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New Delhi, The staggering number of nearly 1.5 million women of reproductive age in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> grappling with epilepsy highlights a critical need for tailored care and support, said experts on International Epilepsy Day on Monday. World Epilepsy Day is observed every year on February 12 to raise awareness and timely intervention for people suffering from the neurological disorder characterised by recurrent seizures. The disease affects approximately 50 million individuals worldwide, with a significant portion residing in India, where 10-12 million people are affected. Social stigma and reluctance to seek medical intervention often hinder women from receiving the care they need. Concerns related to reproductive health are a significant issue within the community of women with epilepsy. But experts stated that proper treatment can help women lead a normal and healthy life. "Despite the disease prevalence, there exists a considerable treatment gap in the management of epilepsy, particularly in low-resource settings like rural areas of India. With nearly 1.5 million affected women in India, special attention must be given to women of reproductive age with epilepsy, as pregnancy poses unique challenges. Issues such as teratogenic effects from antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and increased infertility rates are significant concerns,'' said Dr. <keyword id="20554579" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="siby-gopinath" source="keywords">Siby Gopinath</keyword>, Epileptologist and Professor of Neurology at Amrita Hospital, Kochi. Neuroinfections, head trauma, and metabolic abnormalities significantly contribute to the burden of epilepsy in India, especially among women of reproductive age. Children also bear a substantial impact, with the highest incidence occurring in the first year of life and peaking between ages 1 to 12. Diagnosis in children poses challenges due to various seizure imitators, necessitating evaluation by trained paediatric neurologists. The experts said that women with epilepsy can plan pregnancies if they have been seizure-free for two years or more. Collaboration between neurologists, gynaecologists, and paediatricians is essential to manage medications during pregnancy and address any seizures promptly. "Women with epilepsy can lead a normal life with timely and proper treatment. It is crucial to address the unique challenges faced by women, including social stigma, to ensure they receive the necessary medical attention. Women with epilepsy should plan pregnancy so that anti-epileptic medications do not harm the baby as well as the mother," Dr. <keyword id="20554581" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ak-sahani" source="keywords">AK Sahani</keyword>, Director and Chief of Neurology, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) New Delhi, told IANS. However, the doctor said that the ongoing medication dose can be optimally minimised to reduce the risk to the baby and prevent epilepsy in the mother. "Otherwise, drugs can be switched over to other safer drugs for pregnancy. Women with epilepsy can go safely for pregnancy under the supervision of a neurologist and they can have normal delivery," Dr <keyword id="20554580" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sahani" source="keywords">Sahani</keyword> said. The causes of epilepsy vary, including birth defects, oxygen deprivation or hypoxic sequelae, genetics, brain infections, head injury, stroke, and brain tumours. "Diagnosis involves a comprehensive approach, including medical history, physical examination, and various investigations like blood investigations, bedsides EEG, video EEG, CT, MRI of the brain. These tests and investigations help in identifying potential causes and plan appropriate treatments. Treatment options include anti-seizure medications, with the caveat that finding the right medicine and dosage may take time," said Dr. Amlan Mandal - Senior Consultant - Neurology, Narayana Hospital RN Tagore Hospital. "<keyword id="19935980" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="surgery" source="keywords">Surgery</keyword> is also considered to address underlying causes more so in drug resistant epilepsy such as removing brain tumours. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) may be required in cases where the origin of seizures is unclear," the doctor said.

