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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 8 (ANI): <keyword id="64190" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="RBI-Governor" source="Orion">RBI Governor</keyword> <keyword id="6359111" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shaktikanta-Das" source="Orion">Shaktikanta Das</keyword> says <keyword id="19895000" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inflation" source="keywords">inflation</keyword> will moderate from July onwards as the monsoon has improved and <keyword id="489239" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Global-food-prices" source="Orion">global food prices</keyword> have shown signs of easing in July. Das said, "Global food prices showed signs of easing in the month of July after registering an increase since March 2024." A degree of relief in food inflation is expected from the pickup in southwest monsoon and healthy progress in Kharif sowing. Buffer stocks of cereals continue to be above the norms, according to RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das. Das added, "Assuming a normal monsoon and taking into account the 4.9 per cent inflation print, Q1 CPI inflation for the current financial year (2024-25) is projected at 4.5 per cent, with q2 at 4.4 per cent, Q3 at 4.7 per cent and Q4 at 4.3 per cent. CPI inflation for the first quarter of next financial year (Q1 2025-26) is projected at 4.4 per cent." The inflation landscape reflects mixed signals, to which Das said, "<keyword id="21258540" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="headline-inflation" source="keywords">Headline inflation</keyword> eased up to 5.1 per cent in June 2024 due to higher than expected food inflation. Fuel remained in deflation for the 10th consecutive month. Core inflation moderated to a historic low in the months of May and June." RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, outlined the <keyword id="19900794" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-growth" source="keywords">economic growth</keyword> with real <keyword id="19972825" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="GDP-growth" source="keywords">GDP growth</keyword> of 7.2 per cent for the fiscal year 2024-25 and headline inflation eased to 5.1 per cent in June, on Thursday. Das said, "Real GDP growth for 2024-25 is projected at 7.2 per cent with Q1 at 7.1 per cent, Q2 at 7.2 per cent, Q3 at 7.3 per cent and Q4 at 7.2 per cent. Real GDP growth for Q1 2025-26, this is something which we are giving for the first time, is projected at 7.2 per cent. The risks are evenly balanced." He added, "We have slightly moderated the <keyword id="387719" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="growth-projection" source="Orion">growth projection</keyword> for the first quarter of the current financial year in relation to the projection we gave in the previous MPC in June. This is primarily due to updated information on certain high-frequency indicators which show lower than anticipated corporate profitability, general government expenditure and core industries output." This forecast marks a slight moderation from previous estimates provided in the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in June, attributed to recent updates on high-frequency indicators such as corporate profitability, general government expenditure, and core industries output. The inflation landscape reflects mixed signals, to which Das said, "Headline inflation eased up to 5.1 per cent in June 2024 due to higher than expected food inflation. Fuel remained in deflation for the 10th consecutive month. Core inflation moderated to a historic low in the months of May and June." Balancing robust growth projections with a nuanced understanding of inflation dynamics Governor Das stated, "Food inflation which has a weight of around 46 per cent in the CPI basket, contributed to more than 75 per cent of headline inflation in May and June. Vegetable prices increased sharply and contributed about 35 per cent to inflation in June. High inflation pressures persisted across other major food items also." Governor Das mentioned softening in core inflation continues to be broad-based with core services inflation touching a new low in the current CPI series during the month of May and June 2024. Das stated, "The high food price momentum likely to have continued in the month of July also. Large favourable base effects may however push headline inflation downwards in July. The Impact of the revision in milk prices mobile tariffs also needs to be carefully monitored." A degree of relief in food inflation is expected from the pickup in south west monsoon and healthy progress in Kharif sowing. Buffer stocks of cereals continue to be above the norms, according to RBI Governor Shaktikanta das. Das anticipates some relief in food inflation due to the expected pickup in the southwest monsoon and healthy progress in Kharif sowing. Buffer stocks of cereals remain above the normative levels, contributing to a more stable food price environment. Global food prices, which have been on an upward trajectory since March 2024, showed signs of easing in July.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das projects 7.2% GDP growth for 2024-25, reports eased inflation to 5.1% in June

Travelling across India is safer and easier for tourists, <keyword id="20130044" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-tourism" source="keywords">Indian tourism</keyword> industry leaders have said, promoting the country, especially <keyword id="19894922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh</keyword>, as a premier tourist destination for Singaporeans. Their remarks came as they participated in the <keyword id="23693812" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ITB-Asia" source="keywords">ITB Asia</keyword>, a travel trade show held in Singapore From October 23 to October 25. "We need to educate <keyword id="21866171" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-travellers" source="keywords">global travellers</keyword> about the attractions in Uttar Pradesh and make UP known more and above the iconic <keyword id="20045918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Taj-Mahal" source="keywords">Taj Mahal</keyword> in Agra," said Rahul Wadhwa who leads CAL India Tours and Travel. He estimated a growth of 10 per cent across the UP travel agency business. Further, Wadhwa said his Agra-based travel business was seeking collaborations globally to tie up travel arrangements and promote the state as well as India as a tourist destination. There are a growing number of five-star hotels and continuing investments in highways that make travelling across India, including UP, as seamless as the tourists expect, said the <keyword id="20181038" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel-industry" source="keywords">travel industry</keyword> veteran of 33 years. Technology-wise, the travel industry has also done well, moving away from the telex-based phone-call booked communications to speedier online-offline as well as mobile phone app-led bookings and arrangements for globe trotters. Travelling across India is also safer and easier, added Sushil Kumar Singh, managing director of Jatak Travels, dismissing all notions and misunderstandings about <keyword id="20415307" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="safety-and-security" source="keywords">safety and security</keyword> in India. "We have <keyword id="23693813" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourist-friendly" source="keywords">tourist-friendly</keyword> people and highly rated facilities across the country and in UP," assured the head of the Varanasi-based travel group. The destinations and facilities in India are world-class. "We are no less than any other tourist destination," he stressed. "International tourists are visiting India freely," underscored Singh, who reported 200 per cent growth for his business post-Covid.

