Monday, Sep 30, 2019, 7:16 amBY Suzanne Gordon

(More than 2,200 nurses went on strike against University of Chicago Medical Center on September 20. (Photo: National Nurses United)

On September 20, 2,200 nurses represented by the National Nurses United (NNU) went on a one-day strike at the University of Chicago Medical Center. The Chicago nurses were protesting unsafe working conditions and forced overtimeand had been in contract negotiations with the hospital for months. The Medical Center has justspent $269million ona hospital expansion that it, insists, represents an investment to improve our community's health.

In response to the strike, the Medical Centers top officials went on a P.R. offensive, accusing striking nurses of engaging in shameless behavior, and insisting they are recklessly endangering their patients.

Nothing could be further from the truth, says Astria Johnson, an Emergency Room nurse who has worked for the hospital for 10 years. This strike is about providing safe patient care. I cant do that when I am assigned four patients, two of whom are intensive care (ICU) patients and two of whom are very sick. Someone may be on a ventilator to breathe for them. Someone may be septic and require intravenous antibiotics and require constant monitoring. Some people are getting their first diagnosis in the ER and I cant educate them about their disease or medication.

In response to the strike, management locked nurses out of the hospital for four days. The nurses went back to work Wednesday morning, and bargaining is expected to continue now that theyre back on the job.

Healthcare professionals like Johnson do not view striking as their first option. Most spend years going through the proper channels, speaking with management, and engaging in endless internal negotiating sessions to resolve patient care problems. When they do finally go public with their concerns, their actions often result in improvements to patient care.

In California for example, the California Nurses Association (CNA), the organization that was the founding member of NNU, spent 13 years fighting and winning the firstand thus far onlylegislated safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in the country: In 1998, California Government Pete Wilson vetoed a safe staffing bill that was passed by the legislature. In 1999, after more intense lobbying and activity by the CNA, legislation was passed and signed into law by Governor Gray Davis. Ratios were finally implemented in 2004. According to one study, in California, mandated ratios had a positive impact on patient deaths as well as nurse burnout.

Other healthcare workers have gone on strike to address vexing patient care issues. Since 2010, the National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW), which represents 4,000 psychologists, social workers, and other mental health clinicians at Kaiser Permanente in California, has mounted a campaign to publicize and remedy a critical shortage of mental health workers at the states largest HMO. In 2011, the NUHW filed complaints to the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) charging Kaiser was violating a regulation that requires that HMOs must see mental health patients within 10 business or 14 calendar days of their request for an appointment. The complaint was accompanied by a 34 page report entitled Care Delayed, Care Denied.

In 2012, the NUHW went on strike to expose Kaisers failure to hire sufficient mental staff and give patients access to timely care. These mental health workers pushed the DMHC to take action to fulfill its mandates to protect patients. In March of 2013, the DMHC released the results of its investigation. It found that up to 40 percent of patients at various Kaiser facilities experienced appointment delays that violated California law. In June of 2013, the state of California fined the system $4 million, issued a cease-and-desist order against Kaiser, and ordered the HMO to correct the problems. In 2015, a follow up survey by the DMHC, based on a sampling of hundreds of individual patient charts, revealed that, in Northern California alone, 22 percent of patients suffered excessive appointment delays. The DMHC called the violations serious.

In 2015, one of these serious violations resulted in the death of, 83-year-old Barbara Ragan, according to her husband Denny Ragan. Barbara had worked for Kaiser herself for more than two decades. Shed been seeking mental health care from Kaiser and, according to her husband, faced lengthy delays for treatment and ultimately died by suicide. Kaiser has said it is not responsible for Ragans death and insisted that she had received adequate care.

In 2017, the state ordered follow-up inspections to make sure Kaiser was in compliance with state laws and regulations. As a result, Kaiser has also hired hundreds more therapists.

Even though the unions actions have played a role in forcing Kaiser to improve patients access to an initial visit or assessment, workers say problems continue when it comes to providing follow-up care. Kaiser has not hired enough staff so that, after an initial telephone appointment, patients get needed follow-up care. Today patients have to wait up to two months for a follow up in person visit, says Kirstin Quinn Siegel a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Kaiser Richmond. People who have been suffering in silence, perhaps for years, and finally call to get help should be seen immediately not in two months.

After experiencing delayed care, another Kaiser patient, 19-year-old Elizabeth Brown, died by suicide in 2018. Kaiser has declined to comment to the press about Browns care.

Peter Ly, a psychologist on the Child Team at San Jose Kaiser, says that A teenager struggling with depression, or who is self -harming or has suicidal thoughts needs to be seen right away and then consistently every week or two. We cant do it. We are asked to put people into groups when what they need is individual one-on-one therapy.

Thats why he and roughly 4,000 other workers went on a five-day strike in December 2018. Former Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D, RI) the sponsor of the mental health parity and addiction Equity Act flew to California to join striking therapists on the picket line.

We do not go into this work to make money, says Susan Whitney, a marriage and family therapist at Kaiser in Bakersfield. There is no cap on our caseload. In order to help patients we keep accepting more and more of them. We cant take lunch or even bathroom breaks. We dont act until we and our patients are at the breaking point. And our number one concern is how will this affect patient care?

In a response to union allegations, Kaiser has issued a public statement insisting that, KaiserPermanente is committed to finding solutions and creating a model for mental health care that meets the growing demand for mental health care and responds to the shortage of qualified professionals.

But according to Whitney, Weve been going through official Kaiser channels for years and the only way weve seen any enforcement or improvement is when we go public and enlist the support of patients, community leaders and political representatives.

In July of 2019, Kaiser announced that it had added 300 more mental health staff statewide and was continuing to recruit staff. NUHW members have proposed that they participate in decisions about where new staff are assigned both geographically and to which clinical teams.