1.5 million women of reproductive age in India affected by epilepsy: Experts

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A passenger on Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas fell overboard into the Singapore Strait. </li><li>Local authorities in Singapore were notified on Monday and a search is underway. </li></ul>A passenger on Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas fell overboard on Monday, the cruise company confirmed to Insider. According to the Singapore-based news outlet, <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/passenger-missing-after-falling-overboard-cruise-ship-spectrum-of-the-seas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Straits Times</a>, the passenger is 64-year-old Reeta Sahani, who was traveling with her husband Jakesh Sahani.The couple was in the Singapore Strait on the last day of their four-day cruise to Malaysia when she fell. According to The Straits Times, Jakesh woke up in the middle of the night and discovered his wife was not in their cruise cabin. He notified the ship's officials, who, according to The Straits Times, told him that his wife was seen on the ship's CCTV footage sitting on the ship's railing at about 4 a.m. Additionally, the ship's overboard detection system alerted that something or someone had fallen overboard the ship, the news outlet reported.In a statement sent to Insider, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson said that "the ship and crew immediately reported the incident to local authorities and launched a search and rescue operation." "The shipboard team is working with local authorities and our Care team is now offering assistance and support to the family," the statement continued. In a <a href="https://www.mpa.gov.sg/media-centre/details/passenger-fallen-overboard-in-singapore-strait" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said it was alerted of the overboard passenger at 7:50 a.m. local time on Monday. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. Speaking to The Straits Times, Reeta's son Apoorv Sahani said his mother did not know how to swim."She was on a holiday enjoying herself and then this whole thing happened. It doesn't make sense," Apoorv, who was not onboard the Spectrum of the Seas, said."We've asked to see the CCTV footage, but so far we've not received anything yet for us to confirm that it was her," he told the news outlet. "All we know is that the ship's crew thinks she jumped."Since the start of 2023, there have been 12 people who have fallen off cruise ships, according to <a href="http://www.cruisejunkie.com/Overboard.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">data compiled by Ross Klein</a>, a social work professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who runs a cruise safety website.

A search is underway for a passenger who fell off a Royal Caribbean ship in Singapore. 'My mother could not swim,' the passenger's son said.

With 31 individuals diagnosed with the deadly novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> (COVID-19) in India, people are rushing to keep themselves protected. Amid the scare are myths, misconceptions and misinformation about common <keyword id="43544" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flu">flu</keyword> and the deadly coronavirus. Here are the common <keyword id="44308" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Symptoms">symptoms</keyword> of coronavirus: fever, difficulty in breathing, severe acute respiratory syndrome, cold and cough. "People need not panic in case of any of the symptoms. They should get tested for flu initially, and only in case of negative results, should they undergo 'PCR Throat swab culture', which is used to diagnose COVID-19," said Pulmonologist Puneet Gupta. In the middle of panic-inducing information and WhatsApp forwards, it can get difficult to actually tell if it is a flu or coronavirus infection. According to health experts, massive awareness is needed to differentiate between COVID-19 and common flu. "The outbreak of coronavirus throughout the world has created a panic. It is necessary to take preventive steps to check the spread of the coronavirus infection, but people are panicking over even seasonal flu," Puneet Gupta, Consultant Pulmonologist, Max Hospital in Noida, told IANS. Though the symptoms of any viral infection are the same including cough, cold, high fever (may or may not be the case) accompanied by breathing difficulties; effects of flu are restricted to the respiratory tract only, the expert said. So far, more than 95,000 people in 86 countries have been infected with the virus and more than 3,200 people have died. "Coronavirus and Influenza are infectious respiratory illnesses. It's crucial to know that seasonal flu is different from coronavirus to reduce the panic," Tarun Sahani, Senior Consultant, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi, told IANS. "Coronavirus is life risking. Although both the illnesses can look similar, these are caused by different viruses. Antiviral medications are currently being tested to see if they can address coronavirus," Sahani said.

