Editor: Dr. Nina Jacob, Professor, Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSOM), and Chairperson, V.B. Padode Centre for Sustainability, JAGSOM

Reviewers:

Prof. Anand Narasimha

Prof. Parvathi Jayaprakash

Text © JAGSOM, 2021 ISBN Number: 978-93-5445-734-0

Cover design: Prof. Pravin Mishra, Dean – School of Design, Vijaybhoomi University, Karjat

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Editorial……………………………………………………………………………………..…i Social Responsibility and Future Managers

About the Editor ……………………………………………………………………………..ii

EFFECTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT: A STUDY ALIGNED WITH SDG NO. 11: SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES ...... 1 Dr. Nina Jacob and Saishwari Patil

EDUCATING SLUM CHILDREN: A STUDY ALIGNED WITH SDG NO. 4: ENSURE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE QUALITY EDUCATION ...... 8 Dr. Sangita Dutta Gupta and Ankit Sharma, Astha Jangid, Dhiraj Kumar Agrawal, Divya Singh, Felsia D., Poulami Banik, Priyanka Deka, Sheetal Singh, Shrobona Ghosh, Soumya S., and Susant Kumar Behara

REDUCING FOOD WASTAGE: A STUDY ALIGNED WITH SDG NO. 2: END HUNGER AND ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY ...... 16 Prof. Soumya Choudhury and Anshika Gupta

ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE: A STUDY ALIGNED WITH SDG NO. 16: PROMOTE PEACEFUL AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ...... 21 Prof. Sarthak Daing and Sakshee Singh

EDUCATING INDIAN CHILDREN ABOUT PUBERTY AND ADOLESCENCE - A STUDY ALIGNED WITH UN SDG NO. 3: ENSURE HEALTHY LIVES AND PROMOTE WELL-BEING ...... 30 Dr. Supriyo Ghose and Madhuri Reddy Adula

HEALTH EDUCATION ON PERSONAL HYGIENE: A STUDY ALIGNED WITH SDG NO. 3: ENSURE HEALTHY LIVES AND PROMOTE WELL-BEING ...... 35 Dr. Ellur Anand and Srikanth Madarapu

Editorial: Social Responsibility and Future Managers Dr. Nina Jacob Professor, Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSOM), and Chair, V.B. Padode Centre for Sustainability, JAGSOM What is social responsibility? A good answer would be anchored in practice. A good answer would be immersed in experience on-the-ground. A good answer will come from concerned Millennials as it is they who are creating the future. The 2015 Cone Communications Millennial CSR Study of R. Rudominer has revealed that 91% of “Millennials would switch brands to one associated with a cause”. We present here the efforts of JAGSOM’s own concerned Millennials from the post- graduate program in management (PGDM) students of the 2019-2021 batch. These students have examined select social issues and posited possible ways of ameliorating these issues. Under the mentorship of JAGSOM faculty members, these PGDM students have written white papers; proposals for future action based on primary data, close study, and analysis. The students whose work have been chronicled here hope to implement their proposals during their managerial careers. The first paper considers how the issue of burgeoning domestic waste can be addressed, so that communities can live in sanitary and pleasant surroundings. The student (along with a few classmates) made a video enacting a recommendation made in the paper. This video has been uploaded on Youtube. Its link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j4Px0AitZY. In the second paper, the authors recount their personal experience of teaching basic English to slum children in Kolkata. All it takes is a few hours a week to enrich they who give and they who receive, in Shakespearean fashion. Doing our bit for quality education is thus within everyone’s purview. Side by side with enhancing education, another researcher has advocated for reducing malnutrition and hunger. Against the background of food shortages amid plenty, a case is made for the use of cold chain and storage practices. In another study reported here, our students interacted with adolescent disadvantaged youth and explained how the challenges encountered at this stage of life could be tackled. This too is a form of education that can be easily imparted on a voluntary basis. Yet another study examined the adverse effects of manual scavenging and recommended the use of robots for this sub-human activity. The final paper included here discusses how awareness workshops about basic hygiene can be conducted. How can high-performance organizations in India get managers who can achieve organizational goals and simultaneously contribute towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals? We invite you to share your reflections with us. Meanwhile, we will continue to nurture social responsibility among our PGDM students through our Social Immersion Program (SIP).

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ABOUT THE EDITOR

Dr. Nina Jacob is currently Professor, OB & HRM, and Chairperson, V.B. Padode Centre for Sustainability, Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSOM), Bangalore. She has been a professor with JAGSOM for 4 years, 2 &1/2 months. Dr. Nina Jacob heads the Social Immersion Program (SIP) of JAGSOM. The white papers included in this publication arose out of the work done in the SIP by the PGDM students of the 2019-2021 batch. She was the founder editor of “Vilakshan”, the journal of the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar and was on the editorial board of “The Administrator”, the journal of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussourie. While at LBSNAA, she was an associate course director for a batch of I.A.S. officers-trainees and served as a faculty mentor during a 2-week compulsory village stay in Gorakhpur district by these I.A.S. officer-trainees.

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EFFECTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT: A STUDY ALIGNED WITH SDG NO. 11: SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES

Dr. Nina Jacob, Professor, Jagdish Sheth School of Management and Saishwari Patil (PGDM 2019-21, Jagdish Sheth School of Management)

Abstract: This article reports on a video made about effective waste management as part of the Social Immersion Program (SIP) project. Burgeoning domestic waste is an area of emerging environmental concern as increasing social awareness fosters civic action. As domestic waste increases, it is mother nature who is aggravated the most as more landfills are created for the containment of waste. Such waste accumulation is the antithesis of nurturing a healthy biosphere. The latter is characterized inter alia by luxuriant vegetation and forest cover. The authors recommend that domestic waste be purposefully reduced while plant cultivation be simultaneously increased. One way of achieving this is through gifting plants instead of gift-wrapped presents. The wrapping constitutes avoidable waste. Meanwhile, plants make a welcome, environment friendly gift. Suppose that an average Indian gifts 25 wrapped items in a year. India’s population is approximately 13 crores. Then the number of gifts presented would be 3450 crores. This generates a staggering amount of gift-wrapping material that becomes part of domestic waste. The paper concludes with recommendations regarding how domestic waste can be better managed. Keywords: waste management, environmental sustainability, plastic waste, plants as gifts

Introduction and Background Eight Goals One Foundation is an NGO that strives for a better world. It envisions a world where the focus is on what is right and not on what benefits a few. They concentrate on eight Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. These 8 SDGs are Education, Peace, Gender, Equality, Employment, Environment, Nutrition, Hygiene and Wellbeing. As part of our Social Immersion Program, the NGO had asked us to come up with a narrative on two SDGs: Environment and Peace, and accordingly make videos. The SDGs related to the two themes are: SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

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The central theme of the video pertaining to SDG 11 was ‘save nature, by gifting nature’. The narrative centred on the fact that gifts were often wrapped in plastic sheaths. Plastic, a non-degradable material, not only causes environmental pollution but also has an adverse effect on human life. Meanwhile, the Indian population is about 13 crores. According to the Eight Goals One Foundation, the average number of gifts given by an Indian per year is 25. Thus, the total number of gifts exchanged in India is 3450 crores. Their studies show that the wrapping of a single gift comprises about 500 grams of plastic. Thus, the total plastic waste generated per year in India through gifting is about 19 crore tons. Our video narrative about the environment used the above data. We recommended a 80% change in the gifting habit of every individual. Accordingly, every person should make 20 of his/her gifts a plant. This would equal about 172 crore plants gifted every year. This will be a huge step towards a greener tomorrow, and also a move away from plastic useage. As we worked on this concept, we collected data about the waste management situation in India and the figures are quite serious. Environmental sustainability is about improving the quality of life within the carrying capacity of the earth’s ecosystems. According to Agarwal (2021), urban India generates about 62 million tonnes of waste annually and studies predict that this waste generation will reach 165 million tonnes in 2030. A substantial part of this waste is plastic. The silver lining to this is that unlike the waste in western countries, most of India’s waste is degradable. Thus, we can compost a significant amount of our waste. To make this possible, Indians must actively adopt the practice of waste segregation from home itself. The article tries to throw some light on the situation and come up with recommendations to help India achieve SDG goal 11 to some extent by 2030. Problem Statement: (1) To understand how sensitized individuals are about waste management and (2) To recommend ways to make waste management efficient at the household level. Execution Approach: A questionnaire was designed to gauge (1) perspectives of individuals when it comes to waste management, (2) their product preferences, (3) their social responsiveness, and (4) the ability of their apartment complex/housing society to invest in waste management. This questionnaire was made keeping in mind the psychology of individuals. Methodology: Primary data were collected using the questionnaire. The sampling method used the Kish Selection Grid to ensure adequate representation of age and gender in the study. Since the study was undertaken in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, an online platform was used to forward the questionnaire to the target respondents. Data Collection: Social media, apartment groups, office groups etc. were targeted to reach a diverse population with varying age groups and income distribution. The data collection effort lasted for ten days. At the end of each day, the demographics of the respondents was inspected and an action plan for the next day was prepared. We used the Kish Selection Grid for this.

