scheme and is amninistered by a statutory body, EPFO, Employee Provident Fund Organisation under the Ministry of Labor and Employment. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="You can check your PF balance in four different ways." comment="subhead" text="You can check your PF balance in four different ways.">You can check your PF balance in four different ways.</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Check PF balance through EPFO Portal" comment="subhead" text="1. Check PF balance through EPFO Portal">1. Check PF balance through EPFO Portal</cmsannotation> To check your PF balance, the employer must have activated your Universal Account Number (UAN). This number is allotted by the EPF organization. Irrespective of the companies you change, this number will remain the same throughout your life. Step 1: Log on to the EPFO portal. Go to ‘Our Services’ and choose ‘for Employees’. Choose the option ‘Member Passbook’ under ‘Services’. Step 3: In the Login page, enter your UAN Number and Password after activating them. Now you can access your EPF account. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Check PF balance via SMS" comment="subhead" text="2. Check PF balance via SMS">2. Check PF balance via SMS</cmsannotation> If you have linked your UAN number with your KYC details like Aadhaar number or PAN number, you can access your PF balance via SMS. If this is done, you can send SMS message “EPFOHO UAN ENG” to the number 7738299899. This will send the details in English. Alternative SMS codes are available if you wish to know your PF balance in other languages like Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Bengali. 3. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Check PF balance via Missed call" comment="subhead" text="Check PF balance via Missed call">Check PF balance via Missed call</cmsannotation> If you have linked your Aadhaar card or PAN number with your PF account, you can use this method to know your PF balance. Give a missed call to 011-22901406 from your registered mobile number and you will instantly get a message stating your PF balance. 4. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Check PF balance using EPFO app" comment="subhead" text="Check PF balance using EPFO app">Check PF balance using EPFO app</cmsannotation> Download the “m-sewa app of EPFO” from Google Play Store. Open the app and click on ‘Member’ and go to ‘Balance/Passbook’. The page will ask for your UAN number and registered mobile number. If the details you give match with their records, your PF balance will be displayed. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="88278188" title="Here’s how you can create Universal Account Number (UAN) on the EPFO portal" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

How to check Pf (Provident Fund) balance in India

There is more than Rs 43,000 crore of unclaimed provident fund money in India, and the government is considering using it to fund its flagship schemes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Housing for All. This means that if you don’t claim your PF now, it could be used to fund government schemes in the future. 
 
As per officials, the idea was popped up by government's think tank NITI Aayog, which overlooks the key schemes of Indian government. The idea was proposed so that these projects are not delayed due to lack of funds. 
 "We are looking into the proposition of taking a loan from <keyword id="6372438" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="EPFO">EPFO</keyword>'s unclaimed kitty to partially pump money into some of our schemes," a senior official of NITI Aayog told ET requesting anonymity. 
 
The government is yet to decide whether the money would be used in the form of a loan or bonds. The EPFO has already invested the PF amount of more than '7 lakh crore in government securities, bonds, debts and equity. 
 
"We are open to the proposal of lending money to the Centre from the unclaimed PF amount provided we earn higher rate of interest on it," said a senior labour ministry official. "We have the flexibility of parking money anywhere, but it has to backed by some security because this is workers' money which can be claimed at any time," he said. 
 
These flagship programmes require huge amounts of money so that they can be implemented and completed timely, including Rs 2 lakh crore for constructing 12 crore toilets across India by 2019 under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Rs 6 lakh crore to build 6 crore houses under Housing for All programme by 2022. 
 
<a href="https://letstalkpayments.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Can%E2%80%8B-I%E2%80%8B-Transfer-Money-from-US-to-India-%E2%80%8Bsame-day-Inexpensively-and-Easily%E2%80%8B.jpeg">Image source</a>

If you don’t claim your PF now, it could end up in government’s kitty

A few days back, we told you about the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/New-EPFO-rules-from-May-1/articleshow/51838671.cms">imminent deadline</a> for withdrawing the PF amount for those who have been unemployed for two months. Turns out that Labour Ministry, led by <keyword id="115762" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bandaru-Dattatreya">Bandaru Dattatreya</keyword>, has decided to relax the withdrawal norms; not only this, the implementation deadline has also been set for three months ahead. 
 
The norms were already postponed once, when the implementation was set for May instead of February. 
 