In 2004, two researchers investigated management claims that healthcare workers represented by unions jeopardize patient care. Michael Ash and Jean Ann Seago found instead that patients on cardiac units in hospitals where RNs were represented by labor unions had a reduced cardiac mortality rate. They concluded that, The protections offered by unionization may encourage nurses to speak up in ways that improve patient outcomes but might be considered insubordinate and, hence, career-jeopardizing without union protections.

What was true 15 years ago is even more so today as healthcare corporations consolidate through hospital mergers and acquisitions, gain more power, and act to protect the bottom-line rather than patient care.

Continued here:
How Have Health Workers Won Improvements to Patient Care? Strikes. - In These Times

Karan Johar took to his Instagram today to post a picture with Ma Anand Sheela and to announce that he interviewed her. The Bollywood director was all praises for the controversial figure in his post.

Karan posted a selfie with Sheela, who featured in the Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country on Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh aka Osho.

Karan posted the picture with the caption, "Interviewing #maanandsheela was an experience! She is fun forthright and fabulous! Dodging every answer in her inimitable fashion! She is controversial without revealing a thing! Now thats an art! She is witty and never at a wits end! Thanks for the help."

For the selfie, the star was dressed in a quirky, nerdy look. He donned a navy blue blazer over a black shirt, nerdy glasses and a quirky chain. As for Sheela, she wore a lemon yellow ensemble.

After Karan posted the picture on his gram, celebs like Shibani Dandekar, Ananya Panday and even Vishal Dadlani took his timeline to show there excitement.

Shibani wrote, "Damn cant wait to see this," and Vishal wrote, "'Seela is a beach!' said the most venerable Osho. She must've done something right!" As for Ananya, she was super excited and so are we.

For the uninitiated, Sheela is an Indian-born American-Swiss, former spokeswoman of the Rajneesh movement aka the Osho movement and was also convicted for multiple attempted murders.

As the personal secretary of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, Sheela managed the Rajneeshpuram ashram in Wasco County, Oregon, United States.

In 1985 she pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault for her role in the 1984 Rajneeshee bio-terror attack. She was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and paroled after 39 months.

In fact, Priyanka Chopra is also working on a biopic which is based on Ma Anand Sheelas life. Priyanka had announced the news on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where she also revealed that the film will be directed by Barry Levinson.

ALSO SEE | Karan Johar shares old video of Yash Chopra on his birth anniversary: Honoured to be fathered by him

ALSO WATCH | Karan Johar on Bollywood, love and Section 377 at Conclave Mumbai 2019

See the original post:
Karan Johar interviews Ma Anand Sheela: She is controversial without revealing a thing - India Today

Its difficult not be in awe of Sheela Biernstiel, or Ma Anand Sheela.

Her soft words and warm smile make you forget that she was once the foul-mouthed, no-nonsense administrative head of Rajneeshpuram, a commune established in the 1980s Oregon by the followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (or Osho), a Rolls-Royce-loving godman who advocated free sex and unique meditation methods. The fine lines on her forehead, which get accentuated when she talks about the 39 months she spent in a California prison in the late 1980s after pleading guilty to attempted murder, arson, wire-tapping, and assault for poisoning hundreds of peopleoften referred to as the largest bioterror attack in American historyremind you of all the things she did to live the life the way she wanted to. Her defiance and competence make you root for her, even if you are not supposed to.

The world had almost forgotten about Sheela till Wild Wild Country, a 2018 Netflix documentary that follows the rise and fall of Rajneeshpuram, brought the Vadodara-born anti-hero back into the limelight. Today, Sheela, now 70, is running Matrusaden (mothers home) and Bapusaden (fathers home), homes for the mentally ill, disabled and the elderly. She has established similar homes in Vietnam and Mauritius. What about India? If someone shows interest (in funding), Im happy to do it," she says.

In an exclusive interview with Mint, Switzerland-based Sheela, who was recently in India to be part of Sipping Thoughts, a platform for women established in association with the NGO Humans for Humanity, shares her life experiences, her relationship with parents and Bhagwan Rajneesh, and why she did what she did. Edited excerpts:

You are returning home after 34 years. What took you so long?

I had people they said they would like me to come (to India) but I wasnt ready yet to come so I didnt encourage anyone. I was sure that when the right time comes, I will be there, and now is the right time.

What makes now the right time?

Feeling. Feeling inside. Often our intuition relates to our feeling, and it felt right. So when I got this invitation, there was a yes" in me. There wasnt ummm..no..I have to thinkno. I feel it is my responsibility to share my reality and my feeling to people.

Has your perspective towards life changed since the time you first left India?

Im the same individual I was when I was young. It is the same person, who became young, and then a bit older. It is the same person who met Bhagwan and fell in love with him.

Most people talk about you only in reference to Bhagwan Rajneesh. Did that ever bother you?

They talk in reference to him because that (being with him) was the biggest event of my life. And it is normal, the love I felt for Bhagwan. It was out of this world and it should be talked about. Such love, such commitment you dont see it every day. It was rare and even today I feel the commitment to him.

What I have come to learn from this man is remarkable. It should not be ignored, because this learning is itself an achievement. This is the real achievement: To live with somebody and learn from this genius, that is remarkable. In love and trust, you learn the most.

Have you used this learning in building Matrusudan?

Matrusudan is my expression of love for my parents. Ma and Pa have given me the basic correct values of life. In their honour, I do the work that I do now. When I was with Bhagwan, I was in love with him and I did what I could offer him in terms of my learning and in my being there. And now, Im being there for my handicapped people.

What are you doing for yourself?

People make me happy. People around me make me happy. The way I have lived till now makes me happy. The thought of my parents makes me happy. Thought of Bhagwan makes me happy. I work seven days a week. And I dont take vacation; Im not stressed in my work. I enjoy it.

How did Matrusaden and Bapusaden start?

