DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

Introduction                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Approximately 50 per cent of the global population lack access to the basic needs of dignified living. Economic growth and employment are essential for reaching the fiscal security and equitable access to financial services. COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted billions of lives and endangered the global economy. Global context is relevant to sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. Digitalization, automation, and globalization are changing labour markets rapidly and radically with increased demand for highly skilled people. Nitte DU identifies various opportunities in demand and engages in capacity building in the domains that provide better employment opportunities. Nitte DU is effectively contributing to the society in this sector by not only providing decent employment to over 561 faculty members and 2175 support staff but also empowering tens of thousands of youths, by providing high-quality education, life skills,

Nitte DU supports decent work and economic growth:

The University has a number of policies to provide decent employment opportunities, work atmosphere and employment benefits for self as well as for dependents family members of the employee.

• Care and Concern for the Employees and their Families
Job security plays a vital role in economic commitment towards family and their well-being. At Nitte DU more than 95% of the university employees work as permanent employees. The University provides free or subsidized accommodation to its employees residing near campus. It provides free conveyance for those who commute every day to campus from various other locations.

The facilities provided for dependents include fee concessions for the children of the employees and free daycare “KSHEMA SANDHYA” for senior citizens for the elderly dependent of employees. Nitte DU also provides a joyful play area bearing Creche facility free for children of employees.


• Monetary Benefits and Healthcare of the Employees and their Families


Nitte DU provides an interest-free loan to employees getting married or for the marriage of their children. The University provides Retirement Benefits, Provident Fund, Gratuity, and Pension to its employees.

Its care for the families of the employees is extended in form of benefits like Employees Deposit Linked Insurance. Nitte DU provides an assured sum as the Personal Accident Insurance to the employee’s immediate family member in case of death or permanent total disability while in service. Employees are eligible for Employees State Insurance Act or Medicare benefits and are provided subsidized health care in its multispecialty hospital. The employees are offered free medical examinations every year. Comprehensive dental care is given free of cost to all employees. Free Mammography screening for breast cancer is offered to all its women employees. Women employees are provided paid maternity leave of 182 days, twice during the service. Paternity leave is also provided to the male employees. The employees are also given the option of encashment of their accumulated earned leave.




• Health care and Economic support during COVID 19 pandemic:
The employees of Nitte DU were given free vaccination on priority basis as health workers. Quarantine and isolation facilities were provided to employees during term. The isolation and quarantine facility were extended to family members of the affect employee to ensure containment and breaking the infection chain.

In the event of the pandemic and global economic distress Nitte DU ensured full payment of salary of all the employees through the entire period. In a commendable effort Nitte DU announced a 10% rise in the DA of all employees during the period. The protected employment status, prompt, ensured salary payment has helped several families and dependents to tide over the universal economic distress.


• Assiduous efforts to ensure healthy working conditions:
The University commits to zero tolerance on gender-based discrimination and has appropriate measures to safeguard the interests of the women employees and eliminate any form of discrimination and harassment against them. The University is also committed to providing employment and equal access to mainstream activities without discrimination to the Transgender Community. The University has a well-designed policy on ‘Gender Equity and for Prevention of Gender-Based Discrimination.

The University maintains an environment free of violence, harassment, exploitation, intimidation and stress. The University is committed to freedom of expression and strongly supports gender equality, and opposes any form of gender discrimination and violence. The University has a policy on “Prevention of Sexual Harassment”. The University has a well- defined system in place to handle issues related complaints. The Internal Complaint Committee is constituted with more than 50% of women as its members, headed by the Registrar of the University, and senior woman faculty member as the Presiding Officer. It also offers protection for Complainants, Whistle-Blowers, and Witnesses of Discrimination and Harassment. The University has a Video Surveillance Policy to reduce the threat of crime and ensure the safety of all its staff members.






