Hampi alive....

Hampi alive....

My nephew was getting married at Chennai and I had taken two days leave to be with the family. Amidst the revelry, I received a phone call from the General Administration Department informing me of my appointment as Counting Observer for 62 Gangavati Assembly Constituency in Koppal district of Karnataka. I was asked to report on 13th May in the constituency. My mind was immediately racing with thoughts of going to a new place and leaving family behind. Yet out of habit I googled the place and immediately warmed up to my assignment when I found that Hampi, the glorious capital of Vijayanagara Empire was near Koppal. Apppointment as observers is always welcome by most of us because we get to visit other states and learn from their experiences but the historical angle here made the assignment much more exciting.
The city is surrounded by rocky hills and extremely hot. On arrival I first completed my task of visiting the counting centre and seeing the arrangements and found that I had free time. I decided to spend the morning fruitfully by visiting Hampi in the early hours of the day so as to avoid the afternoon heat.
I felt bubbly and excited. My last visit to this glorious empire was about 30 years ago as a student of History. Those memories hadn't faded, yet, there was this urge to relive those moments.
We began our trip with the Vithala temple. The approach to the temple itself unfolds the grandeur to be absorbed as one sees remains of the lake, horse market, Natya Mandap even before one enters the temple. It was like reliving in that era.
The chariot standing magnificently in the centre of the temple left me awestruck with it's precision. Once upon a time it's wheels rotated but have now been cemented to avoid damage. Legend says that it was constructed to commemorate the victory over Odisha. Whatever be the tale, the once mobile wheels of the chariot amaze you as also the Kalyana Mandapam which has beautiful sculptures including musical instruments and the musical pillars which still emit melodic sounds.
The main shrine is devoid of idols of the Gods which were destroyed by the plunderers.To them they were just rocks to be destroyed but the other pieces of sculptures are in place and include idols of Gods, Godesses, animals, human beings and figures of merchants from Portugal, Persia and China indicating strong trade relationships with these regions. My head bowed in gratitude to the Lord that some of it still remained for posterity. They certainly could not have been created without His divine intervention nor would I have got this opportunity to see them without His desire.
From the temple we moved on to see what was once the headquarters of the Vijaynagar empire, the palace. The guide had warned us that nothing remained there except ruins. However they were enough to make us imagine the glory and grandeur of the empire.
My heart missed many beats when we reached there, for indeed , all that we could see there , were the architectural ruins. However my mind followed the guide's instructions and I soon found myself living in that era, imagining and recreating the past in my mind. Living in that age and time, moving in the palace, witnessing the Darbar, interacting with Maharaj, having leisure time with the queens, watching merchants trade in pearls and rubies , listening to the glories of the empire from international historians like Abdur Razzak and Paes and laughing with Tenali Rama's wit and humour !
The palace had a very strong stone base but upper portions were made of sandalwood therfore nothing remained after the defeat of the empire because the plunderers set it afire. Legend says that the city burned for more than 6 months. The thought itself was horrifying and gave me goosebumps.
As we stood on the highest point, the Mahanavami platform, also called as the "Great Platform", "Dasara monument", I could sense the grandeur of the court, the empire and the king. The sculptures on the existing walls depicted the stories and glorious history of Vijayanagara.
Adjacent to the platform was an exquisite granite stone cut step tank and an olympic size swimming pool. They excited me as much as the secret room for discreet talks with the king and the hidden outlet for escape in times of emergency.
My mind was curious to know more and so I was taken to the Lotus Mahal used by royal women for bathing and leisure. It is in Indo-arabic style and probably escaped destruction due to this reason. The architectural symmetry there is fascinating.
The elephant stables, Gajashala adjacent to it consist of eleven square chambers with arched roofs and were stately as well.
Vijaynagara is full of temples and monuments, all witness to the grandeur but the Virupaksha temple is the oldest shrine and presently, the only place of active worship of Lord Shiva, Pampa Devi and Durga. It also has the largest Gopuram. The square mandapa before the temple has exquisite paintings on the ceilings depicting Shiva-Parvati marriage, legend of Rama-Sita, of the Vaishnavism tradition, the love god Kama shooting an arrow at Shiva to get him interested in Parvati; and the Advaita Hindu scholar Vidyaranya being carried in a procession. The mandapa pillars as in other places have outsized yalis, mythical animal with the features of a horse, lion and other animals with an armed warrior riding it which is a characteristic Vijayanagara feature at all temples.
It is also fascinating to see ancient neem trees standing tall at all the places.I had never seen such ancient and beautiful neem trees before. Other trees like the banyan tree, champa flower were equally attractive.
The temple has a a Shiva linga with a face embossed with brass.The Manmatha tank and a pathway to the river with stone reliefs related to the Ramayana can also be seen. The Tungabhadra river flowing along side at a short distance tempts one to take a holy dip. If not for the scorching afternoon heat I would have also indulged myself there.
We however chose to return to cooler climes of our air-conditioned comfort and also rest before getting back to work in the evening.
However the journey of the morning left a deep imprint on my mind, as if magic was recreated . My heart was definitely asking for more . This piece of poetry in stone is irresistible and a must visit for all of us. The empire maybe dead but our visits would keep the flame of it's glory alive and ignited forever......