Indian tourism industry leaders spotlight Uttar Pradesh as safe and diverse travel destination

Despite geopolitical tensions in <keyword id="19897269" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="europe" source="keywords">Europe</keyword> and the <keyword id="19904316" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="middle-east" source="keywords">Middle East</keyword>, <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s <keyword id="20631272" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="merchandise-exports" source="keywords">merchandise exports</keyword> grew by 5.8% to $109.96 billion compared to $103.9 billion in the same period last year, according to a CRISIL report. The report states that the deceleration in the growth momentum of exports in June compared to May was largely due to an 18.2% contraction in oil exports. The growth momentum slowed down in June, with merchandise exports increasing by only 2.6% year-on-year, down from 9.1% in May. Non-oil exports continued to maintain steady growth, rising by 7.7% in June, almost in line with the 7.8% growth recorded in May. Services exports exhibited a strong performance in June, contributing positively to the overall trade scenario. The positive aspect is that merchandise imports grew at a slower pace of 5% year-on-year in June, down from 7.7% in May. However, core imports, excluding oil and gold, surged by 7.1%, increasing from the 0.8% growth in the previous month. This spike in core imports was partially driven by a low base effect from the previous year. Despite the positive growth in exports, the <keyword id="20201391" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trade-deficit" source="keywords">trade deficit</keyword> widened to $21 billion in June from $19.2 billion in the same month last year. For the first quarter, cumulative imports rose by 7.7% to $172.4 billion from $160 billion, resulting in a trade deficit of $62.44 billion, up from $56.1 billion. This widening deficit was mainly due to a higher oil trade deficit, while the non-oil trade deficit narrowed. Services exports were a bright spot, increasing by 10.2% year-on-year to $29.76 billion in May. On the other hand, service import growth moderated to 5.4%, down from 19.1% in the previous month. Consequently, the services trade surplus expanded to $13.02 billion, up from $11.1 billion in May last year. Oil exports fell by 18.3% year-on-year and 18.5% month-on-month in June, despite stable international prices. This suggests a reduction in export volumes, with exports falling to $5.5 billion from $6.8 billion in June last year and the previous month. Oil imports increased by 19.6% in June compared to 28% in May, driven by domestic demand and local refineries operating above capacity. Sectors such as drugs and pharmaceuticals, engineering goods, organic and inorganic chemicals, and ready-made garments showed positive growth. However, pharmaceuticals (9.9% vs. 10.5%) and ready-made garments (3.7% vs. 9.8%) saw slower growth compared to May. Gems and jewellery exports continued to decline, marking the seventh consecutive month of negative growth at -1.4% year-on-year. Growth in carpets, handloom products, man-made products, plastics, and linoleum was positive but slower than the previous month. Handmade carpets (-16.6% vs. 20.6%), jute manufacturing (-11.1% vs. -5.2%), and leather products (-2.2% vs -2.1%) recorded contractions. Cashew exports have been declining since 2018, with only sporadic months of positive growth. In June, cashew exports fell by 7.3%, an improvement from the 25.8% decline in May. Coffee (70% vs. 64.2%), fruits and vegetables (7% vs. 20.8%), rice (1% vs. 2.8%), spices (9.8%vs. 20.3%), tea (3.2% vs. 19.6%), and tobacco (37.7% vs. 58.4%) saw slower growth compared to May. Marine products (-7.7% vs. -3.9%) and meat, dairy, and poultry products (-13.9% vs. 22.9%) also experienced a decline. Increases were noted in electronic goods (15.9% vs. 6.7%), fruits and vegetables (22.6% vs. 3%), non-ferrous metals (47.6% vs. 1.1%), project goods (31.4% vs. -44.3%), textiles and yarn fabric made-up articles (23.8% vs. -1.1%), and wood products (16.2% vs. -7.2%). The fiscal year has started positively with steady merchandise export growth in the first quarter. Encouragingly, multilateral organisations have forecasted better year-on-year trade growth. The Indian government's focus on foreign trade agreements (FTAs) is expected to further boost trade. However, the persistent growth in imports surpassing exports is a concern, widening the trade deficit. The recent US tariff hikes on Chinese imports could lead to potential dumping by China in the Asian market, including India, which requires close monitoring. Despite these challenges, the expected moderation in domestic growth may help contain import growth and the trade deficit. The service trade surplus and robust remittance flows are positive indicators that the current account will remain stable.

Indian exports show resilience amid global challenges in first quarter, says CRISIL report