I had come out of prison (December 1988), and I wanted to be on my feet. There was still much emotional chaos in me. At that time, I couldnt speak German. I started working as a housekeeper with an old couple in Basel. I was almost coming to the end of the journey with them (the old couple). I missed my parents very much. I could go back to them but I was not ready to take the risk of the US government. I was safe in Switzerland but I still missed them. Then I started seeing my parents in the people I saw on the streets. I felt my parents were here with every person, and then one day I came across an advertisement about a new law that people can take handicap person into their house and take care of them and the government will pay them to take care of them. So thats what I exactly did. With my little savings, I rented a house and I took in my first three patients and then three more. They were happy, I was happy. And just then the immigration law in Switzerland changed and I was able to call my parents. I was in heaven. And in 1996, my parents came. Existence took care of me. It realized that she doesnt have to suffer anymore heartaches".

How was prison life?

I only learnt. In such hard situations, you can only learn. If you dont learn, then you shouldnt be called human. What makes us different as humans, as individuals, is our ability to learn. And I took it as, Did I have any choice?" No. Since childhood, our parents taught us, Be ready for every situation and learn from it. Dont play to complain." Thats all I did.

So, what did you learn?

One of the most important things I learnt was time. Nobody has time. People are in traffic jam in the street or in the traffic jam of the life they create. Everybody is stressed because they dont have time, either for their loved ones or for themselves. In prison, everything you talk is in terms of time. How many years are you doing? How many years you have been here? How much more time do you have? Thats the vocabulary there. Then you have to sit back and understand what is this phenomenon. I learnt the value of time and what it meant to me.

The other important lesson was patience. Because to complete 39 months in prison requires a lot of patience. Women in nine months of pregnancy are finished, they want the child out. Thirty-nine months of pregnancy is bigger than an elephant.

Today, I do justice to my two learnings with my work. Im there for people, and I take the time for them. People need one another. Why has the problem of psychologically ill people, or handicap people, or the old people, become such a big problem? Because they are isolated. I have 10 more years to my life; I want to be there for people.

Bhagwan Rajneesh accused you of several crimes. How did you deal with them?

It is very simple today when I speak about it. Much water has gone by. I was brutally hurt in my heart but that was my problem, and I was very clear about that what Bhagwan says was his problem. I had to suffer for my heart, for myself. I fully accepted it. If I landed in prison, I had to learn something from there. Everyone can meditate, everyone can read books when life is good. But can you, in hard circumstances, look within? I dont talk about spirituality; I have nothing to do with it. But can you look within in all honesty?

Bhagwan and I had a wonderful love affair. We understand that when an average couple separates there is a lot of bloodshed. Now this was an international love affair, with thousands of people involved. He has to hold on to his people. Nobody had ever imagined that Bhagwan and Sheela will be separate. So he has to say something that is believable for people. But I can tell you, recently a sanyasin wrote to me, Do you know every day Bhagwan asked, How was Sheela, till the day he died." For me, it was clear, Bhagwan cannot think of anything other than my love for him. He did what was right for him. He did take a lot of drugs, and it is normal for people who take drugs to talk nonsense at times. He had to do that; I assumed he had a more intelligent way to do that, there too I agree he wasnt creative under drugs.

But I was like a phoenix rising from the ashes. The whole world was against me. Think about that. People who called me friends no longer existed all gone with the wind. And then I had to depend on my own back. My old values that my parents had given me came to my rescue.

What were your parents like?

Im made of my parents. My mother was very intelligent and my father spent his time with Gandhi, Kakasaheb (Dattatreya Balkrushna Kalelkar).... He was well trusted and respected. And that is the value of loyalty he taught us. Im no Christian in that sense that I suffer from guilt but I have learnt to look at myself and move on. Life is vast.

What was your parents reaction when you told them about your decision to join Osho?

I tell you a small incident. When my father was young, he used to take my mother on his bicycle and go through Baroda. His friends always told him not to do so because it didnt look nice" but my father also said, My wife is beautiful, I want the whole world to see her". My father gave me an advice when I was 16 and going to America for study. He said: Im sending you to America to study, to learn. I want you to remember that you are at that age where you will be interested in men and men will be interested in you. Experiment. Dont meet the first man and marry him. Have sex. Marriage is a long-term event, and if you enter into it without knowing your desires it would be wrong. Date few men, then make your choice."

Did you have any apprehensions about the Netflix documentary, Wild Wild Country?

My four sisters were against it; they didnt want me to go through any more public scrutiny, but my brother convinced them. The two brothers (Maclain and Brocker Way, the directors of the documentary) said they have this 200-300 hours of raw footage from our time in Oregon. It was a goldmine. I was just putting out my heart. I had no idea what they were planning to do. They filmed me for five days. I was just there, with my reality, with life, with myself.

Do you ever wish to go back in time and change things?

I have no regrets. I have come out, out of the whole deal, in spite of 39 months in prison, as a winner. I feel like a winner; I am a winner. Thats what makes me, me. The training of my parents, the love of my brothers and sisters, the trust of Bhagwan in me, that I could do it, that makes for a good foundation.

If Bhagwan Rajneesh was here, what would you say to him?

(Blows a kiss).

Read the original post:
I have come out as a winner: Ma Sheela Anand - Livemint

Ahead of London Fashion Week if you had to pick out one show that would bring the party it would have been Ashish, known for his high-tempo catwalk collections, however, when the invite arrived, a packet of wildflower seeds, it suggested that the British designer was about to take us all in a different direction.

Set in the large sports hall of the Seymour Leisure Centre, Ashish greeted his guests with a meditative beats from musicians, Candida Valentino and Michael Ormiston, who played with gongs, wind chimes, and a singing bowl, adding a calm to the storm of fashion week, as the sun set through the skylights.

For spring/summer 2020, Ashish was inspired by the Netflix documentary series, Wild, Wild Country, which tells the story of the Rajneeshpuram ashram cult in Oregon, the designer told FashionUnited backstage following his show: I became kind of obsessed with Ma Anand Sheelas character, I was thinking shes kind of amazing, she is such an anti-hero and you dont want to mess with her - she is such a strong character.

