In India, about 40% of the agricultural soils are Zinc-deficient, which amounts to over 60 million hectares (Mha) being Zinc deficient. Zinc deficiency is recognized as the 5th major cause of diseases in developing countries. To address this crippling issue, International Zinc Association (IZA), along with Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) announced a first-of-its-kind pilot project to study the effect of zinc application on crop productivity, soil health andpopularizing Zinc fertilization among the farmers by entering into an MoU with Maharana Pratap University in Udaipur.
As part of the MoU, Maharana Pratap University undertook a discussion around “Promotion of Zinc in Crops for Ensuring Food and Nutrition Security” with the objective
To study the effect of Zn application methods on productivity, soil health and quality of maize-wheat cultivars under zinc deficient areas.
To popularize the Zn fertilization among the farmers through field demonstration and capacity building.
As part of the pilot project, the university would engage and mentor around 100 farmers to incorporate zinc to increase productivity, starting with wheat and then maize in the next cropping season.
Mr Arun Misra, CEO Hindustan Zinc, said, “Zinc is a key micronutrient that is an absolute must for our body to strengthen our immunity and protect us is a realization that has become a part of our life as we are fighting the pandemic. While this is a fact, the worrying reality is that In India, about 40% of the agricultural soils are Zinc-deficient making the crop and food we consume deficient in Zinc. The need of the hour is to grow and consume Zinc rich food and that requires us to urgently and collectively work towards food fortification. As a conscious step, we at Hindustan Zinc have partnered with International Zinc Association (IZA) and Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture & Technology (MPUAT) to start a zinc rich crop trial on a farmland at Udaipur in Rajasthan, India to enable Agri-solutions for nutrition security. This pilot project will study new and innovative products and technologies for Zinc application methods on productivity, soil health and quality of maize-wheat cultivars in the zinc deficient areas to make our meals enriched with zinc nutrient.”
Speaking at the conference, Dr Andrew Green – Executive Director, IZA said, “For the agricultural sector to grow, not only does the farm production require improvement, but the output quality needs to improve as well. The Zinc deficiency in the soil leads to its insufficiency in the plant that not only reduces crop productivity but the low content of Zinc in grain and stover causing Zinc deficiency in human and animals with serious health impairment and functioning. Therefore, comprehensive steps have to be taken to get a complete solution, from irrigation to sowing, harvesting to ensure the issue of zinc deficit is addressed, a humongous issue. International Zinc Association acknowledges that environment and sustainability programs are essential to the future of Zinc and is committed to contributing scientific know how towards that aim.”
The MoU was attended by Dr N. S. Rathore Vice-Chancellor MPUAT, Udaipur, Dr Andrew Green Executive Director, IZA, Dr Soumitra Das Director, South Asia, ZNI, IZA, Amrita Singh. Chief Marketing Officer, Hindustan Zinc Ltd, Dr S. K. Sharma, Director Research, MPUAT, Udaipur, Dr Devendra Jain, Assistant Professor, Dr Gajanand Jat, Assistant Professor, RCA, Udaipur. They discussed the relevance of the use of Zinc in crop production and to popularize the Zinc fertilization among the farmers.
Raising concern over the issue, Dr Soumitra Das, Director (South Asia), Zinc Nutrient Initiative, IZA, said, “The best way to address this issue is to increase the awareness and educating the concerned stakeholders, including the extension & promotional workers and more importantly, the last mile delivery – the end beneficiary, the farmers. It is estimated that about 50% of the cereal-cultivated soils globally are deficient in plant-available Zinc, leading to reductions in crop production and nutritional quality. Therefore, we have planned a strategic multi-step approach consisting of a proposed study on new and innovative products/technologies.”
On this association, Dr N.S. Rathode, Vice-Chancellor, MPUT, “This association will prove extremely helpful for southern Rajasthan where more than 50% of the land is deficit of zinc. Through this association and the newer technology used, the agricultural land in Rajasthan will be extremely benefitted, and we will be able to lessen the zinc deficit in the land”.
On the occasion of National Pollution Control Day a webinar organized by Jamia Hamdard in collaboration with Indian Pollution Control Association (IPCA). Dignitaries present at the webinar were Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, Prof. (Dr.) M. Afshar Alam, Fonder director of Indian pollution control association Mr. Ashish Jain & Dr. Radha Goyal, Deputy Director of Indian Pollution control association.
Speaking during the virtual program on the National Pollution Control Day organized by Jamia Hamdard University the Founder Indian Pollution Control Association Mr. Ashish Jain highlighted the current plastic issue which is now a global subject from last 5-6 years after the UN assembly pointed on the Plastic issue, Also the Prime minister of India is committed and working on the plastic Free India campaign including the PW Rule 2016 of EPR which is a great initiative of Government environment program running.
