Jet Serve Go....skilling in the aviation industry....

Jet Serve Go....

Aeroplanes and aircrafts are so fascinating. We may not be able to fly like birds but aeroplanes give us that sense of joy. Being free in the air, among clouds, watching from above,  the beauty of the earth is the most fascinating. And when the aircraft is a helicopter our fascination doubles. Right from childhood, we have seen leaders, celebrities landing from helicopters. Hordes of children and people collect in villages to see the aircraft and their excitement is at a crescendo when someone lands in a helicopter in the village.
I too have seen them many times but never closely enough to be standing by not one but 4 helicopters at the Jetserve Aviation Academy at Gurugram in Haryana.
It was the inauguration of the idol of Lord Shiva at the institute by Honourable Shri. Kaptan Singh Solanki, the Hon'ble Governor of Haryana. The bust of Smt.Ratni devi, mother of Shri.Sitaram Ola, the Chairman and Managing Director of Indraprastha Group of Institutions and Jetserve Aviation was also inaugurated. Induction of students of the new batches was also done.
The Indraprastha Group and Jet Serve Aviation together have 6 educational institutes which include Indraprastha Institute of Aeronautics, Flyola India Pvt. Ltd. providing Helicopter & Aircraft Charter Services through Mobile, Simtech India Pvt. Ltd, providing simulator training and skill training , Jetserve Aviation limited, approved by D.G.C.A., Ministry of Civil Aviation, Govt. of India , Air Operator’s Permit Holder, MRO, Aviation Training Centre.
My first visit to the institute was to explore the possibility of skilling rural youth under DDUGKY. I was quite taken up by their professionalism.
The Hon'ble Governor of Haryana, while complimenting on the institute and its facilities emphasised on the importance of skilling.
In recent times , India had taken a backfoot in skilling compared to countries like Germany, Japan and China. Hardly 12 percent of our working class was skilled. India could become an economic power only if 90 percent of our human resources are skilled. A separate department of skilling had been created for this purpose. Schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Yojana or the Deendayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana were facilitating this. Haryana Skill Mission had skilled over one lakh persons. Haryana was the hub of knowledge and skilling. It was here that Guru Dronacharya trained many worthy disciples including the invincible Arjun. No wonder a University for Skilling was set up here. Similarly a horticultural university was also set up here. Whether Humanities or Technical Sciences , over 50 Universities were facilitating skilled education.
Jetserve Aviation was opening a new chapter by adding skilling in aerospace and aviation to it.
The Hon"ble Governor, emphasised on the importance of 5 S's - skill, sincerity, seriousness, being social and spirituality.
Every human being was contributing to the growth of society but that could not be enhanced unless a person was skilled to contribute to the growth of society.
It was equally important to be sincere in our efforts. Success was possible only when our efforts are sincere. Creation of a society was possible only when every individual stood up for it and contributed to it's growth. Individuals should learn to be more social as human beings. They should mingle and interact more. Creation of a society was possible only when every individual stood up for it and contributed to it's growth.
The most important aspect was the  spiritually of the individual. Being pure in mind, body and spirit and imbibing the true tenets of humanism was vital.
He was extremely happy that he had inaugurated the idol of Lord Shiva because it represented the "damroo" of humanism. He hoped that Indraprastha Group of Institutions and Jetserve Aviation would enable high quality skilling in the aviation and allied sectors.
For Mr.Sitaram Ola, it was a day of blessings. Along with the installation of the idol of Lord Shiva , the bust of his mother was being unveiled. A self-made person brought up by his widowed mother he had come up on his own. After completing his studies in engineering, he had worked for sometime in the aviation industry and then set out to start his own enterprise. By sheer hard work and determination he moved from strength to strength and had established six branches in the aviation sector. He was also running helicopter services throughout the country.
A devoted son, he announced ten scholarships in the field of Art, Science, Social Work etc to be given annually by a trust which he would be setting up for this purpose. In this day and age to remember one's parents and be grounded and rooted to in traditions was admirable.  He certainly was an inspiration for his students
For me also it was a great opportunity to interact with the new batch of students, channelise their thoughts towards positivity and development of self and the nation. Aviation was an interesting sector with ample opportunities for growth and the institute was helping them move forward in that direction. I dreamt of a day when candidates from rural Maharashtra, especially Gadhchiroli would get skilled in the aviation  sector under DDUGKY.  The helicopters showering flowers from above appeared like blessings from Lord Shiva and would probably make my dream come true....