Then I was kind of inspired by the situation, about being in an ashram, away from everything, it is like a magical space where it is like free love and everybodys like really chill and just away from all the horribleness that is happening.

It is kind of like escapism, just beauty, magic and escapism.

This was a spiritual awakening of sorts, there were still sparkles, sequins, bright colours and clashing patterns, everything we expect from Ashish, yet it seemed a little more subdued, if not reflective and mesmerising.

Gone were the overtly obvious tongue-in-cheek slogans, well except for one black sweatshirt that featured 19 sexual expletives on the back, all of which began with fuck, this collection was more reflection, quite literally, as traditional shisha mirror embroidery covered full tracksuits, denim, shirting, slip dresses and full-skirted dresses.

As well as spring/summer ready-to-wear, the catwalk showcase also featured resort-style pieces from swim shorts and polos for men, and bikinis for women, which were mixed in alongside sportswear, which Ashish stated added contrast to the collection.

As with most London Fashion Week designers, sustainability was on Ashishs mind, following on from previous collections dedication to slow fashion, the designer added: A lot of the fabric was actually vintage that I literally found sack loads of, Ive then joined them all together to make my own fabric.

Also, all the denim is sustainable, as it is all old jeans that have been cut up and joined back together.

The looks were also all styled with handmade jewellery, featuring discarded wood blocks that Ashish said he had found about the place, which really added to the hippy-vibe of the colourful collection.

The show notes concluded with a quote from controversial Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, also known as Osho from the documentary Wild Wild Country, saying: A little foolishness, enough to enjoy life, and a little wisdom to avoid errors, that will do.

If this was Ashish starting his own cult, a cult filled with a kaleidoscope of sequins, sparkles and mirrors, where do we sign up.

Images: courtesy of Ashish

Original post:
LFW SS20: Ashish - beauty, magic and escapism - FashionUnited UK

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In conversation with Elets News Network, Sachin Gupta, Chancellor, Sanskriti University, Mathura shared the several initiatives that will raise the Institution to the status of top 10 private universities on all key parameters, making incredible progress at a quick pace.

Tell us the mission and vision of your esteemed university?

The mission of Sanskrtiti University is Excellence in Life and vision is to create ultimate destination for world class education. We understand the task is difficult enough but we believe in Henry Fords saying When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.

In this rat race of emulating competitors, what are the prominent challenges that Sanskriti University is faced with?

While there is mushrooming of University but the fact is that majority are the clone of one another which make no real competition. Sanskriti does not believe in emulating competitors rather competitors should follow Sanskriti. Sanskriti is not in rat race because it has created a niche area for itself where there is not much crowding. In fact, Sanskriti itself is its nearest competitor.

What are some of the innovations being introduced at your institution to improve learning outcomes among the students?

Sanskriti understands that Idea is the most priceless possession and Innovation is the key to survive, sustain and succeed.

Innovation starts in Sanskriti University with the conceiving of idea of a different class of university that, from the beginning, implement structured syllabus based on Choice based Credit Based System and Outcome based Learning which is validated by industry partner including MSME, PPDC, Agra.

Sanskriti is the first university in India which has conceptualized, innovated and implemented IIIE (Innovation, Incubation, IPR and Entrepreneurship) Cell which has subsequently become a bench mark for other universities to follow.

With the legacy of Sanskriti University on your shoulders, how do you plan to take this forward in the coming times? What are the future initiatives in the higher education sphere?

Sanskriti University believes in Excellence thinking as well as in action. Sanskriti has explored the best education system, the best practices, garnered support from best academic and industrial collaborators from India and abroad, conceptualized the system and progress is monitored by a group of eminent visionary educators, invested in best infrastructure, the most knowledgeable and inspiring faculty team and ascertained the best academic environment for the students to excel.

Sanskriti considers this university is a Sanctum Sanctorum (holiest of holy places) and every member of the Sanskriti family discharges his/her responsibilities with utmost devotion and sincerity and accomplishes the assigned tasks with great degree of finesse. With its vision to be a world class knowledge enterprise striving for academic and professional excellence in technical education, research, service to the industry and society, Sanskriti University has been truly working to achieve excellence in life in the best manner possible.

We believe our continued aspiration for excellence and create culture for the best will take a long way to achieve our Mission and Vision.

With placement of students becoming a yardstick to evaluate a universitys status, what has been your achievement level in the context?

The institute recognizes the importance of employability (not just placements) and hence curriculum is designed in consultation with corporate leaders to ensure that students get industry-oriented teaching and become job ready as and when they pass out. Campus placement drives are conducted round the year for getting its students placed in reputed organizations with decent packages. In the last year, students have an offer of almost 1.4 jobs on an average with highest package of 11 lakhs and average salary of 3.6 lakhs per annum. It is no wonder that the students of this university are one of the most sought after candidates in job market.

Almost every other university is enjoying the fruits of collaboration, what initiatives have been taken by your university on this front?

In an attempt to establish itself as one of world class educational hub, the University has entered into collaboration and signed MOU with leading global universities like Help University (Malaysia). Cambridge University and University of North America (USA) for curriculum design & development and student & faculty exchange programme. University of Fredericton, Canada, EC Council University, USA, Colegio de Abogados, Argentina, Group-TQS of Chile, Universidad Abierta Interamericana, Argentina, University of California Riverside, USA, are a few International Universities with which we have entered into MOUs for student exchange, Faculty exchange as well as Research sharing.

Rubicon Skill Development Private Ltd. For skill based education, Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) for providing quality education to our students studying agriculture, ICAR- NBPGR, Government of India, MSME for setting up Centre of Excellence, MSME to run Center of Excellence (CoE) on Ecological Farming, Santhigiri Ashram for providing practice oriented education to our students studying Ayurveda. In addition , Sanskriti has entered into a collaboration with SAFIC ( a unit of Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry) for conducting a course on Indian Culture.

