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An official scope of practice (SOP) is a critical document for any healthcare profession as it defines the profession's scope and protects its boundary from encroachment by unqualified individuals. It is a key document referred by professional regulators when regulating healthcare professions. This article outlines the development process utilized by the Indian Occupational Therapists Think Tank to develop an official SOP document for the profession of occupational therapy in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The government of India has recently decided to upgrade subcenters (SCs) to health and wellness centers (HWCs) for providing comprehensive quality services. Aims: The present study was undertaken to determine workforce- and infrastructure-wise gaps in the SCs for upgradation to HWCs and assess knowledge of the auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) regarding services to be delivered through HWCs. Settings and Design: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Bhatar block of Purba Bardhaman district between August and October 2019. Subjects and Methods: Workforce and infrastructure availability was assessed using a checklist in 38 SCs and knowledge was assessed using a questionnaire among ANMs. Statistical Analysis Used: Data entry and analysis was done in Microsoft™ Excel™. Results: No Subcentre had Community Health Officer and 23.7% of Subcentre were without second ANM. 28.9% of the ANMs had adequate knowledge about services to be delivered through HWCs. Infrastructurally, lack of staff residential facility (76.3%), water supply (34.2%), and inadequate civil construction (34.2%) were major barriers. Conclusions: Adequate recruitment of HCWs, infrastructure upliftment, and proper training of HCWs in the SCs are the need of the hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'tea tribes' in Assam have a unique socio-cultural history. They were the prime labour force of tea plantations in colonial Assam. Originally, they were migrants brought in by British tea planters in different phases during the eighteenth to mid-nineteenth centuries from different parts of India. Colonial engagements with these labourers in tea gardens were akin to slavery. Construction of the 'coolies' community in colonial India had broader implications for the community in post-colonial India. Constitutional provisions and state mechanisms to uplift the community from the margins have never borne fruits on the ground. This underdevelopment, coupled with the colonial legacy of an 'outsider within', catalysed the larger 'Adivasi consciousness' among the tea tribes in Assam. In this article, we argue that attributing every problem faced by tea tribes to the colonial system is an elitist attempt to undermine the role of the post-colonial state and society in excluding and reproducing these community as the 'other' in the wider social structure. Seven decades of post-colonial experience have not changed the sociabilities of these tea tribes who still live in the margins of Assam's social landscape, causing them to unify within the 'Adivasi' consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assam, situated in the North-Eastern region of India is fundamentally an agrarian economy where more than 70 per cent of the total work force depends on agriculture, providing more than 53 per cent of its total employment. But, in recent years, there have been significant changes in the structure of the rural workforce and rural economic activities of the state. In certain contexts, the shift from agriculture is a desirable short term measure and is primarily done to enhance income. Available literature indicates that the traditional sources of livelihood are facing challenges and hence, wage-labor becomes the leading source of employment and livelihood in the rural areas of the state. On the one hand, the workforce engaged in agricultural activities is facing distress, whereas on the other hand, non-agricultural activities are not able to absorb those moving out from the primary sector. Therefore, an attempt has been made to understand the mechanism of transition that has been taken place both in the agricultural and non-agricultural activities in the rural areas of the state, using evidence from the Census of India, National Sample Survey (NSS) and Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses are the backbone of health care systems worldwide. In India the assessment of existing knowledge of nursing workforce and the utilization of skills is not evaluated and properly used to ensure good quality in health care. Method: Using the Delphi technique a survey was developed and sent to nurses. Self- rating method (on a likert scale) were used in order to operationalize the personal skills. Results: Almost half (48%) of the participants have a Bachelor degree. Out of this 27.2% qualified for a higher education (e.g. Master in related subject). Most nurses (56% in sample were females) are permanent employed working as staff nurse or nursing officers in the public sector. Among the participants 20% have sufficient teaching experience between 1 to 3 years. Self-rating of skills was high in almost all topics. Conclusion: Having attained higher education most of the participants remain working as staff nurses. The good self-rating of participants underlines their ability to take over much higher positions and responsibilities. Moreover, teaching experience is hardly acknowledged by institutions since teaching staff is usually recruited from outside. The study suggests that a majority of the population has an interest to work in rural area .Better work conditions are needed in order to gain workforce in this areas. Skills should effectively utilized in areas of administration, management, research and education, with a proper distribution to rural and urban areas in order to ensure a good health care system in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper re-focuses attention on the big picture question of the persistently low level of female labour force participation in India. • We show how attention on a binary indicator (in the labour force or out of it) misses a crucial aspect of women's economic/productive work. • We suggest that women's work in developing countries should be viewed in terms of at least three categories. • We find that the social norm that places the responsibility of domestic chores exclusively on women is primarily responsible for women's inability to participate in paid work. • We demonstrate the existence of 'virtuous cycles' within families: a history of working women in the family increases the probability of the woman being in paid work. Based on primary data from a large household survey in seven districts in West Bengal in India, this paper analyses the reasons underlying low labor force participation of women. In developing countries, women who are engaged in unpaid economic work in family enterprises are often not counted as workers, whereas the men are. We show that for women, not being in paid work is not synonymous with not being in the labour force. Women are often involved in expenditure saving activities i.e. productive work within the family, over and above domestic chores and care work. We document the fuzziness of the boundary between domestic work and unpaid (and therefore invisible) productive work that leads to mismeasurement of women's work and suggest methods to improve measurement. Counting women's expenditure-saving activities yields a substantially higher estimate of women's