Topic 1: The thin-fat Indian
Introduction: Over the past few decades, there has been a concerning global rise in the prevalence of obesity among children, adolescents, and adults, as revealed by a new study that was published in The Lancet.The World Health Organization and the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) collaborated to undertake this thorough analysis.
In order to determine how obesity and underweight have changed globally between 1990 and 2022, the study looked at body mass index, or BMI.
Which aspects of the study stand out the most?
India's Data:
Overweight:
- According to The Lancet, 12.5 million Indian children (5.3 million males and 5.2 million girls) between the ages of 5 and 19 were considered grossly overweight in 2022; this is a considerable increase from 0.4 million in 1990.
- India came at 174 in the globe in 2022 for both boys and girls in the area of obesity prevalence.
- Adult obesity rates rose for both men and women between 1990 and 2022: for women, they went from 0.5% to 5.4%, and for women from 1.2% to 9.8%.
Undernutrition:
- India has become one of the countries with a significant "double burden" of malnutrition because the prevalence of undernutrition has stayed high there as well.
- Men were underweight in 12.5% of cases and women in 13.7%.
- With a prevalence of 20.3%, thinness, a gauge of underweight in youngsters, is most common among Indian females.
- With a prevalence of 21.7%, Indian boys had the second-highest rate.
- Global: There are now more than one billion children, teenagers, and adults suffering from obesity globally.
- In 2022, there were 879 million obese adults and 159 million obese children and adolescents worldwide.
Around the world
- While underweight and thinness remain prevalent in parts of Africa and South Asia, an increase in obesity has led to an increase in the combined burden of underweight and obesity in most countries.
- The countries of the Middle East and North Africa, along with the island nations of Polynesia and Micronesia in the Caribbean, had the highest combined prevalence of underweight and obesity in 2022.
- In 2022, the regions with the highest combined prevalence of thinness and obesity among both sexes were the Caribbean, Polynesia, and Micronesia, while the regions with the highest combined prevalence among boys were Chile and Qatar.
- The combined prevalence was particularly high in a number of South Asian countries, including Pakistan and India, where the frequency of thinness has partially declined.
What does it mean to be obese, thin, or overweight?
- Body Mass Index (BMI): This weight-to-height ratio is frequently used to categorize adults as underweight, overweight, or obese.
- It is computed as kg/m2, which is the weight in kilograms divided by the height in meters squared.
Obesity and Overweight:
- Abnormal or excessive fat buildup that poses a health concern is what is meant to be understood as obesity and overweight.
- Obesity is a chronic disease that arises when the body accumulates excess calories as fat, and overweight is a condition characterized by excessive fat deposits.
- A significant risk factor for chronic conditions like diabetes, musculoskeletal problems, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer is obesity.
Thinness and Underweight:
- Because the underweight-to-obesity transition can happen quickly, the combined burden of obesity and underweight may remain unchanged or increase. Therefore, it is important to treat these conditions jointly.
- Programs that improve healthy nutrition must be the main focus. Examples include primary care-based nutritional interventions, free healthy school meals, targeted cash transfers, and food assistance in the form of subsidies or vouchers for healthful items.
What are India’s Initiatives Related to Nutrition?
- Eat Right Mela : The mela provides an opportunity to learn about safe food and healthy diets, including quick tests for adulterants, health and nutrition benefits of food.
- Fit India Movement: Fit India Movement is a nation-wide movement in India to encourage people to remain healthy and fit by including physical activities and sports.
- Eat Right Station Certification :The 'Eat Right Station' certification process involves rigorous audits of food vendors, training of food handlers, adherence to strict hygiene and sanitation protocols
Way Forward
- Because the underweight-to-obesity transition can happen quickly, the combined burden of obesity and underweight may remain unchanged or increase. Therefore, it is important to treat these conditions jointly.
- Programs that improve healthy nutrition must be the main focus. Examples include primary care-based nutritional interventions, free healthy school meals, targeted cash transfers, and food assistance in the form of subsidies or vouchers for healthful items.
- Supporting obese people's weight loss is critically needed.
- Given the declining age at which obesity first manifests, prevention and control are particularly crucial because of the increased exposure time.