Climate Action 15: 2024's top global innovators powering green solutions

India was the fourth largest military spender globally in 2023 with an expenditure of USD 83.6 billion, behind the US, China and Russia, according to a report by an independent international think-tank. The report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shared on its website in April also said the "rise" in global military spending last year can be attributed "primarily to the ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating geopolitical tensions in Asia and Oceania and the Middle East". The military expenditure went up in all five geographical regions, with major spending increases recorded in Europe, Asia and Oceania and the Middle East, it said. The report comes amid ongoing conflicts in various parts of the world such as the ones involving Israel-Hamas, Iran-Israel, Russian-Ukraine besides volatility in the Red Sea region. "World military expenditure increased for the ninth consecutive year in 2023, reaching a total of USD 2443 billion. The 6.8 per cent increase in 2023 was the steepest year-on-year rise since 2009 and pushed global spending to the highest level SIPRI has ever recorded," according to the report. The <keyword id="21404979" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-military-burden" source="keywords">world military burden</keyword> -- defined as military spending as a percentage of global gross domestic product (GDP) -- increased to 2.3 per cent in 2023. Average military expenditure as a share of government expenditure rose by 0.4 percentage points to 6.9 per cent in 2023 and world military spending per person was the highest since 1990 at USD 306, it added. With military expenditure of USD 83.6 billion in 2023, India was the "fourth largest spender globally". Indian spending was up by 4.2 per cent from 2022 and by 44 per cent from 2014. The increase in India's military spending was "mainly a result of growing personnel and operations costs" which made up almost 80 per cent of the total military budget in 2023, the <keyword id="20911352" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SIPRI-report" source="keywords">SIPRI report</keyword> claimed. "This aligns with the government's priority to strengthen the operational readiness of the armed forces amid ongoing tensions with China and Pakistan. In comparison, capital outlays to fund military procurement remained relatively stable at around 22 per cent of the budget in 2023," it said. A total of 75 per cent of these outlays went towards equipments produced domestically, which was the highest level ever and up from 68 per cent in the previous year. The continued shift towards domestic procurement reflects India's goal of becoming self-reliant in arms development and production, the think-tank said in its repot fact sheet shared on its website. The Indian Army has maintained that deployment of its troops and other elements along the LAC is "extremely robust" and "balanced". The eastern <keyword id="21271073" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ladakh-border-standoff" source="keywords">Ladakh border standoff</keyword> erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area. The ties between India and China nose-dived significantly following the clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, it provides data, analysis and recommendations based on open sources to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. The Stockholm-based think-tank monitors developments in military expenditure worldwide and maintains the most comprehensive, consistent and extensive publicly available data source on military expenditure, according to its online portal. The US military spending was USD 916 billion in 2023, which was 2.3 per cent more than in 2022 and 9.9 per cent more than in 2014, the report said. The US remained by far the largest spender in the world, allocating 3.1 times more to the military than the second largest spender China. "The biggest percentage increase among all US military spending categories in 2023 was for 'research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&amp;E)". The Stockholm-based think-tank also said in its report that Ukraine was the "eighth largest spender" in 2023 after a spending surge of 51 per cent to reach USD 64.8 billion. This gave Ukraine "a military burden of 37 per cent and represented 58 per cent of total government spending". "Ukraine's military spending in 2023 was 59 per cent the size of Russia's. However, Ukraine also received at least USD 35 billion in military aid during the year, including USD 25.4 billion from the US. Combined, this aid and Ukraine's own military spending were equivalent to about 91 per cent of Russian spending," the report claimed. According to the report, Russia's military spending increased by 24 per cent to an estimated USD 109 billion in 2023. "China, the world's second largest military spender, allocated an estimated USD 296 billion to the military in 2023, an increase of 6 per cent from 2022. This was the 29th consecutive year-on-year rise in China's military expenditure. China accounted for half of total military spending across the Asia and Oceania region. Several of China's neighbours have linked their own spending increases to China's rising military expenditure," the Stockholm-based think-tank claimed in its report. In 2023, the 31 <keyword id="20763732" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NATO-members" source="keywords">NATO members</keyword> accounted for USD 1,341 billion, equal to 55 per cent of the world's military expenditure, the report said. 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India fourth largest military spender globally in 2023: SIPRI report