participation in economic work. On social norms, we show that religion and visible markers such as veiling are not significant determinants of the probability of being in paid work. We find that being primarily responsible for domestic chores lowers the probability of "working", after accounting for all the conventional factors. Our data shows substantial unmet demand for paid work. Given that women are primarily responsible for domestic chores, we find that women express a demand for work that would be compatible with household chores. We demonstrate the existence of 'virtuous cycles' within families: a history of working women in the family (mother or mother-in-law ever worked) increases the probability of being in paid work between 18 and 21 percentage points. This suggests that the positive effects of increasing women's labour force participation today are likely to have positive multiplier effects on the prospects for work in future generations of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Investment in human resources for health not only strengthens the health system, but also generates employment and contributes to economic growth. India can gain from enhanced investment in health workforce in multiple ways. This study in addition to presenting updated estimates on size and composition of health workforce, identifies areas of investment in health workforce in India.Methods: We analyzed two sources of data: (i) National Health Workforce Account (NHWA) 2018 and (ii) Periodic Labour Force Survey 2017-2018 of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). Using the two sources, we collated comparable estimates of different categories of health workers in India, density of health workforce and skill-mix at the all India and state levels.Results: The study estimated (from NHWA 2018) a total stock of 5.76 million health workers which included allopathic doctors (1.16 million), nurses/midwives (2.34 million), pharmacist (1.20 million), dentists (0.27 million), and traditional medical practitioner (AYUSH 0.79 million). However, the active health workforce size estimated (NSSO 2017-2018) is much lower (3.12 million) with allopathic doctors and nurses/midwives estimated as 0.80 million and 1.40 million, respectively. Stock density of doctor and nurses/midwives are 8.8 and 17.7, respectively, per 10,000 persons as per NHWA. However, active health workers' density (estimated from NSSO) of doctor and nurses/midwives are estimated to be 6.1 and 10.6, respectively. The numbers further drop to 5.0 and 6.0, respectively, after accounting for the adequate qualifications. All these estimates are well below the WHO threshold of 44.5 doctor, nurses and midwives per 10,000 population. The results reflected highly skewed distribution of health workforce across states, rural-urban and public-private sectors. A substantial proportion of active health worker were found not adequately qualified on the one hand and on the other more than 20% of qualified health professionals are not active in labor markets.Conclusion: India needs to invest in HRH for increasing the number of active health workers and also improve the skill-mix which requires investment in professional colleges and technical education. India also needs encouraging qualified health professionals to join the labor markets and additional trainings and skill building for already working but inadequately qualified health workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Just as containerized goods appear to flow seamlessly across the planet's oceans, internationalized and standardized certificates present seafaring labor as uniform and seamless. But underneath these certificates are the intimate and unequal entanglements of local masculinity norms, age, and kinship ties that sustain the maritime labor supply chain. In this article, we follow how three young, male seafarers from eastern India find ways to contain piracy risks at work and poverty risks at home, and their sense of obligation as men, sons, husbands, and fathers. By delving into the unequal conditions for industrial male workers from the Global South, this article demonstrates how containerized maritime labor commodities are not uniform but are dependent upon economic inequality and intimate kinship ties to be productive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To map the range of access barrier indicators for which data can be derived from the three most common health related household surveys in India. Methods: A mapping review study was conducted to identify access dimensions and indicators of access barriers for maternal and child health (MCH) services included in three household surveys in India: National Family Health Survey (NFHS), District Level Household and Facility Survey (DLHS) and Annual Health Survey (AHS). Results: The Tanahashi framework for effective coverage of health services was used in this study, and 12 types of access barriers were identified, from which 23 indicators could be generated. These indicators measure self-reported access barriers for unmet healthcare needs through delayed care, as well as forgone care, and unsatisfactory experiences during health service provision. Multiple barriers could be identified, although there was marked heterogeneity in variables included and how barriers were measured. Conclusions: This study identified tracer indicators that could be used in India to monitor the population that experiences healthcare needs but fails to seek and obtain appropriate healthcare, and determine what the main barriers are. The surveys identified are well validated and allow the disaggregation of these indicators by equity stratifiers. Given the variability of the frequency and methodologies used in these surveys, comparability could be limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses the impact of female workforce participation on violent and non‐violent crimes in India. Increase in female workforce should lead to greater investment in education and labour, more specifically by men. Greater representation of females also leads to increase in reporting of crime. These factors raise apprehension and conviction costs and should lead to fall in criminal engagements. Estimates suggest that a percent rise in female workforce leads to 1.5% rise in non‐violent crimes contemporaneously. With a decade lag, rise in female workforce causes reduction in violent crime by 1.1% and non‐violent crime by 2.24%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Occupational therapy (OT) practice in India is yet to be regulated at the national level. This presents a significant challenge to the OT community in India as it would be difficult for them to defend themselves if other professionals violate the scope of practice (SOP) boundaries. Objectives: The aim is to explore the views of occupational therapists (OTs) related to the issue of SOP boundary violation in OT practice in India. Study Design: An online survey research design was chosen to conduct this study. A 10-item electronic survey (9 with response options and one open ended) was developed based on the research question. Methods: An online survey link generated through SurveyMonkey was E-mailed to 760 OTs in India, identified through convenient sampling. The survey link was also shared on four WhatsApp Messenger groups (TNAIOTA Official Group, OTist Group, Clinic OT, and IPOTPDG1) with many Indian OTs (snowball sampling). Data were collected from January 29, to February 29, 2020. Results: The number of responses received was 126. One hundred and nine (87%) respondents believed that other