<ul><li>India's top court announced its verdict on the University Grants Commission (<keyword id="44171" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="UGC">UGC</keyword>) cases ruling that it's mandatory for states to conduct final year examinations. </li><li>It said no students will be promoted without having sat in their respective final semester exams.</li><li>The Supreme Court has given states the option to appeal to the UGC for an extension beyond the September 30 deadline.</li></ul>Coronavirus or not, the Supreme Court has ruled that states have no choice but to conduct final year exams in order to promote students upholding the circular put out by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The states will have the choice to appeal for extending the deadline to the UGC beyond September 30. According to the court, any decision by State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to postpone the exams, as in the case of Maharashtra, will prevail over the <keyword id="427299" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="UGC-guidelines">UGC guidelines</keyword>. All eyes were on the Supreme Court today as students and institutions awaited the verdict on the UGC case and whether or not final year examinations are mandatory amid the COVID-19 pandemic. At the last hearing on August 18, the apex court had reserved its order and asked for parties to respond and present written submissions on their final arguments within three days. What happened in the previous hearing? In the last hearing, on August 18, the Supreme Court asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) if the latter could override a state government decision in certain situations and take a position on the conduct of examinations. During the marathon hearing that lasted close to four hours, the apex court heard arguments from a battery of Senior Advocates appearing for various stakeholders -- Arvind P Datar (for Maharashtra government), Jaideep Gupta (for teachers from West Bengal), KV Viswanathan (Delhi government) and Advocate Generals of Odisha and West Bengal. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appeared for the UGC. The court was hearing a batch of PILs, along with those from the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Odisha, and Delhi, that questioned the UGC directions to universities to conduct final-year exams before September 30. The state governments argued that they have the power to promote students without exams due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The bench asked Mehta: "Can the UGC override a state government's decision, where a certain situation like Covid-19 exists?" In response, Mehta submitted that Covid-19 pandemic is a 'national disaster' and it is for the Centre to decide and that the "state authorities cannot override the UGC". The bench said that this exactly is the question, as the disaster management authority of the state has authority in healthcare. But can the UGC override the state and ask it to conduct exams? "Maybe the UGC can say no degree without an exam. But can they say hold an exam on this date?" Mehta contended that the deadline was given for the benefit of the students. "It is not a diktat. All universities must start admissions to postgraduate courses. The country is working," Mehta submitted. Advocate Alok Srivastava, appearing for a group of students, contended that the July 6 guidelines making it mandatory to hold exams by September 30 cannot be implemented across the country, as there was no proper consultation. Mehta contended that the universities can seek an extension in the deadline under the UGC guidelines, but they cannot take a decision to confer degree without holding exams. The Solicitor General also cited 'Maharashtra's political somersault', wherein it first decided to conduct the exams but later opposed it. Mehta insisted that the UGC and other regulators exist for the protection of the interests of stakeholders. "Here, the students are the main stakeholders," he added. Reserving the judgment, the top court asked all the parties to submit their written submissions. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/oxford-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-phase-ii-trials-will-begin-in-india-today/articleshow/77757085.cms">Oxford-Astrazeneca COVID-19 Vaccine: Phase II trials will begin in India today</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-military-options-against-china-explained-by-experts/articleshow/77743778.cms">Experts explain India’s 'military options' against China</a>

Supreme Court says final year exams are 'mandatory' in order promote students

<ul><li>The <keyword id="521686" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Council-For-Educational-Research">National Council for Educational Research</keyword> and Training (NCERT) is chalking out plans to address social distancing with an increased focus on individual assessment. </li><li>The schools will, in fact, not conduct morning assembly, seminars or any other sports event for at least a year. </li><li>Another proposal in the works is the alternate week arrangements or running schools in shifts. </li><li>The government is also considering introducing at least 12 educational channels for students from 1st to 12th grade.</li></ul>Not just industries, educational institutions are also stepping up their efforts to keep up with the ‘new normal’ with a number of remote learning initiatives. In a post Covid-19 world, schools are likely to operate on an alternative model where only 50% of the students will be needed in the classrooms on any given day while others study from their homes — even after the lockdown comes to an end. Even during exams, students will not appear for it on the same day. According to the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), the Indian government is chalking out plans to address social distancing with an increased focus on individual assessment. The schools will, in fact, not conduct morning assembly, seminars or any other sports event for at least a year. “The bigger challenge will be to ensure the younger children maintain distance; they usually sit close and mingle a lot more than the older ones. The safety guidelines that we will form will include all these things. we will have to look at how to maintain distance between students in school buses, while they are sitting in the classrooms and even when they are using the washroom” The Print <a href="https://theprint.in/india/education/no-assembly-no-sports-classes-in-shifts-the-likely-new-normal-when-schools-reopen-lockdown/416058/">reported</a> citing a source. Another proposal in the works is the alternate week arrangements or running schools in shifts. “The guidelines will also spell out what the students who stay back at home would do. One option is for schools to continue their online teaching and giving assignments and activities,” NCERT Director <keyword id="3138605" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hrushikesh-Senapaty">Hrushikesh Senapaty</keyword> <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/schools-may-go-for-odd-even-plan/articleshow/75613400.cms">told</a> The Times of India. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) is expected to announce the guidelines for the learning calendar by next week. Since March 2020, all the schools and colleges have been shut due to <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> and there is no confirmation on reopening of schools yet. The education body is leveraging digital adoption as it moves to ‘each class, one channel’ strategy. Under this, the course will be taught via live interactions and aired on TV channels for students to access it. The government is also considering introducing at least 12 educational channels for students from 1st to 12th grade. The idea is to keep the learning continuity for students. Given the delay in the academic year, the higher education regulatory body University Grants Commission (UGC) also laid out guidelines for colleges after lockdown. As per the UGC directive, university students will be giving the final examination in July and the next academic session will begin in August, 2020. The final year students will have to sit for exams — online or offline. However, the students in other semesters may be promoted based on the internal assessment, the statutory body told the higher education institutions. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/hcl-tech-follows-tcs-and-infosys-lead-says-50-of-its-employees-will-work-from-home-even-after-the-lockdown-is-lifted/articleshow/75593968.cms">HCL Tech follows TCS and Infosys' lead — says 50% of its employees will work from home even after the lockdown is lifted</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/11-million-unacademy-user-accounts-are-up-for-sale-on-dark-web/articleshow/75595084.cms">11 million Unacademy user accounts were hacked in January — and they are now up for sale on Dark Web</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/reliance-jios-2-23-stake-sale-to-vista-means-its-raised-7-95-billion-in-under-three-weeks/articleshow/75615697.cms">Reliance Jio’s 2.23% stake sale to Vista means its raised $7.95 billion in under three weeks</a>

An odd-even plan for schools ⁠— India is reportedly planning to let 50% of students attend from home

