Ashish Joshi
Disaster management, which is also known as emergency management, can be defined as dealing with and avoiding both natural and man-made disasters. This involves preparedness before disaster, and rebuilding society after natural disasters such as, earthquakes, floods, etc. Today, both government and NGOs work in the field of disaster management. There are several principles of disaster management, like coordination between various organisations, efforts of individuals, right knowledge of geographical location, etc. In India, there are many areas, which are often affected with natural calamity or manmade disasters. They have become top priority for the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. As a result, the study of disaster management has been included in the curriculum of many private and government-run institutes in India.
In the academic year 2003-2004, India decided to do something in the field of disaster management-it started disaster management education as part of social sciences in class VIII. In the academic year 2004-2005, disaster management was added to class IX. Later, both classes X and XII added disaster management to their curriculum. This was done by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Along with disaster management education in schools, India is also implementing community-based disaster management programme with the help of United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in all vulnerable districts.
Course Details
The courses in disaster management in India are offered at the certificate, undergraduate, postgraduate degree and diploma levels. Here the students are taught different areas of disaster management, which includes management of the situation of emergency, response to the needs of the people and the area, evacuation process, distribution of food and medical care for the injured people, etc. The minimum qualification required is a pass in Higher Secondary Certificate Examination (10+2) for the certificate and UG programs. For the PG courses, the students should be graduates in any field, from a recognised institute.
Career Prospects
Most disaster management jobs are generally found in the public sector. If students so desire, they can build their career in emergency services, law enforcement, local authorities, relief agencies, NGOSs and international agencies such as the UNO. The job profile includes systems or network administrator, database analyst or administrator, security administration or operations analyst. They can also serve as social workers, engineers, medical health experts, environmental experts, rehabilitation workers, etc.
Colleges Offering UG/PG/Other Courses
A number of institutions in India are admitting students to courses in disaster management, which are offered at different degree levels. Some of the prominent institutions are Indira Gandhi National Open University (New Delhi), University of North Bengal (Darjeeling), International Centre of Madras University (University of Madras), Mahatma Gandhi University (Kottayam), Disaster Management Institute (Bhopal), Centre for Disaster Management (Maharashtra), The National Civil Defense College (Nagpur) and National Institute of Disaster Management (Delhi).
The Tezpur University Centre for Disaster Management in Tezpur, Assam, operates the Centre for Disaster Management, which was established in 1997 with the objective to conduct trainings, conferences and workshops in disaster management, teach courses in the diploma programme, conduct case studies and research, prepare documentation, etc. The centre has been conducting training programmes on different aspects of Disaster Management either independently or in association with other organisations. The centre has also been providing technical support to other organisations to conduct training programmes and other activities on Disaster Management. At present the centre is working under School of Management Sciences of Tezpur University and receiving fund from Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India through National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi.
Remuneration
Many government and NGOs in India have their own salary packages in the field of disaster management. Freshers can expect to earn around Rs. 8,000 – Rs 10,000 per month. The candidates with two or three years experience can easily earn between Rs. 15,000 and 20,000 per month. For experienced candidates, the rate can go up to Rs. 150,000 per month.
For more information, you can access: http://www.higher-educationinindia.com/career-options/careers-in-disaster-management-120.php#-sthash.Y7coWkZm.dpuf
Ashish Joshi
India is one of the most ancient civilisations of the world, and has had contact with almost all the major religions of the world, and despite being predominantly a Hindu country, has coexisted with faiths like Islam, Buddhism and Christianity. It has also lived side by side with other faiths, such as Sikhism, Jainism, Vaishnavism and Jewism and has in turn been influenced by them. Broadly speaking, religious tourism in India has two major aspects: one is the domestic tourist, who because of his spiritual beliefs travels for the purpose of attaining ‘moksha’, among others; and the foreign tourist, who travels to India to experience the religious way of life of one of the most ancient of world religions.