Ninety.....

Ninety....

Ninety....a milestone....an age when one feels satisfied on looking back upon one's life.
Appa is ninety. It was a very important day for all of us in the family. Our father, a man of few words and a wonderful human being, my mind traversed on the journey of his life.
Our paternal grandfather passed away before we were born and we have only had the affection of our paternal grandmother but we have heard a lot of stories about the family.
Our father was born into a large family with three brothers and sisters apart from him, they were a family of seven. Theirs was a fairly well-to-do family with their father being a flourishing businessman. Life was cosy and comfortable with a loving family. My paternal grandfather despite being the wonderful person that he was succumbed to betting on horse races. He had to bear heavy losses and became almost bankrupt. His children had to bear the brunt of the hardships of that loss. From a life of comfort, their life crashed into one of abject penury. They had now to face the woes of a hand-to-mouth existence. However the children were well-educated and could therefore get over the crises though they were left with no money. Each of the four brothers managed to do well and made a postion for themselves in society. The daughters were happily settled after marriage.
My uncle is an engineer and my father a Diploma holder in electrical engineering. Both of them managed to get good positions in the railways. Soon after my father's marriage, his father passed away. After that life was quite a struggle. They coped with the tragedy and shifted to Mumbai when they both got posted in Railways. They continued to work for the Railways and now on retirement are well-settled.
Most of my father's postings took place in and around Bhusawal. So there was a lot of stability in our family.
Understanding the importance of education, our parents ensured that all the four of us studied in St.Aloysius High School, a wonderful school. We were never pressurised to perform. That may be due to the fact that we followed our teachers and of course our eldest brother who was  brilliant and hardworking as well as intelligent. He set a benchmark by performing well and we simply followed. Perhaps the greatest moments of satisfaction for our father were his annual visits to school when our revered Principal would invariably share how fortunate he was to have children like us.
It was actually the other way around. We were extremely fortunate to be born into such a family where we were nurtured to blossom. Life was simple, we being the family that prayed together and stayed together.
Appa was a workaholic. He took of to work early in day, striding briskly. He was also a tough task-master, a stickler for perfection at work and therfore became short-tempered if work not executed properly. His anger, however was momentary and vanished as quickly as it came maybe because he is so pure in his heart.
We have never seen any rancour in his behaviour any time. Always cheerful and pleasant Appa is a power-house of enthusiasm and positivity. He maybe ninety today but can still beat any of us in walking, doing exercises, solving sudoku and crossword. A few years ago her learnt to use Google, send mail, joined Facebook and watsap. He is so connected not only with us but with the extended family that he never misses to wish any one of us on our birthdays and wedding anniversaries.
He is a friend full of fun, stories and pranks for our children and a responsible member of the family overall. Imagine he used bowl 100s of balls to my son for cricket practice till he was almost 88. All this with a smile.
On his ninetieth birthday things are pretty much the same except that he is a bit feeble and has some problems with his legs. Yet he has had a life of fulfilment. He is a self- made man, coming to Mumbai from Chennai on a job with the Railways and to explore greener pastures for a living. He is also perhaps the only member of the family who is a patriarch to have conducted  the wedding ceremony of more than a dozen kids including his children and nephews and nieces.
He had the satisfaction of seeing all his children studying well, performing well, having successful careers and marriages with children and grand children. His ninetieth year would have been different had our Amma been there. It was like casting of some evil spell. Suddenly things went awry.
That special day could not be as special.
Yet we all came together and expressed gratitude to God for all the good things we had in our life, for all the blessings we receive from him, from our family, our friends and well-wishers.
Appa's ninetieth was more of a thanksgiving of being together, remembering beautiful moments of the past.
Our parents were simpletons, but an inspiration for us. To the grand children and two great grand children beyond his silvery white hair and twinkling smile he is a repository of self-made stories and memories, of someone who is vibrant and full of life.
Yes, living to be 90 is a blessing and we are thrilled, to have him with us, celebration or no celebration. We are privileged to have him and his blessings. His pure love and passion, his warmth and kindness, his humour and enthusiasm are precious.
I feel so proud and fortunate to be his daughter. I will always be the special one "chellam"....More important than the love is the purpose he brought into my life by encouraging me and motivating me to be an IAS officer.
I could never thank him enough for all that he has done, the untold sacrifices, the sleepless nights when i was in agony and he did all of that without expecting anything in return.
As family we have seen happiness and joy, sadness and tough times too but found inner strength to rise above them and glow with the blessings of God.  On his ninetieth birthday,  I can only say that Appa, you have made us by being yourself, being honest, being kind and by working hard. You have been our inspiration.
We love you Appa. Happy birthday and many more happier and healthier returns.....