<ul><li>2021, a year full of controversies saw brands turning to <keyword id="255227" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-relations" source="Orion">Public Relations</keyword> and Communications experts to save their reputation and regain consumer trust.</li><li>We look back at how PR evolved in 2021 and catch up with a few experts to discuss the trends that lie ahead.</li></ul>This year, we witnessed many brands become a victim of the boycott culture on social media and each of them adopted a different Public Relations and Communications strategy; while some decided to give in to the pressure, pulled off campaigns and maintained a low profile to cushion the blow, a few others stood their ground and fought back. Gone are the days where a brand could hope for social media controversies to die a natural death and wait for consumers to move on. Now, a small tweet can snowball into a boycott trend and a little bad PR move can cause a company’s stocks to plummet drastically or lead to a huge amount of audience permanently boycotting a brand. At the same time, some experts also advise that brands should not feed the trolls. So, in a year that saw numerous controversies, Public Relations and Communications experts proved their prominence yet again. They acted as the brand's anchor when needed and also helped them reach the shore successfully through tumultuous seas. During the initial stage of the lockdown, <keyword id="562730" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pr-agencies" source="Orion">PR agencies</keyword> had to think on their feet, engage with editorial media to help brands share their side of the story with interesting nuggets, offer positive stories, work on personalised pitches, ensure internal and external stakeholders were updated frequently with utmost honesty and transparency. PR experts also pushed brands to connect with their communities on a personal level through truthful, authentic human acts. The crisis also caused paradigm shifts in the industry and digital PR took the center stage. Experts were required to monitor trends in real-time, find various consumer touchpoints through social listening and offer predictive analysis. As we move forward, PR agencies are working towards expanding their offerings with allied competencies like creative, experiential and social media capabilities. They have also been helping brands to find the right balance between profit, people and the environment. So, the future of PR is in strong storytelling in the digital world. The future is also unpredictable and PR professionals can’t rely on annual calendars anymore. With the news cycle changing every day, PR experts are required to be more flexible and agile. We reached out to experts to look back at 2021, discuss a few trends that lie ahead in 2022 and understand what kind of role will PR play next year. Here’s what they had to say: Archana Jain, Managing Director, <keyword id="12776689" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pr-pundit" source="Orion">PR Pundit</keyword> <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/MCoXaEjPWNo8WTqu2R2GOsky_yXnL5Z27mV6cwOUPJ1NjtOVzumIwuaedZp5FfU1Nbyk-KNE_VYY-Tq25tQm7D7eZqhugGYvTkhlY8LrQ1I4E0c3ZIRJQRewy7o8iIURcw1LpvB_" /> The sway of top celebrities has diminished as was the case back in the days. With the advent of digital and social media, people have begun to trust recommendations from peers far more. Audiences find authentic content or recommendations by actual consumers to be more honest and believable than other forms of promotions and advertising by brands. This is reason enough for brands to actively nurture a community of advocates. PR will be required to work with brands to shape and foster a community of brand advocates. A set of loyal and vocal customers who can help humanise the brand in addition to boosting brand appeal &amp; trust, promoting its products &amp; services to new cohorts, providing invaluable user-generated content (UGC), word-of-mouth recommendations, and social media chatter. Community-led storytelling is more acceptable and authentic rather than a direct brand-led communication. Community advocacy will need to be consciously harnessed and not left to chance. 2022 will see many more brands structure a meaningful brand advocacy strategy. Ameer Ismail, President, <keyword id="10059988" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lintas-live" source="Orion">Lintas Live</keyword> <img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PcMyJiz1vfMkRb60zRIOm3u-onxZFHP0AIWLgPet9ba6KooBq88MwEf3VR3CbnkhfUGOEuTkd4TU-t1S9AoFffxhKrFWAyKPh5IlyOcUiImuCt1-aAYDklESQifRb4mxU8EFO4Bt" /> My biggest takeaway from 2021 is that agency brands and professionals have learned to be resilient and this is based on the multitude of challenges everyone has faced. Smart PR agencies have managed to reinvent themselves with offerings that are built for new realities and collectively have made sure that the relevance of PR is as strong as ever. While a move to everything digital will continue and a lot has been spoken and written about that, I feel that ‘collaboration and consolidation’ will be one the most important trends in that will emerge in 2022. This will be fueled by a few factors, first, resources will be deployed judiciously and talent will continue to be in short supply, the churn agencies have been experiencing at mid and junior levels will continue in 2022. This will lead to a need for agencies to find collaborative ways to deliver on client briefs and they will tap the vast pool of independent talent and specialized agencies and we will see newer collaborative models emerge. Second, clients will be in a hurry to get solutions from agency partners that can get their brands back in the mindspace of consumers and other target audiences. They will want to deal with fewer, better established partners which will lead to a need for consolidation. Deepshikha Dharmaraj, Chief Executive Officer, <keyword id="8878758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="genesis-bcw" source="Orion">Genesis BCW</keyword> <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/2ijXOdKqC0joOCWDwi7EyoYj_pdg_E8jPKzy5OcR89RViosKsrX1M-PRHdwutJNBMz54xeSvSSF51UwTMbUkpZ_UUVLaz7RCuc3HtSQ698wISf5JwgmWLYxl-EdATKHbPfN0ao4Y" /> If there is one word that will be at the centre of everything in 2022, it is ‘people’. With the world—India included—teetering between recovery and anxiety around ever-evolving COVID variants, people will need to be communicated with, engaged, assuaged, motivated, retained, developed, and more. These people include every stakeholder a company has—customers/consumers, employees, partners, the government, the community at large. And public relations is the only marketing discipline that touches all of them. Digital will continue to be the medium of choice, and within that, metaverse will be flavour of the year. While the Indian industry still has some distance to cover in that, there is curiosity about this next big thing. No matter what the medium though, the message will have to be aligned to the company’s purpose. And delivered creatively, with authenticity. Akshaara Lalwani, Founder &amp; CEO, <keyword id="3573568" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="communicate-india" source="Orion">Communicate India</keyword> <img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/zCOSh41CE8dyovtyuyIPAHsu4qhktLTnRBABbxjuY8iuw8hJ0CU9D6yeGKeJ55rsmjqqKgtGvx1RBVeLT0eGy_NVLOgEr9BrjA6yd_ts2ruOv-ZxFfcHWIBSWP8PoSW0B03QOAPE" /> Over the past decade, PR has been moving away from traditional business models towards a