Here is the difference between COVID-19 and flu

<ul class="summary-list"><li>At least 10 people have gone overboard off major cruise line ships so far in 2023.</li><li>Two of those people were rescued and survived.</li></ul>The chances of you <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/how-do-you-fall-off-a-cruise-ship-experts-data-2022-12">falling overboard off a cruise ship are extremely low</a>.But at least 10 people fell off major cruise line ships so far this year, turning fun-in-the-sun vacations into disaster situations — and only two survived the fall into the ocean.Here's what happened to the passengers who went overboard:<h2>Warwick Tollemache fell off a Royal Caribbean ship and wasn't found during a search</h2><div type="image" title="Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas cruise ship" height="1227" width="1841" msid="104968598" hostid="261"></div>The family of 35-year-old Australian cruise passenger Warwick Tollemache told Nine News he was a "kind, beautiful, and gentle soul who was adored by everyone who knew him."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coast-guard-searches-australian-man-who-went-overboard-cruise-ship-2023-4">Tollemache fell into the Pacific Ocean</a> after going overboard off Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas on April 26 at about 11 p.m. while the cruise ship was hundreds of miles off the coast of Hawaii.The ship's crew immediately launched a search for Tollemache and the United States Coast Guard was ultimately called in to help. The Coast Guard called off its search after crew scoured the waters for two days.Authorities didn't say how he fell in.<h2>Ronnie Lee Peale Jr. was in his 'happy place' before he fell off a Carnival ship and was never seen again</h2><div type="image" title="A close-up of the Carnival Magic cruise ship docked in Marseille. Carnival Cruise Lines ships in Marseille." height="3333" width="5000" msid="104968599" hostid="261"></div>Virginia resident <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/carnival-cruise-passenger-overboard-missing-in-happy-place-fiancee-says-2023-5">Ronnie Lee Peale Jr., 35, was on a Carnival Magic cruise</a> to celebrate his partner's birthday when he fell into the water on May 29 after officials say he leaned over a balcony railing on the vessel.Peale Jr. went overboard as the ship was about 186 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida, and returning from the Bahamas. Carnival Cruise Line said security footage showed he "leaned over the railing of his stateroom balcony and dropped into the water" at about 4:10 am.The Coast Guard searched over 5,171 square miles and more than 60 hours, but crews could not find Peale Jr."He loved the cruise life," Peale Jr.'s fiancée Jennilyn Michelle Blosser <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wtkr.com/news/in-the-community/norfolk/wife-says-husband-went-overboard-carnival-magic-ship-returning-to-norfolk">told WTKR</a>. "Being able to drink, gamble, and socialize put him in his happy place."<h2>A Royal Caribbean passenger beat the odds when she plunged off the 10th deck of the ship and was miraculously saved</h2><div type="image" title="Passengers onboard Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Sea watch as crew successfully rescued a woman who went overboard on Sunday." height="1212" width="2098" msid="104968600" hostid="261"></div>Some who fall in are lucky to be alive.A 42-year-old US citizen — whose name wasn't publicly revealed — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/woman-overboard-royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-saved-2023-6">fell overboard</a> from the 10th deck of Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas vessel on June 25 at around 5:45 p.m. as the Curaçao-bound liner was more than 30 miles off the coast of the Dominican Republic.The woman miraculously survived the fall. One witness told Business Insider that passengers lined up on their balconies and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/passengers-guided-crew-woman-fell-overboard-royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-2023-6">quickly banded together to try and guide the rescue boat as it scanned the water</a> for signs of the woman.Witnesses said cruise crew members managed to find her and brought her safely back on board in a roughly 45-minute ordeal.The overboard woman was found to be in "good health" after the fall, the Coast Guard said. A rescue expert told Business Insider <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/miraculous-overboard-royal-caribbean-passenger-saved-rescue-experts-2023-6">her survival was "nothing short of miraculous."</a><h2>Jaylen Hill jumped off a Carnival cruise ship and was not found during a search, the company said</h2><div type="image" title="Two ladies take pictures in front of the Carnival cruise ship Elation in Nassau, Bahamas on April 29, 2019." height="2765" width="3844" msid="104968601" hostid="261"></div>Carnival Elation passenger <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/cruise-passenger-jumped-overboard-carnival-says-6th-incident-this-year-2023-7">Jaylen Hill, 30, went overboard on the vessel on July 23</a> as the ship was on a four-day Bahamas sailing and on its way back to Jacksonville, Florida.Hill's travel companion reported him missing after he wasn't seen all day. A Carnival spokesperson said that the cruise line determined Hill "jumped" from the ship "after an exhaustive on-board search and a review of security camera video."The Coast Guard called off its search for Hill when he wasn't found after covering more than 1,347 square miles.<h2>Reeta Sahani who 'could not swim' went overboard on a Royal Caribbean ship while traveling with her husband</h2><div type="image" title="The Spectrum of the Seas operated by Royal Caribbean International is seen at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre on May 23, 2022, in Singapore." height="1000" width="1500" msid="104968603" hostid="261"></div>Reeta Sahani was on Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas with her husband on July 31 in the Singapore Strait, the last day of their four-day cruise to Malaysia.Sahani couldn't swim, her son would tell <a target="_blank" href="https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/my-mother-could-not-swim-son-of-passenger-who-fell-overboard-cruise-ship-spectrum-of-the-seas">The Straits Times</a>.The 64-year-old mother <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/passenger-fell-overboard-royal-caribbean-cruise-singapore-2023-7">went overboard</a> while the cruise was on its way to Singapore.Sahani's husband, Jakesh Sahani, woke up in the middle of the night and discovered his wife was not in their cruise cabin, the Straits Times reported. He notified the ship's officials, who, according to the news outlet, told him that his wife was seen on CCTV footage sitting on the ship's railing at about 4 a.m.The couple's son, Apoorv Sahani, told the Straits Times that the "ship's crew thinks she jumped."Apoorv Sahani later <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/SahaniApps/status/1686014827708268545">said in a post on X</a> that his family was given footage from the cruise ship. "With the footage, we have unfortunately learnt that my mother has passed away," he wrote.