As per the Ministry of Labour and Employment, people will be able to withdraw the employers’ contribution of 3.67% to PF for marriage, housing, medical emergency, and children education. 
 
Earlier, the proposal had restricted the withdrawal of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Your-PF-will-now-earn-interest-even-if-your-employer-has-stopped-contributing-to-it/articleshow/51599478.cms">employers' contribution and interest earned</a> on it under the EPF scheme until the employee reached 58 years of age. The proposal was faced strong opposition from trade unions and workers, regardless of which, the higher age limit for cumulative withdrawal has remained unchanged. 
 
<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eMq6YCAFwb4/maxresdefault.jpg">Image source</a>

PF withdrawal deadline has been pushed for three more months

<div style="border: 1px solid silver; padding: 10px;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/event/ignition-2013" target="_blank"></a> Extreme entrepreneurialism is what the digital age enables-and no one does it better than Elon Musk. He will be talking talent, design, management and more with Henry Blodget and the audience at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/event/ignition-2013" target="_blank">IGNITION: Future Of Digital</a>. <a href="http://businessinsider.ticketleap.com/ignition-2013/?&amp;utm_source=Edit&amp;utm_medium=toppromo&amp;utm_content=toppromo&amp;utm_campaign=Ignition2013" target="_blank">Reserve your seat now »</a></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">HexoskinThe Hexoskin shirt beams your fitness data to a smartphone or tablet.</div></div></div>I'm pretty pumped to host a panel on <keyword id="269923" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="60" keywordseo="wearable-technology">wearable technology</keyword> at Business Insider' IGNITION conference next week. As the biggest geek on the BI staff, I often get asked what the next cool gizmo is.
My panelists will have the answer when they take the stage with me on November 13. 
Most agree that wearable technology - all those <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/galaxy-gear-review-2013-10">smart watches</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fitbit-force-review-2013-10">fitness bands</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/google-glass-redesign-with-earbud-2013-10">computerized glasses</a> you've been seeing lately - are the next big thing. We've gone from room-sized computers to desktops to latops to smartphones and tablets. The next logical step in consumer tech is to integrate devices directly with our bodies.
One of my panelists is Pierre-Alexandre Fournier, the CEO of <a href="http://www.hexoskin.com/en">Hexoskin</a>. Hexoskin makes fitness wear that can monitor your heartrate, breathing, steps taken, etc. All that data beams to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth, giving you a snapshot of your health stats.
I had a quick chat with Fournier this week, and he had some really cool stuff to say about the wearable tech trend. Here's an edited transcript of our conversation. 
Business Insider: What is Hexoskin and how does it work?
Pierre-Alexandre Fournier: It's a shirt with sensors in it, and it's very simple. Just put on the shirt and connect it to a small device stored in a pocket. The device starts recording your stats and sends the data to your phone. It gives you very precise data about heart activity, breathing, and movement.
BI: What are the sensors like? Don't they get in the way?
PF: When you look at the shirt from the outside, it looks like normal textile. There are no plastic parts or metal parts. We use connective textiles for the heart sensor. There are also two breathing sensors in the shirt, one at chest level and another at waist level. They measure breathing rate and breathing volume.
BI: How does the pack work?
PF: It connects to the shirt. The shirt is machine washable, including the connectors and sensors. Before you wash the shirt, you have to disconnect the separate pack. The pack contains the memory, processor, battery, and Bluetooth connection.
BI: Will it ever get to the point where you don't need the pack?
PF: The technology isn't there yet. It'll be another two to three years before electronics are affordable enough to be integrated into the shirt.
BI: Where did you get the idea for Hexoskin?
PF: We started the project in 2006. We wanted to be able to get the information about our own health and get long-term data about it so we could recognize patterns.
But it took a few years before we started making sensors embedded in clothing. At some point we realized if we wanted large scale adoption, we needed to use objects already in people's lives. 
BI: Are wearables really the next big thing in tech?
PF: I think it's going to be big. It's the next logical step after mobile. You have watches and glasses that are an extension of the phone. They're additional displays. These are devices that you are going to use to read the information. Then you'll have devices that collect the information.
BI: So that means we'll one day have to wear a bunch of different devices at once?
PF: I think it's going to be very fragmented. There will be a very wide selection of products and devices that will end up talking to each other. It's all going to work together. But it will be very fragmented. There are only a few smartphone models, but you don't see everyone wearing the same pair of shoes. It's going to be a lot more personal and have a lot of variety.
BI: What in the wearable tech space is the most exciting to you now?
PF: I really like when people innovate. I don't know what will be a success or not, but I do like the idea behind Google Glass. I see many other interesting products too, like ingestible sensors.