Jain also mentioned the poor enforcement of rules and policy is a serious concern that need to take care by the Government of India, to counter this he said some of the states already banned the plastic but few states still manufacturing It, which is the lack of policy implementations of Government of India, Government should take a strong decision on enforcementship program of Plastic waste management
Dr. Radha Goyal, Deputy Director of Indian Pollution Control Association said “Air pollution problem is not only in Delhi. It is the problem of entire India, where more than 122 cities are facing the poor air quality issue due to high PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations. As a short-term measure, NCAP, India’s flagship program has been launched in 2019 to reduce the PM2.5 levels by 20-25% by 2024. However, this is not sufficient. We will still not be able to achieve the safe limits of air quality as per Indian Standards. To manage the problem of air pollution holistically, India needs to follow air shed management approach, where coordinated action are required at interdepartmental, inter cities and interstates levels with timely enforcement of air quality control measures to achieve the desired results. Further, there is a need for performance-based grant allocation to different states with provisions and policies for incentivization of committed interventions and control measures to meet the compliance. Citizen lead Air Quality management approach is the need of an hour to inculcate the best practices and responsible behavior among citizens to tackle the local level air quality issues”
IPCA is working in the field of Plastic and Air for the last 20 Year collected 1.50 Lakh Metric tonne of multi-layered plastic from the environment, which was earlier used as a fuel for second-generation plant in Delhi NCR, IPCA also develop its own Recycle plant in Greater Noida and recycling plastic waste to useful products, apart from the Waste segregation IPCA also Installing Air Purifier in various Area.
IPCA is also running a unique campaign ’10 KG Plastic’ to support the plastic waste at the source, which collects the waste from the doorstep of the residency so anyone can join this campaign to save the environment as it is a fundamental right and everyone responsibility.
Euronics has been a market leader in public washroom automation accessories for almost 2 decades now. Since then, their team has grown to manifolds with a PAN India presence. They have always believed that the customers can never love a company until its employees do. So, they have always strived to provide a thriving culture for the employees to grow as individuals and as team players. A place where everyone can feel inspired, motivated, and engaged is their ultimate goal.
After all the steps and efforts toward sustainable solutions, Euronics has left a mark not just on the industry but also has set an example for a better working environment for employees. And so, the brand has been awarded The Great Places To work Award in 2020-22
On this occasion, Abhishek Jain said, “We are elated to receive this award two times in a row. In order to celebrate this, we have ensured that HR Policies are strongly focused on the mental health and fitness of their employees. Euronics introduced 2 additional Saturday offs for the female employees who are also mothers to children from age group 0 to 15. Euronics also provides an additional monthly Work from Home to all of our female staff who have discomfort during their periods.”
The second wave of the pandemic in India had shown us that any kind of help in difficult times can help someone stay afloat. The brand undertook the responsibility to be there for its employees in tough times. They put up policies for the employees and their immediate family members, covering the cost of their treatment if they are hospitalized with additional paid leaves while they are recovering from Covid. This has been proved to be an excellent way to increase employee morale and a worry-free recovery so that they can start afresh.
Additionally, free vaccination camps were set up for employees. The management made sure to get everyone vaccinated with 2 doses before they came back to office by encouraging everyone constantly. They have also taken extreme measures to adhere to the covid-19 guidelines in the office premises and the manufacturing facilities so that coming back to office can be less risky and convenient.
For those who had been already diagnosed with Covid-19 and others who are doubtful of any emerging symptom, the company has also provided a free corporate subscription of the Practo health app. The devastation of the second wave prevented any kind of hospital visits, and Practo made it possible for the employees to take live consultations with doctors in the safety of their homes. This helped prevent any kind of risk of getting infected.
These are just a few of the examples of how the brand treats mental and physical health above everything.
The monetary help is extended to any of the family members of the employees who are detected of serious diseases like cancer. They will be given support in terms of treatment and other medical costs which will help them remain strong in such situations and ensure that the brand will support them to the best of its ability. Along with the medical assistance, they are offering interest-free loans to the employees who are not doing well financially and are in need of help.
The highlight of the recent addition to the employee benefit policies is the monetary assistance to working and single mothers. Euronics is proud of some of the brilliant female employees who have been working here for a long time and want to do everything to prevent any hindrance to their growth. For this, they have introduced a single mother policy which would give a quarterly compensation to all those mothers who are single-handedly supporting the education of their children. They understand that they might be the sole breadwinners of their households and supporting them could lift a few worries off their shoulders.
Euronics is very proud to empower strong women across the entire value chain of their company environment.
There’s a lot to take away from the above policies that are being established in order to support the staff in all the possible ways even in the most difficult times. That’s what sets this brand apart in terms of the working environment for the people associated with it.
To mark the centenary celebrations of TTK Group’s Founder-Chairman, Mr. T.T. Narasimhan, the company has organized the TTN 100 concert series. The concerts will be virtual, with each concert releasing every Sunday, starting 5th December. The concerts will be available completely free for anyone who is a fan of Carnatic music.
Anil Srinivasan (left), Sikkil Gurucharan (middle) and Sumesh Narayanan (right) weaving their magic in the TTN 100 Concert series
The artists featured in this series of concerts are stalwarts like Anil Srinivasan, Sikkil Gurucharan as well as the relatively newer crop of musicians like Shreya Devnath, Viveick Rajagopalan, and many more.