Our adolescent friend.....

Our adolescent friend....

My son became a teenager in June this year. I was amused by the amount of advice I received about handling myself and my son who had stepped into the so-called " terrible teens".
By God's grace , my husband and me share a good rapport with our son. To me, he is more of a friend and mentor. My job keeps me very busy with long hours in office. I am also travelling out of town at times. Yet we have managed to bond well because our channels of communication are open. At home, we shun TV and social media. However the same technology is my friend when I am out of town because I use it to connect with him. Parenting, therefore is more of an art, a skill than a tight-rope walk.
I was pleasantly surprised when I was invited to be a part of a workshop for parents on handling adolescents organised by the newspaper 'The Hindu" at Smt.Sulochanadevi Singhania School, Thane.
Adolescence is that age when the individual is in a phase of transition from childhood to adulthood. It is a period of physical, social and psychological changes in adolescents with the onset of puberty and has therefore been an extremely complex phenomenon, more so now.
The most important way to take care of these growing years is by establishing proper communication between parents and their children.
Handling a child at the foothold of adolescence can be challenging for any parent. At the workshop for parents, noted psychologist, art and dance exponent and poet, Dr.Tushar Guha, was the keynote speaker. He brought out the complexities involved in the upbringing of adolescents. He emphasised on the fact that parents often overlook the finer details in the transitional phase and start behaving differently. They stop cootchy-cooing with children immediately after they go to school. They also start expecting too much from the adolescent child. The child who had been showered with all the the attention feels lost suddenly when parents become business-like after their child starts going to school. The conversation gets limited to finishing tiffin, what was taught in school, completion of homework etc. Love and affection go out into the thin air. The only following up is on performances as too much emphasis is also laid on marks and ranking. The fact that each child is different and has different qualities and potential is often ignored. The rat race of excelling in every sphere and topping everywhere sets in, probably creating a divide.
He also dwelt on the difference between acquiring degrees, knowledge and education. A truly educated person will be mature and use education for their growth and development. It was also necessary to imbibe a sense of belonging amongst children. This was possible only when they discussed and looked up to their own family with a sense of pride.
Somewhere along the lines we had forgotten to dream. It was important to dream only then we could make appropriate growth in our lives. Reading out fairy tales to children was also extremely relevant to kindle their creativity.
Parenting was not a one- time solution but an evolution of ideas. Parents should also realise adolescence is a phase of transition and give time to the adolescent. It was also important to communicate frequently and appropriately with the adolescent.
Mr. Saumitra Prasad , CMO of Camlin Kokuyo Ltd emphasised on the beauty of the world of colours. The wide range of Camlin products which included pencils, erasers, crayons, colours or the orange-yellow geometry box had touched most people's childhood. It was important to devote at least half an hour every week to drawing and painting because it was the best way to refresh oneself.
In my address, I remembered the novel" The Homecoming " by Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore wherein he has brought out the awkwardness of adolescence very beautifully. The protagonist Phatik, is fourteen and in comparison with his brother Maakhan, comes in the way of his mother so much so that she sends him away to her brother's house. He too goes away happily only to realise that things are worse there. Pining for his home and mother, he ultimately dies much to the anguish and remorse of the mother.
Adolescence is certainly a delicate time in the life of a child. At our best we must guide them with all options and help them in choosing the right path. It is akin to Krishna guiding Arjuna in the Mahabharata. At no point of time does Krishna direct Arjuna to do something. He always discusses and shows the various paths and  asked Arjuna to choose the correct one. Parents should also be the guiding force bringing out the path of righteousness to the notice of their children and make them choose the right path. They also needed be more mature in this phase of transition of their child as that maturity could not be expected from a child who was yet growing up. They needed to know where to step up and where to step down and discipline their child. Love and discipline need to be used appropriately. The child should never be belittled as that would damage his or her self-esteem. Each child was different from the other and needed to be treated accordingly.
Social norms were also changing, e.g. having a boyfriend or girlfriend had become more acceptable now. Though one should avoid the maze of performance, obtaining good marks and rank in school or college was a matter of concern. It was important to communicate with the child, speak to him /  her to avoid conflicts.
The Principal and Director of Education, Singhania School , Ms.Revathi Srinivasan spoke about the various workshop series on varied subjects being organised by the school for the benefit of the parents.
This one on adolescence was very important as it would facilitate communication between parents and adolescent children. It was important to keep children away from expensive gadgets. They should also be taught to  respect the efforts of made by their parents. Providing mental and moral support to the child was the crux.The value of sharing and caring was being implemented by adopting a middle school at Yeoor hills. In fact the coloring articles given by Camlin to Singhania school would be given to the students there. .
Mr. Vaidyanathan of The Hindu newspaper explained the ideology behind organising such workshops throughout the state and also proposed a vote of thanks.
Managing adolescents may be a challenge but the situation was not as grim. Presently about less than 10% of family with adolescents experience conflicts while only 15-30% of most adolescent experience storm and stress. However handling these would not be difficult if parents and adolescents kept their communication channels open.

