Examining Education Reforms of India in the Matrix of Rights and Biopolitics

Three significant reforms were established at the turn of the century in India: the National Curriculum Framework of 2005, the National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education of 2009, and the Right to Education Act of 2009. All three reforms reflect a contradiction between the rights of citizens and the regulatory biopolitical inertia of the state. Indian State has undergone cyclical shifts in its orientation. In certain phases, rights became the fulcrum to guide policy and legal framework, and in other phases, the regulatory impulse of the state was at the center. The neoliberal turn of the 1990s marked a sharp shift in which the state left behind its welfare outlook and adopted a more regulatory structure. The rights-based agenda of the three reforms needs to be understood against the backdrop of the changing nature of the state. The three reforms stand apart from those instituted before and after, in that they were informed by a critique of the rights-based framework even while working within it. The three reforms and their social context provide an example of the tension between rights and biopolitics; the reforms emerged as a response to this tension. While proposing rights-based reforms in school education, the intent was much more ambitious, going beyond the immediate domain of education. Occurring in the middle of a neoliberal, market-driven discourse, these reforms critiqued the 21st-century state and pushed it to serve the role of a provider and not just a regulator.

Exploring the role of corruption and money laundering (ML) on bank’s loan portfolio quality: a cross-country investigation

Purpose Corruption and money laundering (ML) are severe concerns for both developing and developed countries. According to international organizations, such as Transparency International, the Basel Institute on Governance and the International Country Risk Guide, corruption and ML exist in every country. This research aims to investigate the impact of corruption and ML on the loan portfolio quality of banks. Design/methodology/approach From 2013 to 2019, this study used the panel data of 132 countries, including 87 highly corrupt and 45 least corrupt countries: the fixed effect and random effect econometric regression techniques for data analysis. Additionally, this study used the generalized methods of moment technique to check the result’s robustness. Findings This study shows that corruption and ML have diverse relationships with non-performing loans in highly corrupt and low corrupt countries. It is potentially because of the differences in the regulatory structure of a highly corrupt and least corrupt environment. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt that provides a unique perspective on corruption, ML and its effect on the loan’s portfolio quality of banks. Furthermore, this study suggests that governments in highly corrupt environments develop robust anti-corruption and anti-ML regulations.

Research on Environmental Pollution regulation in China’s Construction Industry

China has proposed the notion of sustainable development in the framework of a hazardous society in response to global environmental challenges. Research on regulatory concerns is critical for ensuring the application of the concept of sustainable development in the building industry. China’s regulation, on the other hand, suffers from a lack of supply and an ambiguous value orientation. The former is a symptom of the current regulatory structure, whereas the latter is the root of the problem. To overcome the value-oriented dilemma, some studies plan to conduct research using the logic of the norm. This has the disadvantage of having a limited field of vision. The interaction between man and nature should be considered while examining value orientation. When anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, and anthropocentrism in ecology are compared to the environmental legislation in my nation, it is clear that anthropocentrism in ecology is the value orientation that should be followed at the moment. Three challenges that require attention are presented based on this value orientation, as well as the uniqueness of the construction industry and risk society theory.

A review of the forms, rationale, and challenges of supplier development in public procurement: lessons for public buyers in Tanzania

This article synthesizes current insights into supplier management practices that professional buyers can apply in the public procurement context. Specifically, it discusses the practices, rationale, and challenges associated with implementing supplier development as an important activity within supplier management practices. Drawing from the literature, the main arguments are on the applicability of indirect supplier development practices in the public procurement context. Therefore, it is concluded that public buyers can consider applying these practices in public organizations. However, caution should be exercised regarding the legal and regulatory structure that governs the country’s public procurement system. It further recommends empirical studies to be done on supplier development practices for local suppliers in specific public procurement projects.

Interactions between Culture, Regulatory Structure, and Information Privacy across countries

We analyze the relationships between country culture and country regulatory structure pertaining to information privacy concerns (IPC) in the context of social media applications. Drawing on prior research we develop a framework that integrates country culture and country regulatory structure and use it as the basis for a study that contrasts samples of 1086 professionals drawn from four countries – United States, United Kingdoms, India and Hong Kong – to assess effects of national culture and of a nation’s regulatory structure on IPC, attitudinal beliefs about information privacy and professionals’ behavioral reactions to IPC. We find that country culture has a strong bearing on explaining differences in individuals’ IPC concerns, attitudinal beliefs about privacy, and behavioral reactions to privacy much more than does country regulatory structure. Country culture remains a significant factor in the management of information privacy. The results also show that country regulatory structure remains deficient in allaying individuals’ concerns pertaining to information privacy.

Interactions Between Culture, Regulatory Structure, and Information Privacy Across Countries

We analyze the relationships between country culture and country regulatory structure pertaining to information privacy concerns (IPC) in the context of social media applications. Drawing on prior research we develop a framework that integrates country culture and country regulatory structure and use it as the basis for a study that contrasts samples of 1086 professionals drawn from four countries – United States, United Kingdoms, India and Hong Kong – to assess effects of national culture and of a nation’s regulatory structure on IPC, attitudinal beliefs about information privacy and professionals’ behavioral reactions to IPC. We find that country culture has a strong bearing on explaining differences in individuals’ IPC concerns, attitudinal beliefs about privacy, and behavioral reactions to privacy much more than does country regulatory structure. Country culture remains a significant factor in the management of information privacy. The results also show that country regulatory structure remains deficient in allaying individuals’ concerns pertaining to information privacy.