professionals encroach OT's SOP boundaries knowingly or unknowingly. This belief is strong among all OTs across the nation, regardless of gender and practice experience. Conclusions: Many OTs in India believe that individuals belonging to other professions step into the domain of OT knowingly or unknowingly. Enacting an OT practice legislation, establishing a regulatory body at the national level and increasing them at state levels, endorsing an official SOP document, educating stakeholders, and engaging in awareness promotion initiatives would help mitigate the issue to a great extent. Ongoing and strategic efforts by the OT community in India are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global health diplomacy has gained significant importance and undoubtedly remained high on the agendas of many nations, regional and global platforms amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Many countries have realized the importance of the health sector and the value of a healthy workforce. However, there is little control on issues related to trade that impact on human health due to the dominance of profit-oriented business lobbies. A balance, however, needs to be struck between economic profits and a healthy global population. This paper aimed to highlight the importance of building capacity in global health diplomacy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic so that health personnel may effectively negotiate on the multisectoral stage to secure the resources they need. The recent proposal to waive off certain provisions of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement for the prevention, containment and treatment of COVID-19 by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization (WTO) presents an important opportunity for all governments to unite and stand up for public health, global solidarity, and equitable access at the international level so that both developed and developing nations may enjoy improved health outcomes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A large number of government primary health-care facilities (GPHCFs) in India do not have access to the regular electricity supply. Objectives: To assess the status and change in electricity access, sources, and reliability at primary health centers (PHCs) in India; and to understand the effect of regular electricity supply on health services provision and on workforce availability and retention. Materials and Methods: Secondary analysis of data from the lastest two rounds of district-level household survey (DLHS) in India, conducted in 2007-2008 and 2012-2013. Results: Data of 8619 PHCs from DLHS-3 and 8540 PHCs from DLHS-4 were analyzed. The proportion of PHCs with access to electricity increased from 87% to 91%. However, regular electricity supply was available at only 50% of PHCs in 2012-2013, which was an increase from 36% such PHCs in 2007-2008. PHCs with regular electricity supply provided services to 50% more beneficiaries (deliveries and vaccination) than PHCs without regular or no electricity (P ≤ 0.001). Increased access to regular electricity was associated with improved availability and retention of health staff (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Government policies should aim to ensure access to regular electricity-supply-beyond just connection from grid-at all GPHCFs, including health sub-centers, PHCs, and community health centers. Indicators on electricity access at GPHCFs could be standardized and integrated into regular health and facility-related surveys as well as in the existing dashboards for real-time data collection. Health policy interventions should be informed by regular data collection and analysis. Improving access to regular electricity supply at GPHCFs can contribute to achieve the goals of National Health Policy of India. This will also help to advance universal health coverage in the country. There are lessons from this study, for other low and middle income countries, on improving health service provision at government health care facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Changing trends of privatization and globalization of health care compel the hospitals to practice cost accounting for providing accurate information about the cost of patient care. Objectives: The objectives were to determine unit cost and to identify major cost areas of outpatient department (OPD) services provided by the community health center (CHC) of Bankura district, West Bengal. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Amarkanan CHC in 2016. Work sampling (WS) and time motion (TM) study were conducted for assessing the workforce cost, otherwise complete enumeration was done to assess the cost of different service areas such as medicine, logistic, maintenance, transport, electricity, building, equipment, and furniture. A predesigned pro forma and a questionnaire were used for WS and TM study and for interviewing the key informants for collection of information pertaining to different costs. Unit cost of different services as well as overall unit cost was estimated. Results: If a patient received injection, undergone dressing, and had electrocardiogram and X-ray both done in a day, then the total cost of OPD services for workforce was Rs. 85.33/. Cost of logistics per patient per day was maximum in X-ray room. Manpower exerted the maximum cost incurred by the government to conduct OPD in Amarkanan CHC. Overall, the unit cost in OPD incurred by the government was Rs. 44.53/-. Conclusion: Close monitoring is required by aligning the staffing pattern and patient activities and having adequate number of staff with right skill at right place and time for efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: First aid and basic life support (BLS) are the basic principles that have significant importance in the revival of victims on site. Although the epidemiology of injuries has been well studied in many developed countries, there are a fewer number of such similar studies among the police workforce in developing countries, such as India. Objective: The objective was to assess the level of understanding about first aid and BLS measures among the police workforce in a coastal city of Southern India. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at police stations and traffic police stations in a coastal city of South India with a sample size of 196. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire assessed a plethora of parameters, such as choking and seizures. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 (IBM SPSS Inc Chicago, SPSS Inc) and results were obtained. Consent from the study participants was obtained before commencement. Results: About 87.3% of the study participants who received training markedly scored <10, which is graded as a poor outcome, whereas 12.7% who have received training scored adequate. Among the untrained personnel, 86.4% scored <10, whereas the remaining 13.6% have adequately scored due to external or general knowledge without undertaking specific prior training. Conclusion: A majority of the police personnel who have received training should undergo frequent training to enhance their skills, which are currently below the baseline. Those who have not received training should also obtain proper training to improve their efficiency in emergency management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural sector plays a strategic role in the process of economic development of a country. Today, this sector as a whole has developed and expanded immensely with the growth of science and technology, and there is a growing realisation and commitment among the global community that the agriculture sector has to undergo changes for a sustainable and broadbased expansion, after addressing gender-related issues through the initiation and partnerships of various national, regional, and global institutions. In developing countries like India, agriculture continues to absorb and employ the female workforce, but fails to recognise their role and importance as an employed labour force. In developing countries, women participation in the agricultural labour force is 38%. However, a large number of women have been treated as an insignificant part of the active agricultural labour force; there is also a growing gap between women's actual economic participation and public perception about their economic participation. At this juncture, there is a growing need for the agricultural research agenda to overcome the existing gaps and to tackle the emerging problems of sustainable development and livelihood of resource-poor women farmers. Several researchers have attempted to overcome this gap through empirical research studies on gender analysis and gender roles. The present study is an attempt to highlight the trend of female workforce participation in the agricultural sector across various Indian states. The secondary data is used to analyse the growth trend of the agricultural workers over the last decade. Suitable solutions have to be delivered to women farmers for raising their productivity, through which their overall empowerment may be targeted. Other practical solutions should also be taken up to help and support women farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: This article focuses on the issue of migrant construction workers of India. The construction industry is the second largest sector of unorganised and migrant labour force in India. THEORETICAL BASE: People migrate from one destination to another in search of livelihood. Lack of education, caste discrimination and local politics force these people to migrate. Migrants get exploited when they reach their destination. METHODS: The community organization is the best method to work with such migrant labour forces. Unionization is necessary for giving rights to these migrant workers. When people are organised using Community Organization as strategy, we see many positive changes in the mindset of the affected labour, and society around. Community Organization also helps to develop skills of community work amongst social workers, and with this tool the project is able to deliver different services to work force. OUTCOMES: Community Organization is an ongoing process, but Nirman was successful in giving a minimum wage to construction workers. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: Social Work education can do more research. Social workers act as mediators between migrant construction workers and government agencies and builder lobby for implementation of the legislation. Social workers provide services such as counselling and also deal with issues of domestic violence and education. Different addictions workers have and also create awareness in society about the rights of the migrant labour force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines recent changes in the life trajectories of Indian women. We use data from four major national population surveys that span the years 1998–2016. We look at several cohorts of women across the states and regions. We compare decisions related to education, marriage, childbearing and participation in the labor force. Though there is considerable diversity across states and regions, as well as religious groups, we find some consistent patterns that emerge everywhere. First, educational attainment and the age at marriage have been steadily increasing. Women who do not complete secondary school are more likely to marry early. Second, caste and religion (rather than education) play a significant role in decisions after marriage, such as the timing of births, the use of contraception and labor force participation. Third, women from disadvantaged communities continue to have very different life trajectories than other social groups. They are more likely to use contraception and participate in the labor force. Lower levels of schooling also appear to exacerbate the disadvantages of social identity. The pace of these changes varies sharply across states as well as regions of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of violence against Health Care Workers (HCW) is showing a rising trend. Various studies have been done in the recent past shows that the prevalence of violence against HCW s ranged from 27.4% to 67%. The present study was done to compare and analyze the underlying causes of violence against HCW in a Non COVID and COVID situation to identify the commonality if any, and to suggest any remedial measures. Methodology: This was cross-sectional analytical design and was carried out in inpatient care areas of a tertiary care hospital. The study subjects comprised of Doctors, Nurses, Group C employees. Data was collected using direct interview method on a standard questionnaire. In addition, various media reports were collected and analyzed through internet. Results: Maximum incidents were experienced in emergency and OPD, where staff patient's ratio is less. 39.4% incidents were experienced by the staff who were providing care to the Terminally ill patients, Mentally and Physically disabled persons & Psychiatric patients. Suggestion which emerged to reduce WPV are, triage in casualty, availability of trained security guards, CCTV, restricted visiting hours and limited attendants with the patients, improvement in patient amenities etc. Whereas in COVID situation the major reason is the religious and social belief, poor dietary services and lack of hygiene and sanitation. Conclusion: There is an urgent and inescapable requirement that the healthcare administrators should address the underlying precipitating factors of violence, for delivery of quality healthcare services to the patients in a safe environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to discover the strategies employed by Information Technology (IT) companies in India to engage the millennial workforce, and assess the effectiveness of these strategies. A concurrent mixed method approach was used. In the quantitative phase of the research, a questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 306 IT employees from the millennial generation to discover which strategies or employee benefit schemes had been effective in positively influencing employee engagement. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling. In the qualitative phase of the study, 18 millennial generation managers belonging to the IT sector were interviewed. Purposive sampling was used. The qualitative study offered a deeper understanding of the phenomenon Employee Engagement and insights into lived experiences of employees. Both studies confirmed that activities related to corporate social responsibility, outdoor and cultural activities, and opportunities for informal communication determined engagement of the millennial workforce in the IT sector. Work life balance and opportunities for physical activities were desirable hygiene factors, but not determining factors for engagement. In the qualitative study, it was found that gamification of learning was not considered a proactive engagement strategy; however, the quantitative study showed that it was most effective in engaging the millennials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the fundamental concern of mental health care in India is the gap between demand and services. It mentions that poverty, poor awareness, and stigma are other factors that affect clinical practice. It also mentions that psychiatric practice in India has been studied by various investigators over the years.