more holistic and integrated approach. Whether it is the shift from pure media relations to content or the migration from print to digital, there is a marked change in the way the PR landscape functions. In 2022, this trend will further solidify its presence. There will also be a blurring of demarcation lines between PR, marketing and advertising, digital and offline, eventually leading to PR &amp; Communication professionals to further value the importance of integrated communications. Agility and the ability to pivot will thus be key attributes that will enable the industry to thrive. Also, since the protracted fight against the pandemic still continues, companies and organisations need to prioritise responsible communication over all else. We live in a world where the spread of disinformation and misinformation is not uncommon, hence, agencies need to be able to work in tandem with their clients to help them steer a middle course between capitalistic desires and ethical communication. Mayank Sen, Co-founder, Moe's Art <img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ZEfKIz4red6Btj4FRUytg_37JVYsyrmNwAXOmMlCACuN2Q2E6CTMX17bG95ukNJlG_XhaCiDdH-L07NodShsf0-AjpFKLez1-5TUcuo-O6RN6r9CRbixvF04LyRRaA34a-iAA7ug" /> For the longest time, ‘content’ has been the flavour of the season. At first, it began as an accessory, gradually ruling as a king on a kingdom. In 2020, content and its marketing became an undeniable powerful tool for businesses of all sizes. The evergreen axiom of marketing – ‘delivering the right content, to the right people, at the right time’ – took a redefined meaning. And for the times to come, the fundamental aspect of the content ecosystem will be founded on a framework of a performance driven-model, driven by contextual marketing. Within the emerging framework, data and technology will take a strong precedence. The industry will focus on delivering optimal consumer experience while capitalising on the opportunities in hand. Attention will be paid to provide more personalised and relevant content. Measuring the performance will make sure that the experience is scalable. It will present a continuous assessment of how the content is performing, and from that perspective, make decisions on what to do with the content in the future. Measuring success, building a cohesive brand story, and fostering a transparent, interactive consumer loyalty will be the ‘WIN-WIN’ strategy for the year to come! Asif Upadhye, Director and The Dark Knight at <a href="http://www.sprd.co.in/">SPRD</a> <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/x1DFHW5qI5OMJV1bnIe30z-7puaTM4saJ1Xg-Yx7W4nyz_BsTyzbJBvL1js4JcCTZSwgzdp8vVfECuKCfz5jm8H7jOJaeK523Y0nHZ_GC9BstRhP8KLANz5j76Ew2pYmPULIZSkn" /> If 2020 and 2021 have taught us anything, it’s that moving forward at a snail’s pace is undoubtedly the quickest way to get left behind. While pre-pandemic, the public relations and communications industry was already making significant strides in technology by analyzing data to craft a better customer experience, the pace of digital adoption and the advent of a digital-first PR approach have been accelerated. From my own experience, a key ingredient across PR strategies, content marketing, corporate communications, and media coverage that will rule the PR roost in 2022 is the crucial need to customize bespoke services and products, every step of the way. From unified communications (UC) that are employee-centric to personalizing media pitches, customization sits at the heart of nearly every PR and communications trend. Customers are growing tired of the ‘media universe’ and now look for frameworks based on behavioral and business insights that truly put their needs front and center. Eventually, this is what will separate the mediocre brands from the greats. Case in point, the State of PR 2021 report points to the fact that flexibility, agility and attention to detail when it comes to personalizing something as simple as a pitch email is 96% more likely to grab a journalist’s eyeballs, rather than sending out a generic email blast. While consumer habits and employee working patterns that have been developed over the past year and a half are likely to continue well into 2022, hyper-personalization will bear fruit and result in more contextualized communication and inevitably greater conversions.” <keyword id="10618036" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tarunjeet-rattan" source="Orion">Tarunjeet Rattan</keyword>, Managing Partner, <keyword id="12776690" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nucleus-pr" source="Orion">Nucleus PR</keyword> <img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/biB2xpfw8B3ACsoiWJFWZM6bv3Ank8VYTpfiuYRsKObER_c-BYqsU6H5LnrGXuiKTveCPVkuoleLhWSCa5GVXXOeWKdu6Zl8BBv0Sw5JNQVNhAJdX1-KG2mm0bRS0a0KA2kk6O6m" /> There are three very distinct trends that we will see in the coming year: <ul><li>While the models of working and mediums will undergo a change, what will remain strong is the need for strong storytelling. What will change however is the degree of authenticity in storytelling. It will take a hard turn towards stark reality …almost raw. Consumers want to know why the brand matters, why they should care about it and what is the brand impact? How are you adding value to the life of the consumer? Authentic storytelling will win over aesthetics.</li><li>The role of the founding or leadership team will become even more crucial. One cannot hide behind a faceless brand persona or logo anymore. You will have to put yourself out there to create a strong, credible and believable story about your brand that brings out its authenticity. This also brings in a lot more accountability that brands will have to guard their reputation on. Consumers want to pick up brands that walk the talk. You cannot be a CEO that promotes mental health and fire your agency on twitter. You cannot be talking about environmental sustainability and create a toxic work culture for humans. It just won’t fly anymore.</li><li>Community Building will take Center Stage. We saw a strong glimpse of this across 2020 and 2021. This will gain more ground in the coming year where communities around a brand vision will be created and drive conversation around a challenge.</li></ul>Sonam Shah, Founder and CEO, Treize Communications <img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/tibyc9RzmafWRj1oQ96Pfxprxx7EuPnJXnLWsmEKe08CGxmOOIazUJo5Mgjc5SAoyzFfXaoBQNfsLIDrhNUoe0xF7rWvlkfmK5RyYGNiPicQ_VR-_xzDBjFbhM1t83I8ZccKEJfQ" /> 2021 saw high demand in PR, especially in the area of influencer marketing. Brands, big and small, capitalised on this rising trend in the first half of the year. But, once the ASCI guidelines came into place from June 2021, there was a downward slip observed in the engagement. Instagram algorithms underwent a great uphaul as influencers had to win against AI algorithms. This phase again got brands and companies to focus on creating news and building brand recall. While demand has been high for PR, there have been some apprehensions also noticed when it comes to being out in the open/media. The second half of this year, saw print media come back, as newspaper circulation started, and people started reading it like before. This behavioural change instigated a need to be present in Print media, via editorial articles, and this will be the biggest trend in 2022. The need to present in Print media. Print media has always been a factor in bringing in trust and authenticity and clients do require to build that kind of strong trust within their stakeholders to continue businesses in a post-pandemic phase.