• Meticulous carrier progression opportunities for employees:
The University creates an academic environment conducive to employee growth and carrier progression. Prior to hiring the terms and conditions are clearly stated to the employee. The appointment letter is issued only upon acceptance of the same. The emoluments are clearly stated, the entire process of salary payments, performance-based assessment details and other benefits is transparent and available to every employee on their own portal ID at “DAKSHA”. The employees, based on their nature of employment are entitled to several forms of leave e.g. Casual, Earned, Special Casual, and Restricted Holidays. The online system of “DAKSHA” maintains the same efficiently in a manner. A mobile friendly version of the same is available to access the same in off campus conditions.



The University Research Support and Incentive Program pursues this goal by offering financial support to encourage faculty members to initiate research projects. The faculty is also offered incentives for publications in scientific journals as well as patent. The University also has a policy to protect the legitimate interests of the faculty.


• Support for continued education and skill development:
Nitte DU provides academic and financial support for deputation of the employees and for attending seminars and conferences. It provides study leave and sabbatical leaves to employees for pursuing higher qualification and research purposes. It also gives allowance to the employees who upgrade their qualifications. It provides reimbursement of membership fees and financial support for purchasing academic requirements. The University provides free internet access to all its employees. The University has the policy to encourage faculty members to provide knowledge inputs sought by the industry or other agencies outside the institution and be rewarded for the consultancy services. For those employees who remain on the same scale, stagnation benefit is given.


• Value addition to student employment opportunity
Students who have enrolled for various professional and other programs are encouraged to take up value added courses, certificate courses to strengthen their employment opportunities with augmented skills. E.g. For Certificate courses: Certificate Course in Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Methodology, Certificate Course in 28th Emergency Abdominal Surgery, Certificate Course in Oral Implantology. E.g. for value added courses: ELNEC- Palliative Care, Geriatric Mental Health, Certificate Course on Critical Care Nursing, Certificate Course on Renal Nursing, Lactation Education Programme, Prehospital & Emergency Life Support. E.g. Post basic diploma: Post Basic Diploma in Dialysis Nursing. They are also given access to several online Coursera courses for improving their employment opportunity post basic education.

• Dr. Rashmi Kundapur, Professor, Community Medicine obtained research grant for Rs. 11,62,450/- from the Indian Council of Medical Research for the study titled ‘A Combined model study to investigate the challenges faced by frontline health managers at district level in this time of Pandemic of COVID-19 multicentric approach’

• Dr. Santhosh N Poojary completed the research project on ‘Economic burden and socio–economic impact on household expenditure among hypertension and Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients’, which was supported by the university by sanctioning the grant of Rs. 75,000/-
• Prof. Sujatha R from College of Nursing completed the project titled’ relationship between perceived stress and resilience among nurses working in a selected hospital at Mangaluru.
• Outreach activities to promote decent work and economic growth:
  
  Nitte DU is making progress towards building “Atmanirbhar Bharat.” It is constantly motivating its students towards self-employment and be “an employer not an employee.”
• Nitte Education Trust is among the top 50 reputed institutions in the country selected by NITI Aayog for setting up Atal Incubation Centre under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) scheme, Govt. of India. It was inaugurated on the 11th of March 2020, with a vision to be beneficial to the local prospective entrepreneurs who want to create start-ups in the areas of Agriculture, Biotechnology and ITC s for nurturing their innovative ideas.
  
  
  
  
  
• The NSS unit of Nitte Usha Institute of Nursing Sciences along with the Department of Mental Health Nursing organized a Life skills training program for the first year B.Sc. Nursing students. Dr. Nishi Guru, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry and in-charge of the Student Wellness Centre, Nitte DU was the Chief Guest on 12th and 13th November 2020. 150 students participated in the program.
• Nitte Institute of Communication organised the seminar on ‘Harnessing Social Media for Professional Growth’ on 26th Sept. 2020. Dr. Smitha Ranganathan, S.P Jain School of global management, Mr. Nikesh Ghosh, Founder, Chatveda, Mr. Nikhilesh Basu, Google were the speakers.