This paper examines the role of service climate (SC) in the link connecting human resource management practices (HRMP) to commitment to service quality (CSQ). Data were collected from 1236 hospital staff working in different private hospitals in India. The model linking HRMP to CSQ with the moderation of SC was tested using Hayes PROCESS. Results revealed that human resource management practices found to be influencing CSQ and with the interaction of SC the effect is further augmented. The interacting role service climate has been found to be significant at mean and high levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic overwhelmed not just the resources in terms of infrastructure but also manpower. With many healthcare workers turning COVID-19 positive themselves, and the healthcare system being overburdened, we were short-staffed in most health institutions across India. In anticipation of a similar crisis, at our tertiary care centre, we came up with certain measures to enhance the manpower should the need arise for not just hospitals, but also the society at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this paper is to look at the trends and pattern of changes in women's employment structure over years (1983–2018) consequent upon the structural changes in the Indian economy. It also attempts to analyse the quality of women's labour in terms of select parameters. The study finds that there is neither quantitative nor qualitative improvement in women's employment over time on account of structural changes in the economy. There is no 'U' curve of female labour supply in response to GDP growth and expansion of female literacy, implying that economic growth has not generated adequate jobs for women. It also signifies that women's entry or exit of labour market is influenced by non-economic factors also. There is no major occupational diversification in women's employment despite structural shift of the economy from primary to tertiary sector. Agriculture is still the leading sector in women's employment. The study further reveals that the quality of women's labour is poor. Overcrowding of workforce in agriculture largely as wage labourers, lower earnings, poor literacy levels, large-scale informal employment and most self-employment in the form of unpaid work are indications of women's disadvantaged position in the labour market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the factors influencing poverty transitions among rural households. There is a higher likelihood for the poor rural household in escaping poverty and lower likelihood for non-poor households to fall into poverty over time, with the increase in average completed years of education and mean labor hours supplied by female members in the household. However, the contribution of female labor supply and education toward changes in poverty risks is low due to the low-wage cycle prevalent among women. Further, higher maximum educational attainment of households and a higher level of assets ensures a higher probability of escaping poverty and a lower probability of falling into poverty over time. However, there is a higher likelihood for a non-poor household to enter poverty over time and a lower likelihood for a poor household in escaping poverty over time with an increase in dependency ratio and household size. Efforts need to be made to transform a woman's role from an "income buffering" to an "income generation" role. Women's economic participation and empowerment are powerful tools for poverty reduction at the household level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are reaching epidemic proportions in India and the escalating burden is expected to deepen economic load by putting further pressure into an already constrained health system. One of the serious constraints of the health systems is poorly skilled staff widening the gap between the demand and supply of healthcare professionals trained in NCDs. The current article reviews efforts made towards capacity building initiatives undertaken in India to address the limited human resources to counter the emerging burden posed by NCDs. This paper reviews existing literature on capacity building efforts on NCDs in India through gathering information from search engines such as Google Scholar and PubMed and other relevant websites. Even though health care professionals across all levels of health care have a critical role in prevention and control of NCDs, this review suggests minimal consolidated efforts at capacity building in the area of NCD within the health systems in India, albeit isolated efforts identified from different sectors. This review makes a case to upgrade and advance sustained efforts to enhance and improve capacity of workforce and to incorporate a component of NCD training into medical curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used data from a cluster-randomized trial in rural Rajasthan, India to evaluate the impact of providing access to a community-based daycare program on women's economic outcomes two years later. The sample included 2858 mothers with age-eligible children. Providing access to daycare led 43% of households to utilize them. The intervention reduced time on childcare by 16.0 minutes/day (95%CI=-10.6, 42.5) and increased the probabilities that women were paid in cash and spent time during the prior day on paid work by 2.3 (95%CI=0.0, 4.5) and 2.6 (95%CI=0.9, 4.4) percentage points. Other indicators of labor force participation and income were unaffected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Standard models of labor supply predict that unearned income decreases labor supply. We propose an alternative noncooperative household model in which a woman's unearned income improves her autonomy within the household, which raises her gains from working and can increase her labor supply. We find empirical support for this model, using women's exposure to the Hindu Succession Act in India as a source of exogenous variation in their unearned income. Exposure to the Hindu Succession Act increases a woman's labor supply by between 3.8 and 6.1 percentage points, particularly into high-paying jobs. Autonomy increased by 0.17 standard deviations, suggesting that control of income is a potential channel for these effects. Thus, policies that empower women can have an additional impact on the labor market, which can further reinforce autonomy increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper contributes to the limited literature on job reallocation dynamics in Indian manufacturing. The study uses annual data from the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) for the years 2000–01 to 2015–16. The study finds job reallocation in India to be quite high compared to flexible labour markets such as the United States and Canada. Gross job reallocation shows a rising trend over time, which is driven partially by the increasing share of contract workers in the workforce. There is heterogeneity in the job reallocation dynamics across job types. This is evident in the relative importance of the different job types as plants adjust to permanent and temporary changes in demand. Labour regulations also play an important role in such a process. Finally, in contrast to the evidence for the United