Trends that will dominate the PR industry in 2022

Each year, the Indian Union Budget holds the nation's economic pulse. In 2024, the focus was razor-sharp: catalysing the <keyword id="19916569" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="job-market" source="keywords">job market</keyword> and bridging the ever-widening skill gap, as the <keyword id="19916979" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="unemployment" source="keywords">unemployment</keyword> figures kept upward trajectory and dissatisfaction over government’s measures grew among the younger demographic. As a response, <keyword id="19955368" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget-2024" source="keywords">budget 2024</keyword> unveiled a meticulously crafted strategy, a multi-pronged attack to empower India's youth. The Union Budget 2024-2025 intends on focussing on youth and <keyword id="19898684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employment" source="keywords">employment</keyword>, prompting Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> to allocate Rs. 1.48 lakh crore for <keyword id="19907717" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="education" source="keywords">education</keyword>, employment and <keyword id="20374219" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="skilling" source="keywords">skilling</keyword>. Further, Modi 3.0’S budget includes 5 schemes to provide opportunities to 4.1 crore youth with a central outlay of Rs. 2 lakh crore over a period of the 5 years. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111944393" title="Here&amp;#39;s a quick overview of PM Modi 3.0 government&amp;#39;s first budget, to be presented by FM Nirmala Sitharaman today" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><h2>Nirmala Sitharaman announces 3 schemes for employment linked incentives:</h2><ul><li>Scheme A (First-timers): This will benefit first-time employees, providing one month’s wages to new entrants in all formal sectors. As per Sitharaman, Direct Benefit Transfer of one month salary in 3 instalments to first-time employees as registered in the EPFO will be up to ₹15,000. The eligibility limit will be a salary of ₹1 lakh per month. The scheme will benefit 210 lakh youth.</li><li>Scheme B (Job creation in manufacturing): This will provide incentives to both employees and employers for the first 4 years of employment under EPFO guidelines. It is expected to benefit 30 lakh youth and will cover additional employment across all sectors.</li><li>Scheme C (Support to employers): This will support employees with additional employment in all sectors by reimbursing employers up to ₹3,000 per month for two years for each additional employee's EPFO contributions. The scheme aims to incentivise the employment of 50 lakh additional people.</li></ul><h2>Improving participation of women in workforce</h2>As a part of Budget 2024-2025, Nirmala Sithraman announced that Modi 3.0 will focus on improving women participation in the workforce. The Government will focus on increasing women participation in the workforce. Some measures that will be taken include setting up hostels and creating partnerships to organise women-specific skilling programs and women self-help groups. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111946291" title="Union Budget 2024-25 key highlights: Standard deduction to increase to Rs 75,000 from Rs 50,000 under new tax regime" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Additional incentives for employment </h2>Sitharaman announced the launch of a scheme where 500 top companies will provide internship opportunities to one crore youth in five years. Internship allowance of Rs. 5000 per month along with one-time assistance of Rs. 6000 to be provided, the Finance Minister also said that the companies will be expected to earn the training cost and 10% of the internship cost from their CSR funds. According to Mr. Ramesh Alluri Reddy, CEO at TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, this “significant investment in skill development programs and the incentivization of industries to adopt comprehensive apprenticeships lays a solid foundation for a future-ready workforce. Integrating on-the-job training (OJT) as a mandated component of degrees, in collaboration with industry partners, allows students to gain invaluable practical experience, even if the training is not necessarily on-site.” “This initiative is a welcome move towards formal job creation, bridging the gap between theoretical education and real-world application, making graduates more job-ready.” <h2>Focus on skilling</h2>The Finance Minister said that the model skilling loan scheme will be revised to facilitate loans up to Rs 7.5 lakh. Further, a new scheme focussing on skilling will benefit 20 lakh individuals and ensure the set up of 1,000 training institutes and newly designed courses. <h2>Education loans</h2>The Union Budget 2024-25 proposes a revision of the Model Skill Loan Scheme to help 25,000 students every year. E-vouchers for loans up to Rs. 10 lakh for higher education in domestic institutions will be given directly to 1 lakh students every year with interest subvention of 3% of loan amount, said FM Sitharaman. Meanwhile, in the Interim Budget detailed in February 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted a notable increase in higher educational institutes and women enrolling in STEM courses over the past decade, attributing these improvements to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Further, contrary to expectations, funding for the University Grants Commission (UGC) was reduced by 60.99%, dropping to Rs. 2,500 crore from the previous year's revised estimate of Rs. 6,409 crore. Meanwhile, grants for central universities were increased by over Rs 4,000 crore, with a total allocation of Rs 15,928 crore for the financial year 2024-25. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111951205" title="Budget 2024-25 – Changes to tax slabs, increased standard deduction and other changes to direct taxation" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/union-budget-2024-live-updates-finance-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-key-announcements-23-july/liveblog/111942008.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Budget 2024 Live Updates: FM Sitharaman announces comprehensive review of the Income Tax Act 1961</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/govt-to-provide-11-11-lakh-crore-towards-capex-for-2024-25/articleshow/111950700.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Govt to provide ₹11.11 lakh crore towards capex for 2024-25</a>

Budget 2024: Record allocation of Rs 1.48 lakh crore for education, employment and skilling!

<ul><li>The Delhi High Court today (July 9) allowed more time to the <keyword id="151282" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="University-of-Delhi">University of Delhi</keyword> to come up with a detailed plan for conducting final exams. </li><li>That includes the mode of examination — online, offline or blended mode, final date sheet and necessary guidelines for students. </li><li>The development comes after the country’s premier government institution announced that the final year exams have now been postponed to August, 2020. </li></ul>The Delhi High Court today (July 9) allowed more time to the University of Delhi to come up with a detailed plan for conducting final exams for the graduating students. That includes the mode of examination — online, offline or blended mode, final date sheet and necessary guidelines for students. The development comes after the country’s premier government institution announced that the final year exams have now been <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/education/delhi-university-exams-postponed-till-august">postponed to August</a>, 2020. Earlier, the exams were scheduled to be held from July 10, 2020. The decision was taken during the High Court hearing, headed by Justice Pratibha M Singh. The university told the court that the exams will now be held after August 15. “Just see how you are playing the lives of children. You were not fair with the court about your preparedness for holding the online examinations. You are saying you are ready but the minutes of your meeting shows the contrary,” The High Court had said. The development came after several final year students filed a petition in the high court, seeking withdrawal of the announcement on online exams for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. This includes distance learning courses and exams. The decision to conduct the exam in July was highly opposed by the students. "We were willing to hold it, but the UGC guidelines came at the last moment," Advocate Sachin Dutta submitted before a single judge bench of Justice Pratibha M Singh. The petition also asked the court to allow an alternative evaluation model in place — that assesses students based on previous year’s result to promote first and second year students. The decision by the Delhi University comes at a time when <keyword id="6240601" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-University-Grants-Commission">the University Grants Commission</keyword> has mandated that the final year college students will have to sit for exams — online, offline or blended mode. “Evaluation of the terminal semester students which was to be done through examinations in the month of July, now their examinations will be conducted by the end of September-2020, following the guidelines laid down by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” Union Cabinet Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said on July 7. In case the student is unable to sit for the examination in September, they may be allowed to appear in special exams for those courses, which may be conducted by the universities later, when the situation normalises, the UGC guideline added. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/flipkart-bets-on-social-commerce-with-2gud-with-a-video-based-shopping-experience/articleshow/76851279.cms">Flipkart’s latest bet on social commerce will be led by influencers and a 'video-based shopping' experience</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/zoom-video-launches-new-hardware-as-a-service-with-multiple-vendor-options/articleshow/76850952.cms">Zoom Video launches new hardware as a service with multiple vendor options</a>

Delhi High Court grants more time to Delhi University to come up with a detailed plan for conducting final year exams

New Delhi, Jul 7 () Students across the country have objected to the HRD ministry's decision to not cancel the final year exams in universities in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying they feared community spread of the infection and not examinations. The students launched multiple petitions online and took to Twitter to raise their objection using hashtag "Student lives matter". "We, final year students are not testing kits for government. We are not in fear of exams about exam rather there is a fear of community spreading. You can maintain social distancing in exam centre but what about hostels where we have common washrooms, common mess," an online petition signed by over 46,000 students said. Another petition launched on change.org and signed by over 75,000 students said, "Due to this COVID-19 pandemic. We all are facing many problems and issues in our day-to-day life, we appreciate the rules and regulations of the Indian government in this situation. But there are too many things to be noticed from student's side. Can the government not prioritise lives over exams in pandemic." "India is 3rd worst COVID-19 affected country. Things might deteriorate further by September. Both offline and online exams remain a big NO in these difficult times. It is really painful to see MHA-MHRD-UGC-DU not caring for students' welfare," tweeted Mithuraaj Dhusiya, a teacher at Delhi University's Hansraj college. Another Twitter user said, "Why guidelines on conducting exams are changed frequently? It's difficult for students to appear in exams due to ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Why students can't be promoted and assessed on the basis of previous year results?" Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' on Monday said that it is important to safeguard health and safety of students but also equally important to ensure academic credibility and career opportunities. Final year exams in universities will have to be conducted by September-end this year, the HRD Ministry announced on Monday, deferring the schedule from July in view of the spike in COVID-19 cases. However, students unable to appear in final year exams in September will get another chance and universities will conduct special exams "as and when feasible", according to a revised guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The decision by the HRD Ministry came following a nod from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to conduct the exams as per the standard operating procedure (SOP) approved by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the central government announced a nationwide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. A nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which came into effect the next day. While the government has eased several restrictions, schools and colleges continue to remain closed. GJS KJ

COVID-19: Students object to govt's decision to not scrap final year exams in varsities