The Next Big Thing In Tech Is Wearable Computing, And These Experts Will Tell You Why

New Delhi, Mar 28 () Industry body Nasscom has urged the government to suspend all deadlines, including for tax payment and return filing, until four weeks post lifting of the lockdown to provide relief to startups and SMEs.To contain the spread of COVID-19, the government has announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown starting March 26."The COVID-19 pandemic has caused high stress on startups, putting their continuity at risk. They are looking to government to provide support and relief..." Nasscom said in a statement.The industry body said startups are facing severe time loss and project delays due to the prevailing circumstances that has contributed to financial pressure on them."We request that the government consider rental subsidy for workspaces used by startups which are regulated/owned/managed by government agencies," it added.The body also requested for a "blanket suspension of all deadlines including tax payment deadlines and filing deadlines until at least four weeks post lifting of all city lockdown".These include relaxation of deadline to file Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate (FIRC), option to avail overdraft facility/interest free and equity convertible funding, waiver of fines/penalties for offences violations related to procedural matters, extension of due date for payment of advance tax, and waiver of restrictions for claiming an expense as a deduction under Section 40 of the IT Act.Nasscom suggested that payment of provident fund and gratuity deposits should be deferred for the duration of the lockdown, and provide an option to employees for a one-time PF opt-out option for the next financial year 2020-21 given that startups are unlikely to be able to provide any salary increments due to subdued business environment."In such a case, both the employee and employer contributions towards the PF may be transferred directly to the employee. This will result in an increase in the take home pay of the employees. This move will be beneficial for the employees in the lower salary bracket and would lead to a higher take home pay for a majority of the start-up workforce," it said.Nasscom also sought deferral of interest payment deadlines and relaxation of loan interest payments. Besides, it suggested that governments and PSUs be encouraged to procure Make-in-India software products, and incentives/sops for consumption of indigenous products.For MSMEs, Nasscom said interest and penalties should be waived for delayed payments of TDS and GST due for the month of March, April and May 2020 if such payment is made by June 30, 2020."The working capital of MSME businesses is already stressed and the pandemic has further aggravated the situation. As an immediate relief, all government departments (Centre/State)/PSUs/large corporations must be directed to release all pending payments/invoice receivables raised by the MSMEs within 15 working days," it added.The body recommended that separate credit lines be given to MSMEs for handling global recessions."To minimise the impact of the pandemic and ensure minimum disruption in supply chain, government must ensure adequate credit flow to the MSMEs (small and medium enterprises)," it noted.Therefore, it must be ensured that the existing Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) is accelerated with the Turn Around Time (TAT) of issuance of funds by SIDBI reduced to 7 working days, it added. SR BALBAL

COVID-19: Nasscom urges govt to defer tax payment, return filing for startups, MSMEs

In his budget speech on Monday, 29th February, Arun Jaitley had proposed to tax 60% of the EPF corpus that were created after April 1, 2016. However this proposal didn’t get down too well with the salaried class of the country. 
 
However, the people who have just entered the EPF will be the worst affected because of this proposal. Even if the government plans to tweak the rule and tax not the entire principal but only the interest portion, even then a major portion of the EPF savings would be gone to the government as tax. 
 
On the other hand, subscribers who believe in invest and forget don’t have anything to worry about since the new rule will not apply to PF balance accumulated till April 2016 and the interest it earns thereafter. 
 
The fact that this budget is so ambiguous has made the salaried class angry and frustrated with the direct attack on their life savings. Even though last year's Budget had talked about the need to allow EPF subscribers to migrate to the NPS, but no steps were taken to facilitate that migration last year or in this budget. 
 