Changes in Cell Morphology and Actin Organization in Embryonic Stem Cells Cultured under Different Conditions

The cellular cytoskeleton provides the cell with a mechanical rigidity that allows mechanical interaction between cells and the extracellular environment. The actin structure plays a key role in mechanical events such as motility or the establishment of cell polarity. From the earliest stages of development, as represented by the ex vivo expansion of naïve embryonic stem cells (ESCs), the critical mechanical role of the actin structure is becoming recognized as a vital cue for correct segregation and lineage control of cells and as a regulatory structure that controls several transcription factors. Naïve ESCs have a characteristic morphology, and the ultrastructure that underlies this condition remains to be further investigated. Here, we investigate the 3D actin cytoskeleton of naïve mouse ESCs using super-resolution optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM). We investigate the morphological, cytoskeletal, and mechanical changes in cells cultured in 2i or Serum/LIF media reflecting, respectively, a homogeneous preimplantation cell state and a state that is closer to embarking on differentiation. STORM imaging showed that the peripheral actin structure undergoes a dramatic change between the two culturing conditions. We also detected micro-rheological differences in the cell periphery between the cells cultured in these two media correlating well with the observed nano-architecture of the ESCs in the two different culture conditions. These results pave the way for linking physical properties and cytoskeletal architecture to cell morphology during early development.

SO MUCH OWED BY SO MANY TO SO FEW: HOW THE FINANCIAL ADVISORY AND INTERMEDIARIES ACT 37 OF 2002 ADDRESSES “CONFLICT OF INTEREST”

Winston Churchill delivered his famous speech entitled “The Few” after the Battle of Britain of 1940. This historical conflict saw 2353 young men from Great Britain and 574 from overseas, pilots and other aircrew fly at least one authorized operational sortie with an eligible unit of the Royal Air Force or Fleet Air Arm during the period 10 July to 31 October 1940. Although conflict on the scale of a world war cannot be equated to conflicts of interest between financial-services providers (FSPs), representatives and clients, the potential damage that can be caused by intermediaries and representatives who act in their own interest can be devastating to that particular client. In addition, it also has wider implications for the financial-services industry. It is consequently up to the FinancialServices Board (FSB) to ensure that conflict of interest between intermediaries and representatives and clients are managed in anacceptable way. As a matter of background: The FSB was established by the Financial Services Board Act (97 of 1990) and has as its main objective the supervision of financial institutions in order to achieve maximum consumer protection. As such, the FSB acts as statutory registrar of a variety of financial institutions. Hattingh and Millard explain that the FSB is currently in control of the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act, the Financial Services Board Act, Financial Institutions (Protection of Funds) Act , Financial Supervision of the Road Accident Fund Act, Friendly Societies Act, Inspection of Financial Institutions Act, Long-term Insurance Act, Pension Funds Act, Short-term Insurance Act, Supervision of the Financial Institutions Rationalisation Act, the Securities Services Act, and the Financial Advisory and Intermediaries Act. The FSB drafted the FAIS Act with the aim of creating a regulatory structure which regulates the way in which intermediary and advisory services in respect of financial products are rendered. Conflict of interests is but one of the issues that arise between intermediaries, advisors, financial-services providers and clients and the purpose of this note is to analyse a number of key issues introduced by Board Notice 58 of 19 April 2010. This note sets out to explain what the position was before the introduction of the new rules on the management of conflict of interest. It then proceeds to discuss the new definitions that now form part of the legislation. In addition, it discusses the detailed provisions pertaining to conflict of interest and explains what a conflict-of-interest management policy entails. Finally, the note evaluates the new regulations and asks whether they have thepotential to eliminate unfair dealings by advisors and intermediaries and thereby enhancing the professionalism of those who work in the financial-services industry.

Context-Dependent Flux Coupling via Conserved Small-Molecule Regulatory Structures

Small-molecule regulation modulates enzyme activity and is widespread in metabolic networks. However, the organization of small-molecule regulatory networks and its generalized role is not well understood. We analyze the structure of the genomewide Escherichia coli small-molecule regulatory network (SMRN) to reveal that it optimizes controllability in the metabolic network. This is achieved by conserved, highly overabundant incoherent feedforward loops. Using multi-omics data, we characterize loop examples in central carbon metabolism. These use signals from hypothesized flux-sensing >metabolites phosphoenolpyruvate, alpha-ketoglutarate, citrate, and malate to distinguish between glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and glyoxylate shunt activity to differentially couple fluxes across these major modes of metabolism. Our results suggest that coupling of fluxes by direct modulation of enzyme activity is an emergent property of the SMRN that depends heavily on both regulatory structure and metabolic context via the metabolome, and further that flux sensing and coupling may be a global property of the metabolic network.

Changes in Cell Morphology and Actin Organization in Embryonic Stem Cells Cultured Under Different Conditions

The cellular cytoskeleton provides the cell with a mechanical rigidity which allows mechanical interaction between cells and the extracellular environment. The actin structure plays a key role in mechanical events like motility, or establishment of cell polarity. From the earliest stages of development, as represented by ex vivo expansion of naïve embryonic stem cells (ESCs), the critical mechanical role of the actin structure is becoming recognized as a vital cue for correct segregation and lineage control of cells and as a regulatory structure that controls several transcription factors. Naïve ESCs have a characteristic morphology and the ultrastructure that underlies this condition remains to be further investigated. Here, we investigate the 3D actin cytoskeleton of naïve mouse ESCs using super resolution optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM). We investigate the morphological, cytoskeletal and mechanical changes in cells cultured in 2i or Serum/LIF media reflecting a homogenous preimplantation cell state and a state that is closer to embarking on differentiation. STORM imaging showed that the peripheral actin structure undergoes a dramatic change between the two media conditions. We also detected micro-rheological differences in the cell periphery between the cells cultured in these two media correlating well with the observed nano-architecture of the ESCs in the two different culture conditions. These results pave the way for linking physical properties and cytoskeletal architecture to cell morphology during early development.