In the national level, Institute has signed MOU with MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise, Government of India) on Entrepreneurship Development, Centre of Excellence and Course curriculum validation, It is also empanelled as Project Institute with NIESBUD (National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development) with EDII (Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India) and NEN (National Entrepreneurship Network) for Entrepreneurship Development Programme and with CSTUP (Council of Science and Technology, Uttar Pradesh) for conducting Intellectual Property Right programme.

What steps have been undertaken for research-based learning by the university?

To cope up with todays fast changing VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world, the University is committed to creation, assimilation, dissemination of knowledge and practice and is no wonder that it is ranked as second in Research Capabilityby Times of India and regarded as one of the best promising and emerging University in India and preferred destination for budding students.

The faculty members are encouraged to publish papers in high impact factor research journals indexed and listed in SCI/SSCI/SCOPUS. Besides Sanskriti is publishing own research journal to create a culture of knowledge dissemination

Is there any other initiative taken by you in the Education Sector; you would like to share with us?

Sanskriti University prepares the students not as job hunters but as job creators and from the last year it has developed an innovative eco system in education which is built on four pillars of success- conceiving the new idea (Innovation), nurturing the new idea (Incubation), own the idea (apply for Intellectual property Rights) and commercialize the new idea (Entrepreneurship) and has established IIIE (Innovation, Incubation, IPR and Entrepreneurship) cell, which many of other higher educational institutes have started to follow

Within two years, we have been adjudged as the Best Emerging Private University in India. In next five years our goal is to establish us as Best Private University in India. In the ten years our goal is to establish us as the Best University in India.

On the Occasion of Foundation day, would like to know more about, how did the idea of Opening an Education Institute is evolved?

Although there is no dearth of education Institutes in India especially after the year 2008, but there is a real void in imparting real education to the aspiring students. Run of the mill education system are producing job seekers and adding plethora of students in job market instead of preparing students who are self confident and self reliant know what is to be known, learn what is to be learnt and can be the job creators.

Sanskriti Group of Institutions started with an unusual dream of an institution which will bring together the best of both worlds Indian philosophy and western technology to create Excellence in Life. The missionary zeal of the philanthropist young edupreneurs has made the dream come true and offered the aspiring students the ultimate destination for world class education the Sanskriti University.

Excerpt from:
In the next five years our goal is to establish as the best private university in India: Sachin Gupta - Elets

Come festive season, you dont really need to find another excuse to indulge in all your favourite things, whether its hanging out with your friends and family, fireworks, mithai or a whole lot of shopping. In fact, most families plan an annual shopping trip around this time to prep for all the upcoming festivitieswhich is probably why youll spot a number of exhibitions and pop-ups cropping up during this season too. If you live in Delhi, or are travelling there soon, weve curated an edit of all the places you need to visit for your retail fix, whether youre looking for clothes, jewellery, handicrafts or even home decor.

With over 300 exhibitors and 650 brands, the eighth edition of The Delhi Jewellery and Gem Fair will showcase everything from silver jewellery and diamonds to pearls and gemstones this year. As one of the most sought after exhibitions in the country, this is definitely the ideal platform to meet prime jewellers and suppliers, as well as importers and exporters.

When: Sep 28-30, 2019Where: Pragati Bhawan, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

If youre looking for the latest trends in prt and couture fashion, or shopping for accessories, home decor, or beauty and wellness products, this exhibition has it all. Organised and conceptualised by Ramola Bachchan, a renowned name in the exhibition industry, Runway Rising is showcasing collections from more than 130 Next Gen designers this year.

When: Sep 30, 2019Where: The Ashok Hotel, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

A one-of-a-kind shopping experience that lets you buy ethnic wear from various designers at outlet prices, Warehouse by Mudita is back with a massive trunk show. The pop-up will showcase the work of famed Indian designers such as Gauri & Nainika, Tarun Tahiliani and Anita Dongre, among others. The silhouettes will be at 70 per cent off, so we suggest you get there as early as you can to avail the offers.

When: Sep 30, 2019Where: The Grand, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

As you start blocking fates your calendar for all the parties and celebrations this festive, make sure youve put together a host of different looks for back-to-back events. At Diwali Fiesta, youll be able to do just that. Expect products ranging across apparel, footwear, bags, jewellery, home decor and more here.

When: Oct 4, 2019Where: Hyatt Regency, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

A fashion and lifestyle pop-up, you can find everything from festive outfits and accessories to home decor at discounted prices at The Sorbet Soiree. 45 designers, including Saburi, Musk Meadows, Amaltas and Summer by Priyanka Gupta, are showcasing this time.

When: Oct 11, 2019Where: Hyatt Regency, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

An annual holiday market run by the Blind School Association, this one is the go-to place for a festive shopper. Theres not just apparel, home decor and accessories, but the fair also has food, entertainment and art to offer. The best part? The chocolates, diyas and candles are handmade by the visually impaired.

When: Oct 18-24, 2019Where: Blind School Relief Association, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, New Delhi

Needless to say, the India International Trade Fair is one of the most sought after fairs in the country this time of the year. Apart from a wide range of products including apparel, accessories, decor, footwear and cosmetics, it also plays host to a variety of books and handicraft collections.

When: Nov 14-27, 2019Where: Pragati Bhawan, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

If youre looking for a high-end, contemporary arcade, Khan Market is definitely the place to be. With a line-up of designer boutiques ranging across apparel, accessories and home decor, it has everything you'll need to update your festive wardrobe. Head to the Anita Dongre or Ritu Kumar stores, AM:PM by Ankur & Priyanka Modi, Anokhi or Fabindia to plan your festive looks, and style them with accessories from Amrapali and Amethyst by Rahul Popli, among others. And dont forget to visit Good Earth store for home decor gifting options too. For accessories, theres Amrapali and Amethyst by Rahul Popli among other brands. In case youre someone who likes to shop till you drop, there are plenty of restaurants and cafes to grab a quick post-shopping meal at too.