Snap out of the gloom.... the glass is still half full.....Of Kanakaabhishekam and petals of gold....

Snap out of the gloom.... the glass is still half full.....Of Kanakaabhishekam and petals of gold....

Four months ago, Amma, my mother went to Vaikuntam....it was quite sudden and we were unprepared. There were occasions when she had been more critically ill and had bounced back. We thought this time also it would be the same but it wasn't. Life is certainly unpredictable. Six months ago we were dreaming of today, my father's 90th birthday to be celebrated as a grand occasion. 'Kanakaabhishekam' as it is known is literally showering of gold on the divine couple by the grand children or actually the great grand children. It is a fulfillment of having seen the fourth generation. With my mother passing away this was not possible.
My father must be feeling this loss the most. He is a man of few words keeping emotions to himself. It was my sister who decided that we may not be celebrating but we could get together as family and be with him. After we decided on that, the last few days were tumultuous for me as I underwent the painful moments of my mother's departure in my mind again and again and the loneliness of my father.
My son shares his nakshatra birthday with my father. There have been occasions like my father's 80th birthday, the 'Sathabhishekam'- "Sahasrachandra Darshan" when we have celebrated his birthday too along with my father's birthday. It was in his magnanimity that my father said, I cannot celebrate my birthday but let us celebrate Vishnu's birthday. It is his day and is equally important. In his usual enthusiasm, he went ahead and fixed pooja and prayers for Vishnu at the Ahobila Mutt Narasimha Temple. He also said that I must organise a family dinner at our place for Vishnu.
I suddenly snapped out of my gloom and
and went on to appreciate the glass which was half full. Instead of grieving for the half empty glass devoid of Amma, I felt grateful that Appa had made me plan to celebrate for Vishnu. It was his magnamity and the positivity which made me feel hopeful. We could still be together as family, pray and be thankful for the good things we have. We are ceratinly lucky. Amma is not here physically, but she must be blessing us from Vaikuntam. So to Appa, his love and undying spirit "Happy Birthday " God is certainly showering petals of gold as blessings not only on him but on all of us too......