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Challenges: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, online survey was undertaken. The main challenge in this process was the lack of one-on-one interaction with the respondent. Such interaction help understand the psychology of a respondent and gain meaningful insights. Keeping the above challenge in mind, a very simple, self- explanatory questionnaire was drawn to capture the mindset of the respondent.

Key results and findings

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5) In order to promote social responsiveness and tackle unnecessary food wastage, a series of questions were posed to respondents to propose a solution. A majority readily agreed to put in efforts to avoid food wastage.

When these individuals were asked if they would be able to deliver such food collected to an underprivileged settlement, 24% responded that they would be able to do this

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once a week. About 32% said that they would only be able to pass on extra food to their housing society for distribution to the needy.

Our insights The majority of our respondents agreed that going green is the best way when it comes to environmental sustainability. From the survey taken, it was observed that while making purchase decisions, the product brand is the first thing that customers look at. After this comes price and packaging. Since packaging plays an important role in product selection, the manufacturers focus on packaging. They do not consider what ensues when packaging must be discarded. In this context, two considerations are important for both manufacturers as well as customers: (1) shelf life and (2) cost of eco-friendly packaging. We found from our study that people are not sure whether the shelf life of products would decrease if eco-friendly packaging is used. We also found that most people do not mind paying up to 3% extra for eco- friendly packaging. Hence eco-friendly packaging should be promoted especially since it is possible to make eco-friendly packaging attractive. Many respondents had stated that initially they had segregated waste at home. Then they found that their housing societies did not segregate waste. Hence, they stopped the practice. Many respondents admitted however that municipalities had provided separate containers for waste collection. These containers were not being used as intended by housing societies. While India has a rank of 94 out of 107 on the global hunger index, studies show that around $14 billion worth of food products go waste in India annually. As of now, not much data exists which show the extent of food that is wasted at retail and levels. However, according to Hussain and Goyal (2021), the food wasted in India totals the food consumed by the entire United Kingdom. Another alarming statistic that was presented by CSR Journal (2018), reveals that 25 percent of the fresh water that goes into food production also gets wasted when the food gets wasted. The truth here is that even today millions of people do not have access to fresh water. Meanwhile, the number of hungry people in India has increased by 65 million. This is more than the population of France, according to the CSR Journal (2018). Thus, keeping the above insights in mind, we make the following recommendations to ensure that food is respected and reaches underprivileged beneficiaries efficiently.

Future Implications After analysing the findings from our study, and careful contemplation of consumer behaviour, we propose the following for enabling an effective waste management system.

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• • Continuously sensitise people about the food shortage situation. For this, short videos, posters, even memes could be used as mediums to subtly project the message. • Rather than telling people what they should do, sensitize them, and get them to start pondering on what they can do to alleviate the situation. • Eco-friendly packaging should be encouraged by the government. • For eatable products with low shelf lives, further studies could be undertaken to understand consumer psychology. Suggestions can be posited based on these studies. • It is important for housing societies to focus actively on efficient waste collection. For this, society members should have periodic meetings to discuss the issue and then implement solutions. • For the housing societies who have the required infrastructure and space, proper guidance and assistance should be made available by the municipalities. These civic bodies could advise on the various kinds of projects that they could undertake which would not only improve living conditions, but also make effective use of recycling. • It is suggested that housing societies ascertain the preferences of its residents. Do residents just want to give extra food to the housing societies to distribute to the needy? Or do they want to help deliver the same and if so, how often? Accordingly, plans can be made by each housing society. The containers used for collecting surplus food should not produce waste. Hence it is recommended that the food is delivered in separate steel containers or eco-friendly packaging.

Conclusion Waste management if started in such a way at an individual level where one is conscious of how the waste at home is segregated, preference for eco-friendly packaging and is ready to become socially responsible and ensure food is respected, make informed decisions i.e., purchase only after answering the questions that do they really need it? And can they live without it? Eventually this problem of waste management would not stay an issue at large. What is important is to remember that one needs to be the change he wants to see and any good responsible work is never small. People need to be sensitised about the problem frequently and rest will soon fall in place for sure. Select Bibliography Agarwal, R. (2021). Waste Management Crisis in India. Recycling Magazine.

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Bammi, R. & Singh, P. (2014). Decoding the Responsible Gifting Model of Nurturing Green. Decision, Vol. 41, 361-370.

Hussain, S. and Goyal, T. (2021). How Can India Plug the Food Wastage Hole At The Consumer And Retail Level? The Wire. Rigamonti, L., Gross, M. et al (2014). Environmental Evaluation of Plastic Waste Management Scenarios. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. Vol. 85, 42-53. Thacker, H. (2018). Food Wastage In India, And What You Can Do About It. The CSR Journal.

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EDUCATING SLUM CHILDREN: A STUDY ALIGNED WITH SDG NO. 4: ENSURE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE QUALITY EDUCATION

Dr Sangita Dutta Gupta, Associate Professor, Jagdish Sheth School of Management and Ankit Sharma, Astha Jangid, Dhiraj Kumar Agarwal, Divya Singh, Felsia D, Poulami Banik, Priyanka Deka, Sheetal Singh S, Shrobona Ghosh (PGDM 2019-21, Jagdish Sheth School of Management)

Abstract In the era of globalization, the English language has become indispensable in the corporate field. Currently in India, the employment opportunities are more abundant for those individuals who are fluent in English. Hence, one of the initiatives that can be undertaken is to help individuals learn the basics of English as a part of the curriculum. In India, the teaching and learning of English as a second language is affected by multiple factors such as family background, infrastructure, and general environment. One of the primary differentiations that has risen in society, is the division of children and the youth into ‘English Medium’ and ‘Regional medium’. So, for children and the youth who are educated in their local languages, learning English can open up better opportunities. In this Social Immersion Project (SIP), we tried to make learning English easy by providing modules for general concepts and basic grammar in a fun and interactive manner. This will help to provide a secure environment for the underprivileged to experiment with the English language without hesitation and fear. The project was done in collaboration with the NGO CRY - Child Rights & You. Keywords: Teaching, English, Second Language, Quality Education, CRY, Underprivileged.

Introduction English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with around 60 countries across the globe having English as their official language. In addition, the advent of the Internet has made it possible to learn the English language online. The ability to properly speak and write English enables individuals to advance in the professional and corporate world. As English is now an integral part of Global communication, being able to speak in English also widens the horizon and opportunities for individuals. Higher education courses are also written and taught in English all over the world. The knowledge of the English language is now fundamental in the pursuit of education, future jobs and integration within society. Teaching English

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as a second language or a foreign language to the children in the rural areas remains a great challenge. Underprivileged learners lack in expertise with the English language and they face many problems in learning the English language. According to our view, underprivileged learners also have anxiety and do not have self-assurance when it comes to learning the English language. People from privileged backgrounds do not have any fear about the English language as they have a lot of exposure to the language and find it easier to grasp educational content delivered in the English language. Background Plight of Kolkata Slums As per the 2014 UNICEF Report – ‘Children of Migrant Poor in Kolkata: A study on Human Development Perspectives’, in the registered slums 92.2% households had electricity, but in the unregistered slums only about half (53%) of migrant households have access to electricity. Since the slums are not authorized by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), households do not have a legal sanction from the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) to get connected. Most households in the slums have toilet facilities outside their premises (57.4% for migrant and 59.4% for non-migrant households). Many (41.2%) unauthorized slums households have no drainage although the situation is much better in the authorized slums where almost three- quarters have closed drains. Garbage disposal is almost non-existent in-migrant slums. KMC services like vats or mobile conservancy are available to 28.4% of households in the non-authorized slums, but many (71.6%) have no collection and their garbage is discarded in open barren lands. In general, authorized slums tend to be closer to government hospitals / health centres than the unauthorized slums. A third (35.2%) of the households in unauthorized slums must travel more the 2km to reach government hospitals or health centres. The Government’s child immunization program has been very successful and practically all children are vaccinated for tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, and Hepatitis B. About a third (36.8%) of 0–5 year old children from the slums receive a pre-school education at an Anganwadi Centre (AWC). More than a third (40.4%) receive supplementary food at an AWC. There is a trend towards sending children to private pre-schools – 10% of migrant households and 20% of the non-migrant households have sent their children to pre- schools that are not government schools. Many of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres in the localities where migrants live are cramped for space and sometimes do not have safe concrete structures, let alone proper toilets and playing facilities. A little more than half (55.4%) of the children from the slums attend a Government school whilst most others attend Private institutions. In Primary schools, for the 6–11-year-old children, enrolment rates are generally good (96.6%). However, one in thirty (3.4%), still do not receive any form of primary school education. The drop- out rate increases to 10.6% for 12–14-year-old children.

