
Experts lay stress on reliable data
The Hindu
Inadequate data affecting policy making: Arvind Subramanian
Highlighting that inadequate and unreliable data crucially affected policy making, former Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian on Wednesday said that the brutal way in which the second wave of COVID-19 affected the country was partly due to the under-reporting of deaths during the first wave.
During a virtual panel discussion on the recently launched book ‘Whole numbers and half truths,’ authored by journalist S. Rukmini, he said the complacency the country showed in early 2021 before the second wave was, in a way, fed by the lack of data on excess deaths.
Recalling the discussions around growth and policy interventions during his tenure as the CEA, he said his concerns over the economy and the need for expansionary fiscal and monetary policies did not find traction within the government as the official numbers showed that the country’s economy was growing around 7%.

‘Instead of accusing Gen-Z of lacking skills or discipline, we need to ask what drives them’ Premium
At a recent event held in the city, Cambridge University Press & Assessment launched an advisory panel comprising leaders from top global corporations, aiming to bridge the employability gap in India and better align academic output with industry needs. A whitepaper released at the event highlighted the growing importance of communication skills, the need for stronger collaboration between industry and universities, and strategies to bridge the persistent skill gap.

Under the NBS, newborns are screened for communication disorders before they are discharged from the hospital. For this, AIISH has collaborated with several hospitals to conduct screening which is performed to detect hearing impairment and other developmental disabilities that can affect speech and language development. The screening has been helping in early intervention for those identified with the disorders, as any delay in the identification poses risk and affects successful management of children with hearing loss, according to AIISH.