Atithi Devo Bhava....2nd CXO meet of the Hospitality Sector

Atithi Devo Bhava....2nd CXO meet of the Hospitality Sector

Atithi Devo Bhava....from ancient times till date, guests are considered to be equivalent to God in India. Hosting of guests is an important part of our culture. India is a land of beauty, historic monuments, tranquil hills, soothing beaches and rich culture. Millions visit it throughout the year. Yet a lot needs to be done to improve our services in the tourism and hospitality industry.
The tourism department started a programme " Incredible India", Atithi Devo Bhava to attract tourists. It aims at providing tourists, a greater sense of being welcomed here. Tourism is a complex industry with diverse stakeholders. The campaign aims at educating all.
The most important aspect in the tourism sector is hospitality management. This includes various branches like human resources, catering services, facility mangement etc. There are several colleges which provide degrees for Accommodation manager, Catering manager, Chef, Event manager, Public house manager, Restaurant manager etc.
The rural poor may also have aspirations to do these courses but may not afford them. Recognising their needs and desire the Government of India has included Tourism and Hospitality under the DDUGKY, that is the Deendayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana.
This includes a three month free residential course in any of the institutions empanelled as Project Implementation Agencies under the DDUGKY.
An important aspect of the training is appropriate placement of the trained candidates. The DDUGKY has made a minimum 70 percent placements mandatory for release of payments. CXO meetings facilitate placements of candidates trained under DDUGKY by networking with prospective quality employers.
The second CXO meet of MSRLM DDUGKY was therefore organised for  the hospitality industry. It was attended by 30 organizations including IRCTC, Sodexo, PSIPL, OCS facility management services, Jet Airways, DTSS facility management services, Kamat Group of Hotels, Hotel Express Inn, Kohinoor Institute of Management, Pizza Hut, VIP Industries Ltd etc.
Several PIAs like Dhatri Foundation, Nidaan Technologies, Orion Edutech, Shri Technologies, CAP WDI, AvonFacility Management Services, KardaConstruction
etc attended the meeting.
Candidates trained under DDUGKY and successfully placed  and those who had been working for over a year were invited as skill icons.
Namrata from Kiroli , at Nagpur stole everyone's heart with her story.
Namrata was unable to pursue her studies after the 12th standard as she came from a very poor family. She lived with her mother and brother. Their father had deserted them and they were taken care of by the mother. Life was full of struggles and challenges. She did some odd jobs to support her mother. One of her friends told her about DDUGKY, she applied and got selected for a 4 months course in hospitality at the Dhatri Foundation. She was always fascinated by the hotel industry and therefore joined the hospitality course. This enabled her to learn a lot about time and money management. She acquired speaking and presenting skills which boosted her confidence so much so that it was possible for her to speak in the CXO meet in front of such a distinguished audience. She not only spoke with elan but also sang a beautiful welcome song. She had completed her training in time and was placed at KFC as a team member with a salary of Rs.7000 which increased to Rs.10000 in 7 months due to her performance. She also gets incentives upto Rs.4000 and is hopeful of soon becoming a Shift Manager. Everyone wished her the happiness reflected in her welcome sing, "Sakal suman mann suman pulakit zhaale
Hruday he dhatri bole
Anaandaala udaan aale"
Vinita Lad's success story is equally fascinating. She is grateful for the trust bestowed on her by her family when they sent her, so far away from home to get trained at the PIA, Shri Technologies. Restaurant businesses are not considered to be very respectable in the village but her family never looked down upon her working there. Beginning at the Pizza Hut with a salary of Rs.6000, she had to leave work as her mother was paralysed. She has been able to join back with a higher salary of Rs. 16000 once her mother recovered due to the support of the PIA. She believes that if she could achieve this then anybody else can do so too. She hoped that girls would never be looked down upon and respected always.