States and the United Kingdom, our study found firm evidence to reject the hypothesis that job reallocation is countercyclical in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the 61st and 68th rounds of National Sample Survey data, we investigate the role of stigma, the economy's structure, potential selection bias, and sectoral differences in explaining the low labor force participation (LFP) of middle and secondary educated women in India relative to low‐ and high‐educated women (the "U‐shape"). Estimating LFP regressions on a sample of prime‐aged married women, we show that, controlling for background characteristics, if a woman's husband works in a white‐collar job in a region with a high share of blue‐collar jobs, she is less likely to participate in the labor market (stigma). We also find a positive effect of an increase in an index of white‐collar job growth (structure) on married women's LFP. These effects are present in both rural and urban sectors but are strongest in the rural sector. However, middle and secondary educated women are still found to have substantially lower LFP than low‐ and graduate‐educated women in both sectors. Indeed, over time, the U‐shape persists in the rural sector and deepens in the urban sector. Because unobservables are quite large in the urban sector, we use the method of instrumental variables and find an increasing return at middle levels but stagnation at higher levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human beings across the globe irrespective of caste and creed, culture, economic and geographic distances, are facing a very strange time, struggling and fighting against a pandemic COVID-19. On analyzing the literature, it is understood that most of the research scholars have confined their study to the clinical and therapeutic aspects of COVID-19 and there are a lesser number of studies related to the impact of COVID-19 on economic, psychological, social and behavioral perspective. This study is carried out to propose a new theory that can integrate the social and financial stress of the labor force during the pandemic situation. For this purpose, we have taken lessons from the social stress theory and prospect theory. The research extensively covers 420 samples duly collected from the labor force working across Kerala State, India. In this study, we have identified three major social stress constructs viz., Governance, Personal and Societal among the labor force through the Common Factor Analysis (CFA) method. We have also observed three major stressors using Cohen's effect size; they are difficulty in diagnosing the disease, worry of the disease that it will get affected to the dear ones, and the fear of using public utilities. The general presumption of our theoretical model was identified stress constructs can create social stress among labor force, which was reconfirmed through the Covariance Based Structural Equation Modeling Approach (CB-SEM). The risk and benefit of the pandemic situation were further examined mathematically. It is interestingly observed that during COVID-19 pandemic the labor force across Kerala will value health and wellness as the most important gain than financial benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India) vision, better utilization of the enormous unexploited or underutilized pool of female working force is crucial to stimulate productivity growth and develop human capital. Greater female labour force participation (FLFP) could boost productivity growth by increasing the labour supply, while poor use of women's potential places a significant drag on the economic growth. The main purpose of the paper is to acquire an understanding of the status of women/girls in the 'modern' India. It also argues that there is clearly a need for policy initiatives to empower women as gender disparities are not only persisting but increasing rapidly even against the backdrop of economic growth. The paper concludes that women's empowerment is the single greatest enabler of human development and sustainable economic growth. It does not mean pitting women against men. In this context, the role of patriarchal culture must be discussed and how its impact can be minimized. For this, a strategy known as HDPlus, is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small businesses play a crucial role in the economy; however, small entrepreneurial firms often lack expertise and resources, meaning that it is challenging to run such businesses successfully. Using data from a survey of six small entrepreneurial firms in India, this research sets out to explore the relationship between workforce performance and emotional intelligence, looking in particular at the role that workforce agility plays. Workplace performance is split into three categories; task performance, adaptive performance, and contextual performance. Our results show that workforce agility acts as a mediator between emotional intelligence and work performance, but only in relation to adaptive and contextual performance; it does not have any significant influence on task performance. Against the backdrop of a volatile and uncertain business environment, we conclude by drawing a number of inferences from our work that small entrepreneurial firms could use to improve employee productivity and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The construction sector of India is the best representation of the informal workforce, which employs 36.12 million workers. These laborers flock together in a particular place on early morning every day in order to find a wage provider for them. It is a sale of labor for the day, where workers stand and make themselves available for a day to be hired by contractors or individual house owners. These places are known as labor stands, a stop for finding daily laborers for construction work, which is the distinctive addition of this research to the scant literature. This paper tries to explore the labor process among these unique informal construction workers' labor assemblies consisting of 15,000 laborers per day and explore their employment conditions and labor relations. The paper also aims to examine the role of various actors of industrial relations such as trade unions and the government in regulating this employment relationship. The paper is based on a field study encompassing the transcribed records of observation, field interaction with 84 migrant construction workers, and 118 still photographs. The data were analyzed by using qualitative analysis software and adopting open thematic coding and later by developing categories and hierarchy and doing comparative analysis. The findings reveal that these laborers experience precariousness and are challenged by nonavailability of regular work, shortages of food, burden of large family size, and social evils of living in a slum, and also face being harassed by goons as well as contractors with minimal support from trade unions and government. Employers are apathetic toward their legal obligations. With labor stands being a primary source of labor supply to the construction sector, the findings of this paper will help in enriching labor relations and policy measures for its regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there have been unprecedented changes in technologies driven by automation, robotics and artificial intelligence, the fusion of which is referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (I-4) with a potential to change the future of work. One of the worldwide concerns is on the employment effects of I-4. There are two scenarios—one called