Universal Human Values play an important role in the lives of humans at various stages, including education and career. Human values are integral part of one’s personality and affect one’s employability quotient. Many business people are today defining the values of their organisations and their expectations of employees. For instance, HUL expects everyone to be an ambassador for their high ethical standards such as integrity, respect, responsibility and pioneering. The Tata Group enunciated similar values. The following declaration by Johnson & Johnson echoes the present line of thinking of employers. “As employees, ……ensure a positive impact on people, the planet, and business. That means going beyond service to customers to serve the health and well-being of people everywhere.” Outside of work, employees are supported as they volunteer their time and resources for activities that support their local or global communities.
In the wake of this, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has mandated the development and implementation of a “Life Skills Curriculum” with the goal of assisting undergraduates in the acquisition of skills essential for the creation and management of organisations for the universal good. The Life Skills (Jeevan Kaushal) curriculum comprises four distinct courses on a variety of skills. One of them is “Universal Human Values,” the theme of the present book. The course aims at reinforcing the key human values essential for an individual to achieve success as a competent and balanced professional in our society.
The book is organised into seven modules focusing on values such as love and compassion, truth, non- violence,righteousness, peace, service, sacrifice, and renunciation. Besides theoretical descriptions of these values, inspirational biographies of virtuous people and narratives from folklore and history are provided. In designing the text material, we have not only followed the letter but also the spirit of the UGC. The book is written in a simple and easy-to-understand style, supporting the text content with suitable examples. Besides the description, the book provides fifty-six chapter-end exercises to practice the skills through different pedagogical tools such as lectures, story-telling and discussions, as well as experiential methods such as case studies and role plays.
Contents –
1. Love & Compassion
2. Truth
3. Non-violence
4. Righteousness
5. Peace
6. Service
7. Renunciation (Sacrifice).