Ashwini Gaikwad, trained at Global College of Hotel management belonged to a small village from Jalna from a society which believed that a girl's place was in the home. Also being extremely poor their family had no capacity to send her to school. Her parent's worked on sugarcane fields as labourers and did try to eduacte her in a boarding school for the children of sugarcane field labourers but it could not be completed. DDUGKY was a golden opportunity about which she came to know of from a friend and got trained. Her dream of not remaining poor is realised now.
Chaaya Nikam from , Kura Kakoda village of Muktai Nagar, Jalgaon a deserted woman having a child has been trained in the hospitality sector by Karda Skills and works for Karda constructions. The company has not only provided her accommodation along with a salary of Rs.8000 but also takes care of her son.
Ambalal German , from Nandurbar has been able to get his mortgaged land released. He is employed in Hotel Emerald Park and his brother has been employed in a security agency.
Vikrant Jathar from Vaibhavwadi and Monica Thakur from Nagpur also shared their experiences. Swapnil Patil works in a restaurant in the famous Sula Wines.
After this enthused sharing of experiences, the deliberations edged towards channelising ideas to make it fruitful for all stakeholders, specially the candidates. 
There was a need for greater awareness about the scheme. Many corporates still do not know that such a programme existed.
There was a huge demand for trained personnel and training under DDUGKY could be aligned with it. It was important that the PIAs understand the job roles and bridge the skill gap by training appropriately. The candidates also had to be prepared for the demands of the job and long working hours. The aspirations and expectations of the candidates also needed to be kept in mind so that they could be retained and could also advance in their careers. However selecting the right candidate for the right course and job was most important.
Hospitality industry was a mix of various types of work including housekeeping. The dignity of labour had not only to imbibed in the candidates and workers but also among the people. It was common to look down on the housekeeping force due to lesser dignity attached to such tasks. Every individual should understand the importance of the job and respect their profession.
Sonali Sinha of the Sector Skills Council stated that as an autonomous body SSC was paving the way for standardising courses and working in a scientific manner to aggregate demand for skilled personnel. Their portal facilitated correct association of employers with employees. In fact they had the expertise in making placements and certification and assessment of the trained and that should be utilised.
Companies like Express Inn from Nashik and Swaagat from Hyderabad acknowledged the calibre and confidence of the candidates trained under DDUGKY. However it was also the efforts made by PIAs like Dhatri Foundation which made the difference due to their personal touch. No wonder Paawni of Swaagat says she has taken 75 candidates and is willing to take more.
The biggest takeaway was the interest shown by IRCTC. Mr.Rajesh Rana, Additional General Manager (Catering Services) gave a brief about the varied activities of IRCTC and their need of over 10,000 trained personnel every year. The idea of own a batch had been introduced in the Retail CXO. PIAs already have acquired state of art buildings which they are presently using for training. They could  be modified for use of the interested companies. Therefore, the idea of use a building was put forward to them. All the 30 agencies who attended the meeting expressed interest to place the candidates trained under DDUGKY.
The positivity in the air was buoyant with the energy of the skill icons. This combined with the interest of the companies who attended the meet would certainly pave the way for better services in the hospitality and tourism sector.
India ranks 7th in the world in tourism , in terms of its total contribution to the country’s GDP, according to a new report of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). It also has a huge potential to increase domestic as well as international visitors and, in doing so, it can create more jobs, drive economic growth and reduce poverty. There was a huge scope for development and CXO meets like these were important for surging forward towards the true spirit of Athithi Devo Bhava......