<h2>Kenneth Schwalbe fell off a Princess cruise ship and couldn't be found</h2><div type="image" title="The cruise ship Emerald Princess is seen docked at Portland Port on July 09, 2022 in Portland, England." height="4338" width="6507" msid="104968604" hostid="261"></div><a target="_blank" href="https://www.hawaiipolice.com/8-11-2023-man-overboard-missing-person-investigation">California resident Kenneth Schwalbe</a>, 59, was traveling on the Emerald Princess ship when he went overboard on August 11 about eight miles off the coast of Hilo, Hawaii.According to Hawaii authorities, police received a report on the morning of August 11 that Schwalbe was last seen on board the ship at around 8:30 p.m. the day before. Authorities searched the ship but couldn't find him.Hawaii police said that surveillance footage from a camera on the exterior of the ninth deck of the vessel showed Schwalbe "falling from the ship" at about 4:18 a.m.The Coast Guard couldn't find Schwalbe.<h2>Sigmund Ropich was vacationing with pals before the teenager went overboard from a Royal Caribbean ship</h2><div type="image" title="The Wonder of the Seas cruise ship at a port." height="1533" width="2300" msid="104968605" hostid="261"></div>College student Sigmund Ropich of Texas was vacationing with his friends on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world in August, his sister Savannah Ropich told Business Insider.On August 29 as the ship was off the coast of Cuba, the 19-year-old Sigmund <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/man-overboard-wonder-of-the-seas-cruise-teen-vacation-2023-9">went overboard</a>.The ship's crew immediately launched a search and rescue operation but found no sign of Sigmund. Cuban officials called off their search for Ropich after they couldn't find the teen.Savannah Ropich said in a Facebook post last month: "Although we are continuing to celebrate my brother's life, it does not equate to compliancy with @wonderoftheseas. I am still enraged by the fact that we are celebrating my brother's life without his body.""The mishandling of the search and constant miscommunication throughout prompts the question.. was my brother's life valued by his ticket and age?" she wrote. "If so and if not, to what extent does this company value a human life to respond with appropriate actions of urgency?"Royal Caribbean didn't respond to Business Insider's request for a response to Savannah Ropich's criticisms.<h2>A crew member went overboard off an AIDA Cruises ship but couldn't be found during a search</h2><div type="image" title="The cruise liner AIDAperla in the port of Hamburg." height="3072" width="5184" msid="104968801" hostid="261"></div>The <a target="_blank" href=" https://www.insider.com/aidperla-cruise-ship-english-channel-searching-overboard-crew-member-2023-10">crew member went overboard off the German cruise ship, called the AIDAperla, on October 22</a> as the vessel was traveling from Hamburg to Spain.The cruise ship company said in a statement to <a target="_blank" href="https://news.sky.com/story/major-search-under-way-after-man-falls-overboard-from-passenger-ship-off-kent-coast-12990037">Sky News</a> that the captain "immediately initiated all necessary rescue measures in close coordination with the local authorities."However, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-67191594">search for the crew member wasn't successful</a>.<h2>Another lucky Royal Caribbean passenger was rescued after going overboard</h2><div type="image" title="Symphony of the Seas" height="696" width="1414" msid="104968804" hostid="261"></div>A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/royal-caribbean-cruise-passenger-rescued-after-fall-overboard-2023-10">passenger traveling on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas vessel went overboard</a> on October 29 after the ship departed Barcelona and was saved."The ship and crew immediately reported the incident to local authorities and began searching for the guest. Thankfully, the guest was successfully recovered and was brought on board," the cruise line told Business Insider.A person who said they were aboard the vessel at the time posted on social media that they could see spotlights and rescue boats from their balcony during the nighttime search.<h2>A Carnival cruise passenger was seen on surveillance footage jumping off the ship</h2><div type="image" title="The Carnival Glory cruise ship at sea." height="2395" width="3891" msid="105240987" hostid="261" sizebytes="304652"></div><a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/mom-missing-cruise-passenger-carnival-wont-share-footage-incident-2023-11">Tyler Barnett, a 28-year-old father of two</a> from Houma, Louisiana was on a week-long cruise with his younger sister and their uncle when he went missing in the middle of the night.Barnett was last seen aboard the Carnival Glory — which was heading to the Cayman Islands and Cozumel, Mexico — around 11:40 p.m. on November 12, the day of the ship's departure from New Orleans, his mother, Elisha Reid, told Business Insider.For over 24 hours, Carnival crews searched the ship and the Coast Guard scoured a 200-mile section of the Gulf of Mexico looking for signs of Barnett.But, on November 14, Carnival said it had finally found footage of Barnett that showed him climbing up onto a lifeboat and jumping off the ship around 1:40 a.m. on November 13, the company told Business Insider in an email.The cruise line at first told Barnett's sister, who was also on the ship, that there was no surveillance footage of her brother that night, Reid said.Reid said she found out her son was missing from a cousin, not the cruise company."I have my moments where I break, but I'm keeping the faith," she told Business Insider as the search continued. "I'm keeping the faith. I just want him home."<h2>Despite these cases, overboard incidents are very rare, according to a cruise line trade association</h2>According to a <a target="_blank" href="https://cruising.org/-/media/research-updates/report_operational_incidents_2019-v-1">report</a> from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), there were 212 overboard incidents from 2009 to 2019, and only 48 — or 28.2% — of those who fell overboard were successfully rescued."Even one incident is one too many," CLIA told Business Insider, explaining, "The vast majority of cases are either reckless behavior or some form of intentional act. People don't just inadvertently fall over the side of a ship."According to CLIA, cruise lines have maintained an exceptional safety record and cruising is one of the safest forms of travel.From 2009 to 2019, the number of "operational incidents" declined by 41% and the rate of "man overboard incidents" declined by nearly 35%, while the industry's total capacity grew by 68%, CLIA said.