(Eds: Fixing typo in header) New Delhi, Jul 9 () Examinations are nerve- wracking and career of thousands of students is at stake, the Delhi High Court said on Thursday, pulling up the Delhi University for repeatedly postponing the exams of final year undergraduate courses in the last few weeks. The court questioned the varsity on pushing the exams from July 10 to a date beyond August 15, even when it kept maintaining that it was ready to conduct the Open Book Examinations (OBE) on July 1 as well as on July 10. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad directed Delhi University to file an affidavit detailing the schedule of final year undergraduate exams which have been postponed from July 10 to beyond August 15 in view of persisting COVID-19 pandemic. The high court also asked the varsity to explain in the affidavit as to how it proposes to conduct exams -- online, off-line or both modes, besides the complete date sheet, providing clarity to students. It allowed the prayer of senior advocate Sachin Dutta, representing DU, to grant some time as they have to work out a new plan in terms of July 8 circular issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for declaring the manner in which the forthcoming exams are to be conducted. The court directed the DU to file the affidavit by July 13 and listed the matter for consideration on July 14. "We all have gone through the examination process which is nerve-wracking for the students, especially during the times of COVID-19 pandemic," said the bench, which was conducting the hearing through video conferencing. "Why are you pushing the exams to a date beyond August 15, knowing that careers of thousands of students are at stake," the court said, adding that the final year students have to be given passing out certificates and degrees to enable them to pursue higher education. It asked the varsity to mull over the schedule given by the UGC and come back with a firm date sheet and examination schedule. The court was also critical of the way mock exams were conducted by the DU and referred to technical glitches during the tests. The bench did not appreciate the conduct of the varsity which has been "turning turtle" and changing stands frequently. It noted that on June 26, DU informed the court that it will go ahead with conducting exams from July 1 and after less than 24 hours, the university postponed the exams to July 10. The court had on June 29 issued notice to the varsity asking why contempt proceedings be not initiated against it and its officers for trying to mislead the court by withholding information on deferment of the online OBE from July 1 to July 10. The court was then informed that the university was firm on commencing exams from July 10. "We took you (DU) on face value and asked you to file an affidavit for clarity. Now we discover you have again changed the date to beyond August 15 and there is no exact date. What do you expect us to do. You want us to constantly monitor you on conducting exams," the bench said. It added, "Sorry to say the way the university is conducting itself for the last few weeks, we are not impressed with anything. We have to take it with a pinch of salt." In the affidavit filed by DU on Thursday morning, it was averred that meeting of a High Powered Committed of the university took place on July 7 at 9:30 PM to access the exam related matters and taking stalk of the developments pursuant to revised guidelines issued by UGC on July 6. Thereafter, the DU has decided to postpone holding of the examination to some date after August 15. Dutta said the university is still working upon the date sheet for the examination to be conducted after August 15. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the UGC, informed the court that on July 6 and July 8, it has issued a circular/ guidelines to all the universities informing them that the examination process for final year students must be completed by the end of September and the mode of conducting examination could be online, offline or a blend of both the methods. On being asked by the court as to whether the UGC has insisted that exams be conducted for promoting students, Mehta said exams are compulsory for final year students and the process has to be completed by September 30. The high court was hearing various petitions by several final year DU students seeking quashing and withdrawal of the notifications of May 14, May 30 and June 27 for online exams for undergraduate and postgraduate students, including of the School of Open Learning and Non-Collegiate Women Education Board. As an alternative prayer, one of the petitions has sought direction to the DU to evaluate the final year students based on the previous years' or semesters' results in the same manner as the university has planned to promote the first and second year students. On Wednesday, DU had incurred the wrath of a single judge for "playing with the lives of children" by deciding to again postpone the exams. The court had transferred the pleas to the division bench headed by Justice Kohli as it has already issued contempt notice to the varsity. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for one of the petitioners, submitted that DU be directed to follow all the procedures laid down in law and the court should be informed about the mode of conducting the examinations. SKV HMP SA

Examination process nerve wracking, students' career at stake: HC to DU on postponing exams

New Delhi, May 6 () The National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), a prominent B-schools has tied up with edu-tech company mUni Campus for conducting their exams online with live proctoring for students amid the coronavirus-forced lockdown.According to Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Director, NITIE, students were provided an opportunity to practice online demo test for over two days to get comfortable with this new way of giving exams online. "The examination was conducted in a quite innovative way. Students were able to appear for the exam comprising of a mix of MCQs, short and long descriptive questions," he said. The students had a choice to write their answers in the text box provided for and write on paper and upload the scanned sheets before submitting their work for grading, he said."We have developed a very innovative way of conducting the examination at large. It is secure and highly scalable with live proctoring. We are providing mUniPariksha online examination solutions following the guidelines of the UGC," Bhupesh Daheria, Founder, mUni Campus said.Universities and schools across the country have been closed and exams postponed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.Later, a nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which has now been extended till May 17. GJS GJS TDSTDS

NITIE ties up with edu-tech firm to conduct exams online amid lockdown

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6357783" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-bengal">West Bengal</keyword> CM said if the exams are conducted as scheduled, it would put students' lives at risk from the Covid-19 pandemic.</li><li>It is to be noted that <keyword id="6361994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="NEET">NEET</keyword> is scheduled on September 13 and JEE-Mains will be held from September 1-6.</li><li>Earlier, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had also urged <keyword id="1205297" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Bharatiya-Janata-Party">the Bharatiya Janata Party</keyword> (BJP)-led central government to consider the 'Mann Ki Baat' of students and address the postponement issue of the entrance examinations. </li></ul> West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Baner<keyword id="6392660" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="JEE">jee</keyword> on Monday urged the Centre for the second time to postpone NEET, JEE 2020. She said that the exams should not be held until the situation is conducive again. The West Bengal CM said if the exams are conducted as scheduled, it would put students' lives at risk from the Covid-19 pandemic. "In our last video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modiji, I had been vocal against the UGC guidelines mandating completion of terminal examinations in universities and colleges by the end of September 2020, which had a huge potential to put student lives at risk," Banerjee tweeted. It is to be noted that NEET is scheduled on September 13 and JEE-Mains will be held from September 1-6. "Now with the directive of the Education Ministry to conduct NEET, JEE 2020 in September, I would again appeal to the Centre to assess the risk and postpone these examinations until the situation is conducive again,a she said. Earlier, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had also urged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government to consider the 'Mann Ki Baat' of students and address the postponement issue of the entrance examinations. Meanwhile, India on Monday recorded 61,408 fresh cases of Covid-19 and 836 deaths in the last 24-hours. "It is our duty to ensure a safe environment for all our students," Banerjee said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/latest-job-openings-at-google-microsoft-jp-morgan-goldman-sachs-ericsson-amazon-adobe-zomato-for-software-engineers/slidelist/77585263.cms">Google, Microsoft, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Ericsson and other companies hiring software engineers in India right now</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/the-heat-is-on-mark-zuckerberg-in-india-as-facebook-and-whatsapp-incur-the-ire-of-modis-rivals/articleshow/77575358.cms">The heat is on Mark Zuckerberg in India as Facebook and WhatsApp incur the ire of Modi's rivals</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-top-9-movies-on-netflix-this-week-from-aposjurassic-parkapos-to-aposwork-itapos/slidelist/77548389.cms">The top 9 movies on Netflix this week, from 'Jurassic Park' to 'Work It'</a>

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee urges Centre to postpone NEET-JEE 2020