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CRY CRY-Child Rights and You is an Indian NGO that believes in every child’s right to a childhood - to live, learn, grow, and play. CRY has its People’s Action Groups (PAG) in six such pockets in and around Kolkata. CRY’s Volunteer Action function focuses upon various ways through which citizens become more aware and take action to promote and protect child rights. CRY’s wide base of volunteers is a representative of the middle and the upper middle classes of the citizenry. Volunteers in CRY work in groups, each volunteer group is called Public Action Group (PAG). They promote public welfare activity at the slum areas of Topsail, Dhakuria, Dhapa, Raja Bazar, Kalighat and Howrah to provide education to the children living in slums and make them learn something new. Geo PAGs or Geographical Public Action Group provides an opportunity to interested volunteers to undertake on ground interventions with children. The concept of a Geographical Public Action Group emerges from the idea of making a geographical unit, Ward (in case of Kolkata), child friendly. The various institutions and the people who are a part of a Ward and have a direct or indirect role to play when it comes to acting on or preventing violations of child rights. Project Objective and Statement Schooling does not always lead to learning. With many regional languages in India, ensuring the kids learn English is a big challenge. The children of the age group (3-10 Years) learn primarily in their regional language (Bengali) and they are aware the importance of learning the English language. The objective of this project is to motivate the children and enable them to learn English as a Second language. The children need to be taught English in such a manner that they can learn the English language easily and with interest. Approach to The Problem Audio-Visual techniques and stories have been seen to make learning effective. Research has proven that using visual aids which function as memory aids, learners tend to associate two pieces of information together and soak up chunks of courses content quickly. Audio-Visual aids are valuable instruments for the learning process. It lets the instructor present the lesson accurately and helps students understand and absorb the lessons faster. The use of audio-visual aids increases the critical and reflective thought of students. It helps in the absorption of complex ideas by visual presentation. However, the inappropriate and unplanned use of these aids can have a detrimental influence on the learning outcome. Teachers should also be well trained by in-service training to optimize the advantages of utilizing such aids. The program should be structured in such a manner that there are resources for action-based learning through audio-visual aids. Quality Education The fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the United Nations is focused on quality education. The UN expands on this aim, stating that it is "to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all."

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It is important to use "quality" as a qualifier here. For the UN, the objectives of SDG 4 include ensuring that children have access to pre-primary education, free primary and

secondary education, and opportunities for affordable technical, vocational, and higher education options, including college. Having access to education is important, but what matters is what a child learns in the classroom – this will define the learning progress of a child. There are many children who have attended schools but still cannot read and write due to the following challenges: • Shortage of qualified teachers in government schools • Overcrowded classrooms • Lack of teaching materials and poor-quality curriculum • Teaching in another language than the students’ mother tongue • Parents not giving attention to kid’s studies. • The learning methodology is not engaging. So, ensuring that quality of education which imparts learning and growth opportunities for the children’s future is what we focused on, in our SIP program. Project Execution Learning from the basics The approach to reforming education for the underprivileged is to go back to the fundamentals first. Understanding the word 'underprivileged' and knowing the socio- economic history of the underprivileged is an utter necessity. The umbrella word refers to various groups of people across different spectrums. Each category has various viewpoints, perspectives, goals, and objectives. It is important to distinguish these different parts and then have customizable solutions that are both feasible and sustainable. The journey is gradual, but more successful and has shown important and verifiable results. It is only by covering several verticals that the underprivileged can be supported. Collaboration The development of better educational facilities is a formidable task, since there is a lack of capital, both monetary and otherwise. There are several NGOs such as CRY that carry out remarkable work in the field of education for the underprivileged, whether in the capacity to train teachers, to build infrastructure or to initiate informal models of education. There are many institutions at stake and investing in the future of these children is of the utmost importance. Training is the primary way in which the underprivileged will avoid the vicious cycle of poverty.

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Government cooperation with NGOs in the education sector can have a big impact. Organizations working for the socio-economic welfare of the underprivileged must be recognized and funded by sufficient funds to maximize their efforts.

Importance of girl child education When it comes to schooling and education, girls lag far behind boys in India. This condition arises because of the patriarchal culture of many families in India. Girls are also seen as potential housewives and family caregivers. They are also deprived of higher education and, in some cases, of school education as well. Training offers women equal opportunities to be professionals who can use their learning to improve the future of their families and their communities. NGOs such as CRY have programs to promote the education of young girls. Educated girls also help to put an end to unjust social ills such as child marriage and dowry and will result in the improvement of maternal health. Execution Approach to The Problem: Before we even thought of teaching the children, we had to ask ourselves the question – ‘Why are we undertaking this project?’. We read various articles related to child education and we realized that education plays a big part in shaping the lives of these underprivileged children. So, we decided as a team to spend some time to first understand the personality of the children, who we would be teaching. We approached the CRY mentor – Ms. Dilshaad Hossain and our faculty mentor - Dr. Sangita Dutta Gupta to discuss the personality of the children and how can we add value to their learning process. We decided the following: First, we must understand that these kids must be taught using a fun learning methodology and to ensure that we had multiple discussions on what elements can be added to the learning method. One of the methods we decided to use was the ‘Katha’ modules concept, which involves teaching any topic to the kids in a pictorial story format. So, we studied the Katha modules, understood the method and analyzed how it could be implemented. We decided that each of the team members should come up with various basic English topics that are important for the children to learn, post which we could start drafting the learning process. The various topics were: ‘Articles’, ‘5 Golden words that articulate good manners’, ‘Nouns’, ‘Pronouns’, ‘Numbers’, ‘Days’, ‘Months’. Each one of the 11 team members took one topic each to prepare the teaching methodology. Once the topics were prepared, several rounds of brainstorming and changes were done to come out with the creative learning methodology. We not only used the Katha modules concept, but the learning process also involved fun activities like Matching, Puzzles, and guiding method of learning. Finally, a

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presentation was to the mentors who appreciated the creative ideas that were presented. Interaction with the Kids from Cry Foundation One of the team members stated – “Growing up in my childhood, I had the basic luxury of having a good schooling, a home to live and food to eat. At that time, I never had a thought that there might be children who are not as fortunate as us and are left on the streets to work for some tea stall, hotels or in small factories like bangle and firecrackers factories. To be honest, whenever I saw them working, I never thought about them when I was a child. These children needed our attention to help them grow and secure their life through good quality education and basic needs of life. Growing up, I realized that these kids were either forced to work or had to work for their family to ensure that they have food to eat. With the various programs from schooling to post graduation, I realized that I must give back to society by helping the unprivileged kids and helping them shape their future, which would in turn create a society that learns from each other and grows together. Now here is what touched me the most, to understand the kid’s personality, we had decided to set up a video call with 3-4 kids from the CRY foundation and trust me, interacting with these kids gave me a very positive hope for the kids’ future and made me realize that with proper guidance these kids would be soaring up in sky just like an eagle. The attitude, the command over their voice, and inclination to learn was something that touched me, and I was thinking – ‘If only I had such spirit in my childhood!’” The children we met during our SIP were so full of enthusiasm and had a love for life; just meeting them virtually filled us with joy and happiness. They were so energetic and filled with curiosity to know more. Our work here made us to delve into these children’s world, understand their perspective, thinking, and wishes. This made us feel like kids again. The need and importance of education was a topic about which they had no awareness and was strange to them. Our first objective was to teach them basic English words. We were amazed by their responses - they were clear and made us realize that if they are sent to school and given proper education, they can easily excel in life. When we got to know these children and saw their enthusiasm firsthand, it made us wonder how about the brightness of these children, and how with proper guidance they would shape a very wonderful future for themselves and for society. These little children talked about how they want to be a doctor and a teacher, and how they are improving their learning skills, being at home and learning via online classes.

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Key Takeaways and Learnings • The fact that a little commitment can bring about a real, prominent change in society. • Interacting with the children, we were able to understand the interest that they had towards education and their areas of weakness. • Going through different modules as a reference helped us to create innovative ideas to deliver education. • Group of individuals working for a single objective resulted in improved cooperation. • Taking the lead, instructing, and getting the children to comprehend our points, helped in improving our leadership skills. • The internship drew out the inventive side of us, to make videos and other creative efforts.

Future Implications Education is not only about imparting knowledge to students but also about equipping them with quality resources, enabling them to become sound citizens of India. Economic, Social and Political growth and the development of any society depends on the quality of education that is being imparted to the current generation. Education is important for the sustainability of a country, which does not only involve increasing the literacy rate, but provide life-skills to the children. Educating the underprivileged children help them to make better choices, thereby influencing their communities as well.