Edulight- lighting up the world through skilling under DDUGKY

Edulight- lighting up the world through skilling under DDUGKY

Education is the foundation for the development of any individual. Without any formal or informal education it is impossible for any one of us to earn a livelihood. Formal education ruled the roost till a few years ago. Times have changed now and vocational education and skilling have gained recognition. In fact they have been recognised as vital for earning a livelihood. Acquiring skills has become even more respected today.
Government keeping pace with the times has come up with several schemes for skilling. The DDUGKY- Deendayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana is one among them. Under this scheme rural youth are provided training in various skills like retail, hospitality,  voice BPO, accountancy,  tally etc through PIAs, ( Project implementation agencies). Edulight is one among these Institutes.
Education has always been their forte but now they are catching pace with skilling too. The company had the foresight to recognise the growing need for skilling and decided to support and train students on various skills. Having reached a benchmark in the skilling world it was easy for them to become a Project Implementation Agency (PIA) for Deendayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY ) the skilling programme for rural youth under the Ministry of Rural Development. They set up a centre at Taloja and have trained about 400 students from Konkan division including beneficiaries from Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. 70 % placement of those who are trained is the standard  norm under DDUGKY and Edulight has been able to place  over 90% of students trained by them.
Retaining the placed students, instilling a sense of belonging in them is extremely important. Most of the students trained at Edulight have continued to work for a year in the same place. They therefore decided to have a first of its kind alumni meet and recognise the students they had trained and placed through DDUGKY.
A well- organised event was planned on 8th May to recognise the placed students at a big hotel. Apart from the students, the heads of the company where they were employed were also invited. To my surprise I was lucky to share the dias with Mr. Velumani of Thyrocare, Mr.Bhide of Ajjicare and the Manager of DTTS.
Four students, Yogesh, Shailesh, Kanchan and Sharad shared their experience on how happy they were to get this opportunity to train at Edulight which transformed their world. The teachers at Edulight were so good that it was possible for all of them to speak with confidence. They were grateful to Edulight providing them with attitude, skills and knowledge.
I had the privilege and pleasure of felicitating about 25 students. In my brief interaction while distributing certificates I was happy to see each one of them brimming with confidence.
It must have been extremely satisfying for Edulight too as an institution to witness the growth of their students. They had been placed in reputed institutions like Thyrocare. Mr.Velumani's matter-of-fact and simple speech was an inspiration by itself. Without mincing words he acknowledged the role of government schools and the midday meals being the foundation of his education. He also belonged to a poor family and his mother made a living by selling milk. However he had come up through hard work and struggle. He had to suffer a lot as he was a fresher without experience, came from a village and didn't know English. However he overcame all the hurdles, became a post- graduate and is now an owner of a Rs.3000 crores listed company. To ensure that people like him don't have to struggle, his company as a policy employs only freshers without any experience and who are from the villages. For him English is not knowledge but just a language and so he employs only those who don't know English. He hopes that ultimately he will provide employment to 10.000 persons.
Mr.Bhide from Ajjicare emphasised on thinking big and acheiving it. He desires to restore the dignity of labour into jobs like bedside assistant. He emphasised on pride in work.
For Meenal, Manager at DTSS, the struggle was against the orthodox family who felt that a girls place is in the home. She rose from being nothing to a manager in a reputed company liked DTSS. For her life was a journey to be dealt with.
The proprietor Mr.Jeetendra spoke about his journey and desire to work for the rural poor. The lessons he learnt from his mistakes. It was his dream to create the best training centre and emphasised on aspirational mobilisation so that the right student reached the right company for a job.
Edulight is now a name in skilling in the field of education and for training in the corporate world and distance education with job driven multiple courses in ICT , Banking , Accounts . They specifically focus on Rural markets and believe that the true growth of India can emerge only if the rural markets become self sustaining. Companies like them are like a bridge to rural India.
As the event came to a close i discovered that a state of art centre for training is being planned at Thane. I wait with baited breath for this new world to open for rural youth, women and SHGs.