<a href="http://static.abplive.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/17160500/Arun-Jaitley-PTI.jpg">Image source</a>

Budget 2016 leaves young EPF subscribers helpless

New Delhi, Mar 19 () The coronavirus impact could render 3.8 crore people jobless, which is around 70 per cent of the total workforce in the tourism and hospitality sector, according to a grouping. The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism &amp; Hospitality (FAITH) also said there should be a support fund for twelve months to support basic salaries with "direct transfer" to the affected tourism employees. "As a result of this pandemic, Indian tourism industry is looking at pan India bankruptcies, closure of businesses and mass unemployment," FAITH said in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is believed that around 70 per cent out of a total 5.5 crore workforce could get unemployed, which is around 3.8 crore people. This effect of job losses and layoffs has already begun throughout the country, it added. The figure is for direct as well as indirect jobs. "A large percentage of total tourism business activity of India, which is estimated at USD 28 billion+ in forex and upwards of Rs 2 lakh crore in domestic tourism activity will be at economic risk through the year. Thus, in excess of Rs 5 lakh crore of direct tourism industry and almost double that of total economic activity is at risk," the letter said. With declining revenues, almost all tourism businesses are running out of working capital. However, with the responsibility of staff and payment of their salaries, EMIs to service, advance tax, PF, ESIC, GST, excise and other state levies, bank guarantees, security deposits, this industry needs your support now more than ever, it added. "We request you for a twelve-month moratorium on our EMIs of principal and interest payments on loans and working capital from Financial Institutions (both banking &amp; non-banking)," the letter said. Additionally, FAITH requested the PM for doubling working capital limits on interest free and collateral free terms. This will prevent all tourism businesses from going bankrupt, it added. "Sir, additionally to prevent insolvency, we request you for a deferment for 12 months of all statutory dues whether GST, Advance Tax payments, PF, ESIC, customs duties at the central government level or at any state government level the excise fees, levies, taxes, power &amp; water charges, bank guarantees &amp; security deposits and deferment of all renewals, across the tourism, travel, hospitality &amp; aviation industry," the letter said. FAITH also requested the PM to set up a support fund for twelve months on the lines of MNREGA to support basic salaries with 'direct transfer' to affected tourism employees, it added. "TCS (tax collected at source) on travel has been proposed in Finance Bill 2020 to be levied from April 1, 2020 and we request that it should not be introduced as it will displace business from India to overseas, which will lead to shutting down businesses of most Indian tourism companies," the letter said. It also requested a complete GST Tax Holiday for the tourism, travel and hospitality industry for a period of 12 months. The letter requested the PM to, "set up...a national tourism task force of all relevant ministries of the central government along with ministry of tourism and chief secretaries of State governments and industry stakeholders to meet regularly to fast-track all tourism investment approvals." AKT AKT ANUANU

Coronavirus impact may render 3.8 cr people jobless in tourism, hospitality sector

Shivanand Shetty had everything planned for him. At 42, this healthy, dynamic, hardworking executive wanted to buy his dream house and raise his two young boys in a safe and upscale neighbourhood. But, soon he realized that it wasn’t that easy. The only thing playing spoilsport for him was his age. 
 
Bankers don’t consider giving loans at this age easily because it has direct impacts on the tenure and EMI. For some, interest rates are a governing factor and for others, tenure is equally important when it comes to repayment. A longer tenure would mean lower EMIs and a comfortable period to repay, while shorter tenure could increase the load on the EMI but carry lesser interest overall. 
 
So, for most of the banks, the minimum age for loan application is generally around 23-24 years. Since home loans are a long term commitment of around 20-25 years, the risk involved with the repayment capability of those above 40, makes it more difficult for lending institutions to approve and process. 
 
The eligibility for home loans is usually calculated on income and number of years left for retirement. And in India, retirement age is considered to be 60 years for salaried individuals and 65 years for self-employed individuals. 
 
Hence, a young employee in his late 20s will find it easier to procure a bigger home loan than someone at 40 and above. Here are four measures, with which one can get a home alone at even 40. 
 
1. Zero loans and a stellar credit report: Make sure you pay off all existing loans and have zero financial burdens on your account. A good credit history is possibly your best bet to avail a loan. So, make sure all those insurance premiums and credit card bills are paid on time. It may also help to get a copy of your credit report from CIBIL at a small fee and carry it along with other documents to the bank. 
 
