Social Media Ethics, Yoga Part Of UGC's "Life Skills" Curriculum

Ethics and etiquettes of social media, how to use Google search better, yoga and pranayama and resume writing are part of the "life skills" curriculum developed by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The commission had recently launched "Jeevan Kaushal", a life skills programme in the curriculum for under-graduate courses across the country. The programme, which carries eight credit points, can be accommodated in any semester and is aimed at inculcating emotional and intellectual competencies in students and develop verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

"Today when we talk about writing skills and communication skills, we cannot ignore writing on social media. The social media websites are a good medium to connect but students must know the advantages and disadvantages. "There have to be some ethics and etiquettes of social media and the curriculum will teach them the same. There is also a module on how to use Google search better," a senior UGC official said.

The official said often students do not know the difference between a curriculum vitae (CV), resume and a bio-data. Writing a good resume is also a life skill which every student must learn before entering the professional world. "What will learners gain if they practice love and compassion? What will they lose if they don't? What are the listening skills one must practice as a team member and how different they should be as a team leader? All these skills the students should be trained in, " the official said.

Personal skills like empathising and trusting colleagues for improving interpersonal relations, projecting a good personal image to have a positive impact on one's career, networking and negotiation skills besides personal and professional moral codes of conduct are part of the curriculum.

The curriculum has three electives-- integral human being, yoga and pranayama and gratitude. While the first elective talks about obligation to self, parents and society besides a module on living with others with their acceptance, the module on gratitude is about duty versus rights. "The module on yoga talks about difference between yoga and pranayama and their inter-relatedness. What should be the asanas performed before examination or a presentation? All these things are listed in the curriculum," the official said.

"The curriculum has been developed by an expert committee with an aim to support our graduates to unlock and discover their true potential and making them social responsive citizens," the official added.