Mother's day.....

Mother's Day is a celebration honouring our mother, motherhood and the maternal bonds. From times immemorial mothers have been given that special status not only because they bear us for nine months but also because of the unconditional love they have for their children.
Hindu tradition upholds mothers, fathers and gurus as Gods. Daily veneration for them is part of our tradition. However internationally Mother's day is celebrated in the month of May.
Amma, maa, mom, ammi, moder, mutter, call her by any name, the word resonates feelings of love, affection, warmth, care and concern. The relationship between mother and child is an unbroken bond which begins from conception through the umbilical cord. The cord is the lifeline of the foetus since it carries blood, food and oxygen from the mother to the womb . It actually gets cut off after our birth but continues to remain as that empty space on our navel. The extra nine months to our relationships makes it more special.
On the 13th May I found myself experiencing two different emotions. One, a sense of joy for being mother to a lovely child and the second of being a daughter to my mother who has passed away recently.
Whether I am at home or travelling my parents never fail to call and wish me on all important occasions. This mother's day, for the first time in my life I did not receive that call from my mother wishing me.....neither was it possible for me to communicate with her except mentally.
The colour of my skin at birth was apparently a cause of concern for my maternal grandmother. I remember my mother sharing this jokingly with me a couple of times. My mother and her family had this boon (?) of being light- skinned and light eyed which neither me nor my siblings had. Yet each one of us was nurtured with confidence. The colour of our skin became secondary and our innate qualities primary.
That was the greatest strength of our upbringing by our parents.
My mother who was born in a remote village called Thillaiyamboor of Vallaingamaan, in Kumbakonam district of Tamilnad had barely passed the 5th standard. However she was extremely sharp and intelligent. No wonder she learnt by rote many of the Tamil and Sanskrit religious texts and shlokas by hearing them from her grandfather. She also learnt to read and write English. Many times she would read out important headlines from the newspapers and also keep me updated with latest news connected to my work.
Getting married to my father who working as an Electric Foreman at Mumbai and shifting from Tamilnad to Mumbai must have been culturally challenging. Yet she seemed to have taken it in her stride. My father was soon transferred to a small town Bhusawal. Traversing there must have been more daunting. Apparently she took that too in her spirit, adjusted to the new world, learnt a new language, Hindi and managed to raise us well into successful beings. All this without any frills or fuss.
I understood the value of being a mother on the birth of my son. The sacrifices made by my mother and father to ensure that we received the best gained new light.
Mother's day , was therefore a day for introspection, when I mulled over several memories, remembered tender moments and felt thankful. I also felt little about some moments when I had caused her pain. So many of us take our parents for granted and overlook all that they do for us till we lose them.
On Mother's day I was engulfed with a sense of loss due to my mother's absence. This blog is dedicated to her and the undying spirit she instilled in me. I wish all of us do not single out a day to celebrate Mother's day but celebrate each day of our life as Mother's day because each one of us owes our life to our mother......

Jan dhan, Van dhan and Gobar dhan- and the Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan evam Kaushalya Vikas

Jan dhan, Van dhan and Gobar dhan- and the Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan evam Kaushalya Vikas.....