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India being a multi-lingual country, English acts as the link language. The learning of the English language enables underprivileged children to understand the world and, be aware of scientific knowledge. This opens up the horizons for them and they can access various opportunities, which in turn will help in eradicating poverty and inequality by enhancing the lives of the underprivileged. The learning of the English language also helps them bridge the gap between academics and the needs of the industry. It also bridges the gap between the privileged and the underprivileged. Fluency in English helps them to further their studies and the impact of knowing English results in better knowledge, understanding, self-esteem and confidence for underprivileged children. Conclusion It is well established that Education is an important tool that empowers communities to turn their lives around. If any member of the family is educated, particularly women, it can help future generations break the intergenerational cycles of poverty. Knowledge is a great enabler – it makes people professional and equips them to participate in meaningful careers, thereby resulting in their own socio-economic well-being and community. The access to quality education for underprivileged children s not only the responsibility of governments but is the responsibility of every citizen. Collaboration would result in the underprivileged breaking out of the cycle of poverty. NGOs such as CRY need the support of government bodies, corporations, and most importantly, individuals to impart quality education to underprivileged children. As informed and responsible citizens of the country, we need to ensure that companies are sensitive to the harm caused by child labor, and refrain from recruiting children for jobs which in turn would deter parents and children from choosing money over education. The need of the hour is to make communities conscious of their rights and proud of their children's education. Educated societies will not only produce better individuals but will also ensure better jobs and better lives for society, at large. “When learning and teaching continually improves, everything improves.” Select Bibliography Syal, J. 2019. “Teaching of English as a second language in India: An overview, International Journal of current research, 11, (01), 945- 947. Mohanty, A., & Dash, D. (2018). Education for sustainable development: A conceptual model of sustainable education for India. International Journal of Development and Sustainability, 7(9), 2242-2255. Pandey, B. (2018). Achieving SDG 4 in India: moving from quantity to quality education for all. Research and Information System for Developing Countries. Tandon, R., & Pandey, P. (2019). Disciplines, Professions and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Challenges in Higher Education in India. Implementing the 2030 Agenda at Higher Education Institutions: Challenges and Responses, 47.

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REDUCING FOOD WASTAGE: A STUDY ALIGNED WITH SDG NO. 2: END HUNGER AND ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY

Prof. Soumya Choudhury, Associate Professor, Jagdish Sheth School of Management and Anshika Gupta (PGDM 2019-21, Jagdish Sheth School of Management)

Abstract Three distinct yet interlinked concepts namely food scarcity, hunger and malnutrition, are probably, the most discussed political and sociological topics across the globe. Often, they find their place in various regional and international philanthropic conferences as well, yet the enormity of the problem remains a predicament for many developing countries without adequate social security and large populations. Food scarcity occurs when the total food produced or imported does not meet the minimum biological needs of each individual living in that region not taking into account food wastage by the affluent. This leads to hunger which, in turn, leads to malnutrition. Apart from awareness building, food wastage can be considerably reduced through efficient supply chain distribution networks including cold chain and storage practices which could increase availability of food and reduce hunger in India. This document focuses on food wastage due to absence of efficient supply chain distribution networks. Keywords: Malnutrition, Food Wastage, Hunger, CSFA, SDG.

Introduction & Background There are so many people who sleep without having two square meals a day. After decades of steady decline, the number of people who suffer from hunger – as measured by the prevalence of undernourishment – began to inch upwards again from 2015. Current estimates show that nearly 690 million people go hungry (approximately 8.9 percent of the world population) an increase of 10 million in one year and by nearly 60 million in five years. One of the mainstays in any function or celebratory occasion in India is lavish food. Guests tend to overestimate their appetite, and this results in a lot of food wastage. As indicated by a recent report, India, as a country, wastes INR 2.44 billion worth of food per day. While the affluent wastes food in gay abandon, 194 million “have-nots” go hungry. What a shame! Malnutrition, one of the after-effects of hunger, meanwhile takes a heavy toll across developing nations like India. It causes stunted frames and dwarfish heights for adults and there are over 821 million individuals assessed to be persistently undernourished in a survey conducted in 2017 or one in every nine people, according to “The State of

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Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018” and which includes more than 150 million kids under five who are hazardously underweight. Social Immersion Program at Jagdish Sheth School of Management is aimed at fostering social responsibility amongst students and the project I am going to describe below is based on an immersion for creating social awareness, empathy and drive to create a social impact in the community in which we live. Project Objective To build awareness amongst Bakeries on Hunger and enable them to share some profit towards satisfying the hunger of undernourished slum children by providing cakes and other bakery items on the occasion of Christmas and New Year 2021. Problem Statement Baked goods need to be consumed within shelf life of 1-2 days and cannot be efficiently transported over long distances by normal courier companies. Most of the retail bakers are registered with Zomato and Swiggy but yet the hyperlocal delivery companies do not have adequate infrastructure to facilitate intercity courier. This makes the donation process very local and cannot be spread to a larger coverage area from the source donor or bakery. The second key challenge we faced was convincing pandemic hit bakers to part with a substantial part of their profits as voluntary philanthropic donations. Approach to the problem Our team including me got in touch with several bakeries to request them to donate baked foods like Cakes and Pastries to hungry street-children through the CRY Foundation (“CRY”). I was able to convince few of the bakers for this noble philanthropic act but with the limitation of hyperlocal transportation and delivery of these baked products to the recipients. Rationale We engaged actively with the bakers who were willing to participate by addressing their concerns – sharing hard-earned profits earned during pandemic times of low demand, shelf life and transportation bottlenecks. We convinced a few but our timing was off. Scope & Coverage We tried to cover many of the bakers in our database and through other organic sources. Since we were all based in our hometown, we even tried to physically reach out to our local bakers. We provided all the details they sought and mailed them proofs since it was a hard act to bring them on board.

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Project Execution As per CRY’s instructions & requirements, onboarding of Bakers were done city-wise and allocated to one of us who were local residents there. Online Delivery of Baked Goods at CRY centers would be done in the nearest city if CRY was not present in the city of the baker. In case neither of the options were feasible, as per CRY instruction we were asked to convince Bakers to donate a high percentage of their monthly profit. During the SIP program our group focused on SDG 2 i.e., end hunger, and we were supposed to call the bakery and request them to share profits with CRY for this noble cause or arrange cake and bakery items for the street children on the occasion of Christmas. We had a few hiccups as initially we were calling the bakery and asking them to parcel any kind of goodies as a Christmas present for the children. However, we changed our plan mid-way as there was many hurdles we faced because many bakeries did not have an online facility. The bigger bakeries already had collaborations (or so they told us) with other NGOs. There were some odd bakeries who were ready to participate but did not have transport linkage to CRY centers and needed us to go and collect the goodies from them which was not feasible. Hence, we fell back on plan B which was to make arrangement of transport system for the delivery of the goodies as this was the most common problem we came across. We tried to make the event successful by trying different plan and at the end we came up with this idea. Key Takeaways The awareness which I got during this activity is we are privileged to have nutrition food and on any special occasion, festival there is every special food for that day which we eat but many times, people do not get a proper meal of two times a day. By this activity Bake for CRY, we got an initiative of providing cake, cupcake, pastry as the Christmas is around the corner. This made me realize that festivals are for all, and everyone to have good food. Our SDG could have been achieved more easily and feasibly by opting the method of this food wastage. This can be done by contacting to the people who are involve in collecting the extra food from weddings and different events and ask them to distribute them to the CRY. As wedding function do not tell any such people about the food wastage done in the function, but we could have look around us as this was whole season of marriages and ask them not to waste the food instead should give it to the needy. This would have been more feasible plan to achieve our SDG. What a thorough grounding and first-hand experience of a situation where we had no bargaining power but appealed to their noble selves – it was one of the most challenging tasks we would get to do in our PGDM Program and I am thankful for this experience. I came out stronger and more empathetic. Recommendations To address the grave issue of food scarcity, I would suggest the use of Central System for Food Aggregation (CSFA), a Govt. Mandated Portal. This idea of food aggregation