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="20138372" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lithuania" source="keywords">Lithuania</keyword> ranks as the <keyword id="23243125" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="happiest-place" source="keywords">happiest place</keyword> for those under 30, but it also has very high suicide rates.</li><li>On the surface, it seems like a paradox. But a closer look reveals a stark generational divide.</li></ul>Domantas Katelė, an official in Lithuania's Ministry of Social Security and Labour, is widely known as his country's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-sick-leave-pto-mental-health-work-from-home-2024-8">"Gen Z"</a> minister. Rings adorn Katelė's tattooed fingers, which he uses to proudly point to his "Politicians make me sick" door sign. At 25, he's the country's youngest-ever deputy minister (he still wears braces), and rarely lets visitors leave his office without taking a selfie. Katelė's portfolio includes <keyword id="20654323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="youth-affairs" source="keywords">youth affairs</keyword>. "It's a golden age for the youth of Lithuania," he told Business Insider during a visit to Vilnius in August. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-lithuania-happiest-country-young-people-from-local-2024-6">The World Happiness Report</a> backs up his claim, ranking <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-lithuania-world-happiest-country-for-gen-z-millennials-education-2024-6">Lithuania as the happiest place in the world for those under 30</a> earlier this year. But it would be inaccurate to paint <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brazil-lithuania-move-career-safety-progression-make-friends-2024-1">Lithuania</a> as some sort of dreamland, Katelė adds. After all, it's also Europe's <keyword id="23243126" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="suicide-capital" source="keywords">suicide capital</keyword>. <h2>A paradox?</h2>Though the suicide rates have declined since its independence from the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Lithuania still often leads the European Union in this grim statistic. Between 2019 and 2021, Lithuania had the highest rate of death by intentional self-harm in the 27-country bloc, and, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/suicide-rates.html">OECD's most recent data</a>, it had the second-highest suicide rate globally. It seems paradoxical: How can <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vilnius-lithuania-happiest-gen-z-cheap-safe-fun-tech-hub-2024-9">a country be great for young people</a> while also being Europe's suicide capital? Katelė lists some of the reasons Lithuania is ranked so highly for young people — some of the<a target="_blank" href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/digpub/housing/bloc-2b.html"> most affordable housing</a> in Europe, free education for many Lithuanians, and a growing economy providing ample job opportunities. Walking the streets of Vilnius in the summer, you'll find stylish young people wherever you look — sipping Aperol Spritzes at Old Town bars, lounging by the river in the artsy Užupis district, or skateboarding at the Baltasis Tiltas Skate Park. <div type="image" title="Užupis waterway" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113488780" hostid="261"></div>Although the city is steeped in history — some very dark and recent — it feels modern and vibrant. But when you talk to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-men-women-leisure-spending-habits-differ-report-shows-2024-9">Gen Zers</a> in Lithuania about its preeminence, the reaction is often the same: disbelief. A few said it made them laugh. "I was very surprised, and my friends who are living in Vilnius were also surprised," said Adriana Doroškevičiūtė, 23, sipping on an iced coffee at a café in the capital. "I thought we were depressed," she added. "When we receive the opposite of that, you think, what is happening?" Richard Bogu, 23, was also shocked. It's not that he thinks Lithuania is a bad place for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/young-people-are-developing-money-dysmorphia-2024-7">young people</a>; just that, like others, he has come to associate the country with bleakness. "We are known for being very sad people," he said, adding: "But, slowly, we're going toward being a small, happy nation." <div type="image" title="Richard Bogu sits down at a coffee table" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113488790" hostid="261"></div>Bogu said he feels optimistic about the future, especially for people his age — the tech industry, in which he works, is booming, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2210828/average-wage-in-lithuania-up-12-sodra">salaries are rising</a>, and jobs are ample. "This country gave me opportunities," he said. A key benefit is that most Lithuanians can enter the workforce unburdened by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/regret-paying-off-student-debt-instead-earning-passive-income-2024-7">student debt</a>, as university education is free for many. Wages are rising rapidly, and the expanding startup sector is <a target="_blank" href="https://unicorns.lt/en/news/lithuanian-startups-are-looking-hundreds-employees-not-just-it-specialists?ref=philomaths.tech">eager to hire</a> young talent. <h2>No country for old men</h2>But while things may be looking up for the younger generation, older Lithuanians don't seem to share the same optimism. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_pw01__custom_12656014/default/table?lang=en">Eurostat's 2023 overall life satisfaction survey of those aged 65 years or over,</a> older Lithuanians are nowhere near as happy as the country's youth. This generational divide bears out in the <keyword id="21021432" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Happiness-Report" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Happiness Report" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Happiness Report">World Happiness Report</keyword>. While Lithuania ranked first for those under 30, it was 19th across all age groups, dragged down by its 44th-place ranking for those over 60. "If you don't have children or grandchildren to care for you, you're basically done," Bogu said. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/retirees-moving-social-security-cheaper-living-healthcare-canada-japan-mexico-2024-9#:~:text=Retirees%20are%20increasingly%20moving%20abroad,Canada%2C%20Mexico%2C%20and%20Japan.">Retirees</a> in Lithuania receive some of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.etk.fi/en/work-and-pensions-abroad/international-comparisons/pensioners-income-level-internationally/average-pensions-in-europe/">lowest pensions</a> in Europe, and have <a target="_blank" href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tespn060/default/table?lang=en&amp;category=t_ilc.t_ilc_ip.t_ilc_pn">among the lowest median relative income</a> of older people across the European Union. Data provided to BI by Lithuania's Ministry of Social Security and Labour shows that 62% of those who died by suicide in 2023 were over 50, with 8.7% under 30. It's a far starker divide than in countries like the US or UK, pointing to a chasm between the generations. <a target="_blank" href="mailto:grizas.antanas@gmail.com">Antanas Grižas</a>, a clinical psychologist specializing in suicide prevention in Lithuania, said