Communication Skills–Core of Employability Skills: Issues & Concerns

Based on a case study conducted by the researcher on a sample of 618 UG students, this paper focuses on identifying certain flaws in the present educational communication. The researcher after presenting the data analysis of the survey, attempts to highlight the present ELT scenario and its relevance to the present day needs of the society. It also emphasizes on the need to focus on practical dimensions of learning. It substantiates that inadequate language proficiency, lack of presentation skills knowledge and unawareness about life skills are the main reasons for the educated unemployment. Finally, the researcher concludes this paper with some suggestions and recommendations which will help the learners to enhance their communication skills

Socio-Demographic Patterning of Physical Activity across Migrant Groups in India: Results from the Indian Migration Study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between rural to urban migration and physical activity (PA) in India. METHODS: 6,447 (42% women) participants comprising 2077 rural, 2,094 migrants and 2,276 urban were recruited. Total activity (MET hr/day), activity intensity (min/day), PA Level (PAL) television viewing and sleeping (min/day) were estimated and associations with migrant status examined, adjusting for the sib-pair design, age, site, occupation, education, and socio-economic position (SEP). RESULTS: Total activity was highest in rural men whereas migrant and urban men had broadly similar activity levels (p<0.001). Women showed similar patterns, but slightly lower levels of total activity. Sedentary behaviour and television viewing were lower in rural residents and similar in migrant and urban groups. Sleep duration was highest in the rural group and lowest in urban non-migrants. Migrant men had considerably lower odds of being in the highest quartile of total activity than rural men, a finding that persisted after adjustment for age, SEP and education (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.37, 0.74). For women, odds ratios attenuated and associations were removed after adjusting for age, SEP and education. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that migrants have already acquired PA levels that closely resemble long-term urban residents. Effective public health interventions to increase PA are needed

Dietary Intake and Rural-Urban Migration in India: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Migration from rural areas of India contributes to urbanisation and lifestyle change, and dietary changes may increase the risk of obesity and chronic diseases. We tested the hypothesis that rural-to-urban migrants have different macronutrient and food group intake to rural non-migrants, and that migrants have a diet more similar to urban non-migrants. METHODS AND FINDINGS: The diets of migrants of rural origin, their rural dwelling sibs, and those of urban origin together with their urban dwelling sibs were assessed by an interviewer-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. A total of 6,509 participants were included. Median energy intake in the rural, migrant and urban groups was 2731, 3078, and 3224 kcal respectively for men, and 2153, 2504, and 2644 kcal for women (p<0.001). A similar trend was seen for overall intake of fat, protein and carbohydrates (p<0.001), though differences in the proportion of energy from these nutrients were <2%. Migrant and urban participants reported up to 80% higher fruit and vegetable intake than rural participants (p<0.001), and up to 35% higher sugar intake (p<0.001). Meat and dairy intake were higher in migrant and urban participants than rural participants (p<0.001), but varied by region. Sibling-pair analyses confirmed these results. There was no evidence of associations with time in urban area. CONCLUSIONS: Rural to urban migration appears to be associated with both positive (higher fruit and vegetables intake) and negative (higher energy and fat intake) dietary changes. These changes may be of relevance to cardiovascular health and warrant public health interventions

Crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for migrant status (migrant vs. rural and migrant vs. urban) by Total Activity (MET hr/day) for men within the IMS.

<p>Data presented are odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). OR presented are odds of being a migrant compared to a rural or urban participant across categories of Total Activity (MET hr/day).</p><p>P-trend (non-linear) from logistic regression using migrant status as the outcome and categories of Total Activity (MET hr/day) as the exposure variable, adjusting as specified in models above.</p

Characteristics of the Indian Migration Study participants.

<p>Data presented are frequency proportions (%).</p>a<p>Based on a subset of questions from the Standard of Living Index. Scores are based on tertiles.</p>b<p>South includes the four southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.</p

Distribution of Physical Activity characteristic (mean, standard deviation [SD])¹ of the Indian Migration Study (n = 6,447).

1<p>Data presented are means (standard deviation [SD]) except for MVPA and television viewing which are geometric means (95% confidence interval [95% CI]).</p>†<p>PAL = Physical Activity Level (<i>extremely inactive lifestyle</i>, PAL<1.40; <i>sedentary/lightly active lifestyle</i>, PAL 1.4–1.69; <i>moderately active lifestyle</i>, PAL 1.70–1.99, <i>very active lifestyle</i>, PAL≥2.0).</p>¥<p>Activity intensity based on MET value of activities: sedentary <1.5METS; light 1.5–≤3METS; moderate/vigorous >3METS.</p>a<p>P-value based on linear regression with physical activity variables as the outcome, adjusted for age, sex and factory site and using robust standard errors to account for clustering (sib-pairs), log-transforming MVPA and television viewing and performing Wald tests on model parameters.</p>b<p>Based on a subset of questions from the Standard of Living Index. Scores are based on tertiles.</p>c<p>South includes the four southern states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.</p

Distribution of physical activity variables by sex and migrant status (mean, [SD], geometric mean [95% CI] or percentage, [95% CI]).

<p>Data presented in the table are means standard deviation (SD), except MVPA and TV viewing (geometric mean (95% Confidence Interval [95% CI]) and PAL categories which are percentages (95% CI).</p><p>PAL = Physical Activity Level (<i>extremely inactive lifestyle</i>, PAL<1.40; <i>sedentary/lightly active lifestyle</i>, PAL 1.4–1.69; <i>moderately active lifestyle</i>, PAL 1.70–1.99, <i>very active lifestyle</i>, PAL≥2.0).</p><p>P-value based on regression models with physical activity variables as the outcome, adjusting for age and factory site, and using robust standard errors to account for clustering, log-transforming moderate/vigorous activity and television viewing and performing Wald tests on model parameters.</p

Crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for migrant status (migrant vs. rural and migrant vs. urban) by Total Activity (MET hr/day) for women within the IMS.

<p>Data presented are odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). OR presented are odds of being a migrant compared to a rural or urban participant across categories of Total Activity (MET hr/day).</p><p>P-trend (non-linear) from logistic regression using migrant status as the outcome and categories of Total Activity (MET hr/day) as the exposure variable, adjusting as specified in models above.</p