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Showing posts from August, 2020

The hue and cry over postponement of competitive examinations

  There has been a lot of debate going on, on whether NEET/JEE be held or not. The Government has taken a stand and the Supreme Court has validated the same. However, there is still an air of uncertainty over the whole issue as the general public is yet to come to terms with it and accept the fact that this is indeed a way forward. Not that the general perception is skewed or there is dissent of any manner: the worry and apprehensions are valid on both the sides. Each perspective seems to be justified if seen through that angle. There are three kinds of arguments being put forth. 1.       The exams should be held at the scheduled time. 2.       The exams should be postponed. 3.       The whole academic year should be scrapped and this be made a zero year. It's a fair point to say that exams shouldn't be held taking into account the current COVID-19 scenario. Safety is of paramount importance. Also, from the point of view of organizers, there are far more greater cha

The challenges in restarting a small business in times of COVID-19

  Two months in total lock-down, no revenue generation and depleting capital. The small businesses in India and the world over are waking up to the harsh reality in the aftermath of the ongoing pandemic.   The service sector has seen a sharp decline in revenue. Quite a few of such entrepreneurs have been forced to shut shop. Many of the salaried employees lost their jobs and the self-employed people lost a host of their clientele. Now that the initial panic and uncertainty has subsided and people are coming to terms with the new reality of life, everyone is looking for ways and means of coming back on track. With stricter norms of functioning and a reduced work force at hand, these businesses have an uphill task to regain their former glory. It is not realistic to assume that a business will take off once it opens up. With people still preferring to stay indoors, businesses now have to devise ways to reach them. To stay relevant in today’s COVID-19 hit environment, a small business