the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-kid-baby-boomer-parents-generational-differences-parenting-lessons-2024-4">generational divide</a> is deeply felt in the country, as well as elsewhere in the former Soviet Bloc. He told BI that economic factors, such as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boomer-retirement-savings-social-security-pension-budgeting-2024-7">low retirement incomes</a>, certainly impact mental health, but that the historical context is key, too. <div type="image" title="A Soviet-era building with a sign reading &quot;Vilnius&quot; is seen in Vilnius, Lithuania on 28 July, 2024." height="684" width="1024" msid="113488788" hostid="261"></div>"The changes after the fall of the Soviet Union were very fast and drastic," he says. Those who lived through this period faced a double trauma: enduring Soviet rule and navigating the chaotic transition to an independent capitalist nation. Plus, as Grižas points out, psychiatry was sometimes politicized under <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vintage-photos-show-life-behind-the-iron-curtain">Soviet rule,</a> with dissidents being labeled as mentally ill, which has strengthened a generational <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stephen-hays-mental-health-vc-what-if-ventures-addiction-2024-7">stigma over mental health.</a> "The <keyword id="19919711" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gen-Z" source="keywords">Gen Z</keyword>, haven't experienced that directly, " he noted. "So it makes total sense that they have different conditioning and a different mindset." Reports like the happiness rankings are also often based on self-assessments, and Grižas suggests that comparisons may play a key part in the variation between the generations. "The younger generation can easily compare and see the progress that we as a nation made," he said. <div type="image" title="Domantas Katelė in front of his office door" height="4284" width="5712" msid="113488778" hostid="261"></div>Katelė, the "Gen Z" minister, agrees that the positive self-assessments among the youth may have been influenced by their awareness of the hardships faced by their elders. While the previous generation was deprived of luxuries, he said Gen Z can relish the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-gen-z-feels-good-about-money-inflation-jobs-2024-6">freedom to spend</a> the equivalent of $160 on dinner, to vacation abroad, and to participate in democracy. "If they take a look and think about that," he said, "it's just not possible to not be happy." Correction: September 19, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated Domantas Katelė’s job title. He is a deputy minister, not a minister.

Lithuania is the world's happiest place for under 30s, but it's also Europe's suicide capital

Last week, visitors to Uttarakhand’s <keyword id="20923317" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Om-Parvat" source="keywords">Om Parvat</keyword> were met with an unprecedented sight — the revered peak, known for its perpetual snow cover forming the sacred "Om" symbol, was completely devoid of snow for the first time in recorded history. This alarming phenomenon has sparked concerns among locals, tourists, and environmental experts alike. Experts have attributed the <keyword id="22948698" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="snow-disappearance" source="keywords">snow disappearance</keyword> to a combination of factors, including scanty rainfall and irregular snowfall in the upper <keyword id="20128077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Himalayan-region" source="keywords">Himalayan region</keyword> over the past five years, escalating vehicular pollution, and the broader impacts of <keyword id="19942740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-warming" source="keywords">global warming</keyword>. The cumulative effect of these environmental stressors has led to a dramatic change in Om Parvat’s snow cover, which melted completely this year, a stark departure from its usual 95-99% snow retention rate. <h2>Implications on Uttarakhand’s tourism and ecology</h2>Local officials expressed concerns that the absence of snow could negatively impact tourism, which is a vital part of the region’s economy. Hordes of pilgrims visit the Om Parvat due to the the profound significance of the “Om” symbol, to meditate and bask in the spiritual vibrations of the mystical place. Om Parvat, situated at an altitude of approximately 14,000 feet in the Vyas Valley, is not only a popular tourist destination but also holds spiritual significance due to the natural "Om" formation on its snow-clad peak. The recent <keyword id="22950379" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="snowless-period" source="keywords">snowless period</keyword> left visitors and residents alike unsettled. Spiritual importance aise, the Adi Kailash and Om Parvat are also home to a diverse flora and fauna that contribute to the Himalayan biodiversity. Local communities living in the mountains’ surrounding regions are similarly reliant on the Om Parvat to preserve their age-old traditions and customs. These already fragile ecosystems are further endangered by the impacts of <keyword id="19907392" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-change" source="keywords">climate change</keyword>. <h2>The return of snow</h2>Dhan Singh Bisht, who has served at the base camp of Adi Kailash yatra in Dharchula for over two decades, noted that this is the first time in his tenure that he witnessed Om Parvat completely devoid of snow, NDTV reported. The viral photos of the snowless peak even caught district administration officials off guard. However, they could heave a collective sigh of relief after fresh snowfall on Monday night. Momentarily alleviating fears about the hill’s future, forecasts indicate that wet conditions are expected to continue over <keyword id="20396441" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pithoragarh" source="keywords">Pithoragarh</keyword> — where Om Parvat is situated. <h2>Cause for concern </h2>The loss of snow on Om Parvat can be interpreted as a momentary warning. Environmental experts like Sunil Nautiyal, Director of GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, have underscored the need to address the root causes of this issue. Rising temperatures in the Himalayan region, fueled by increased vehicular emissions and global warming, are contributing to the rapid melting of snow. Nautiyal also highlighted the damaging effects of rampant forest fires, which release carbon that further harms these sensitive ecological zones. The surge in tourist footfall following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jolingkong last October is also being scrutinised as a possible contributor to the environmental changes observed in the region. The disappearance and subsequent return of snow to Om Parvat serve as a stark reminder of the delicate balance between human activity and environmental sustainability in the Himalayan region. As experts and locals continue to monitor the situation, the hope remains that proactive measures can prevent a repeat of this year’s alarming snowless period. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="110460525" title="Kalpa unveiled: Everything you need to know about this beautiful village" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Snow has returned to the Om Parvat in Uttarakhand after completely disappearing from the peak for the first time