At least 10 people on cruise ships went overboard this year, and 2 miraculously survived

<keyword id="1156313" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="The-Film-and-Television-Institute-of-India">The Film and Television Institute of India</keyword> (<keyword id="55490" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="FTII">FTII</keyword>) controversy took an ugly turn today. Its students and alumni, who arrived in Delhi to meet officials of the Information and Broadcasting (I&amp;B) Ministry, were taken into custody for protesting outside it. After more than 20 days of agitation against the appointment of <keyword id="54" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="TV-actor">TV actor</keyword> <keyword id="258297" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gajendra-Chauhan">Gajendra Chauhan</keyword> as the new chairman of the institute, the students came here. The <keyword id="6359715" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="protest">protest</keyword> was supported by students of <keyword id="6360099" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Delhi-University">Delhi University</keyword>, <keyword id="58265" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jawaharlal-Nehru-University">Jawaharlal Nehru University</keyword> (JNU) and Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI). 

	The FTII students have been boycotting classes, abandoning academic work in protest against Chauhan, who according to them does not have “vision and knowledge” to lead the premiere institution of film-making. 
 

	Nakul Singh Sahani, an independent film-maker and FTII alumnus, said: “The students were holding a peaceful protest outside the ministry at Shastri Bhawan when they were dragged by police and arrested. We came here to arrive at a conclusion and want a fresh selection of a chairman and some governing council members of the institute. We also want a transparent system where we could know how these appointments were done.”
 <keyword id="2933028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Cinematographer-Saurabh-Vishwakarma">Cinematographer Saurabh Vishwakarma</keyword>, who passed out from FTII in 2004, said: “It is a prestigious institution and the post of the chairman is not one that can be offered to anyone. If a person has achieved eminence in his field and his work has been recognized, then it adds to his credentials. Such person can be appointed as is its head.” 

	Sahani passed out from the Pune-based institute in 2006. He said: “Chauhan has zero credential to be the chairman. The TV actor was appointed as he is associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and not because of his depth of knowledge.”
 

	Moreover, there are some members in the FTII governing council who have been selected due to their closeness to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he said, asking “do they have any idea about film-making, script writing or can they teach students or plan their syllabus and conduct workshops”.
 “Chauhan doesn’t have the required experience to run the top most institute of film-making, which enjoys certain credibility in India and abroad. How will he lead the institution,” asked Aditi Sharma, film-maker and owner of <keyword id="2933027" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Apple-Box-Films">Apple Box Films</keyword>. 

