It was in the year 1958 that the Government of India created the National Productivity Council, an independent organisation dedicated to maximising the productivity of industries, workplaces and government departments by effectively using resources such as manpower & machinery. Another point to note is that till 1958, our nation was largely an agricultural one, with industries and other economic functions poised to grow— an organisation dedicated to productivity was to help in the growth of these up-and-coming sectors. The idea behind the creation of this organisation was to help build a nation that offered its citizens a better standard of living and put our nation at par with the First World countries.
This could be achieved by improving productivity in various sectors of the economy as it would lead to a rise in wages, a reduction in the cost of goods and services and overall an improved lifestyle for everyone.
The main ways through which the council did this and continues to do so, is through providing guidance and aid in the form of training programs and other educational initiatives such as seminars, videos and other media on the subject of productivity to those sectors of the industry which seek it.
Now that we are in the year 2024 and the era of high-end technologies such as AI, the mission of the organisation has become even more important, both to the nation as a whole and for us too, as utilising these technologies can help us increase productivity in many new ways.
National Productivity Day: A Day Dedicated To & In Celebration Of Productivity
To create awareness about their mission and have more outreach programmes, the National Productivity Council dedicated February 12 as the National Productivity Day. The day is geared towards shining a light on the subject of productivity and exploring new ways, technologies, and tools for achieving it. The day also marks a week-long celebration which is celebrated with a yearly theme.
The theme for this year’s National Productivity Day and Productivity Week is:
‘Innovate (I). Demonstrate (D). Elevate (E). Advance (A): Bringing Communities Forward for Sustainable and Equitable Development’ focusing on creating & showcasing new innovative solutions that can help communities grow and advance sustainably. This theme has also been chosen by keeping in mind the growing inequality in our society and aims to encourage the creation of a more equitable one.
Understanding The Term “Productivity”
In the simplest of terms, productivity is a measure of how much effort or labour is going into producing a particular good or service. The ratio of the total number of any goods or services produced and the labour or resources that go into its production. The more productive a particular industry or sector is, the more likely it is to make a profit and perform well.
In terms of individuals, productivity is a way to determine how consistently an individual can perform the tasks given to them, efficiently. If you are a student, this would mean how well you can perform all your academic tasks consistently and whether you can maintain that performance across all areas in your academics and extracurriculars.
If this has given you food for thought, here are a few National Productivity Day Quotes by great thinkers which can help you understand this topic better. This famous quote by American thinker, Henry David Thoreau — “ It is not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is: “What are we busy about?” explains that productivity is not to be confused with appearing busy, but focusing your time on things that make a difference.
“Don’t be a robot, build the robot.” — this famous quote by productivity thinker and writer David Wade focuses on using tools and techniques to build productivity rather than working mechanically. If these National Productivity Day quotes inspired you to build your child’s productivity at school, here’s how you can help them achieve that.
Best Productivity Tips For Students
Students lead a busy life and it can be very difficult to find ways to get more done. Given the increasingly competitive climate and the increased need to stand out to build a distinguished career, it’s important to find ways that help students build their productivity.
Here are five of our best productivity tips for students to help your child make the most of their academic year:
- Set priorities:
- Tackle Procrastination:
- Find time to unwind:
- Use time management tools and techniques:
- Work at your best:
Clear the clutter in their schedule to demarcate what’s more important and when. This will help your child formulate a schedule that would be more targeted.
Get over the hump by starting their schedule with tasks that they find the hardest to do. Be it that Maths assignment or Geography homework, get the more difficult tasks out of the way first. This will give them a sense of achievement which will help them power through the rest of the schedule.
Over saturation can be bad for students who need to sustain their energies and mental faculties for long periods. It’s better to build breaks into their routine so they can let the pressure off now and then. This will help them regain their energy and improve their focus
Encourage them to use techniques such as Pomodoro and time blocking to make the most effective use of their time and shun distractions.
Night owls or morning birds, find the time of the day that helps them be their most productive and use it to knock out the big tasks of their day. This will help create a momentum that they will find easier to maintain.
Importance Of Productivity In The Current Academic Culture
Given the sheer volume of things that they need to focus on, it is understandable if your child finds the academics overwhelming. This is where the importance of productivity comes into play. By increasing their productivity, your child can juggle their personal and academic life with ease. At EuroKids, personal productivity forms the cornerstone of academics. The learning philosophy practised at EuroKids encourages students to utilise their time efficiently — helping them prioritise different areas of academics and lay the foundation for a successful career and life. If you are looking to help your child optimise their productivity and in turn, their academics, do visit your nearest EuroKids Branch to know more.