Ignorance is not bliss.....

Ignorance is not bliss....

A morsel of rice in our hands goes into our mouth in seconds and is swallowed in minutes. Women toil for hours and days in the slush on fields to produce those grains. Most of us passing through villages often see women standing in the fields and working in them even during rains. They exuberate the joy of production despite the harsh conditions under which they work. How many of us are aware of their hardships?
Till the last week , I too was ignorant about the efforts put in by women on the fields to ensure our taste buds are satiated. Neither was I aware of the discomfort of standing in the slush of the rice fields.
Our State Mission Manager, Yogesh Bhamre, organised a field visit to village Lalthane in Safale block of Palghar district for observing and participating in rice plantation using the SRI technique as well plantation using the power tiller.
The drive amongst the greenery of hills covered with freshly washed leaves was energising. Streams of waters flowed from the hills, the air was crisp with coolness of the breeze.
I arrived at the village with happy thoughts of being able to interact with the women. Meeting them is a learning for me always. Their dedication, devotion, time management skills fascinate me.
I first visited the field of Hemangi Hemant Patil who had already planted rice in 2.5 acres of land using the SRI technique. She was very excited and happy to share that the use of SRI technique made her life easy. The plantation was systematic and had helped her to increase her yield. This was the second year when she used the technique. Being a community resource person she personally experimented on it and now propagates it. Her extended family too uses SRI technique now.
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a method of rice cultivation which increases the yield of rice produced in farming. It emphasises on use of single seedling , spacing it with the support of rope. It uses less water, is labor-intensive, and is a method that uses younger seedlings. It reduces cost of production and leads to increase in income.
The benefits of SRI include higher yield, lesser chemicals, larger grain.
The main Advantage of SRI is that it requires less seed for sowing that is 3 kg seed per acre in contrast to traditional method which uses 30 to 40 kg seeds per acre .The transplanting can be completed in 10 to 15 days. The spacing between two rows of plantation is 25 × 25 Cm . Since single seedlings are transplanted , less labour is required, also the per plant tillers (Phutavey) ranges from 20 to 35 . The grain weight is more and leads to increse in yield from 57 % to 80 % in some cases more than double produce is possible.
Equipped with all this knowledge, I felt sufficiently inspired to participate in the actual plantation. I rolled my leggings to step into the field not knowing what was in store for me.
My first step into the muddy slush betrayed my unsuspecting confidence. I felt unstable as I put my second step. Taking the next one was even more cumbersome. Then began the master class for plantation of rice using the SRI technique. The Community resource person educated us  on the use of rope and line technique. Soon we all learnt to manage the plantation deftly. Those 20 minutes in the slush were an eye opener for me. The women normally had to stand in this slush for hours on days which were a minimum of 21 in most seasons.
Yet, Pranaali Prakash Patil, the owner of the land was happy with SRI as it would help her to increase yield with lower inputs. I came out of the slush richer in experience with empathy for the women who withstood all storms and worked in the slush to ensure we had better food to eat.
Technology is always fascinating. I have driven cars, jeeps and even an autorickshaw, but embarking on a Paddy Transplanter was something different.
A paddy transplanter is power driven and is used to transplant rice seedlings on to a paddy field. It can usually transplant six lines in one round.
A paddy transplanter comprises of a seedling tray on which cakes of rice plants are kept. The tray plants single seedlings into the land exactly the way in which we did using our hands and fingers. Only that it was faster and more organised. And the whole field could be done in a couple of hours.
However transplanters are expensive and can be hired from the tool banks of the SHGs which become an additional source of income for the SHGs. These mundane thoughts were distant as I sat on the paddy transplanter to enable facilitation. The initial jerks smoothened to joy and excitement of driving a new type of vehicle.
The advantages of using a Paddy Transplanter are many. Compared to the traditional method they use lesser seeds per acre. That is just 10 to 12 kg seed per acre instead of the usual 30 to 40 kg per acre. This reduces the cost . The per acre transplantation cost is just Rs.2500 against the traditional cost of Rs.8000 to 10000 per acre. Most importantly the per acre transplantation time is just 2.5 hrs only and the increase in yield is more than 50 %. The cost per acre is also attractive at Rs. 750 per acre.
Both SRI technique and use of paddy transplanters have led to a per acre profit of Rs. 14000 to 18000 and around Rs.16000 to 18000 per acre respectively.
The transplanter belonged to Gauri Gram Sangh. It was a part of the tool bank which included a mini tractor, thresher, reaper and power tiller. Their optimal use could enable the SHGs to earn Rs.7.45 lakhs for the SHG. However they had to learn the ropes of the business with smart marketing,and efficient hiring charges.
Additionally, the Vanrai SHG ran a vegetable collection centre and a jute bag making unit also.
NRLM envisages a basket of livelihoods to overcome poverty and the Lalthane village was on it's way to achieving that objective.
That the village had no electricity last 3 days did not matter to them as they positively surged forward in their activities with a smile.
As for me, I realised ignorance is not bliss. Had I not stepped in to the slush, I would never have known about the efforts of women as farmers and entrepreneurs, and about their growth and development. If only each one of us went through this experience, we would not only learn to respect the women in our life but also learn to respect and value the food we eat.