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system can prove to be an effective tool to address the issue of food scarcity. In addition, this will also take care of ‘Wet Waste Disposal ‘. This CSFA initiative is a program under which all kinds of Hotels, Restaurants, Convention Halls, (“HORECA”) must be registered at Government websites. Basically, all those establishments which provide food or, are involved in any way with provisions of food frequently, will be required to register at this portal. The HORECA establishments will be allocated a permanent CSFA Number, similar to GST Number. Even temporary events like marriage functions must be registered at CSFA. No such establishments who are involved in food business, be it raw food, processed, prepared and ready-to-eat food must not be permitted to conduct the business without this CSFA Number. Such establishments, if not registered, would be deemed illegal and fined heavily including heavy fines and prosecution under law. Using this CSFA system, needy people can be identified at various locations across city. The leftovers collected from such establishments would be distributed on these locations to feed such people on daily basis. As a result of this venture, owners of such establishments refrain from unlawful and unplanned dumping of edibles, which will result in resounding success of wet waste disposal, reduction in number of dumping grounds, in addition to feeding the underfed & underprivileged. Due to eventual reduction of such dumping grounds, several health issues cases in and around the locality will also start decreasing & will ultimately result in healthier & less-polluted lifestyle. Over the period, this effort will result in addressing grave issue of malnutrition among several other. Expenses on wet waste disposal, treatment of health issues borne in around such dumping zones, etc. will also come down drastically. That public capital can be used on other public welfare projects. As per one report from a reliable source, approximately 40% of the food produced in India is wasted resulting in 190 million Indian are undernourished. It is further estimated that the economic value of the food wasted in India is around Rs. 920 billion per annum. On an average, 18.7 kgs of food is discarded from just one Safal outlet daily. The aggregate amount from 400 such outlets is around 7.5 tons daily, 85% of which is in edible condition. Safal is just one example among lakhs of such grocery retail outlets across India. In my opinion, this flagship CSFA program has potential to address the issue of malnutrition to a great extent. This program has economic and environmental viability as well as many potential upsides with almost no downside. Conclusion In my opinion government should make a strict rule that every wedding, birthday, ceremony or one demanding serving large quantities of food need to be registered under a website. This is because after the function is over, the food left over should

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be collected and sent to the nearest slum to feed people who did not enjoy a hearty or nourishing dinner. By this initiative, we can go closer to achieving our goal of Zero Hunger in India. In our SIP Project activity, we have attempted something similar. I became aware of the ground reality of underprivileged children. The basic routine of the day which we take for granted is still a far-fetched dream for so many such children. Based upon my recent experience of the SIP with CRY, I have pledged to donate certain percentage of my monthly salary to such NGOs whose mission is as noble as CRY. Earlier I was just sympathetic, but now I feel I have become empathetic. All because of the experience from this SIP project. It was a refreshing and enlightening experience for me to be part of this unique program, while studying for an PGDM. I have inculcated many things as my learnings for the future. Making anyone smile requires little effort but means such a lot, and this activity made me experience that. I hope to create an impact with whatever I have learnt here. Future Implications SIP students in JAGSOM can individually take up such initiatives by being associated with institutions like CRY and lending a compassionate helping hand to support such activities where qualified PGDM students manage such social projects using the formal knowledge acquired. The SIP immersion is supposed to meet the Learning Objective of creating humane managers for the Indian Industry and it seems likely that this practice course will be delivered offline and onsite in regular years as well as during pandemic times where the practice of adding value was possible in an online mode to achieve the same end objective. Select Bibliography Ballard, T., A. Kepple, and C. Cafiero. 2013. The food insecurity experience scale: developing a global standard for monitoring hunger worldwide. Gomez, M.I., and K.D. Ricketts. 2013. Food value chain transformations in developing countries: Selected hypotheses on nutritional implications. Food Policy 42: 139–150 Popkin, B.M. 2014. Nutrition, agriculture and the global food system in low- and middle-income countries. Food Policy 47: 91–96

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ENHANCING QUALITY OF LIFE: A STUDY ALIGNED WITH SDG NO. 16: PROMOTE PEACEFUL AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Mr. Sarthak Daing, Lecturer, Jagdish Sheth School of Management and Sakshee Singh (PGDM 2019-21, Jagdish Sheth School of Management)

Abstract India is amongst the richest countries in the world when it comes to its diversity, history and more importantly its people. However, this richness does not reflect amongst the masses. A huge gap is visible between the rich and the poor and often those who are not privileged enough are disregarded in society, despite being the machinery behind the smooth functioning of society; in larger parts of our country. Keeping this in mind, the project was undertaken in an endeavour to be change agents, helping the ecosystem and society holistically. Some of the most common issues faced in our society include poverty, hunger, lack of quality education, gender equality lack of sanitation, Lack of quality jobs and economic growth. This paper educates us on the context of manual scavenging and malnutrition. Keywords: Scavenging, Malnutrition, Educate, Awareness

Introduction & Background The practice of manual scavenging in India goes back centuries. The roots lie deep within the caste-based occupation system in India. In the 1500’s, Mughal women under Purdah had enclosed toilets that needed to be scavenged. Most recently under British India, a few decades ago, when primary municipalities were inducted, manual scavengers were employed to gather waste from public toilets. Within this century, these toilets have been equipped with the flush system, but households have ‘outhouses’ or dry latrines that require manual scavenging. Dalits, the least privileged within the caste hierarchy, till date, continue to be used as scavengers. Even within the Dalit community, it is the junior most among the sub-castes who undertake scavenging work - they are called Bhangis in province Gujarat, Phakisa in state, Valmiki in Haryana, and Sikkaliars in Madras. The term 'Bhangi' literally means ‘broken identity’ and therefore the word itself is derogatory. Manual scavengers are considered unclean, untouchable, and face social exclusion and deprivation from multiple dimensions. Finding an alternate vocation is sort of impossible as often power and caste hierarchy are intertwined in an exceedingly complex web. Most scavengers have inherited the

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work from their forefathers. Economic and social deprivation for generations has given them little opportunity to be trained for something else. Those that try to break free and develop are rewarded with social ostracization, exclusion from village resources and in rare cases - physical thrashings, and coercion to return to their chosen roles. Besides, India is home to 46.6 million stunted children, a 3rd of world’s total as per Global Nutrition Report 2018. Nearly half of ‘under-5’ child mortality in India is due to undernutrition. Any country aiming to realize economic and social development goals without cannot do so without addressing the problem of malnutrition. Poor nutrition within the first 1000 days of a child’s life may cause stunted growth, such as impaired cognitive ability, reduced school and work performance. Malnutrition in children occurs due to an intersection of various factors like poverty, maternal health illiteracy, diseases like diarrhoea, home environment, dietary practices, hand washing and other hygiene practices, etc. Presence of developmental delay and low birth weight is often related to malnutrition in most developing nations including India. In light of the above, the undertaken project, an initiative of Social Immersion Program by Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSOM) in collaboration with 8one Foundation aims to help educate and eradicate such issues from our community. 8one foundation’s focus is to envision a world where no excuses are made and which strives to do what is right for all and not just what benefits a few, while filtering relevant and irrelevant. 8one concentrates on 8 goals which are Education, Peace, Gender Equality, Employment, Environment, Nutrition, Hygiene & Well-being. Project Objective To educate the community about malnutrition and raise awareness about the health and well-being of manual scavengers. Problem Statement Our community is blinded towards the atrocities faced by daily wage workers. Despite stringent provisions in the law, manual scavenging continues unabated in India. Manual scavenging is defined as “the removal of human excrement from public streets and dry latrines, cleaning septic tanks, gutters and sewers”. The practice is driven by caste, class, and income divides. One of modern India’s great shames is the failure to eradicate ‘manual scavenging’, the most degrading surviving practice of untouchability in the country. Over the last few years, the number of people killed while cleaning sewers and septic tanks has increased. 2019 saw the highest recorded number of manual scavenging deaths in the past five years. 110 workers were killed while cleaning sewers and septic tanks. This is a 61% increase as compared to 2018, which saw 68 cases of similar deaths. Despite the introduction of several mechanized systems for sewage cleaning, human intervention in the process continues.

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Malnutrition is another poignant issue prevailing in India. Our population fails to understand that all food is not nutrition and there should be a more detailed education about healthy diet filled with nutrition, specially for growing children, pregnant women and people working long hours. Despite having one of the fastest-growing economies and the largest anti-malnutrition program in the world, India the world’s worst level of child malnutrition. During the research process, 4 major factors of malnutrition were discovered of which education awareness was identified as one of the major causes. Approach to the Problem Focused campaigns on both issues need to be initiated to spreading as much awareness through word of mouth in our community. Needs of the hour is to understand what has been done previously, what has worked and what new initiatives may be established to improve the conditions and benefit those who need it the most. Rationale, Scope & Coverage The Protection of Civil Rights Act, initially called Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1955 and therefore the Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, are the earliest legislations that made the practice of untouchability a cognizable and non-compoundable offence. the use of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, formally prohibited the development of dry latrines and employment of manual scavengers. Additionally, the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993, was a welfare legislation passed to watch implementation of schemes for sanitation workers and address their grievances. However, it was only in 2013, when both houses of the Parliament unanimously passed The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation (PEMSR) Act which outlawed the practice of manual scavenging completely. This was an umbrella legislation that aimed to address the difficulty holistically. PEMSR Act, 2013, prohibits the employment of manual scavengers, construction of dry latrines, and manual cleaning of septic tanks and sewers without protective equipment. It is the primary legislation that identified the links between scavenging as a profession and societal caste hierarchy. Also, Malnutrition is considered an equally social and economic problem, holding back development across the globe with unacceptable human consequences. Malnutrition costs billions of dollars a year and imposes high human capital costs—direct and indirect—on individuals, families, and nations. According to the Global Nutrition Report 2018, malnutrition could cost the global economy US$3.5 trillion per annum, with overweight and obesity alone costing over US$500 billion annually. The results of malnutrition are increase in childhood death and probable future adult disability, including diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). According to the UNICEF one in three malnourished children within the world is an Indian and it is estimated that reducing only malnutrition could increase India’s GDP by 3%.