Hundreds of initiatives are undertaken by the central and state governments each year for the welfare of the people, several schemes are introduced year after year. Lakhs of people are deriving benefit through the same.
Development of infrastructure, social and financial projects are leading to transformation in the lives of people. It is therfore important to assess the outcomes and ensure more people become aware of these initiatives for the larger good of the society.
With this thought in mind, the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India launched the
Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan (GSA) on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti during the period 14th April to 05th May, 2018.
The GSA is a campaign to promote social harmony, spread awareness about pro-poor initiatives of government, reach out to poor households to enroll them in various schemes and to obtain their feedback on various welfare programmes. The lofty ideal of "Sabka Sath, Sabka Gaon, Sabka Vikas" is the ultimate goal of the campaign.
It envisages the partnership of beneficiaries, political representatives, women SHG members and government officials. Thrust of the campaign was on the 7 flagship programmes for the poor which included the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana,
Saubhagya Ujala scheme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Mission Indradhanush.
Emphasis was also laid on the public disclosure of funds allocated to the Gram Panchayats (GP) under various schemes.
Apps and portals were created to capture real time data and monitor the campaign effectively. Special dates were allocated for campaigns and drives for the public.
The day of the launch was Ambedkar Jayanti and camps were undertaken for issue of Caste/Income Certificate; scholarship enrolment, Bank Account and Adhaar linkage.
Swacch Bharat Parv was celebrated on the 18th April, to emphasise on cleanliness and sanitation. ODF and ODF plus initiatives were undertaken on this day.
LPG panchayats were held on Ujjwala Diwas, April 20, 2018 sensitising people on safety and health benefits of using clean fuels.
Panchayati Raj Diwas, 24th April was a day of celebration of power to the people, of reminiscing the 73rd amendment made to the Constitution of India in 1992 which estasblished the supremacy of village panchayats and the 3 tier system of decentralising administration.
The Panchayat raj system had made it possible for the people to govern themselves. With the reservation of 50 percent seats for women equal representation of the people has also been ensured.
Panchayats have been the backbone of the Indian villages since time immemorial. Gandhiji s dream of every village having "gram swaraj" and being a republic or Panchayats having powers to govern themselves became a reality with the introduction of three-tier Panchayati Raj system to enlist people’s participation in rural administration.
Panchayats have been given powers and authority to function as institutions of self-government. They can prepare their plans for economic development and social justice and implementation of schemes related to them and also levy and collect appropriate taxes, duties, tolls and fees.
They also have control over certain matters listed in the Eleventh Schedule which contains 29 items, such as land improvement, minor irrigation, animal husbandry, fishery, women and child development, and education.
A robust system for good governance has therefore been established in the villages, blocks and districts due to the 73rd amendment and it is therefore historical. The celebrations of Panchayat Raj day formed the core of the campaign and
was a day to celebrate, commemorate and appreciate. The Panchayat Raj Institutions Awards have been initiated with this is mind and were given to the best performing arts states. The state of
Maharashtra received an award for excellence in e-sevices which was handed over to Smt.Pankaja Munde, the
Hon"ble Minister for Rural Development, Government of Maharashtra by the Hon'ble Prime Minister at the function in Jabalpur. Recognition and appreciation of hard work is indeed fulfilling.
The Hon"ble Prime Minister spoke about the need to resolve and remain committed for the welfare of the society.
"Gramoday se rashtroday " was the vision of the father of the nation. It was therfore important to achieve his dreams . Another important aspect was the people's belief and it had to be respected. The Hon"ble Prime Minister also exalted upon the fact that those who had been elected should have a vision for growth and transformation. They should choose a field they want to work on and strive towards achieving it. As leaders they should take pride in their work and place of birth.
They should go to the root of the problem. For example why weren't children going to school or remaining illiterate despite allocation of budgets for teachers salary, school infrastructure, uniforms, books, midday meals etc. Our parents may have been illiterate but we weren't and therfore we must think objectively. The children would always remember the efforts made by the Pradhan in educating him.
Panchayat raj diwas should be a day to work for a cause whether health, organic farming, livelihoods, better use of land . Existing schemes like MGNREGA should be used effectively between April to June for water conservation and villages must plan to save for every drop of water. The Hon"ble Prime Minister drew our attention to the three important aspects of Jan dhan, Van dhan and Gobar dhan.