Where: Rabindra Nagar, New Delhi

An open-air craft bazaar, Dilli Haat is a must-visit shopping destination if youre in the capital. Featuring a wide array of handicrafts from artisans across the country, it offers everything from ethnic wear, bags, jewellery and footwear, to embroidered and woven fabrics, rugs, paintings and other home decor items. The stalls on display rotate every few days, so theres always more to look forward to. Dont miss out on the food plaza this season either.

Where: Sri Aurobindo Marg, Kidwai Nagar West, Kidwai Nagar, New Delhi

One of Delhis greenest and less-crowded patches, Santushti is loaded with a great collection of stores for ethnic wear and jewellery. The designer and apparel stores include Ranna Gill, Inchie Tape, Art Indus, Anokhi, Ogaan, Christina and more. Its a calm oasis if you need to be away from the city's hustle-bustle for a few hours to indulge in your festive shopping in peace.

Where: Panchsheel Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

This pop-up is bringing Sri Lankas emerging fashion scene to Mumbai

Conscious shoppers cant miss this designer pop-up at Fort Kochi

Pernia Qureshis online Pop-Up Shop makes its brick-and-mortar debut

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Shopping for festive season in Delhi? Head to these exhibitions and pop-ups - Vogue India

Illustration by Joel Arbaje

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My wife and I have made some big financial decisions over our 38-year marriage, but the most consequential was staying together.

Few things savage your personal finances more than divorce. The closer you are to retirement, the worse the damage.

Youve got a couple that planned their whole retirement to look one way, says Nancy Hetrick of Phoenix, a divorce financial analyst, and now the same money that was going to do one retirement has to do two of them.

The divorce rate for Americans over 50 began climbing in the early 1990s and has remained above historical norms while the rates for other age groups has declined.

About 1% of married Americans over age 50 get divorced each year, says Susan Brown, a sociology professor at Bowling Green State University who has published research on divorce. The picture is pretty grim, Dr. Brown says.

Especially in a gray divorce, you have only one shot to get it right.

Especially in a gray divorce, you have only one shot to get it right, says Diane Pappas, a divorce financial analyst in the Boston area. The husband and wife have to understand their expenses. The only way to live within their means is to understand what theyre spending and how much income they will have.Whats more, women are disproportionately affected financially by divorces: The average woman sees her standard of living decline by 45% after a split; the average man sees it go down 21%.

Why do women fare so much worse? Carol Lee Roberts, president of the Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts, which trains people in divorce financial planning, has seen many splits where the man takes the retirement account and the woman gets the house. The result is the man receives assets to help fund his retirement and the woman is saddled with the maintenance costs and property taxes of a house.

Often keeping a house, or any large asset that isnt giving you an income stream, isnt the best idea, Roberts says.

Women who stay home to raise children also often pay a Social Security penalty in retirement. If they didnt work enough to qualify for benefits on their own, they receive half the Social Security benefits of their husband if married 10 years or more.

Another big area of impact when couples split: Many people receive employer-sponsored health coverage through their spouses employer, and they often lose it in divorce.

The No. 1 issue that keeps people up at night is health insurance, says Jennifer Failla, an Austin, Texas, divorce financial analyst. People losing employer-sponsored insurance can get coverage for up to three years through a federal program called Cobra, but it is expensive.

Failla helps clients find private health coverage to save money but says they typically end up paying $500 to $800 a month for worse coverage than they had previously with the employee-sponsored plan.

Even upscale couples feel the pinch in a split-up. Justin Reckers, a divorce financial analyst in San Diego, handled a case where the main source of income, the husband, earned more than $500,000 a year. The 54-year-old wife had quit working seven years earlier to raise their children. She received roughly $3 million in assets as part of the divorce settlement, enough to give her $7,000 a month for life after taxes, but that pales in comparison to the $15,000 or more a month the couple was spending before the divorce.

Hetrick, the Phoenix divorce financial analyst, encounters a lot of couples where the romance died a long time ago but they are staying together because they think they cant afford separate houses. They dont hate each other, she says. Theyre just kind of roommates and have been for a long time.

When a couple comes in preparing for divorce, planners generally make two lists. One has all their income; the other all their expenses. Especially in a gray divorce, you have only one shot to get it right, says Diane Pappas, a divorce financial analyst in the Boston area. The husband and wife have to understand their expenses. The only way to live within their means is to understand what theyre spending and how much income they will have.

Pappas sometimes counsels people who are still on the fence about divorce. She recently talked to a couple in their late 60s who had amassed $3 million in assets, but the husband felt he didnt have enough to retire. That reluctance to retire was causing friction with his wife, who wanted to start enjoying life.

She told the husband he could afford to retire. So he did, and the couple is still together.

Questions? Comments? Write to us at retirement@barrons.com

Link:
Divorce Is Costly. Divorce in Retirement Is Costly and Complicated. - Barron's

Go to any online newsfeed and you'll see a FIRE story, something about the "Financial Independence, Retire Early" movement. The stories go like this:

"I got tired of the rat race, saved like mad and quit my day job. Now I'm a happy blogger living like a king in Peru."

It makes for great lunch-break escape reading.

The hard part is figuring out if, when and where you can actually take early retirement. When you sit down and do the analysis, the decision turns on some key factors that have absolutely nothing to do with saving and investing.

Think of these four factors as gates, each one crucial to achieving FIRE.

Health insurance. If you are going to live in the United States, it's probably best not to retire before 65. That's when you are eligible for Medicare and a dramatically lower cost of health insurance and health care. If you have a modest income, you might be able to retire earlier by getting subsidized health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

Premiums are based on your modified adjusted gross income. Your MAGI includes investment income as well as earned income. The more modest your income from all sources, the lower the out-of-pocket cost of your policy.