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Consequences of malnutrition - • This inter-generational cycle of undernutrition transmitted from mothers to children greatly impacts India’s present and future. Undernourished children are rather more likely to suffer from infection and die from common childhood illnesses (diarrhoea, pneumonia, measles, malaria) in comparison to well-nourished children. • According to recent estimates, over a 3rd of all deaths in children aged 5 years or younger is because of undernutrition. • Undernutrition puts women at a greater risk of pregnancy-related complications and death (obstructed labour and haemorrhage). • Undernourished boys and girls do not perform less preferably in class as compared to their well-nourished peers, and as adults they are less productive and make lower wages. • Widespread child undernutrition greatly impedes India’s socio-economic development and further burdens the fight to eradicate poverty. Project Execution Various methods & means to educate the audience were considering. Keeping in mind the enforced situation that was COVID-19 as well as other hurdles interacting in person for effective awareness, the method for knowledge sharing was decided to be creation of digital advertisements, i.e., creating digital ads to act as a conversation starter for maximum reach. The biggest problem faced by with manual scavengers, is the indifference & treatment they face within the community. A campaign called “Accepting our Own” was initiated where the community is educated about the atrocities faced by scavengers and about the treatment given out to them. It further went on to ask viewers to voice their opinions and accept scavengers are part of our community. The focus was to put the scavengers in the limelight, considering a major part of society, dont even know of their existence. The conditions and the environment of the work carried out was laid out for the viewers, by essentially trying to capture the demeaning and inhumane conditions being met out. A typical scavenger collects human faeces from dry toilets with nonprotective equipment. The stench is unbearable. They use bare hands or a shovel to select up the waste and carry the load on their head in tin or wicker baskets lined with hay, making multiple rounds between homes and landfills. During monsoons, water percolates through the hay, and therefore the baskets leak, spraying excreta on their heads and faces. Human faeces and urine are carriers of viral hepatitis, pinworms, Rotavirus, and E. coli exposing the workers to cholera, hepatitis, typhoid, tuberculosis, and several other diseases. Many are enthusiastic about tobacco and alcohol as an endeavour to marginally alleviate the repugnant nature of their profession and overall disillusionment

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of their lives. Apart from collection and removal, scavengers are involved in cleaning of septic tanks, sewers, and railway tracks. To understand the depth of the issue and empathise, one may imagine the plight of a lady who herself cannot afford sanitary pads, but makes a living collecting soiled sanitary napkins and faeces. Besides hostile working conditions, the pay is also negligible making the complete practice tantamount to slavery. Most scavengers are daily wagers the pay varies, considering the ban on such activities. A manual scavenger earns anywhere between INR 40 and 100 daily for cleaning out about 50 dry toilets. There is no monetary compensation if a worker dies on the duty. A sewer cleaner employed by the civic authorities to scrub drainage lines and sewers may be paid anywhere between INR 700 and 1,000 depending on the employer. Most believe, that if a scavenger dies while cleaning sewers, the govt pays 10 lakh to the family of a the worker but compensation is rare and is really no value against the value of life lost. In September 2018, a scavenger in Delhi died while cleaning a deep sewer. The rope that held him snapped and the reason behind his death was reported to be asphyxiation and inhalation of toxic gases. Barely a week later, 5 more deaths were recorded in Delhi again. The irony of the matter is that they were sanitation workers employed by the Delhi government. None of the workers had any protective equipment on them. In addition, rather than helping the following kin, a blame game ensued amidst the various departments for the deaths. For the campaign, a manual scavenger was approached to talk about his day, his work and the problems and social injustice he faces while a voice in the background focuses on relevant statistics in India. The digital Ad is expected to be posted on 8one Foundation social media pages where it is expected to create more awareness and spread the word while building compassion towards the scavengers and urge the community towards the needed change. Furthermore, a Digital Ad campaign was created to raise awareness about lack of nutrition and to create a distinct difference between a nutritious diet as opposed to eating food. Also, information was provided on how India ranked 97 among an inventory of 118 countries on hunger as per Global Hunger Index (GHI). It campaign that majority of the Indian population does not have access to sufficient and nutritious food. National Food Security Act could be a great step in ensuring greater access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable cost via Targeted Public Distribution System (PDS). Desired outcomes have not been achieved thanks to corruption in PDS. Wastage of food grains (theft, rotting) in Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses has also dented the access of food to individuals. Greater efforts are needed to strengthen the present initiatives to ensure they are corruption free and efficient. Newspaper cuttings and facts were incorporated to the digital ad to emphasize the magnitude of the issue in our society which is unfortunately, growing bigger each day. It is often said a team is only as strong as its weakest player. Similarly, malnutrition is continuously increasing, and if not paid heed to especially in

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lower class and slums of India, may become a menace and a major reason for our country’s failure in the upcoming future. The society must raise such questions to make themselves aware on this topic and in turn spread the word.

Key Takeaways These videos were reviewed by faculties from JAGSOM with a significant amount of teaching experience as well as experts from 8one foundation. The flaws of the Video Ads post review were rectified & final version was delivered to 8one Foundation. For Manual scavenging, despite of all initiatives, complete rehabilitation remains a challenge. Implementation related to any government scheme, lack of sanitation projects and the recurring demand for scavengers hinders complete eradication of scavenging as a practice. Up until recently, the Indian Railways, which may be described as the world’s largest open toilet, was in denial about the difficulty and has just started to implement innovations like bio-toilets However, the dependency on manual scavenging from tracks continues. Up until 2014, there was no mass scale sanitation project within the country. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, millions of septic tanks are being built in rural areas. However, the question remains, who would clean those tanks as there is no concentration on faeces management. There is also much fanfare involved in building toilets both household and public. Sadly, because of the tremendous pace of such projects, there's little attention to the quality. Thus, there is a compelling possibility that scavengers will be called upon to clean up the present sanitation systems break down. Further, a blanket ban on construction of dry latrines has not been properly implemented. It must be noted that these sanitation projects often try and de-link sanitation issues with caste prejudices. The lofty ambitions of sanitation projects are will be achieved only if these links are identified and addressed. The caste power dynamics, gender discrimination, untouchability, and robbing individuals of human dignity are fundamental to the problem of manual scavenging. In several parts of the country, the upper castes truly believe that Dalits exist for the very purpose of scavenging. Often liberated scavengers will not find alternate work like household helpers or cooks as they are considered unclean. Lack of education makes them unfit for semi-white-collar jobs and prevailing social prejudices ensure failure of entrepreneurial ventures like running tea shops. Finally, manual scavenging requires no special skills or training. Hence for people especially women, who have done it for years, it is a straightforward vocation to come back to, during all seasons just in case they are refused other jobs, though it is not the foremost preference of job. Sanitation projects rarely scratch beneath the surface of those multi-layered problems. An overview of the malnutrition situation in India presented during this whitepaper has shown that a sizeable proportion of the country’s population are malnourished and

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anaemic, and for this, numerous factors are responsible. These factors directly cause malnutrition among people, whereas many others affect indirectly. Significant among these are poverty; unemployment; ignorance and lack of education; unhealthy lifestyle; lack of access to nutritious food, safe water, sanitation, and hygiene; non-availability of reliable and timely data, and sufficient funds; and unimpressive performance by the govt. within the implementation of schemes. This SIP program is quite overwhelming. It is a great opportunity and responsibility to exercise privilege to raise awareness about these such issues which helps one to be cognizant of such issues and develop empathy to for the community as well.

Recommendations Technical interventions may help to switch manual scavenging to a good extent. As an example, the Water Supply and Sewage Board of Hyderabad is currently using jetting machines to wash choked water pipes within the narrow alleys. In Kerala, engineers have designed robots which might clean septic tanks. Further, use of anaerobic bacteria to treat human excreta has been explored but research on that needs more funding. Apart from technologies, there is a requirement for a more holistic approach towards designing of rehabilitation schemes such as keeping women in mind; since men within the family usually do not allow women to try to other jobs. Converging existing government employment schemes, like spiritual leader National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), 2005 with the PEMSR Act 2013 may be a viable option for liberated scavengers to be guaranteed employment for a minimum of 100 days a year. Continuous audit of the steps taken in accordance with PEMSR Act 2013 like providing financial assistance, housing assistance, and scholarships is required to not just rehabilitate scavengers but also ensure that this liberation is permanent in nature. To tackle malnutrition, it is imperative that – • Better coordination among various ministries is ensured. • Data collection on stunting and obesity is improved. • Heavy investment in financial aid programmes is made. • Welfare delivery mechanisms become accountable. • Panchayats can have a voice in running welfare schemes. • The Public Distribution System is further diversified. • Nutrition schemes for adolescent girls are strengthened and expanded. • The MGNREGA is strengthened to confirm better food security. • Forests are revived and safeguarded as sustainable sources of food.