2. Opt for a joint loan: Having a co-borrower like spouse, son or daughter, who reflect a steady source of income, can help during filing a loan application. Financial institutions take into account the distribution of risk, thus making you a more reliable candidate. Apart from this, joint loans can also help in tax saving. 
 
3. Pension, PF and other incomes: Most lending institutions cap the loan amount based on financial stability or source of future finance. If you are entitled to pensions after retirement or have another source of income, say rent or PF, the amount of home loan can vary and increase. Similarly, it could help to show other valuable assets like property or FD under your name. 
 
4. Existing bank customer: Applying for loan in a bank where you are its existing customer can help you with faster processing and a personalized service. Alternatively, searching for a bank that’s more liberal with upper age limits might turn out to be a hassle-free route. 
 
Lending institutions are only concerned with how they will secure their loan amount. Like Shetty, if you are planning to go for a home loan, keep the above factors in mind and make your case. 
 
Because at 40 you may well be young at heart, but remember, banks only consider the digits on paper! 
 
(This article has been attributed to Housing.com)

Getting home loan at 40 is easy now. Try these 4 steps to buy your dream house

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Khan Academy is an online learning nonprofit company that aims to make high-quality <keyword id="6355445" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Education">education</keyword> free for anyone with an internet connection. 
What was originally a one-man operation - former hedge fund analyst Sal Khan would make educational videos after work - is now a global initiative with funding from the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation and Google. 
Bill Gates himself <a href="http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2111975_2111976_2111942,00.html">even uses the platform.</a> 
As of February 2014, <a href="http://www.sri.com/sites/default/files/publications/2014-03-07_implementation_briefing.pdf">the site had 10 million monthly users</a>, a huge increase from the 144,000 who were on the site in early 2010. 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/i-took-an-online-coding-class-through-khan-academy-2014-10">I recently used Khan Academy</a> to take a coding class that taught me JavaScript through a series of videos and challenges.
One of my instructors was Pamela Fox, an engineer who previously spent four years working in the Developer Relations department at Google. She also teaches coding classes for <a href="http://www.girldevelopit.com/">GirlDevelopIt</a>'s San Francisco chapter, and previously worked as a front-end engineer at Coursera.
We caught up with Fox to get her thoughts on why coding and online education are so important. 
Business Insider: What made you decide to join Khan Academy? 
Pamela Fox: I was spending an increasing amount of my free time on teaching people to program, and I realized that I wanted to do that full-time. I explored various ways I could do that, like in classrooms or coding academies, and decided that I was most interested in doing it at Khan Academy, where I could also use everything I've learned about online education and community building. At Khan Academy, I'm both an engineer, coding up the pieces to make it a great learning platform, and a content creator, putting together tutorials and exercises.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>BI: How has it differed from other places you've worked, including Google?
PF: The biggest difference with Khan Academy is its business model: it has none. Companies I've worked for in the past have been for-profit, and they have had to find a business model that works for the products they offer, and that drives many of their decisions. Khan Academy is a non-profit that receives donations based on the worthiness of our product, a free world-class education, and that changes how we make decisions. Instead of having to ask ourselves whether a particular feature or content might drive profits, we have to ask ourselves if it will significantly increase the quality of the education and the quantity of students it can reach. If we keep driving those numbers up, then we will hopefully keep receiving donations.
We still have to make many similar decisions - we still want to grow our user base, we want to keep them active, we want to cut costs where possible - but there's a different fundamental drive under those decisions. I personally thrive better in the education-driven company than profit-driven company, because I'm much more passionate about the former than the latter, and I'd rather stay up all night contemplating "how can we teach better?" than "how can we make more money?"
BI: What was it like to develop your course for their platform? Any challenges unique to online courses? 
PF: This was my first real foray into online video lessons. Before Khan Academy, I was familiar with teaching in classroom settings, talking at conferences, and writing articles, but I did very little with online video.
It is a very different thing to deliver a lesson to a virtual audience than an in-the-flesh audience. I can't interact directly with my virtual audience, I can't cater my humor to their particular senses, I can't use body language to express excitement. Instead, I have to come up with five minutes that will work for pretty much everybody, and educate them in an engaging way. I've struggled the most with reducing verbal tics (which become more obvious in recorded form), injecting humor that doesn't feel too scripted (though it definitely is), and trying to have a radio voice as smooth as Sal Khan's (impossible!). I've learned a lot and would redo many of my lessons now, but even five minute lessons take a while to record, and it's often not worth it to lose their subtitles and translations.