<ul><li>The <keyword id="8902449" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-pandemic">COVID-19 pandemic</keyword> and <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword> has brought about a sea change in how the world functions. It is also changing the way people consume.</li><li>New rules of surviving and thriving in these uncertain times are being written everyday‌.</li><li><keyword id="1645388" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vivek-Pandey">Vivek Pandey</keyword>, VP - Revenue Strategy &amp; Analytics, <keyword id="51757" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="TIMES-INTERNET">Times Internet</keyword> writes about some tips for marketers to come out of this current crisis victorious.</li></ul> The‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌pandemic‌ ‌has‌ ‌fundamentally‌ ‌transformed‌ ‌the‌ ‌world‌ ‌as‌ ‌we‌ ‌know‌ ‌it.‌ ‌Consumers‌ ‌are‌ ‌living,‌ ‌shopping,‌ ‌thinking‌ ‌and‌ ‌interacting‌ ‌with‌ ‌each‌ ‌other‌ ‌in‌ ‌new‌ ‌ways.‌ ‌Similarly,‌ ‌they‌ ‌are‌ ‌looking‌ ‌at‌ ‌products‌ ‌&amp;‌ ‌services‌ ‌from‌ ‌brands‌ ‌through‌ ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌lens‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌well.‌ ‌ While‌ ‌the‌ ‌CoronaVirus‌ ‌is‌ ‌reshaping‌ ‌the‌ ‌global‌ ‌advertising‌ ‌&amp;‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌industry,‌ ‌it‌ ‌is‌ ‌rapidly‌ ‌accelerating‌ ‌long-term‌ ‌underlying‌ ‌industry‌ ‌trends‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌matter‌ ‌of‌ ‌weeks‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌outbreak.‌ ‌These‌ ‌new‌ ‌aspects‌ ‌of‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌behavior‌ ‌will‌ ‌live‌ ‌beyond‌ ‌the‌ ‌immediate‌ ‌effects‌ ‌of‌ ‌this‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌and‌ ‌not‌ ‌only‌ ‌permanently‌ ‌change‌ ‌what‌ ‌we‌ ‌value,‌ ‌it‌ ‌will‌ ‌also‌ ‌affect‌ ‌everything‌ ‌from‌ ‌how‌ ‌and‌ ‌where‌ ‌we‌ ‌shop,‌ ‌how‌ ‌we‌ ‌live‌ ‌and‌ ‌work.‌ ‌ As‌ ‌a‌ ‌marketer‌ ‌who‌ ‌is‌ ‌seeing‌ ‌this‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌evolve,‌ ‌it's‌ ‌crucial‌ ‌to‌ ‌explore‌ ‌the‌ ‌challenges‌ ‌happening‌ ‌right‌ ‌now‌ ‌so‌ ‌we‌ ‌can‌ ‌consider‌ ‌what‌ ‌your‌ ‌brand‌ ‌can‌ ‌do‌ ‌to‌ ‌prepare‌ ‌for‌ ‌what’s‌ ‌next.‌ Here‌ ‌are‌ ‌some‌ ‌dos‌ ‌and‌ ‌don’t‌ ‌of‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌current‌ ‌crisis:‌ ‌ DO‌ ‌get‌ ‌to‌ ‌know‌ ‌your‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌ Most‌ ‌people‌ ‌around‌ ‌the‌ ‌world‌ ‌are‌ ‌deeply‌ ‌concerned‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌impact‌ ‌of‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌on‌ ‌our‌ ‌lives‌ ‌and‌ ‌livelihoods.‌ ‌They‌ ‌are‌ ‌responding‌ ‌in‌ ‌various‌ ‌ways‌ ‌and‌ ‌have‌ ‌adopted‌ ‌new‌ ‌attitudes,‌ ‌behaviors‌ ‌and‌ ‌purchasing‌ ‌habits‌ ‌as‌ ‌they‌ ‌stay‌ ‌home.‌ ‌As‌ ‌people‌ ‌are‌ ‌adapting‌ ‌to‌ ‌a‌ ‌new‌ ‌normal,‌ ‌they‌ ‌are‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌fearful‌ ‌position‌ ‌of‌ ‌contemplating‌ ‌what‌ ‌this‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌means‌ ‌for‌ ‌them,‌ ‌but‌ ‌more‌ ‌importantly,‌ ‌what‌ ‌it‌ ‌means‌ ‌for‌ ‌their‌ ‌families‌ ‌&amp;‌ ‌friends,‌ ‌and‌ ‌society‌ ‌at‌ ‌large.‌ ‌ Your‌ ‌brand’s‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌are‌ ‌also‌ ‌responding‌ ‌to‌ ‌this‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌wide‌ ‌variety‌ ‌of‌ ‌ways.‌ ‌Some‌ ‌are‌ feeling‌ ‌anxious‌ ‌and‌ ‌worried,‌ ‌some‌ ‌must‌ ‌be‌ ‌panic-buying‌ ‌staples‌ ‌and‌ ‌hygiene‌ ‌products‌ ‌and‌ ‌so‌ ‌on.‌ ‌Similarly,‌ ‌some‌ ‌pockets‌ ‌of‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌may‌ ‌remain‌ ‌indifferent‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌pandemic‌ ‌and‌ ‌are‌ ‌continuing‌ ‌to‌ ‌live‌ ‌their‌ ‌lives‌ ‌at‌ ‌home‌ ‌as‌ ‌usual.‌ ‌The‌ ‌days‌ ‌of‌ ‌one-size-fits-all‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌are‌ ‌over.‌ ‌Companies‌ ‌need‌ ‌to‌ ‌understand‌ ‌how‌ ‌their‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌are‌ ‌reacting‌ ‌to‌ ‌this‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌and‌ ‌ develop‌ ‌customized‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌strategies‌ ‌for‌ ‌each‌ ‌of‌ ‌these‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌segments.‌ ‌ DO‌ ‌stay‌ ‌authentic‌ ‌in‌ ‌communication‌ ‌ Authenticity‌ ‌is‌ ‌crucial‌ ‌to‌ ‌create‌ ‌strong‌ ‌bonds‌ ‌with‌ ‌customers,‌ ‌especially‌ ‌during‌ ‌a‌ ‌crisis‌ ‌when‌ ‌you’d‌ ‌want‌ ‌to‌ ‌insert‌ ‌your‌ ‌brand‌ ‌into‌ ‌daily‌ ‌conversations.‌ ‌According‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌‌Kantar‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌barometer‌ ‌report‌,‌ ‌64%‌ ‌of‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌want‌ ‌brands‌ ‌to‌ ‌communicate‌ ‌their‌ ‌values‌ ‌through‌ ‌their‌ ‌messaging.‌ ‌Advertisers‌ ‌who‌ ‌are‌ ‌able‌ ‌to‌ ‌remain‌ ‌true‌ ‌to‌ ‌their‌ ‌brand‌ ‌and‌ ‌values‌ ‌will‌ ‌gain‌ ‌brand‌ ‌equity.‌ ‌ DO‌ ‌re-assess‌ ‌your‌ ‌post-pandemic‌ ‌media‌ ‌mix‌ ‌ Staying‌ ‌at‌ ‌home‌ ‌is‌ ‌affecting‌ ‌the‌ ‌way‌ ‌people‌ ‌are‌ ‌consuming‌ ‌online‌ ‌and‌ ‌offline‌ ‌media‌ ‌around‌ ‌the‌ ‌world.‌ ‌Coupled‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌shift‌ ‌in‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌behavior,‌ ‌certain‌ ‌segments‌ ‌like‌ ‌connected‌ ‌TV,‌ ‌desktop‌ ‌video‌ ‌and‌ ‌mobile‌ ‌video‌ ‌may‌ ‌see‌ ‌surges‌ ‌during‌ ‌weekdays,‌ ‌while‌ ‌certain‌ ‌platforms‌ ‌may‌ ‌see‌ ‌a‌ ‌flat‌ ‌line.‌ ‌ In‌ ‌these‌ ‌uncertain‌ ‌times,‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌are‌ ‌also‌ ‌leaning‌ ‌towards‌ ‌premium‌ ‌media‌ ‌like‌ ‌The‌ ‌Times‌ ‌Of‌ ‌India‌ ‌Online,‌ ‌Economic‌ ‌Times‌ ‌Online‌ ‌among‌ ‌others‌ ‌as‌ ‌they‌ ‌need‌ ‌trustworthy‌ ‌sources‌ ‌for‌ ‌news‌ ‌&amp;‌ ‌information‌ ‌to‌ ‌stay‌ ‌connected‌ ‌over‌ ‌random‌ ‌user-generated‌ ‌content‌ ‌(UGC).‌ ‌This‌ ‌is‌ ‌an‌ ‌essential‌ ‌takeaway‌ ‌as‌ ‌you‌ ‌plan‌ ‌your‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌mix‌ ‌during‌ ‌this‌ ‌time.‌ ‌ DO‌ ‌re-look‌ ‌at‌ ‌your‌ ‌audience‌ ‌segmentation‌ ‌ In‌ ‌times‌ ‌of‌ ‌such‌ ‌crisis,‌ ‌customer‌ ‌attunement‌ ‌is‌ ‌crucial.‌ ‌If‌ ‌you‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌broad‌ ‌customer‌ ‌base‌ ‌today,‌ ‌brainstorm‌ ‌about‌ ‌ways‌ ‌to‌ ‌segment‌ ‌your‌ ‌audience‌ ‌into‌ ‌further‌ ‌segments‌ ‌based‌ ‌on‌ ‌their‌ ‌behavior,‌ ‌demographics,‌ ‌psychographics‌ ‌so‌ ‌that‌ ‌you‌ ‌are‌ ‌able‌ ‌to‌ ‌reach‌ ‌the‌ ‌right‌ ‌person‌ ‌at‌ ‌the‌ ‌right‌ ‌time‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌correct‌ ‌messaging.‌ ‌ Closely‌ ‌monitor‌ ‌your‌ ‌own‌ ‌online‌ ‌platform’s‌ ‌web‌ ‌analytics‌ ‌and‌ ‌make‌ ‌a‌ ‌note‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌metrics‌ ‌that‌ ‌have‌ ‌shifted‌ ‌in‌ ‌terms‌ ‌of‌ ‌customer‌ ‌behavior.‌ ‌Once‌ ‌you‌ ‌segment‌ ‌your‌ ‌audience‌ ‌in‌ ‌terms‌ ‌of‌ ‌these‌ ‌shifts,‌ ‌adapt‌ ‌your‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌strategy,‌ ‌messaging‌ ‌and‌ ‌landing‌ ‌pages‌ ‌to‌ ‌provide‌ ‌the‌ ‌information‌ ‌customers‌ ‌are‌ ‌looking‌ ‌for,‌ ‌clearly‌ ‌and‌ ‌readily,‌ ‌for‌ ‌a‌ ‌better‌ ‌customer‌ ‌experience.‌ ‌ DON’T‌ ‌assume‌ ‌pre-pandemic‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌behavior‌ ‌ The‌ ‌standard‌ ‌media‌ ‌consumption‌ ‌patterns‌ ‌are‌ ‌transforming‌ ‌rapidly‌ ‌with‌ ‌box‌ ‌office‌ ‌closures,‌ ‌work-from-home‌ ‌guidelines‌ ‌and‌ ‌cancellations‌ ‌of‌ ‌sports‌ ‌leagues.‌ ‌This‌ ‌has‌ ‌obviously‌ ‌impacted‌ ‌the‌ ‌media‌ ‌consumption‌ ‌cycle.‌ ‌ Similarly,‌ ‌some‌ ‌brands‌ ‌are‌ ‌limiting‌ ‌their‌ ‌online‌ ‌presence‌ ‌from‌ ‌appearing‌ ‌on‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌related‌ ‌content.‌ ‌However,‌ ‌given‌ ‌the‌ ‌significant‌ ‌mindshare‌ ‌and‌ ‌unprecedented‌ ‌amount‌ ‌of‌ ‌media‌ ‌attention‌ ‌that‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌has‌ ‌rightfully‌ ‌garnered,‌ ‌blocking‌ ‌a‌ ‌brand’s‌ ‌ads‌ ‌on‌ ‌this‌ ‌content‌ ‌may‌ ‌lead‌ ‌to‌ ‌an‌ ‌inability‌ ‌to‌ ‌connect‌ ‌with‌ ‌potential‌ ‌audiences.‌ ‌ ‌ DON’T‌ ‌share‌ ‌insensitive‌ ‌or‌ ‌misleading‌ ‌content‌ ‌ The‌ ‌role‌ ‌of‌ ‌tone‌ ‌and‌ ‌messaging‌ ‌was‌ ‌backed‌ ‌up‌ ‌by‌ ‌the‌ ‌Kantar‌ ‌COVID-19‌ ‌barometer‌ ‌report,‌ ‌which‌ ‌reported‌ ‌that‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌70%‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌believe‌ ‌that‌ ‌brands‌ ‌should‌ ‌not‌ ‌exploit‌ ‌the‌ ‌situation‌ ‌to‌ ‌promote‌ ‌their‌ ‌brand.‌ ‌ While‌ ‌putting‌ ‌out‌ ‌an‌ ‌ad‌ ‌it's‌ ‌important‌ ‌to‌ ‌ask‌ ‌if‌ ‌the‌ ‌messaging‌ ‌is‌ ‌insensitive‌ ‌or‌ ‌may‌ ‌induce‌ ‌widespread‌ ‌panic.‌ ‌A‌ ‌good‌ ‌idea‌ ‌is‌ ‌to‌ ‌test‌ ‌potential‌ ‌ads‌ ‌and‌ ‌get‌ ‌feedback‌ ‌from‌ ‌potential‌ ‌customers‌ ‌before‌ ‌putting‌ ‌it‌ ‌out.‌ ‌