Conclusion
It is projected that the demand for healthcare services will rise in the future due to a number of variables, including rising health awareness, aging populations, rising income levels, and changing attitudes toward preventative healthcare.
Topic 2: An assessment paradigm shift
Introduction
A credit is a basic academic unit that represents learning effort and subsequent academic performance throughout the academic journey. Credits are associated with a range of academic pursuits both within and beyond the classroom, as well as skill development.
How concept of Credit is helpful in Education sector?
- The idea of credits aids in the methodical monitoring and evaluation of academic performance by both students and educational institutions, allowing learning outcomes to be measured within a certification framework.
- Credits are a commonly used guiding statistic by students to track their progress and meet their learning goals.
- Students are able to make educated selections through accumulating and tracking credits.
- If students transfer their credits from various programs and schools, they will have more options for their educational paths.
- Giving students the flexibility to transfer credits easily results in a dynamic and all-encompassing educational experience.
Choice Based Credit System (CBCS)
- In Indian higher education institutions, the semester system has replaced the traditional annual system.
- Many institutions have already implemented the choice-based credit system as of right now.
- The semester system facilitates both vertical and horizontal learning mobility and speeds up the teaching-learning process. The credit-based semester system gives educators flexibility in creating curricula and allocating credits according to the subject matter and number of teaching hours.
- The choice-based credit system offers a "cafeteria" style of learning where students can enroll in courses of their choosing, go at their own speed, complete extra courses to gain more credits than necessary, and use an interdisciplinary approach to learning.
- It is preferable that the HEIs adopt the grading scheme and switch to CBCS.
Features of Choice Based Credit System (CBCS)
- All central, state, and other accredited universities must use the same CBCS.
- Core, Elective, and Foundation are the three main course offerings.
- Additionally, non-credit courses are offered; these will be rated as "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory." This is not taken into account when calculating SGPA/CGPA.
- To provide an efficient and well-rounded outcome, all three of the primary courses will be assessed and accessed.
Critical Evaluation of CBCS
- Despite the CBCS's many benefits over conventional teaching techniques, it's fair to argue that the new paradigm is still in its early stages.
- When the system first launched, it revealed more flaws than strengths. Examples include the lack of a trial version, inadequate infrastructure planning, low awareness among teachers and students, discrepancies between the recommended guidelines and current practice, etc.
About NCrF
- The National Credit Framework (NCrF), which was unveiled by UGC in April 2023, emphasizes that education is a complex journey that institutions must customize to meet the needs and goals of each individual student.
- From grade I to VIII, it combined formal education, further education, skill development, and vocational training.
- The NCrF specifies the credits and learning objectives that students must acquire in order to move smoothly from one level to the next.
- According to their accomplishments and goals, students can enter and leave the educational system at different points using the flexible pathways advocated by this paradigm.
Need of new Credit System
- Reforms in the creation and application of credit frameworks became an imperative necessity in order to get past the historical constraints of credit incompatibility and the shortcomings of previous credit systems.
- The new credit system needs to improve mobility and offer opportunities to complete a comprehensive education.
Importance of Paradigm Shift for students and educators
For Students :
- A wider range of learning opportunities is produced by integrating NCrF with ABC, which encourages students to gain a deeper understanding of their subjects. Their academic performance is enhanced, and they develop skills and competencies that are essential for real-world applications.
For Educators:
- By combining experiential learning elements into curriculum, the integration of NCrF and ABC enables educators to create courses that provide students a more comprehensive and hands-on understanding of the subjects they are interested in.
Way Forward
- The candidates should have a thorough knowledge on CBCS at the time of admission.
- Distribution of free brochures, seminars, and workshops to spread knowledge about CBCs.
- Programs of mandatory instruction on CBCS for academic members.
- Rather than being purely theoretical, open electives ought to take the shape of co-curricular activities and craft-based courses.
- Open electives ought to be available in terms of courses in a true sense.
- To lessen the pressure on current faculty, more teachers should be available to teach open electives.
- Every year, the university should survey stakeholders on CBCS to gather their opinions.
Conclusion
In brief, success requires consistent work, perseverance, inspiration, and determination and never happens quickly. Although the CBCS is still in its early stages, nothing has been lost. We may cross the finish line by working together with all interested parties and keeping in mind the social, political, economic, and geographic aspects of this academic journey.