Sydney, Aug 15 (The Conversation): The <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organization" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Health Organization" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Health Organization">World Health Organization</keyword> (<keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">WHO</keyword>) has declared <keyword id="20965747" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mpox" source="keywords">mpox</keyword> a public health emergency of international concern, after rising cases in the <keyword id="22796094" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo" source="keywords">Democratic Republic of the Congo</keyword> and the potential for further spread. This now triggers a coordinated international response to an extraordinary event and the mobilisation of resources, such as vaccines and diagnostic testing, to curb the spread of this infectious disease. But WHO has not declared mpox a <keyword id="19913581" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic" source="keywords">pandemic</keyword>. Rather, the measures it has triggered are designed to prevent it from becoming one. <h2>What triggered this latest alert?</h2> Mpox, once known as monkeypox, is a viral infection closely related to <keyword id="22362924" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smallpox" source="keywords">smallpox</keyword>. Initial symptoms include a fever, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes and muscle ache. A typical rash follows, mainly on the face, hands and feet. The spread of mpox through certain African countries led the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to declare earlier this week mpox a public health emergency of continental security. This is the first time the organisation has issued such an alert since it was established in 2017. The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa has been particularly worrying for more than a year. There are two types or clades of mpox. Clade II, which originates in west Africa, is less severe. It has a fatality rate of up to 1 per cent (in other words, roughly one in 100 are expected to die from it). But clade I, from central Africa, has a fatality rate of up to 10 per cent (up to one in ten die). This compares to a 0.7 per cent fatality rate for the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is seeing large epidemics of the more deadly clade I mpox. Mpox is endemic in some parts of central and west Africa, where the virus exists in animals and can spread to humans. Outbreaks have been increasing, with more human-to-human spread, since 2017. This is partly due to very low levels of immunity to the mpox virus, which is related to the virus that causes smallpox. Mass vaccination against smallpox ceased more than 40 years ago globally, resulting in minimal immunity in populations today against mpox. The WHO designation announced this week relates to the clade I. Not only does this have a higher fatality rate, it has new mutations that enhance spread between people. These changes, and the global lack of immunity to mpox, makes the world's population vulnerable to the virus. <h2>There are two different epidemics</h2> In 2022, an epidemic of mpox swept through non-endemic countries, including beyond Africa. This was a variant of clade II originating from Nigeria, called clade IIb. This was sexually transmitted, predominantly affecting men who have sex with men, and had a low fatality rate. That epidemic peaked in 2022, with vaccines made available to people at risk in high-income countries, but there has been an uptick in 2024. At the same time, large clade I epidemics were occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but with far less attention. Vaccines were not available there, even in 2023, when there were 14,626 cases and 654 deaths. Mortality was 4.5 per cent, and higher in children. In fact, most cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been children. This means most transmission there is non-sexual and is likely to have occurred through close contact or respiratory aerosols. However, in 2023 an <keyword id="20877025" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="outbreak" source="keywords">outbreak</keyword> in a non-endemic part of the country, South Kivu in the east, appeared to be by sexual transmission, indicating more than one epidemic and different transmission modes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By mid-2024, there were already more cases in the country than all of 2023 - more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths. Testing capacity is low in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, most cases are not confirmed by lab testing, and the data we have are from a small sample of genomic sequences from the Kamituga region of South Kivu. This show mutations to the clade I virus around September 2023, to a variant termed clade Ib, which is more readily transmissible between people. We do not have much data to compare these viruses with the viruses causing cases in the rest of the country. <h2>Mpox is spreading internationally</h2> In the past month, the virus has spread to countries that share a border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Rwanda and Burundi. It has also spread to other east African countries, such as Kenya and Uganda. None of these countries have had mpox cases previously. In an interconnected, mobile world, cases may spread to other continents, as mpox did in 2018 from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and other countries. A few travel-related cases between 2018 and 2019 may have led to the large multi-country 2022 clade IIb epidemic. <h2>We have vaccines, but not where they are needed</h2> As the mpox virus and smallpox viruses are related (they are both orthopoxviruses), smallpox vaccines offer protection against mpox. These vaccines were used to control the 2022 clade IIb epidemic. However, most of the world has never been vaccinated, and has no immunity to mpox. The newer <keyword id="19959412" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccine" source="keywords">vaccine</keyword> (called Jynneos in some countries and Imvamune or Imvanex in others) is effective. However, supplies are limited, and vaccine is scarce in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO's declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern will help mobilise vaccines to where they are needed. The Africa Centres for Disease Control had already begun negotiations to secure 2,00,000 doses of vaccine, which is a fraction of what is required to control the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. <h2>What happens now?</h2> Ultimately, a serious epidemic anywhere in the world is a concern for all of us, as it can spread globally through travel, as we saw with the COVID pandemic. Controlling it at the source is the best measure, and WHO's latest declaration will help mobilise the required resources. Surveillance for spread of this more serious version of mpox is also essential, bearing in mind that many countries do not have the capacity for widespread testing. So we'll have to rely on "suspected cases", based on a clinical definition, to keep track of the epidemic. Open-source epidemic intelligence - such as using AI to monitor trends in rash and fever illness - can also be used as an early warning system in countries with weak health systems or delayed reporting of cases. A further complication is that 20-30 per cent of people with mpox may simultaneously have chickenpox, an unrelated infection that also causes a rash. So an initial diagnosis of chickenpox (which is easier to test for) does not rule out mpox. Effective communication and tackling push-back against public health measures and disinformation is also key. We saw how important this was during the COVID pandemic. Now, WHO will coordinate the global mpox response, focusing on equity in disease prevention and access to diagnostics and vaccines. It is up to individual countries to do their best to comply with the International Health Regulations, and the protocols for how such a global emergency are managed.

WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency. What happens next?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) have become a hot wellness trend for people without diabetes.</li><li>Proponents say CMGs can help people make more personalized and proactive decisions about their health.</li></ul>Elite cyclist Tracey Jacobs knew something wasn't right when easy training rides started to feel like all-out efforts.Jacobs, 57, has national championship wins and more than two decades of training under her belt. But what should have been simple intervals started to leave her feeling bogged down and overwhelmed with fatigue."It was frustrating," she told Business Insider.The problem, it turns out, was her pre-workout habit of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-low-carb-diet-bad-high-intensity-exercise-muscle-loss-2021-2">carb-loading</a> with sugary foods, partly from anxiety, and partly because she assumed that as a lean endurance athlete, she needed a quick source of energy to power her intense efforts.Eating too much sugar too quickly was backfiring, and Jacobs felt overloaded at first and then crashed later. She compared it to putting too much fuel in a car. "I was flooding my body with all this food and carbs within an hour, with no time to digest and hydrate," she said.Jacobs started monitoring changes to her blood sugar with the help of a device called a continuous glucose monitor — an increasingly trendy wearable.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-wore-glucose-monitor-logged-food-what-it-was-like-2021-6">Continuous glucose monitors</a>, or CGMs for short, were FDA-approved in 1999 for people with diabetes to keep constant tabs on their blood sugar levels. A sensor, inserted just under the skin via a tiny needle, measures the glucose (sugar) in the fluid around the cells, and provides ongoing updates on.Until recently, you needed a prescription to get one. The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-clears-first-over-counter-continuous-glucose-monitor">FDA approved</a> them over-the-counter in March. Companies can now market CGMs to anyone, no prescription necessary — be it the 100 million Americans with prediabetes, or any of the other 200 million adults who want to harness their health.Naturally, as more people seek personalized solutions to optimize their bodies, the market for CGMs has skyrocketed. It is projected to more than double from an estimated value of $6.8 billion in 2023 to $20.2 billion in 2032, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/continuous-glucose-monitoring-market">Global Market Insights</a>.Jacobs said a CGM, recommended by a fellow athlete, was a game changer. She was able to track how her body was responding to food, and use that data to perfect her training and performance. It was like tracking her heart rate or knowing her <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vo2-max-explained-what-is-good-how-improve-2024-3">VO2 max</a>: It gave her a clearer insight into the inner workings of her body, and a sense of control.Working with a sports dietitian, Jacobs started tapping into more <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/carbs-heart-health-key-for-nutrition-wholegrain-over-processed-2023-3">complex carbs</a>, eating more, and eating earlier so she could have lasting energy. Her fatigue vanished. "After three hours of riding, I had a ton of energy, power in my muscles, and I didn't feel spikes of being up and crashing, I was just able to last longer, later," Jacobs said.<h2 id="9c1e9c0e-43c2-4063-a267-2c3f621ef37b">Why does blood sugar matter?</h2>Your <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/normal-blood-sugar-levels">blood sugar level</a> measures how much glucose is in your blood, which comes from breaking down carbohydrates you eat for energy.Balancing blood sugar is crucial for people with diabetes, who can face life-threatening consequences if their levels drop too low or spike too high.But wellness companies like Levels and Nutrisense increasingly argue that blood sugar is an important metric even if you don't have diabetes, since it ties into holistic lifestyle factors ranging from diet to sleep to exercise.Through various health tech products, these companies aim to offer consumers more insight into how their daily habits affect their blood sugar, and help them analyze patterns to land on what behaviors can help them feel and perform their best."Understanding your glucose patterns is like having an MRI on how all the sort of holistic features of your daily choices are working together to generate metabolic health," Dr. Casey Means, co-founder of <a target="_blank" href="https://streaklinks.com/B8xIVnzQkFEIoTQaKgdUxVrv/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.levelshealth.com%2F">Levels</a>, a health tech company with an app that syncs with CGMs, told Business Insider.Controlling blood sugar may also help people address chronic health issues to manage or prevent long-term illness.Gayle Pagano, a 56-year-old Florida resident, told Business Insider she started using a CGM through Nutrisense after struggling with weight gain and joint pain. She was edging towards prediabetes, and doctors wrote it off as a natural side effect of aging.<div type="image" title="A woman wearing a continuous glucose monitor and smiling while working out with resistance bands" height="2400" width="3600" msid="112762118" hostid="261" sizebytes="319556"></div>"I basically had to get sick to have coverage for getting sick," Pagano told Business Insider.After reading about how age-related hormone changes can affect blood sugar, she started tracking hers, and noticed a pattern. Eating refined carbs like bread spiked her blood sugar, and she felt worse. Even ostensibly healthy foods like salads seemed to be a problem if they were store-bought."It's been shocking. The things you would think are OK to eat, they're just not," she said.With the help of a nutritionist, she started making changes. Growing up in an Italian home, Pagano was reluctant to give up pasta, but found she could still enjoy some carbs with simple habits like making the noodles herself and eating protein first.Since then, she's lost 50 pounds, and saw dramatic improvements to her fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and A1c (a measure of average blood sugar levels).<h2 id="3def34a3-209e-4d69-b68c-604fa900d6af">Can you really prevent diseases by monitoring your blood sugar?</h2>Pagano isn't alone in struggling to get medical care in the gray area between borderline health metrics and an active diagnosis.In the typical healthcare paradigm, you may have to wait months or even years for regular checkups to detect a problem. Companies are positioning CGMs as a way to cut out the waiting game — what if you could proactively control your health before developing an illness?"By giving people access to their own health data, they can understand with a lot more clarity exactly where they stand and whether the choices they're making are having the impact that they want rather than having to wait six months or a year down the road for just a scrap of information given them to them by their doctor," Means said.She said it it isn't a matter of telling people to ditch carbs or start intermittent fasting. It's about giving people tools to understand what works for them.CGMs are great giving you a peek at your body's inner workings in real time, accurately reflecting your blood sugar levels at a given moment, and showing how those levels change in response to certain habits.The problem is that science isn't very good at telling us exactly what those numbers mean yet. While CGMs can help people with diabetes avoid dangerous extremes, it's not clear what happens between those upper and lower extremes.That doesn't mean Pagano or Jacobs are wrong about the benefits — it just means we're operating in a scientific gray area.<div type="image" title="A cycling athlete in a helmet and sponsored jersey and shorts riding a bike with mountainous terrain in the background." height="1536" width="1024" msid="112762122" hostid="261" sizebytes="110202"></div>"There's no evidence. But just because there's no evidence doesn't mean it's not correct," Dr. David Klonoff, an endocrinologist and medical director of a diabetes research institute in San Mateo, CA, told Business Insider.For Klonoff, there's a risk that people investing in a CGM may get little in return, or could simple experience a kind of placebo effect, since paying more attention to your habits drives healthier behaviors.<h2 id="6e40ac90-2a76-4d93-a753-ba54e89a6dba">Clean eating can be unhealthy</h2>Some experts are concerned that letting blood sugar dictate our diet too much could prompt extreme and unhealthy eating behaviors. Constant food monitoring can contribute to orthorexia, a detrimental fixation on so-called "clean" eating.<div type="image" title="a table with bowls of fruit including watermelon, pineapple, and berries" height="957" width="1435" msid="112762130" hostid="261" sizebytes="98452"></div>Social influencers with no apparent medical expertise point to blood sugar spikes to warn against eating healthy foods like fruit or rice, saying they cause brain fog, weight gain, and various catastrophic health issues."Disordered eating or having a poorer relationship with food is a significant issue, and I think it's plausible that using a CGM or tracking could potentially lead certain people who are susceptible toward that," Dr. Jonathan Little, a professor at the University of British Columbia who specializes in metabolism, told Business Insider.Research doesn't support the fear that rising blood sugar after a meal is cause for concern in otherwise healthy people."What makes me perturbed is when people use statements like 'those are prediabetes glucose levels', or 'I ate this and my glucose went to diabetes levels,'" Klonoff said, "We don't have the evidence to know that's a bad thing."<h2 id="c916fb09-1e03-4726-9943-212217668e90">So, should you wear a CGM?</h2>Little predicts that CGMs will soon be another standard metric collected by everyday electronics along with data like our step count, heart rate, or sleep scores.People want more information about the inner workings of their bodies, and health wearables can also be a status symbol to tout your health-conscious cred.Not everyone is happy about this looming trend. People with diabetes have raised concerns that people who need the devices can't afford them, and rising popularity of the tech could make access even harder. However, widespread use could also drive innovations, like over-the-counter options, that may make CGMs cheaper for everyone, as some <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ey.com/en_ch/life-sciences/what-can-we-learn-from-the-continuous-glucose-monitoring-device-market#:~:text=Abbott%20reportedly%20ramped%20down%20pricing,much%20as%2066%25%20in%202021.">market reporting</a> suggests.Little and other metabolism experts are not convinced that wearables can give us more actionable data than we already know.Do you need an arm patch to make the point that nutrient-dense carbs like whole grains and fruit are healthy, or that chowing down on ultra-processed food may make you feel worse over time?"I don't think for the typical exercising person or person trying to optimize health, knowing blood sugar levels at every time of day is super helpful," Little said.