While there is a lot of public support for the Affordable Care Act particularly the elimination of pre-existing conditions efforts are still being made to get rid of it. That adds big-time risks to an early retirement. It's also why many, perhaps most, early retirees choose to live in other countries. In most of the industrialized world, health care isn't a financial hazard.

Empty nest or no children. Most of the FIRE stories I've read are about people who never had children or who are old enough that their kids are young adults on their own. Kids are expensive, so many FIRE couples tend to be empty-nesters in their 50s.

The U.S. birth rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reached a 32-year low in 2018. The total fertility rate continued to be lower than the "replacement rate" necessary to maintain our population level. These figures tell us that more individuals and couples are candidates for the FIRE lifestyle.

Still, not having children is far from mainstream.

Cost-conscious living. Making very deliberate decisions about how we spend our money is the bedrock of FIRE. This isn't a new idea. We can go back to Henry David Thoreau. But the most recent source is most likely traced to Duane Elgin, who wrote Voluntary Simplicityin the 1970s, and Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, who wrote Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independencein the 1990s.

But to follow this route requires that you learn how to swim against the flood tide of advertising and the acquired conditioning of our consumer culture. Most people are willing to talk about how they invest their money. Few are willing to talk about how they spend their money.

Why is that? Simple. Most people don't know how they spend their money. Instead, they discover how they spent it on a credit card statement.

That's not hyperbole. It's what I've learned from talking with a multitude of people over the past 40 years.

FIRE isn't about intense saving and brilliant investing. It's about deliberate spending decisions. The big opportunity here is that the American standard of living is so high, it is entirely possible to live very nicely on amounts that are far less than princely once you master marching to a different drummer.

Geographic arbitrage. One of the most repeated themes for FIRE candidates is using the power of money from here in the U.S. to buy a higher standard of living somewhere else. Think Mexico, Panama, Belize or Costa Rica in our part of the world. Think Portugal in Europe, or Thailand in Asia. Wherever it is, shelter is cheap to rent, medical services are affordable, and it's easy to live simply because everyone else does it, too.

Use these four gates well, and the money part is a lot easier.

Scott Burns is the creator of Couch Potato investing and a longtime personal finance columnist for The Dallas Morning News.

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Want to retire early? It's more about spending than saving - The Dallas Morning News

As I often mention to my clients, a successful retirement plan is one that must be not only created and written but also revisited annually to account for changes we can and cannot control. There are three pending proposals being considered in Congress that may change the landscape of retirement savings and distributions. The goals are to increase the flexibility of retirement savings, correct the Social Security solvency, and added protection for those receiving pensions. There are many advantages and a few drawbacks that will come at a cost to the working class, small business owners, and beneficiaries.

It's important to keep an eye on the progression of these bills so that you will have adequate time to adjust your cash flow in your personal retirement plan and determine the impact on your projected retirement date and savings.

It's important to keep an eye on the progression of these bills so that you will have adequate time to adjust your cash flow in your personal retirement plan and determine the impact on your projected retirement date and savings. There will also be considerations for revised tax and estate planning for non-spouse inheritances of retirement plans.

The SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act)

The first bill passed earlier this year in the U.S. House of Representatives with a 417-3 vote.There has been little progress in the Senate since then. The main objective for this Tax Act is to expand an individual's access to their retirement savings. Here is a summary of the key provisions:

Retirees Required minimum distributions (RMDs) will change from 70 1/2 to age 72 for mandatory distributions from your IRAs, 401(k), 403(b) and other employer-sponsored retirement plans. This can be helpful when you don't need the additional income. It also allows for tax-efficiency planning during the lower income years in retirement, which can range from age 60 to age 72. Consider making Roth IRA conversions during this 1 1/2 year time frame, collecting your distributions to fund life insurance, and pursuing planned charitable giving options.

Employees It will allow an inclusion of annuities and other lifetime income options to 401(k) plan participants. This can advantageous where there continues to be a reduction of employer-provided pensions, resulting in the need to create your own personal pension. Another change will allow qualified contributions to individual retirement accounts beyond age 70 1/2. Traditional IRAs will become like Roth IRAs without an age restriction. In order to make qualified contributions, other IRS requirements must be met and remain unchanged at this time.

Employers Some of the extended provisions will also cost business owners, with additional matching contributions and increased professional fees for revisions in the plan documents, to maintain compliance with federal and state laws.

Increased tax credits will be available for startup costs up to 50% of a small business's new retirement plan. This increases from $500 annually to $5,000 maximum tax credit.

Beneficiaries The bill proposed a major change in reducing the ability for an inherited stretch IRA for beneficiaries, which can be a disadvantage for estate planning. There will be a 10-year time limit for a non-spouse beneficiary to defer the distributions and income taxes on an inherited IRA. It will force taxation of retirement plans that are inherited in the first year or no later than 10 years from the inheritance. There are exceptions for non-spouse beneficiaries who are disabled, a minor, or chronically ill. Distributions for these exceptions would be over their life expectancy, although the exception for minors would end once they reach the age of majority with the final distribution to be taken within 10 years.

Spousal beneficiaries continue to be able to stretch and delay the inherited account's required minimum distributions (RMDs) until the end of the 72nd year of the deceased spouse. The delay was allowed until age 70 1/2 before this new proposed law.

Social Security 2100 Act

This new bill was introduced by Rep. Larson, D-Conn., in July 2019 and the objective of this tax act is to fix the solvency of the Social Security program into the next century. If no changes are made, it is projected that in 2035, the trust funds of Social Security will run out. If this happens, the promised amounts to be paid are 80% of current benefits. This would have an adverse lifelong impact on the retirement income of Americans, many of whom rely solely or partially on Social Security retirement benefits to cover their necessary living expenses.

