From a new academic calendar to women creating change – top social stories of the week

The coronavirus pandemic has taken over our lives, and people are finding it difficult to adjust to the new normal. Despite the lockdown, these people are doing what has to be done to keep things - and life - in order.

This week, SocialStory showcased strong individuals who are making a difference, despite the effects of the pandemic.

Here are the top social stories of the week:

NCERT to develop an alternative academic calendar for CBSE students

A letter from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to school principals confirms that a new academic calendar will be developed for students from Class 1 to Class 12 by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT).  

According to Anita Karwal, CBSE’s Chairperson, the new calendar will be based on newer ways of learning, the details of which will follow in another communique from the CBSE to the heads of schools. This reinvention aims to make education more adaptable to situations like the one the country and the world are going through right now. 

This startup has made a difference to the lives of over 1M daily-wage workers

Founded by Tareque Pirzada and Ashfaq Syed in 2018, Phapa Technologies empowers the lives of unorganised workers across India by helping them get access to a slew of government welfare schemes.

There are almost 450 million unorganised workers in India today. There are several government schemes in place for their well-being and social security, but not many are aware of it and do not know how to apply. 

The startup uses its network of contacts and technological prowess to achieve this. From education, affordable housing, health, and insurance arrangements to skill development programmes, Phapa lends its helping hand to enable daily-wagers to accrue perks. In the last two years, the startup has onboarded, assisted, and improved the livelihoods of more than a million people working in the unorganised sector. 

Meet women from rural India who forged a way for themselves

Meet the women of Bhimnagar village in Raigad district, Maharashtra. These women were facing a lot of hardships for decades, and had to bear the burden of managing water, poor sanitation facilities, improper roads, and public services in their village. All these issues were neglected due to political disputes among the male fraternity and, gradually this started affecting the development of the village. Women were struggling for basic necessities.

With the support and determination of all women, they took multiple government schemes through, raising funds for constructing toilets and proper roads to commute, and getting access to water, which was a daily plight. These women are also exploring opportunities for better livelihood and attending training for financial literacy. These all-female groups continue to meet once a month to discuss and solve various social issues that are affecting their community.

It's not just one, but many others who inspire other women to do more with their lives, despite the struggles. Read about these strong women that Zarina Screwvala has come across, and the stories of their strength and determination.

20-year-old female boxer from Haryana punched her way to her dreams

This girl's path to success was paved with hardships and challenges. Despite her family’s poor economic background, her faith in herself and motivation from her mother kept her dream of becoming a boxing champion alive.

Manju Rani hails from Rithal Phogat, a village in Haryana. At the age of 20, she has won a silver medal at the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championship, and another silver medal at the Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament 2019 held in Bulgaria. In a conversation with SocialStory, Manju shares her journey to becoming a boxing champion, despite the many odds.

Rajkot-based firm makes low-cost ventilators; to donate 1,000 machines

Globally, over one million people have been tested positive for COVID-19, with nearly 70,000 deaths, according to Worldometer. Many countries are working to develop vaccines, medication, treatment, and implement preventive measures to cope with the situation.

The demand for medical equipment is rising with the number of cases piling up. To make up for the shortage, Rajkot-based private company Jyoti CNC Automation Limited, has developed low-cost ventilators in a short span of 10 days and will be delivering them to government-run hospitals in the coming days.

The ventilators have been tested at a medical lab at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, and are being used on patients since April 4.

(Edited by Suman Singh)