The‌ ‌Dos‌ ‌and‌ ‌Don’ts‌ ‌of‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌during‌ ‌a‌ pandemic‌

<ul><li>After seeing a few lean months and IPL around the corner, experts are hoping to see their businesses bounce back to normalcy and get on-track to their revenue goals.</li><li>However, due to the restriction on production and limited budgets, the storytelling will not be the same this year. </li><li>So we speak to a few <keyword id="1015861" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="advertising-agencies">advertising agencies</keyword> to figure out how they are gearing up for IPL’s season 13 this time and how brands should win consumer’s trust this time after a long-dry-spell.</li></ul>A stadium full of people, the audience cheering for the team or its captain and the theme song goes off in the background -- a standard format that was followed for <keyword id="6354831" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-premier-league">Indian Premier League</keyword> ads since its inception. Over the years, we have also seen some ads that were shot remotely, to capture how IPL unites families. All these ads have tried to capture the consumer frenzy around IPL. In fact, its campaign in 2011 called ‘Bharat Bandh’ represented how the entire country shuts down just to watch the tournament. IPL has been a treat for the eyes, not just for the sport, but for the array of wonderful ads that it brings with it too. However, this year is not the same as the past 12 seasons of IPL and the storytelling will have to be tailored according to the current situation. Advertising agencies will have to shoot the ads with minimum crew or come up with creative solutions to make an IPL-benchmark ad remotely within a limited budget that entertains people as it always has. Consumers are now looking for an escape more than ever before, something that breaks the monotony of their routine. However, the campaigns will also have to be sensitive because the lockdown might be lifted, but the pandemic is not over yet. What is otherwise celebrated as a gala with a stadium full of spectators, this time, will be viewed mostly on digital platforms. At the same time, after seeing a few lean months, experts are also hoping to see their businesses bounce back to normalcy and get on-track to their revenue goals after IPL. So, there is a lot of hope resting on IPL from all sides -- brands, agency networks and consumers. We spoke to experts to see how they are going to navigate these challenges in the new normal and maintain the level of creativity of the old-normal. Production challenges <keyword id="4176392" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL-ads">IPL ads</keyword> are known for their creativity and large-scale production. With limited budget and production scope, how different will this year be? Tarun Rai, Chairman and Group CEO, Wunderman Thompson, South Asia said that creativity always finds its way. Rai said, “Production is back and we have found ways of ensuring that we deliver the same quality as before the crisis. I do not, therefore, believe that there will be any compromise in the quality of the advertising. We are a creative industry and have found creative ways to execute even large-scale productions. They may have been supervised remotely but we ensured that quality didn't suffer.” During the lockdown, agencies turned to their employees or family to shoot footage for their advertisements. We are past that stage now. However, Rahul Mathew, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group said that budget restrictions affected industry’s output, not just the production limitations. He explained, “We seemed to have moved ahead from the phone camera films, as film production has started to find its feet again. But it comes with rules, regulations and anxieties that we will need to learn to work with, and not just for IPL. As for quality, we may not be at our best as an industry, this time around. And not all of it would have to do with the shooting and production limitations. Clients would be mindful of how much they spend and budgets will have a bigger say in who you work with or how elaborate your executions will be. Also, there wasn’t much prep time for this IPL. So all of this may start to show in the work.” Referring to Nike’s latest ad, Nisha Singhania- Director &amp; Co-Founder, Infectious Advertising, on the other hand, believes that ‘nothing can stop’ the industry from doing what they do best. Creativity will remain unaffected. She said, “Advertising is getting back on its feet and shoots are happening as we speak. So no reason for any compromises whatsoever, in fact, if anything one has learnt during the lockdown is that more the restrictions, more people think out of the box and innovate. Case in point the Nike ‘You Can’t Stop Us’ ad which was an editing marvel. While the quantity may go down, as brands may want to optimise, no reason for the quality to reduce.” Mitesh Kothari, Co-Founder, White Rivers Media says a few ads were shot even before COVID-19’s sword started dangling on our heads. Kothari said, “A lot of ads were shot pre-covid period and were ready. In fact, I believe it will be a welcome change, where people have been used to seeing a lot of low production ads off lately, and with IPL being rescheduled, some precovid, big budget ads would be on, on tv and digital. Also, with a lot of things on an 'unlock' mode, the production budgets are returning to mid size and quality ain’t being compromised.” While some on the other hand, are turning to animation or UGC content. “Since the pandemic, we have seen ads being shot on mobile phones and even remotely via zoom. While advertisers are looking at newer and more creative storytelling devices, there has not been a big dent in quality. However, the experience is likely to be different from what we have been used to in the past as more and more brands will lean towards animation or sourced footage either via stock or user generated content backed by stronger scripts and compelling voice overs,” said Premkumar Iyer, Vice President, National Operations, Gozoop. IPL holds the burden of shifting the first-half of the year on its head Experts are hoping that consumer sentiment will improve once IPL begins and sales will follow. It is also supposed to bring the advertising industry back on track and end the dry spell. “We’ve been starved of sport and are still starving for cricket. So I expect this IPL to be gathering some serious eyeballs. And that’s reason enough for a lot of advertisers to be there,” said Mathew. Telling us why IPL is the most important event for brands this time, Gozoop’s Iyer said, “As per a report, Star will be charging Rs 8 to 10 lakh for a 10-second ad in the upcoming IPL season, It also has to be noted that Star has previously charged brands Rs 25 lakh for 10-second slots during the India vs Pakistan ICC World Cup match and between Rs 16 to 18 lakh for other World Cup matches. In comparison, the IPL ad charges are still reasonable although the rates are among the costliest for a programme in the country. This is where the opportunity lies. For brands, the IPL is a massive event and has real potential to improve the market situation, add to it the fact that it is just before festive season means that brands are likely to take the plunge to make one last and final sales push in order to end the year on a better note.” Due to reasonable rates and desire to latch onto the first opportunity to reach consumers on a large scale, experts are hoping to see the numbers of ads also going up this time. “We might see more ads during the IPL this year. There have been few opportunities for brands to talk to their consumers for the past few months and IPL is such a huge property. Advertisers realise that they need to capture all the pent-up consumer demand and with the IPL scheduled just before the start of the festive season in India the timing is even more opportune,” said Rai. IPL is also coinciding with festive season, two big mood changers, which will bring in more money and ads from brands. “Because of certain price benefits there shall be a flurry of ads. Also, the fact that IPL is coinciding with festive, brands have all the more reasons to spend. IPL is indeed going to be a big mood-lifter and hopefully shall generate a lot of consumer sentiment upshift,” said Kothari. Guidelines to follow for ads to win consumer’s trust All experts we spoke to said that IPL will shift the consumer sentiment in brands’ favour but the macro factors haven’t changed at all. They have worsened. So, creators will have to try extra hard to win consumer’s trust and not turn a blind eye towards the status quo. Telling us what the advertisers should keep in mind while working on IPL campaigns, Kothari said, “While the fundamentals of marketing remain, one has to understand the fundamentals of marketing layered with covid effects. Brands cannot cease to be empathetic. Since IPL is the first big event lined up for Indian consumers after a silence of 6 months, brands must try every single effort to upshift the mood. The fact that a lot of consumer segments and categories of brands had gone in slumber, a lot more are going to come back with IPL. Hence, brands must take into account the festive &amp; IPL clutter in their creative campaigns and media plans.” Mathew highlighted how brands might want to talk about how the whole world is behaving in the same manner now and breaking the clutter will be a task this time. He explained, “Creativity feeds off experiences. And because people have different experiences and influences, you tend to see varied and unique expressions of creativity. But this time around a lot of us have gone through the same experiences; we’ve felt the same and behaved the same way. So it will be very tempting for brands to play off that and end in the sea of sameness. That’s going to be the biggest challenge for brands this year – to find something that’s insightful and not merely a truism from the times we live in. And, of course, be entertaining as far as possible. We could all do with as many reasons to smile.” Singhania, on the other hand, said that IPL should continue to be the mood-shifter that it is and offer a much-needed break to consumers. “IPL ads have always been extremely entertaining, and that needs to continue. Even more so in times like this, since people are bored and looking for an escape. While in many categories, people need to be sensitive about the current context, I don’t think that is needed for the IPL. The campaigns have always been light-hearted, and any change in that tonality might just dilute the fun quotient,” said Singhania.

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