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• Improve access to public healthcare for poorer communities. Conclusion Despite the dismal situation, some have emerged triumphant. Ms. Kiran Fatrod was a scavenger from Madhya Pradesh for a decade. An alcoholic husband, no formal education, and manual scavenging as a cultural identity made it difficult for her to get the other job. With the help of social activists working in her area, she is now an Anganwadi worker. Kaushal Panwar was born into the Balmiki cast in Haryana. She sat separately within the last seat of her class for the entire duration of her school years as her family was employed in cleaning dry toilets. She ended up pursuing Sanskrit, a discipline encompassing the study of the Vedas by upper caste men. She was refused a seat within the local university for research as she wanted to write down about ‘Shudras and Vedas’. She now holds a PhD from the celebrated Jawaharlal Nehru University and teaches at Delhi University. She symbolizes sheer determination and grit in the face of adversity. However, such cases are few and far between. For the lakhs who come to life every morning to remove excreta manually, the National Cleanliness Day (January 30) is simply another day without meaning. This matter still leaves a stinking legacy on the social, civic, and economic fabric of India. Similarly there are such cases with regards to malnutrition too. Attention, however, must be paid to understanding what prevents the state from achieving its goals associated with nutrition. Undoubtedly, the agencies of State governments should adopt a more comprehensive and coordinated multi-sectoral approach which is formulated, by taking under consideration the numerous natures of local-level challenges. Better governance must be demonstrated. For its part, civil society must respond in a responsible manner. Attention must be paid on building neighbourhood health and nutrition profiles and effecting interventions supported identified needs. As mentioned earlier, this is a gigantic & ambitious initiative to be realized by just one person. The sheer size of the feat is too big for any single entity either. This may be achieved by equal & serious contribution and collaborative efforts of each member of the society. The contribution requires not just to be monetary in nature but also qualitative. Qualitative as in questioning the responsible authorities regarding the progress, taking active participation in sparing their time on a regular basis for such initiatives. Programs like SIP (Social Immersion Program) must be implemented across institutions nation-wide. If an SIP like program becomes part of the intrinsic curriculum of every regular course (irrespective of domain & specialization) across the nation, the results achieved will be phenomenal & unfathomable in terms of versatility, quality & reach. Government’s intervention in this regard may expedite the process. Overall, it can be said that there is still a long way to go to achieve the goal, to make availability of the equal opportunity to quality education a “right” than a privilege. Future Implications Manual Scavenging • A more holistic approach towards designing rehabilitation schemes especially for women, considering 95% of scavengers in India are women.

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• Higher acceptability of schemes like MNREGA, 2005 and the PESMR Act 2013. • Higher awareness and education provided to the public on the issues and their repercussions. • Improved access to public healthcare. Malnutrition • Provision of a diversified and nutritious food basket for those in need to allow them the required intake. • Increased awareness about nutrition and healthy food as compared to eating any food. • Higher focus of elementary education on health and nutrition • Provision of a wider range of essential services and facilities, from healthcare and clean water to social security and basic infrastructure. • Better coordination amongst various committees and bodies to ensure coordination for health and nutrition of the population of India. • Strengthening of schemes such as the National Programme for Adolescent Girls - which provides underweight adolescent girls 6 kg of free food grain per month.

Select Bibliography Human Rights Watch. (2014). Cleaning human waste: “Manual scavenging,” caste, and discrimination in India. Human Rights Watch. Latham, B. (1878). Sanitary engineering: A guide to the construction of works of sewerage and house drainage, with tables for facilitating the calculations of the engineer. E. & FN Spon. Pathak, P. K., & Singh, A. (2011). Trends in malnutrition among children in India: growing inequalities across different economic groups. Social science & medicine, 73(4), 576-585. Singh, A. (2020). Childhood Malnutrition in India. In Perspective of Recent Advances in Acute Diarrhea. IntechOpen. Suri, S., Kapur, K., & Abhiyan, P. O. S. H. A. N. (2020). POSHAN Abhiyaan: Fighting Malnutrition in the Time of a Pandemic. Thekaekara, M. M. (2003). Endless Filth: The Saga of the Bhangis. Zed Books.

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EDUCATING INDIAN CHILDREN ABOUT PUBERTY AND ADOLESCENCE - A STUDY ALIGNED WITH UN SDG NO. 3: ENSURE HEALTHY LIVES AND PROMOTE WELL-BEING

Dr. Supriyo Ghose, Professor, Jagdish Sheth School of Management and Madhuri Reddy Adhula (PGDM 2019-21, Jagdish Sheth School of Management)

Abstract Puberty is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood - a beautiful phase which every individual goes through. This crucial chapter in a person’s life brings in rapid development in body, brain and behaviour, thus influencing decision making process and life objectives. Considering the importance of this stage, parental care, guidance and empathy are of utmost significance. Proper parental guidance and empathy would help assure the adolescents about this natural development and aid them to accept with confidence the many changes accompanied with puberty. In the context of India, however, puberty is a difficult topic for parents to discuss with children as sex is generally considered as taboo subject in India. Parents’ inhibition to impart information regarding this sensitive but pertinent issue puts youngsters in hapless situation – completely ill-prepared to deal with the various apprehensions related to puberty. Such state of affairs has provided the scope for NGOs to step in and provide an environment that ensures teenagers can deal with this crucial phase with dignity and privacy. We, the students of Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSOM), had an opportunity to work with NGO CRY (Child Rights and You) and discuss this sensitive topic with adolescent children. We also created a very impactful presentation for CRY, which will help them to discuss the topic with children. We strongly believe that our work will help Indian children to understand puberty and navigate this wonderful phase of life successfully. Keywords: PMS Framework; Puberty; Physical Care; Mental Care; Society Care

Introduction and Background The Social Immersion Programme (SIP) is an initiative of Jagdish Sheth School of Management (JAGSOM, formerly known as IFIM Business School, Bangalore.) SIP, a required credit course for all PGDM students, creates a desire among students to give back to the society. The aim of this project is to make students empathize with social issues and feel responsible towards solving them, learn working in cross functional teams, and develop community, adult and peer relationship. A lot of focus

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of the Social Immersion Programme at JAGSOM is on the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) of the UN. Students are grouped in SIP based on the SDGs. The Social Immersion Programme consists of a 10-day immersion, in which students go and live with local communities in various corners of India and understand their problems. During the immersion, they work on proposing solutions to problems such as education, malnutrition, health and the other UN SDGs, under the mentorship of a partner NGO. A faculty guide from JAGSOM is also deputed to the project site to evaluate the work done by each student group. The immersion is followed by the report presentation, and evaluation of the project by expert juries and faculty guides. This year (2020), worldwide pandemic has made travel not only difficult but practically impossible. In such trying times, even NGOs are working online. Hence, it was decided by JAGSOM that the immersion will be done online. JAGSOM partnered with social services organization CRY (Child Rights and You) to conduct most of the SIP projects of 2020. With an inspiring vision statement - ‘A happy, healthy and creative child whose rights are protected and honoured in a society that is built on respect for dignity, justice and equity for all’, CRY is a national level NGO working with multiple stakeholders to create an ecosystem where children are made a nation’s priority. As a part of this course JAGSOM gave us dedicated support in the form of faculty mentor Prof. Supriyo Ghose, NGO partner CRY Foundation, and a mentor from CRY Ms.. Dilshaad Hossain. We were assigned the Kolkata region for our immersion program.

Social Issues (Socially Responsible)

Management Concepts Viable Solution (Continously Employable) (Holistic)

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Project Objective Problem Statement/Social Issue: Spreading awareness about puberty to boys and girls. Good health and well-being are a foundation for sustainable development agenda which has been put forth by the UN to be achieved by the year 2035. Nevertheless, major challenges remain with regards to health. The third objective of SDG aspires to ensure health and well-being for all, including a bold commitment to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases by 2030. Taking a cue from the UN SDG, our immersion started with a firm belief to create a change/awareness in child’s mind about Puberty – the most beautiful stage of our lives. It started with the initial presentation with the faculty mentor and NGO mentor where we discussed the objective, scope and deliverables of the project. It was decided that we would prepare a child friendly presentation with simple explanation regarding the stages of puberty. We also wanted to explain to children through this presentation that the key to live a productive life depended on a person’s overall health, that is; the state of mental, physical and social wellbeing. Our CRY Mentor also suggested that we should speak with a girl child regarding puberty and explain this phase to her. She offered to help identify a suitable child from the CRY network with whom we could speak. Regarding the presentation, it was a team effort to ensure the highest quality content that acquires maximum attention of children and they understand the meaning of it. To prioritize our subtopics under the vast subject matter, we read few articles from Healthline about “The stages of Puberty: Development in girls and boys”. After reading these articles it was clear that this is a natural process and we would use the PMS (Physical changes, Mental changes and Society changes) framework of puberty. Execution and Methodology We started with understanding PMS (Physical changes, Mental changes and Society changes) framework of Puberty. • Physical care -Taking care of one’s body. • Mental care – Taking care of your mind. • Emotional care – Taking care of your feelings. Presentation was created based on the changes that happen keeping both girls and boys in mind. The presentation focused on issues like physical and mental changes of both genders, menstruation, importance of hygiene, societal issues, importance of parental support etc. The concluding slides of the presentation focused on common problems faced, a few tips on how to deal with them and most importantly how to accept the changes with a positive note. Images demonstrating changes in the body parts were also included to give a better understanding to the viewers.