Besides the recorded lessons, there are many other aspects of the curriculum, like the coding challenges and the freeform projects. Generally, it is hard to develop curriculum that will work for such a wide range of learners, but it's also really fantastic to be able to give the same curriculum to such a huge number of learners, because I get so many data points about what works, what doesn't work, and what is just too dang confusing.
I love learning about learning, and now I get to do that at scale.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"></div></div>
BI: Teaching girls how to code is a hot topic right now. Why do you think it's important to learn how to code?
PF: There's a huge effort around teaching kids to code, and much of that comes from software companies that realize there won't be enough CS graduates to fill their engineering jobs in the future.
That's a great reason, of course, but it's the belief of many and myself that computing needs to be a part of general literacy, even for those that don't go on to have "software engineer" as their job title.
It's the kind of skill that people across many industries can benefit from, because programming helps us automate and speed up tasks. I know of a firefighter who programmed an Android app to help his team fight fires faster, and of a psychologist that's using programming to study how little kids learn about the world. As a kid, I used programming to assign chores to my siblings!
Even if they don't program in their job at all, many people now work with programmers, and it's helpful for everyone to speak the tech lingo.
So, whether or not you grow up to be a full-time programmer, you will be a better equipped human being if you understand the power and potential of programming.
As for girls in coding in particular: there are specific efforts around girls and minorities, because they are significantly underrepresented in CS. There are myriad reasons for those differences, much of them boiling down to false assumptions in our culture and socioeconomic privilege. Thankfully, multiple organizations are dedicated to improving those numbers.
At Khan Academy in particular, we also saw a difference in our male/female numbers with our programming curriculum, so we partnered with DonorsChoose.org and Google's Made With Code initiative to encourage more female students to code. I'm happy to report that we're now much closer to gender parity, though we likely have more work to do on the socioeconomic front.
BI: What kind of advice do you give students who might be intimidated by coding?
PF: First, let me make this very clear: They're not alone.
I've seen a few campaigns tout how "easy" coding is, and that worries me. That implies that if a new coder doesn't immediately get it, then they're dumb. That's not the case at all.
Coding isn't easy - it's complex. It involves learning new syntax, learning logic and control flow constructs, understanding how a computer works, coming up with problem-solving strategies, visualizing a program's state in your head. It's a lot to take in, and it can take time to wrap your head around all of that, and everyone will move at different paces.
However, coding is increasingly more approachable for new learners, thanks to the huge number of online and offline resources, and it's a skill that once learned, can empower you with the ability to create and solve problems to an extend that few other skills can. That's why we're all so excited about teaching people to code now.
<div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"></div></div>
It's okay to be intimidated by learning something new - I still get plenty intimidated by new technology that I have to learn -- as long as it doesn't prevent you from starting. You can:
<ul>
<li>
Start small (our first coding challenge is only 3 lines of code, as we know there's so much already just to write those 3 lines).
</li>
<li>
Try different approaches (a friend of mine tried 5 different online courses before he found the one that worked for him, learning styles differ!).
</li>
<li>
Find a community to support you - friends, family, online mentor, local meetup group. If a community doesn't exist, start one- you'll likely find a few people near you that are also interested.
</li>
</ul>
You'll hit walls sometimes, and you'll want to give up, just like with everything you learn, and that's a good time to take a break, rant with a peer, try something new, sleep and try again tomorrow. Just don't give up entirely!
BI: Are there any other Khan Academy classes you'd like to take?
PF: So many! I want to re-learn all the math I once knew, of course, but I'm particularly interested in learning a few new topics: <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/math/probability" target="_blank">Probability &amp; Statistics</a> (to help me do better data analytics), and our <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/nasa" target="_blank">NASA partner content</a> (because, you know, space is cool, and maybe our future home?).

You Searched For "PF INTEREST" and got 11 results

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Your PF will now earn interest, even if your employer has stopped contributing to it

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How to check Pf (Provident Fund) balance in India

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If you don’t claim your PF now, it could end up in government’s kitty

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PF withdrawal deadline has been pushed for three more months

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Budget 2016 leaves young EPF subscribers helpless

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