Financial inclusion of all individuals is the core of any development and was the basis of the Jan Dhan Yojana. So opening of bank accounts and linking them to aadhaar was important but getting one's life insured for any mishap or death was even more important. While handing over a cheque to a beneficiary the Hon'ble Prime Minister highlighted that just by paying Re.1 per month a person's life can be insured. People should take maximum benefit of the insurance schemes which costed less than a rupee a month.
Forests are our treasure and forest produce are an important source of income. Van dhan therefore could augment livelihoods of the poor.
His emphased on Gobar dhan whereby Gobar , cow dung could be used for generation of gas and a means for saving electricity and money. Compost could also reduce our dependence on chemical fertilisers leading to organic farming. This was a strong message for the rural India.
Gram Shakti Abhiyan was held on 28th April to strengthen distribution of entitlements to beneficiaries at the Block / district level
This was followed by the Aayushman Bharat Abhiyasn and Kisan Kalyan KaryashalaBlock level – Workshops on doubling farmers' income were also held.
May 5, 2018 was the day of grand finale with Aajeevika & Kaushal Vikas Mela to celebrate success stories and inspiring tales of role Models.
Celebrations were held throughout the country. The main event at Ranchi was chaired by Shri. Narendra Tomar, the Honble Minster for Rural Development, Government of India. Ranilaksmibai Village Organisation from the remote Gadhchoroli district of Maharashtra was awarded Rs. 2 lakh in this function.
A Community resource person, Pashu Sakhi Ranhana from Ghatanji block in Yavatmal, became a source of inspiration to many as she shared her case story on this national forum.
In Mumbai to a programme for acknowledging students skilled under DDUGKY and RSETI's was held under the Chairmanship of Mr.Suresh Prabhu,Hon"ble Minister for Commerce and industry and Civil Aviation. The training centre for electrical and electronic engineering and animation was inaugurated by the Honble Minster at the Institute for desisgn of electrical measuring instruments (IDEMI) at Chunabhatti.
IDEMI was established by the Government of India in the year 1969 as a service to Instrument Industry to gear up its growth potential and meet the ever growing instrumentation needs of the country by augmenting productivity quality control in industrial sector – be it in Electrical, Electronics or Process Control Instruments or Tool Room Services . The institute has kept pace with the times and is probably the only institute oif the government conducting an course in animation. It also conducts 76 NSQF approved Course In the field of Tool & Die making , Electronics, Electrical & automation & Animation Ranging From Level 5 to Level 8 Equivalent from Diploma to Mtech.
The Samsung lab for training in repairing and maintenance of Samsung products was also inaugurated.
On the occasion offer letters for jobs to students who had completed their training through DDUGKY, Deendayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, the skilling programme under the Department of Rural Development in reputed companies like Thyrocare, Asian Paints,Phoenix Mall, Ashar IT Park etc. were also given
Savita Bhoye, a tribal from Thane who had been trained in a Beautician course through RSETI and had the confidence to start her own enterprise was handed over a loan approval of Rs.3 lakh from Bank of Maharashtra
The highlight of the programme however were the testimonials by the beneficiaries, 8 students of DDUGKY. Brimming with confidence and gratitude they acknowledged the transformation in their lived dues to skilling under the DDUGKY. Coming from poor rural homes they were grateful for the opportunity they had received. Thanks to DDUGKY they could not only be financially independent but also support their family. Most of them were receiving salaries between 10,000 to 15,000/- Some of them who were unable to complete their studies had enrolled themselves in various institutions to complete their courses. Some could complete the construction of their homes, some were happy to have seen and visited Mumbai. These included a person who is differently abled, a tribal who had never seen a train, a mother of a 2 year old child. No wonder the Hon'ble Minister, Mr. Suresh Prabhu also experienced "aatmik aanand". He hoped that success stories of such inspiring students would enable creation of a New India by 2022 which was the vision of the Hon'ble Prime Minister. He also believed that each one of us has different capabilities but their determination would enable them to achieve what they wanted.
The secret was in doing one's work perfectly. Many of the trainees were trained in housekeeping or as bedside assistants so it was essential to uphold the dignity of labour. Those trained for self employment in RSETIs were not only earning for themselves but also providing employment opportunities to others. The varied activities of the Gram Swaraj Abhiyaan not only made people aware of the various schemes but also enabled successful individuals to share their motivational and inspiring stories. Quantification of the creation of social capital or transformation of lives is ceratinly a challenge however it is the best catalyst for the growth of a democracy or meaningful development of infrastructure projects.