Employees and Employers The bill requires raising payroll taxes to pay for the solvency correction. Increased Social Security taxes will be paid by current workers and the employers. The Social Security rates currently paid by an employee and matching paid by an employer is 6.2% up to maximum earnings each year of $132,900. The proposed increase is 7.4% for employees and employers up to a maximum annual salary of $400,000. For example, if an employee is making $250,000 in wages, their additional Social Security taxes will increase by $10,260 annually. The employer's expense will increase by this same amount. The additional cost will likely result in lower wage increases and lower retirement plan contributions by employees.

Social Security Recipients Those currently receiving Social Security benefits may receive a reduction in federal taxes paid on their Social Security income. Currently, taxation of up to 85% of Social Security benefits begins when non-Social Security income exceeds $25,000 for individuals and $32,000 for couples. The amounts would increase under this proposed bill to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples.

Rehabilitation for Multi-Employer Pensions Act

This bill passed in the House of Representatives on July 24, 2019, in a 264-169 vote. The objective of this new bill is to allow pension plans to borrow money in order to remain solvent and continue paying retirees. If passed, the new legislation would create a trust fund that lends money to the pension plans as financial solvency remains to be an issue with many private and public pension plans.

If any of these three pending proposals pass, there could be many positive changes for employees, employers, and retirees. The costs of the SECURE Act, Social Security 2100 Act, and Rehabilitation for Multi-Employer Pensions Act will be paid by the working class, small business owners, and beneficiaries. Monitoring the progression of these bills and the ever-changing tax code will be important to allow for timely planning and revisions necessary in your personal retirement plan, tax plan, and estate plan.

Investment advisory services offered through Retirement Wealth Advisors, Inc. (RWA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Campbell & Company and RWA are not affiliated. Investing involves risk, including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice and are not intended as investment advice or to predict future performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Consult your financial professional before making any investment decision. This information is designed to provide general information on the subjects covered. It is not, however, intended to provide specific legal or tax advice and cannot be used to avoid tax penalties or to promote, market, or recommend any tax plan or arrangement. Jackie Campbell, CPA and Campbell and Company, Certified Public Accountants and Financial Advisors are able to provide tax services. However, you are not obligated to work with Campbell and Company, Certified Public Accountants and Financial Advisors and Jackie Campbell, CPA for any tax services. You are encouraged to consult your tax advisor or attorney.

Insurance and annuities offered through Jacquelyn Campbell, FL Insurance License #W101492.

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3 New Retirement Rules That May Change Retirement As We Know It - Forbes

Saving for retirement is complicated and confusing, and there are dozens of factors to consider when creating your retirement plan. How much should you save? What age do you plan to retire? How much will healthcare costs affect your budget?

One factor in particular that can have a major impact on your retirement is Social Security, and yet most workers don't fully understand how the program works. In fact, a whopping 77% of workers incorrectly believe Social Security benefits won't be available to them once they retire, according to areport from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies.

While it's true that the Social Security program is facing some cash shortage issues, the problem isn't as bad as you may think. And not understanding what you can expect from Social Security can make it much harder to plan your retirement.

Image source: Getty Images.

There are plenty of startling headlines about the future collapse of Social Security, but it's not quite as grim as it seems. The program itself isn't going anywhere, because as long as people continue paying their taxes, there will always be at least some money to pay out in benefits. However, there is a chance that benefits could be cut in the next couple of decades.

Right now, as baby boomers retire in droves and life expectancies continue to climb, there's more money being paid out in benefits than is coming in from taxes. To bridge the gap, the Social Security Administration has dipped into its trust fund reserves to continue paying out benefits in full. Those trust funds are expected to run dry by 2035, though, at which point the only money that will be available to pay out in benefits is what comes in from taxpayers. Currently, the Social Security Administration predicts that tax money will only be enough to cover around three-quarters of expected benefits after 2035.

Of course, this is assuming Congress doesn't come up with a solution to fix the problem before then, most likely in the form of tax bumps or increasing the retirement age. While most workers won't like either of these solutions, if the government doesn't do anything, retirees may only receive around 75% of their expected benefits.

So what does this mean for you? In short, it means you should probably start preparing for a potential reduction in Social Security benefits. The government may figure out a solution before you retire, but if not, you could be in for a rude awakening if you're planning to rely on your benefits for a significant chunk of your retirement income.

Because the future of Social Security is in the government's hands, there's little the average worker can control. That said, there are a couple of things you can do to maximize your benefits and protect your retirement income.

One way to increase the amount you receive each month from Social Security is to delay claiming until after your full retirement age (FRA). Your FRA is either age 66, 66 and a few months, or 67, depending on the year you were born, and claiming at that age will ensure you receive the full amount you're entitled to. If you claim before that age (as early as age 62), your benefits will be reduced by up to 30%.

If the SSA is forced to cut benefits in the future, your checks could be reduced significantly if you claim before your FRA. But by waiting to claim until after your FRA (up to age 70), you'll receive extra money each month on top of your full amount. If your FRA is age 67, you'll receive a 24% boost each month by waiting until age 70 to claim, which can take the sting out of any potential benefit reductions.

Another way to increase your benefits is to work a few more years. Your basic benefit amount (or the amount you'll receive if you claim at your FRA) is based on an average of the 35 highest-earning years of your career. If you haven't worked a full 35 years, you'll have zeros in the equation for the years you haven't worked, lowering your average. Even if you have worked at least 35 years, you might choose to work longer so that some of your more current, higher-earning years can replace your lower-earning years from earlier in your career.

Keep in mind that although it's a good idea to maximize your benefits the best you can, at the end of the day, your monthly checks aren't designed to cover the majority of your retirement expenses. Your benefits are only intended to replace roughly 40% of your pre-retirement income, so you'll need a significant amount in personal savings as well to cover all your retirement costs.

Social Security is not on the brink of collapse, but there may be some changes in the coming years. Regardless of whether benefits are reduced or not, it's important to have a plan in place just in case you don't receive as much as you anticipate. The more you understand about how the future of Social Security affects your retirement plan, the more prepared you'll be.

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The 1 Thing Most People Get Wrong About Retirement - The Motley Fool