Do you need a glucose monitor? Wellness enthusiasts are using diabetes arm patches to take control of their blood sugar

<div type="image" title="Companies are embracing the unbossing trend" msid="113256383" hostid="261" sizebytes="1440779"></div> If there’s one thing both a productive team member and an underperformer hates in the corporate world, it’s being micromanaged. Now, imagine a workplace where the boss isn’t calling all the shots. Instead, everyone has a voice, and innovation flows freely. The recent corporate trend of "Unbossing" promises to do just that, empowering employees by eliminating the heavy hands of hierarchy. Sounds too good to be true? Well, globally, not just the new-age start-ups, but dozens of major corporations have embraced this trend and trimmed their middle management. <h2>Managers managing managers — no more!</h2>In January last year, <keyword id="399907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="META" source="Orion">Meta</keyword> CEO Mark Zuckerberg made headlines for declaring 2023 as the “year of efficiency” and saying that he doesn’t want a management structure that's just “managers managing managers”. <div type="image" title="Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg" agency="ANI" msid="113256403" hostid="261"></div> The same month, it was also reported by Command Line that Meta's chief product officer Chris Cox, had shared a post on the company's communication platform, Workplace, highlighting the necessity to "flatten" the organisation's structure. What followed was reports of Meta slashing middle management roles. Gradually, other companies like Shopify, Bayer, and Cisco began making headlines for showing the exit door to some of their middle managers. Loosely, unbossing is essentially cutting down the middle management roles. It cuts significant costs for the company and the new-age workforce also endorses the trend as efficient in enabling faster decision-making and innovation. However, critics argue this trend also limits the extent of mentorship that the younger generation receives while entering the workforce, which often remains an intangible value if your boss turns out to be a good mentor. Therefore, for some, it’s not about firing the middle management, but just another leadership philosophy on how leaders (and ‘bosses’) should conduct themselves. This approach advocates bosses working along with the team as a part rather than shouting instructions from the top. Whatever one’s understanding, this trend of “Unbossing” appears to be taking corporate America by storm in 2023, as evidenced by hundreds of media reports highlighting the same. Overall, most agree that the trend is restructuring organisational hierarchy to enable direct communication between employees and leaders. Cut to 2024, this trend is still prevalent and making headlines. A Bloomberg report recently said that Georges Elhedery, the incoming CEO of HSBC Holdings, might also consider plans to streamline the company's operations by reducing layers of middle management. But what’s the scenario in India? Are Indian companies ready to ditch the old-school approach and adopt this new way of working? Let’s dive in and see what the experts have to say! <h2>Layoffs to impact senior professionals: Naukri.com survey</h2>A survey by job portal Naukri.com early last year had suggested that recruiters in India expect a decline in layoffs during the first half of 2023. The survey, which included responses from 1,400 recruiters and consultants across ten industries, revealed that only 4 percent of participants anticipated layoffs to be the main focus of hiring activities within their organisations. However, the survey also highlighted that information technology roles and senior professionals were likely to be the most affected by hiring adjustments. About 20 percent of recruiters predicted that layoffs would predominantly impact senior professionals, while freshers are expected to face the least disruption from these hiring corrections. Interestingly the survey came around the same time when the Unbossing trend had begun picking up pace abroad. <h2>Layoffs at Wipro, <keyword id="18635" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="amazon" source="Orion">Amazon</keyword> and Collegedunia</h2>In January this year, Wipro India was in the limelight for laying off hundreds of its mid-level executives. The company reportedly culled many jobs as part of its strategy to improve margins. An ET report citing two sources familiar with the situation had said that the leading Indian IT firm reduced mid-level roles at its onsite locations. "Notices began being issued earlier this month, and hundreds of mid-level executives onsite are being let go," one source revealed. Another source added, "They have costly resources onsite in Capco, and although growth is returning, it's not sufficient. Aparna Iyer, Wipro's chief financial officer, has been tasked with delivering better margins this quarter." <div type="image" title="Amazon decided to lay-off middle managers in May" msid="113256170" hostid="261"></div>Then in May, Amazon also decided to reduce layers of middle management within its customer service divisions as part of an organisational restructuring, a Fortune report had said. The cuts impacted over 100 customer service managers in Level 5 and Level 6 middle management roles, both in call centres and virtual positions, primarily based in the U.S. and India. Not just large tech companies, startups too seem to be adapting the <keyword id="23125775" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="unbossing-trend-in-India" source="Orion">unbossing trend in India</keyword>. Last month, educational portal Collegedunia confirmed that around 100 employees from its Study Abroad department had been given the pink slip. A report in CNBC-TV18 had said that additional job cuts were happening across other departments as part of a broader reorganisation. The restructuring, as per the report, was aimed at automating many tasks to reduce costs. Interestingly, despite the layoffs, Collegedunia had posted 13 job openings on LinkedIn for various roles in different locations, primarily entry-level positions requiring up to two years of experience. "While Collegedunia is laying off several employees, it is also hiring fresh talent, allowing them to keep staffing levels up but at a lower cost," one employee told CNBC-TV18 at the time. Another source confirmed that while Collegedunia had been actively recruiting for some months, it has also been letting go of employees, including senior staff members with 7-8 years of experience at the company. <h2>What do experts say?</h2> <div type="image" title="Experts&amp;#39; opinion on unbossing trend" msid="113256250" hostid="261"></div>Mr. Sumit Kumar, Chief Strategy Officer at TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, told Business Insider India, “From the perspective of HR leaders and CEOs, the strategic culling of middle management is viewed as a means to streamline operations, reduce overhead, and foster a culture of autonomy and innovation.” He also noted that even though employees can “exercise greater ownership and agility in decision-making” through this approach, there are also significant downsides. “The erosion of middle management creates a vacuum in leadership development, mentorship, and the retention of institutional knowledge, potentially leading to disengagement, a weakened talent pipeline, and misalignment with organisational objectives,” Kumar noted. Talking specifically about the Indian scenario, he said, “Implementing this trend in India would be a strategic move, positioning organisations to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving business environment. However, to fully capitalise on this approach, developing a more robust talent pipeline that integrates the ability to multitask at all levels is imperative. In today's landscape, leadership demands thinkers, strategic visionaries, and individuals who can execute with precision. We need to cultivate a new breed of leaders who are both thinkers and doers, capable of navigating complex challenges while driving innovation and growth. By building versatile, agile leaders through targeted talent development programs, Indian organisations can ensure they are well-prepared to thrive in a decentralised, high-performance environment.” RP Yadav, Chairman and Managing Director of Genius Consultants Limited, told ET recently that the Unbossing approach simplifies hierarchies and encourages open communication between frontline employees and senior management. He had added that the concept of “the oldest in the room is always the wisest of all” is no longer applicable. Meanwhile, Aditya Narayan Mishra, MD and CEO of CIEL HR Services told ET that the unbossing trend is predominantly seen in tech companies, creative roles, and startups, where swift decision-making and the unrestricted exchange of ideas are crucial. For example, the tech sector often thrives with flattened hierarchies that support rapid innovation and agility, while creative industries such as advertising and media use unbossing to cultivate a more collaborative and idea-focused environment. Thus, the unbossing trend is gaining traction beyond global companies and is finding its way into Indian organisations as well. While this approach can streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance agility, experts caution that it also brings challenges, such as gaps in leadership development and the loss of institutional knowledge. To fully harness the benefits of unbossing, Indian companies must focus on cultivating agile leaders who can navigate complex challenges and drive growth. By building a strong talent pipeline and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, Indian organisations can position themselves to thrive in a more decentralised and dynamic business environment. Do you have insights or personal experience to s hare on layoffs, <keyword id="34447" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="workplace-trends" source="Orion">workplace trends</keyword>, or career changes? Contact us at businessinsider@timesinternet.in.

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RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das projects 7.2% GDP growth for 2024-25, reports eased inflation to 5.1% in June

ANI

Indian tourism industry leaders spotlight Uttar Pradesh as safe and diverse travel destination

PTI

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