Rising Star.....

Rising star.....
When I set out in the morning for a field visit to Nashik, little did i think that I would be bumping into a star.
The proceedings of the morning were typical with reviews of work done, the shortcomings followed by discussions for a plan to set things rolling.
Though a bit concerned about the  achievment of targets from the beginning of the year, my mind was much at peace after meeting, Dr.Naresh Gite, the dynamic CEO, Zilla Parishad of Nashik who assured me that he would pay personal attention to speed up the processes under the livelihoods mission.
We had to proceed to a village thereafter to meet the women there and also interact with our team of Wardhinis, who had come  from Wardha to form self- help groups in Nashik. Wardhinis are a team of 5 women from SHGs who have been trained to become dedicated community resource persons helping in formation of self help groups. They are the senior community resource persons who stay in a village for 15 days, explain in detail the benefits of creating and joining SHGs and facilitate formation of SHGs. The enterprising nature of these women always excites me. Their dedication to the cause of social inclusion is amazing. However  lunch was waiting for us so we decided to break for lunch on
a hot, sunny  afternoon. The restaurant was a funky place with tasteful decor.
Nashik has a natural advantage of attracting Mumbaikars due to it's proximity to Mumbai. Added to it are the attractions of bountiful nature with it's picturesque hills and valleys buzzing with resorts. Lunch had been organised at a beautiful place called the Grape County, literally in the lap of nature on Trimbakeshwar road in village Anjaneri. I was overwhelmed by the vast expanse of the place lined with greenery. The restaurant had a wooden old world charm. The breeze gushing out of the hills on to our faces made me beam with joy.
In the midst of all this natural beauty was a smiling face which brought water for us, set our plates and helped us with the menu.
Petite but confident and smiling, it was difficult for me resist a conversation with her.
I asked her name. Like her smiling self it suited her as she had been named Priya. Quite naturally my next question was about where she came from. I was quite alarmed to hear that she belonged to Permeli village of Aheri Taluka in Gadhchiroli district. Instinctively, my colleague Mr.Somwanshi was curious to know whether she was the beneficiary of DDUGKY, one of the schemes of the department of Rural Development which skills rural youth in various vocations.
She replied in the negative and went on to say that she is a tribal student who had availed education in the Ashram school of the Tribal Department. On completion of her 12th standard from the Ashram school she was selected to do a three month vocational course in food and beverage services  through the Tribal Department at Pace, Aurangabad in 2015. Though it was really far from her village she took the bold decision to join the course. As soon as she completed her course of three months she got a job at the Bella Vista Hotel in Mahabaleshwar with a salary of Rs.6000.
She worked there for two years after which  she was shortlisted and brought to the Eco farms, Grape county to work there. Her salary had not been finalised and depended on her performance. However that did not make her anxious. She was probably sure of impressing everyone with her work. Neither was she worried about being in a new place with so much uncertainty. Her eyes shone bright as a star, full of confidence.
She had left behind the safety and comfort of her cosy home and yet was brimming with confidence. Her family comprising of her mother, father, two sisters who were graduating depended on farming. She had completed the vocational course and taken up this job to support her family. She herself desired to complete her graduation in Humanities and has already taken admission in an open university.
Like a star twinkling in the skies she shone brightly, full of confidence, waiting to take on the world. She served us with so much of affection and exuberated so much joy that i could not resist taking a photo with her. As we smiled and posed happily, my heart was sure that she was a rising star, nay the the north star which knows the direction in which it is moving in the orbit, sure of reaching it's destination. What ultimately matters is the approach and attitude of the individual. One's place of origin didn't matter. What really mattered was one's approach to life. Priya had traversed a long way from the deep dark woods of Gadhchiroli to the rugged mountains of the Sahyadri. Her desire to learn and the will power to achieve were her driving force. As we left after lunch, I had a blessing for her in my heart and a smile on my face. This little girl is a rising star....