as "automation anxiety" that focuses on labour substitution effects and the other which is "optimistic" of technological complementarity of creating new jobs. Either way, what is certain is that the nature of the future of work will not be the same as it is in the present, and the future workforce needs agile capabilities. The preparation for such a challenge begins with the foundational school education. This paper, after a brief overview of the debate on the impact of I-4 on employment, turns to the issue of the preparedness in India in terms of the foundational education at the school level. Based on the evidence, it documents the deep learning crisis in school education in India and argues for strengthening foundation-level school education through an increase in public investment and public provision that would ensure better capabilities in an equitable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on both NSS (1993–94, 1999–2000, 2004–05, and 2011–12 rounds) and PLFS (2017–18) data, this paper examines the employability and earning/wage differentials among vocationally and technically trained youth and explored its determinants in India. It is found that although the number of vocationally and technically trained youth increased during the last decade, their work force participation had declined substantially. We have also noted an upsurge in the open unemployment among these trained youth. The job market distress is being reflected by the large share of employment of these trained youth in agriculture and allied sectors or in the low paid and informal service sectors, and lack of employment opportunities in industries. Moreover, the prevalence of both stick floor (in case of female) and glass ceiling (in case of Backward Castes) effects in the vocational and technical labour market is the main reason for the existing wage differential by gender and caste groups in India. Based on these findings, it is suggested that reducing the labour market demand-supply gap through required job opportunities in industry is necessary. This would not only improve the employability of vocationally and technically trained youth, but also help reducing their existing wage differentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before the imposition of the strict lockdowns and the spread of COVID-19, the disruptions in China caused a ripple effect on the global supply chains. Emphasis has been laid on minimisation of costs and timely delivery of essential products. In India, as the situation worsens due to the outbreak, we have seen disruptions in the logistics supply chain. There are several reasons attributed to the increase in demand and slowing of the supply. There are several workable solutions available to look into this situation. We should work towards promoting Indian markets and amend policies to help the local workforce lessen the interdependencies of imports on other countries. This will help in strengthening the logistics supply chain in India. This will create employment opportunities and increase the GDP growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Mining industry has grown sharply to satisfy demands of metal and minerals for rising infrastructure. Mining is hazardous, although it is among major occupations in India involving large work force. This study was conducted to assess sociodemographic profile of sandstone mine workers in Jodhpur and to identify their major social issues. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among mine workers of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Data on socioeconomic status, and occupation of each family member were collected. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software program, version 23.0. A value of P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: A total of 1604 workers were enrolled in study. More than three fourth (78.7%) of them were male. Their age ranged between 14 and 82 years with a mean age of 37.62 ± 12.30 years. Mean age of female workers was significantly higher than of male workers. Average years of working for males were significantly higher than females. Majority were illiterate, proportion being higher in females. Approximately 13% mine workers married before legal age. Approximately 2.68% children under 14 years of age were involved in income generation activity. Conclusion: More than three fourth of workers were male. Mean age of female workers was significantly higher than males. Illiteracy, child marriage, and child labor were present among mine workers. Strengths and Limitations: Robust dataset, complete enumeration, large sample size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research article focuses on the pattern of workforce participation among the elderly force in India. The study examinesthe growth rateand sectorial changes in the elderly workforce. It also attempts to understand the linkages between the developmental process and workforce pattern of elders across the country. The analysis is based on census data of 1991, 2001, and 2011. The significance of the study lies in its attempt to understand the economic participation of older people as they are often considered as dependent populations and often remain out of the purview of scholarly research. Further, the study also focuses on how the structural changes at the macro-level affect the workforce participation of older people. The findings indicate that the elderly workforce also follows a similar pattern of normal workforce participation. An emerging trend of marginalization of the elderly workforce and declining growth rate of elderly non-workers is also noted. Sectorial changes with decreasing growth rate of cultivators in the elderly workforce and increasing growth rate in other sectors are noted. The paper negates the idea of the elderly as an economically dependent category of populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery showed that countries with surgeon, anesthetist, and obstetrician (SAO) densities of 20–40 SAO/100,000 population were associated with improved health outcomes and recommended a global surgical workforce scale-up by 2030. Whether countries would be able to achieve such scale-up efforts in that time-frame is unknown. Methods: A differential equation model was used to estimate the growth rate and number of SAO necessary for each country to reach the aforementioned SAO densities. Workforce data from Mexico and India were used to estimate achievable rates of SAO scale-up for middle- and low-income countries, respectively. Secular surgical growth rates were estimated to demonstrate what might occur without dedicated scale-up efforts. Results: To reach at least 20 SAO/100,000 population in all countries by 2030, over 808 thousand SAO need to be trained by 2030. To reach at least 40 SAO/100,000 population, over 2.1 million SAO need to be trained. If countries adopt a scale-up rate similar to Mexico's previously achieved rate of scale-up, 66% of countries would have 20 SAO/100,000 population by 2030. If countries adopt a scale-up rate similar to India's previously achieved rate of scale-up, 56% would have 20 SAO/100,000 population by 2030. Conclusion: With dedicated efforts in surgical workforce scale-up, significant gains in SAO density can be made worldwide. However, without intervention, many countries are unlikely to improve their current workforce densities. Investments in workforce scale-up are likely to yield workforce gains that mirror current resource states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development economics literature provides contending