The Indian government well understands the potential of religious tourism in the country and has come out with several initiatives to boost this in India. IRCTC, for instance, has given a much-needed fillip to the Buddhist Circuit, providing a holistic product that addresses transport, sightseeing and accommodation requirements. They have also modernised the airport in Bodh Gaya, which makes it easy for tourists arriving from South East Asian countries, a major part of the clientele. Apart from this, seven new tourist circuits are in the pipeline, waiting to be developed across India to facilitate travel to and stay at religious places. Work has already begun to prepare detailed project reports for Sufi, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, Sikh, Hinduism and Sarva Dharma circuits. The Sufi circuit will cover Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Bijapur and Shirdi among others. The Sarv Dharma Circuit will run the length of the country, starting from Tirupathi and ending at Sacred Heart Church, Delhi. Politicians are also taking measures to promote religious tourism. Various state governments are offering assistance to their subjects for religious travels. For instance, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, in Madhya Pradesh, launched a Rs. 20-crore scheme, which bore the expenses of senior citizens visiting Rameshwaram, Puri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Haridwar and other holy places. The Ministry of Tourism has already identified 35 destinations for Phase I and will cover another 89 in Phase II. The ministry has proposed a required outlay plan of Rs 9,450 crore for the 12th Plan and hopes to draw in private investment close to Rs 28,000 crore for such projects. In India, we have more than 33 crore devtas and devis and hundreds of religious places in different states not listed on websites but known to every Hindu.
The people who undertake religious tourism is going up in India. For instance, while nearly 5 lakh people undertook a pilgrimage to Badrinath in 2004, the number rose to 9.25 lakh over the years. The Mahakumbh at the banks of the Ganges at Allahabad saw 100 million people visit it this year, a jump from 60 million in 2001. The numbers of people undertaking Haj was 1.25 lakh in 2012 as compared to about 72,000 in 2011. In fact, a survey by travel website TripAdvisor in 2011, found many young people going for pilgrimage. A staggering 70 per cent of respondents in the age group of 20-30 in an online poll covering 3,800 people said they visited religious destinations.
Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, conducts a 6 semester graduate course of Tourism Management for the degree of BTM (Bachelor of Tourism Management). The 1st semester of this course has a subject named Religious Tourism in India. It covers all major Indian religions, as well offers an in-depth study of the four sacred dhams, i.e. Badrinath, Rameshwaram, Puri and Dwarka. Apart from this, students have to study the major religious destinations in India and the emerging trends and patterns of religious tourism in India.
But promoting religious tourism while neglecting the natural ecosystem can have devastating consequences; the recent floods in Uttarakhand, dubbed ‘The Himalayan Tsunami’, have cost tens of thousands of lives and shown what unplanned planning by a coterie of corrupt politicians and rapacious builders can do to the environment. Contrast this with the tour of the Vatican or the famous tour of the Grand Canyon in the United States, which despite hosting thousands of people each day, maintain neatness and a respect for the environment, which is the envy of many. Such tourism which promotes the well-being of the natural flora and fauna, without exploitation of natural resources, must be encouraged. The Indian government must introduce stringent regulation measures for Indian tour operators, notorious for their lax practices, so that damage to natural ecosystems is minimised.
Here are a few places in India where you can find courses in yoga, meditation and the like:
Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, Tamil Nadu: They have several programs for international students, including the popular one-month intensive. This is a school, so students have to find their own lodgings.
Sivananda Yoga Ashram in Trivandrum, Kerala: A very popular place for yoga vacations and teacher training, this ashram is dorm style, and the teacher training programs can attract hundreds of students.
Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune: This is run by BKS Iyengar, who is 94 years old and still teaching yoga.
The Bihar School of Yoga, Bihar: This well-known place is located in a remote region of Bihar.
Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram, Rishikesh: This is a small ashram in Rishikesh run by a husband and wife team.
Famous religious tours in India
p Kailash Mansarovar Yatra: A 16-day trip to one of India’s holiest shrines, dedicated to the god Shiva.
p Vaishnodevi Yatra by air: A two-day trip to Jammu to visit perhaps India’s most popular shrine.
p Amarnath Yatra: A two-day trip to the Amarnath cave, the holiest shrine of the Hindu faith, via Baltal.
p Exclusive Gujarat Tour: A journey that takes pilgrims through Jamnagar, Dwarka, Porbandar, Somnath, Gondal and Rajkot for a sightseeing tour of some of India’s finest temples.
p Satpura to Malwa tour: A seven-day tour through Panchmarhi, Bhopal, Sanchi, Omkeshwar and Ujjain, that takes the pilgrim to places of historical as well as spiritual relevance.
Details can be found at: http://www.travelmasti.com/religious-tour-india.html
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