	She said: "There were eminent people in the field of cinema before Chauhan who occupied this prestigious post. The legacy has to be maintained and respected.”
 The post has been previously held by National award-winning film-maker <keyword id="29916" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Shyam-Benegal">Shyam Benegal</keyword>, veteran actor Vinod Khanna, Kannada writer U R Ananthamurthy, film director <keyword id="222175" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Saeed-Akhtar-Mirza">Saeed Akhtar Mirza</keyword>, among others. 

	This type of political interference is not new to institutions of higher learning in India, Sharma said, adding IITs and IIMs are also its victims. 
 

	Thousands of students sit for the test and compete to get an entry in FTII, said Himanshu Prajapati, second year student of film direction. “People like Chauhan will destroy the credibility of the institute,” he said. 
	 
	(Image: Saurabh Vishwakarma official FB page)

FTII row: students arrested in Delhi for protesting against Gajendra Chauhan’s appointment

<ul><li>The tech industry has seen more than 200,000 <keyword id="6357067" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="layoffs" source="Orion">layoffs</keyword> since the start of 2022.</li><li>Instead of performance, the focus for layoffs is more on eliminating redundant roles that no longer add a major value to the organization.</li><li>Some of the red flags an employee should look out for are a decrease in hiring, budget cuts and changes in management.</li></ul>Bipin Singh, a business development manager at Byju’s with over 11 years experience in the EdTech industry was laid off last month after a stint of 1.5 years at the company. In his LinkedIn post he mentioned about the layoff and urged everyone to reach out to him with job offers or if not, like share and comment on his post to increase reach. Anil <keyword id="906861" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sahani" source="Orion">Sahani</keyword>, a software engineer, lost his job in Accenture recently .“I was one of the first ones to let go as I was a contract employee and also did not have any notice period. The layoffs are still on.” Singh and Sahani are among the thousands of employees who have been affected by tech layoffs in India. Google trend data, which reflects what people search for, shows that between January 22-28 this year, the term ‘layoff’ was at its peak popularity of 100, while between January 23 to January 29 last year, it was just at five. This is not surprising because layoffs are being reported majorly in the media and almost every other post on Linkedin is talking about layoffs. It all started with the news that the big tech giants like Amazon and Google parent Alphabet were laying off in large numbers. While Alphabet laid off 12,000 people, the Amazon layoffs affected more than 18,000 people. Microsoft said it will lay off 10,000 people by the end of the third quarter of 2023 and even SAP and IBM have started laying off employees. It seems it is almost like a contagion that is spreading rapidly like wildfire. The Indian situation: Which brings us to the question: Is the situation as bad in India? Layoffs are now a reality in India too. Reports suggest that around 21,000 techies have lost their jobs in the last three to four months. In the third week of January, Wipro fired more than 400 freshers for failing performance tests. While Amazon has laid off 1,000 of its employees in India, IBM and SAP are also laying off employees, affecting their employees in India as well. Very recently, Byju’s laid off 1,000 people, in a second round of layoffs in February. Sivaprasad N, vice president &amp; business head, TeamLease Digital, a staffing solutions company, puts the number of layoffs in the tech industry at more than 2,00,000 since 2022. Over 21,000 employees <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/70-plus-indian-startups-show-exit-door-to-21k-techies-more-pink-slips-coming/articleshow/97411761.cms?">have been laid off </a>by 70 startups in the past 3-4 months including from unicorns like BYJU'S, <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword>, MPL, Innovaccer, Unacademy, Vedantu, Cars24, OYO, Meesho, Udaan and many more. Anuj Gupta, who has over 10 years of experience in SEO, has lost his job in edtech company upGrad and is a part of the current tech and marketing layoff wave. The layoff situation in India is currently more of a spill-over effect of shake-ups in the West. Unlike the funding winter that hit the Indian funded tech startups cohort in 2022, the current layoffs by big labels are largely corrective talent adjustments. “Despite potential opportunities coming our way due to global shakeups, it is prudent for India Inc. to treat the current layoffs as a tip of the iceberg,” says <keyword id="138078" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kamal-karanth" source="Orion">Kamal Karanth</keyword>, CoFounder, Xpheno, a specialist staffing company. He adds that enterprises, especially in tech, will benefit from remaining alert and conservative on costs for at least two quarters. Agrees Sivaprasad, “Companies are battling a slowdown in demand after a hiring frenzy. No company is certain to avoid significant cutbacks in such an economic environment. We are witnessing a significant drop in tech hiring unlike previous years as companies are only doing selective hiring for critical projects. It looks like the trend will continue for some time.” Many IT majors have announced