hypotheses on whether the manufacturing or services sector is an engine of growth in developing economies. In the case of India, the services sector has become an engine of growth by 'leap-frogging'- sidestepping the industrial sector which can have serious repercussion for the economy. Therefore, there is an urgent need to revive the manufacturing sector to sustain India's growth rate in the medium and long term. With this background, the paper examines an important question: What determines manufacturing sector employment in India? In this paper the Random Effect Regression Model is applied on panel data for 20 states of India for three time periods i.e.1999-2000, 2004-05 and 2011-12 to identify the factors which can be expected to influence manufacturing sector employment. URB, FLFPR and SERVEMP were significant, emphasizing the importance of policies which promote urbanization, higher female labor force participation and service sector jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education plays an important role within the development of people thereby influencing the growth of the state. Education is one among the necessary sectors within the economy that had brought revolutionary changes within the recent times. Republic of India that was once thought-about as majorly associate in nursing agricultural economy is currently developing in numerous sectors at a quicker rate. However, the evolution data of knowledge and technology has created a divide between the urban and therefore the rural Republic of India despite of globalization. It's thanks to the digitalization in numerous sectors that has taken place across globe. Villages in Republic of India form the backbone of our nation contributory to socio- economic and human resource development of the state. As per 2011 census, nearly sixty eight of the Indian population belongs to geographic area. Though the life within the rural areas is currently connected to cell phones, smartphones, digital TV transmission, however to an oversized extent they're stop from the most stream of urban areas thanks to lack of infrastructure support, poor property, language barriers particularly within the education sector. Digital technology makes life easier for each educators and students. So as to rework into a Digital India, it's to develop the facilities of rural little villages beside sensible cities in Republic of India. Results and Conclusions: This paper tries to debate regarding the digital tools to be developed in rural areas in a reasonable manner and therefore the core elements of Digital technology likewise because the future scope and challenges of a rural society in moving towards Digital education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although, the male labor force participation rate is comparable in China and India, female labor force participation rate remains very low in India. In this paper, we examine the factors responsible for the difference in female labor force participation rate between the two countries by carrying out decomposition exercise at three points of time covering two decades. We find that the differences in female labor force participation rate are not explained by the differences in characteristics across the two countries in each of the three year studied. The differences in returns to these characteristics explain most of the differences in participation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Evidence suggests that unorganized manufacturing units are extremely credit-starved. The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of such credit unavailability for small firms, and to see if it has altered the erstwhile production organization in a way which has led to the withdrawal of the small firms from both input and output market, leading to increased production outsourcing between the formal and informal firms. Design/methodology/approach: Based on data collected from two textile clusters in Maharashtra, India, the study shows that credit unavailability has led small firms to increasingly work for bigger firms as outsourced units. The paper uses a measure of technology and productivity to undertake logistic regression and sub-sample regressions to confirm production reorganization resulting from credit unavailability. This would provide additional insights for standard measures of intra-country intra-industry trade Findings: The exclusion of the unorganized production units from the formal lending process has, over the years, led to a reorganization of the existing production structure, whereby the small firms are forced to work for bigger formal firms on piece-rate basis. To circumvent their credit issues, the small unorganized sector firms have increasingly started to work for bigger firms as outsourced units. Originality/value: This is an original research work. The paper fulfils the identified need of addressing how the plaguing social issue of financial exclusion of unorganized firms has led to production reorganization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of workers are engaged in the construction sector. Out of them approximately 30% are women workers. Construction industry is the major source of employment for workers in the unorganized sector. In India, construction industry is the second largest employer when compared to agriculture and covers others allied field of activities in the civil, mechanical and electrical area also. The Indian construction labor force is 7.5% of the total world labor force and it contributes to 16.4% of fatal global occupational accidents. A study was conducted on 30 construction workers working on different sites of Hisar city. A questionnaire was used for collecting general information and for specific information. Data reveals that 56.66% of the respondents were in 26-35 years of age group followed by 86% of the respondents were married. 63.33% of the respondents were living in village. 83.33% of the respondents' family consists of more than 5 members followed by 73.33% of the respondents' family has two earning members. Body discomfort level was also analyzed by using Relative Important Index. Conclusively, Construction sector falls under unorganized sector of an economy. They are working under unsecured environment or work culture. The scenario only can be changed with the government intervention, by implementing the policies strictly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-service nurse mentoring is increasingly seen as a way to strengthen the quality of health care in rural areas, where healthworkers are scarce. Despite this, the evidence base for designing large-scale programs remains relatively thin. In this capacity-building article, we reflect on the limited evidence that exists and introduce features of the world's largest program, run by CARE-India since 2015. Detail on the mechanics of large-scale programs is often missing from empirical research studies, but is a crucial aspect of organizational learning and development. Moreover, by focusing on the complex ways in which capacity-building is being institutionalized through an embedded model of in-service mentorship, this article bridges research and practice. We point to a number of areas that require further research as well as considerations for program managers designing comparable workforce strengthening programs. With careful planning and cross-national policy learning, we propose that in-service nurse mentoring may offer a cost-effective and appropriate workforce development approach in a variety of settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]