All you need to do is log on to the website www.ttn100.com and enjoy these concerts for free. The first 3 concerts to be featured on the website are listed below, with more to follow soon after.
We at the TTK Group invite you to join us in a celebration of the birth centenary of Mr. T.T. Narasimhan. Follow @TTN.100 on Instagram and ‘TTN 100’ on Facebook to get updates.
About the TTK Group
The TTK Group was among the earliest to introduce such western goods in India, building up a vast network of distributors. Close to 150 products of the major multinational companies of the time came to India through TTK. In the early ‘30s, the TTK Group began its journey as a market-making partner and introduced foreign products into the Indian market. In fact, the Group has pioneered organized distribution in India. Over the years, the group has built powerful brands of its own, tenaciously gaining not just a pan-Indian but a global market as well for many of its products. The Group now has a turnover of over Rs. 2500 crores and a market capitalization of Rs. 10,000 crore and includes two publicly listed companies.
Today TTK Group is an Rs. 2500 crores Group with 30 product categories and services with 16 manufacturing units, employing 6000 people and having export to every continent.
The company has achieved this feat without ever losing its values while being committed to the consumer and maintaining product quality. Our consumer products are available at affordable prices and help make life better for society at large.
Staying true to one of its fundamental values that businesses must positively impact society, Arvind Limited once again communicates its belief in enabling new mind-sets through fashion. The popular clothing brand today released its latest film titled ‘Fashion for All’ to celebrate the ‘International Day of Persons with Disabilities’ in collaboration with Atypical Advantage – India’s largest inclusive platform that generates livelihood opportunities for persons with disabilities.
In harmony with the ongoing wedding season, the film opens to two best friends sharing a moment of togetherness against the backdrop of a wedding. The film offers a glimpse of an excitement-filled wedding day through the perspective of a differently-abled groom and his best man. “Fashion for All” celebrates the commonality of human spirit; the desire to look good remains common despite all our differences. The film brings this message to life through some heartwarming moments shared between the groom and his best friend. Sachin Shetty, the lead actor in the film who suffers from Distal Spinal Muscular Atrophy, effortlessly plays the groom, something which is even more laudable when one considers that this is his first time in front of the camera. The film is conceptualised and scripted by At Large Communications and produced by Cheese & Crackers, while the talent partner for the ad film is Atypical Advantage.
Pranav Dave, CMO & Business Head – Retail Division, Arvind Limited shared, “As a market leader, we are not driven only by bottom lines and profits, but are inspired to build social impact and create opportunities where few exist. As a brand, Arvind has grown holistically over the years, and through our range of social collaborations, we have always tried to make a difference in the society. With this film, we intend to connect with our consumers at an emotional level and showcase the inclusive values that Arvind stands for as a fashion brand of today and that society at large must espouse. The initial feedback has been overwhelming which will definitely encourage us to undertake similar initiatives in the future. We strongly believe that fashion empowers and we are happy to celebrate inclusive fashion that spreads positivity.”
Vineet Saraiwala, Founder of Atypical Advantage said “We aspire to build new and diverse livelihood opportunities for people with disabilities and want them to be recognized for their abilities and efforts and not be undermined for their physical limitations. Just like everyone else, they too have a right to lead a life of pride and dignity. We are glad that an established brand like Arvind has created an insightful campaign for People with Disabilities; our association with them through the lead actor has already helped him inch closer towards his dream of becoming a professional actor one day. We are proud of this collaboration and we are confident that we will continue to complement each other’s work in the future and give back to the society in the best possible manner.”
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT), the world leader in lighting, in partnership with SRF Foundation recently illuminated 15 rural government schools in the Mewat District of Haryana under its CSRprogram called ‘Jagmag Pathshala’. Thisinitiative has positively impacted more than 7000 students in the district and aims to provide an improved learning environment for young students by upgrading their school infrastructure through solar powered lighting.
Each school is powered by a 3 to 7 KW solar mini grid system that provides clean electricity to run the lights and fans in the classrooms. Additionally, these grids are also powering the smart LED TVs in the digital classrooms and equipment for water management, thereby enabling a holistic improvement in the school infrastructure.
Inaugurating the event, District Commissioner of Nuh, Captain Shakti Singh (IAS) said, “In today’s world, education is incomplete if students are not adequately taught about the importance of clean energy. It’s no more a bookish literature but a real time issue that requires adequate attention from everyone in the country.Clean and green energy is an important tool that can bring about holistic development in schools, and I am glad that corporates like Signify and NGO’s like SRF foundation are stepping up to do their bit and making meaningful contributions towards the society.”
Natasha Tandon, Head of CSR, Signify India, said, “At Signify, our vision is to unlock the extraordinary potential of light to create brighter lives and a better world. Though this program we can achieve both these objectives, as we offer the students a bright and welcoming classroom that is powered by sustainable energy. We hope that this will enable them to perform better in school and also help them learn more about solar energy.”