mass layoffs in the last couple of months, quoting factors like overhiring, an impending recession and geopolitical conflicts. “We expect businesses to exhibit caution in hiring and workforce management through a major part of 2023,” <keyword id="13896318" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sachin-alug" source="Orion">Sachin Alug</keyword>, CEO, NLB Services - a global technology &amp; digital talent solutions company. Delhi-based Pankaj Kumar, laid off from a software company this month, says that one day he got a message saying that the company was restructuring and that it was his last day. “However, we were forced to resign and also we received very little in the name of assistance as promised.” Kumar feels that most startups today have no clue about manpower requirements and just hire to show their investors that they are doing well without having an idea of how they can sustain themselves in crucial times. Tech jobs have been the most affected: As discussed, tech companies, especially IT firms, are very vulnerable to an impending recession in the US. “The tech sector has always been highly sensitive to economic cycles, and the current economic downturn could have a significant impact on these companies. A recession could lead to decreased consumer spending, reduced corporate investment, and layoffs, which could all hit tech companies hard,” says <keyword id="328697" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sandeep-budhiraja" source="Orion">Sandeep Budhiraja</keyword>, Co-founder, Executive Director and Chief People Officer - BYLD Group which provides HR and Business productivity solutions, Additionally, the US market is a major source of revenue for many tech companies, so a recession here could have a widespread impact on global operations. Finally, any disruption to the global supply chain could further disrupt tech companies, as many rely on components and materials sourced from around the world. “The sectors that may be most affected, other than the technology, are telecommunications, financial services and retail. The telecommunications sector could be hit by reduced investment in infrastructure and lower customer demand. The financial services sector could be adversely affected by a decrease in credit availability and tightened lending standards, while the retail sector could suffer from decreased consumer spending,” adds Budhiraja. Everyone is vulnerable: “Instead of performance, the focus for layoffs is more on eliminating redundant roles that no longer add major value to the organization. Usually, mass layoffs affect employees invariably regardless of their performance but in organizations that choose to let go of a selected few, performers at a certain level tend to be the target,” says Alug. The primary causes of layoffs are the foreseeable recession and the geopolitical scenario which have led to inflation, impacting many industries. Prominent players in the IT and Technology domain are being cautious to ensure profitability and better predictability of business. Agrees Karanth, “The larger layoffs related to enterprise strategy and austerity are mostly across the ranks and ratings of performance. Such layoffs related to macroeconomic movements are typically steamrollers on entire divisions, geographies and business units. While each enterprise has their own pattern of priority on the layoffs, the high cost and high volume headcounts typically come under the lens faster.” Look out for red flags: “Layoffs in a situation like now are largely written on the wall. It is often the speed and style of a layoff that's a surprise to talent, and not the layoff by itself,” says Karanth. Some of the red flags an employee should look out for are a decrease in hiring, budget cuts and changes in management. “Additionally, if a company is reducing or eliminating certain departments or projects, it may be a sign that layoffs are coming. If there are rumours of layoffs or if employees are being asked to take unpaid leave, this could also be a sign that layoffs are imminent. Finally, if the company is not meeting its financial goals or is experiencing a downturn in business, layoffs may be a possibility,” says Alug. Hiring remains slow: “Many of those who lost their jobs are still looking for work, as nearly every major corporation has put a freeze on new hiring due to global macroeconomic conditions and recession fears. We are witnessing a significant drop in tech hiring unlike previous years as companies are only doing selective hiring for critical projects. Looks like the trend would continue for some time,” says Sivaprasad. However Karanth feels that while tech hiring has slowed down, there are opportunities for talent who are flexible and agile to look beyond their domain. The non-tech sector's talent demand has been compensating well for tech's hiring slowdown. <keyword id="2838370" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shraddha-jain" source="Orion">Shraddha Jain</keyword>, who is also known as 'Aiyyo Shraddha' on social media, posted a hilarious video on Instagram, where she slammed companies for laying off employees despite making a profit. "At the company offsite, we celebrated the company tripling its profit in a year. What happened? A month later we are so poor. Who robbed us?" she asked. While these are questions that reflect the grim reality of large scale layoffs, employees should brace themselves for tough times ahead. 2023 will be a turbulent ride.

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