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Interaction with children to discuss puberty Interaction with the children came with its own set of challenges. The child mentee was a 14-year-old girl child. It took great effort for the team, in the initial stages, to form bond with the child and discuss about a sensitive issue like puberty especially over telephone. After the initial shyness, the conversation brought to the forefront the confusions and difficulties faced by her during her initial days of puberty. It also helped us realise how desperate the situation could be for a young girl to understand the physical changes happening in her - with no one to guide or talk to. We tried to address the problem to some extent by providing her with information about this crucial stage of life and motivated her to accept the physical changes happening to her body in a positive manner. Our aim was to empower her and develop her sense of confidence so that she could tackle issues related to the opposite gender and society with dignity and poise. Future Work Our target group in this project was a poor family having no electricity, no running water and specifically no access to electronic handsets or even a 4G connection. Realizing this, we decided to extend our project further. We had a chat with corporates and asked them for donations in the form of tablets or mobile handsets to be given to the children through CRY, to ensure proper delivery of education. We planned to develop some apps for these devices, with which the children could access interesting materials on puberty and related topics. The app which we were trying to bring out is currently under development. We are planning to have a database of gamified educational topics on Indian games, wellbeing activities and educational topics. Corporates need to be reached out for basic tablet devices, which will ensure education reaches to the grassroots and then it can be a true Digital India initiative.

Conclusion The way forward about this immersion was to plan about the app using which we can spread the awareness about puberty and its stages in the form of a game. This plan has been discussed and put forward to the partners. This will help the child get a realistic learning and help in their mental and physical growth. Adjusting to such changes is difficult for any child but with good care and support from friends and family the young future population can achieve healthy lives and wellbeing. Imparting education to teenager on gender and sex will go a long way and help create a society of empowered teenagers.

Select Bibliography 10 things parents should do to prepare their daughters for puberty. Auteri, S. The Washington Post, Aug 2017.

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Puberty and the Education of Girls. Cavanagh et al, Social Psychology Quarterly, 2007 Puberty rituals, reproductive knowledge and health of adolescent schoolgirls in South India, Narayan, Srinivasa et al, Asia Pacific Population Journal, Vol16, Issue 2, March 2001.

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HEALTH EDUCATION ON PERSONAL HYGIENE: A STUDY ALIGNED WITH SDG NO. 3: ENSURE HEALTHY LIVES AND PROMOTE WELL-BEING

Dr. Ellur Anand, Assistant Professor, Jagdish Sheth School of Management and Srikanth Madarapu (PGDM 2019-21, Jagdish Sheth School of Management)

Abstract Educating people, especially from high poverty areas, on health and personal hygiene, during pandemic is one of the key factors that could speed up the process of flattening the curve. Not having access to right tools and equipment for online education adds to woes. This project study was carried out to educate children from a school bereft of quality education, about the importance of personal hygiene to fight the pandemic. This project served three purposes (1) children from areas with poor access to quality education were provided a chance to learn about personal hygiene, (2) project participants got a chance to learn about the problems a section of society faced during pandemic, and (3) the participants tried to provide a solution. This project was successful in serving its purpose of dissemination of knowledge about personal hygiene thus meeting Sustainable Developmental Goal 3 – Good Health and Well Being. Keywords: Personal hygiene, Pandemic, SDG 3, Health education

Introduction and Background People have their own perspectives on health. Some think health is being physically fit; while some think it is being mentally fit. According to the World health organization (WHO), “Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well- being and not merely the absence of disease”. Health does not just mean having good nutritional food. A healthy life includes reading good books, having a sports mindset, empathy and good habits that focus on fitness both physical and mental. Nowadays, health is not given priority by many people in society. Our project study made us understand the developmental activities needed to promote personal hygiene. As our study was part of JAGSOM’s Social Immersion Program we developed a pathway for the future implementation of ideas on health education. Project Objective Our project’s objective was to spread awareness about hygiene, coronavirus and self- quarantine to disadvantaged children and their parents. We created audio-video

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sessions to educate children about hygiene, how to self-quarantine and the dos and don’ts while being in quarantine. The first part of our educational video focused on creating better awareness on health and hygiene, awareness about the present COVID-19 scenario, and precautions to be followed on account of Covid-19. Highlights of our hygiene awareness program • Sessions to have compulsory exercises which focuses on fitness. This was to be followed by meditation and yoga sessions that are simple and easy to adopt. • Stories about health and hygiene. • Diet and nutritional best practices to be followed. • Information about common illnesses and how to recognize their symptoms. Project Execution Our project work was undertaken by a group of 10 students. Our group consist of students who knew both Hindi and Kannada. We conducted sessions for under-privileged children in the 12-14 age group. which comprised the main part of our project. The children were familiar with Kannada and Hindi. Our group decided to take sessions in Hindi. They were somewhat aware of the hygiene to be maintained in life. They also had a basic understanding about the outbreak of coronavirus and the precautions that needed to be taken. We divided our training effort into three sessions. We then prepared tasks for each session. These tasks made the children to actively participate in the sessions. The main topics of our sessions were:

• What is Covid-19 and its impact.

• Safe practices to follow during the pandemic.

• Importance of hygiene.

• The dos and don’ts of quarantine

• Importance of self-care.

• Awareness about COVID-19.

• Recommendations regarding mental health Project Process The work was divided among group members and each member had a distinct role to play. Several brainstorming meetings were held. During session one, we introduced ourselves to the children and they introduced themselves to us. We then talked about corona virus with the children. We concluded the session with exercises. During the

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second session we focused on the importance of hygiene. We narrated stories about hygiene and the presentations were created in cartoon format which made the children participative. In the third session, we discussed the precautions to be taken during the corona virus pandemic such as the wearing of masks and social distancing. Key Challenges The concept of Health education on hygiene is new to the children and they were already aware of few things that they have to maintain regularly in life regarding health but only partially. When the sessions went deep into the topic of health, faced many challenges in making them more agreeable to our points. There are other technical challenges that we faced during our project execution. As the project execution was through an online portal it took time to manage our time and resources. In order to meet these challenges, we came with different ideas and tasks to make them more understand on Health and Hygiene they are.

• We came up with a strategic planning and divided the tasks within the project team members and discussed points were applied in the sessions.

• We managed the time with all our activities that we want to perform in the session.

• There was a situation we faced many questions on health. So we made our tasks as an interactive one where the listener will perform the activities and get benefit out of it and then our point conveyed properly. Key Takeaways The project which made a self-learning on health and its importance. It gave a wide variety thought on health that every person as in his life. The project made the individuals to come out of independent life and it also involved with many leadership activities.

• The intention of health education was successfully executed, and the team was completely justified the work.

• The project on health education brought compassion in the whole team.

• The project was well organized and made to understand how to work in social system.

• It brought an empathy which has to be maintained for other lives.

Future Implications and Conclusion This SIP work was supposed to be a one-time assignment as a part of the program. But the impact it has made on the project participants has been everlasting one as few of them have decided to be volunteers of various NGOs to carry forward such

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awareness campaign for socially and economically backward sections who lack necessities and they have to fight such a pandemic with least resources in hand. Life is not what you possess, its actually being responsible for possessing the things. This should be made everyone to clearly understand and should bring a sense of maintaining the health in life. Health is a key factor for humans’ development which has to be discussed in every life. The real term of health has to be properly interpreted in the society and every individual should understand what actually health mean. This understanding can make life better and gives a meaningful judgement to the proverb or the Quote “Health is wealth”.

Select Bibliography Bhat, M. (2020, September 29). The Ugly Indians pack COVID awareness with hygiene messages. The Times of India. Correspondent, E. T. (2020, May 20). How COVID-19 gave Swachh Bharat a booster shot. Economic Times. Manish Kaushik, D. A. (2020). Cross-sectional study on the role of public awareness in reventing the spread of COVID-19 outbreak in India. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 1-5. Sonalini Khetrapal, R. B. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on health system & Sustainable Development Goal 3. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 151(5), 395- 399.

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