Dare like eagles....

Dare like eagles....

The emblem of Umed MSRLM are the wings of a bird, rightfully depicting their take off to great heights.
Talking of birds , I find myself thinking of the different species, the chirpy parrots, the cute little mynaahs, the peaceful doves, the tiny sparrows but it was the eagle on which my mind rested ultimately.
Last month, my son and me had gone on a vacation to Chandigarh and visted the Kalesar national park at Yamuna Nagar in Haryana. We were the only people in the national park that afternoon.
Nestled in the Shivalik Hills the national park is beautiful with thick sal trees. The stillness of sound , coupled with a mild breeze was soothing. Monkeys and langoors jumping from tree to tree, peacocks dancing with gay abandon greeted us. Spotted dears flitted away on seeing us, nilgais posed beautifully for our camera. The twiterring sweet sounds of the birds floated through the air.
Our guide told us that elephants were often seen there in herds. However , Kalesar is a popular destination for bird-watching. It is home to the red jungle fowl and birds like the tree pie, horn bill, blue peafowl, drongo, partridges etc. Many threatened animals like the leopard, barking deer, sambar, chital, python, king cobra, are found there.
We were lucky to see many of these birds, a barking deer, spotted deer, sambars and nilgai. What fascinated us most were the variety of birds and the soaring eagles.
I remebered them today as I happened to attend a training session of SHGs at MSRLM. The speaker, our State Mission Manager, Mr. Ramdas spoke about eagles and why they were different from the other birds.
The eagles always soar high up in the sky undaunted by the rains. While the other birds search for shelter to avoid rains, the eagle cuts across the clouds and rain to overcome them. They fly into the storms purposely to gain strength. And however high they maybe, they never lose sight of the ground and their prey. Their vision is clear and steady spotting their prey from great heights. Unlike the vultures, they always eat fresh food and adapt innovative methods to catch their prey. They are ever ready to accept a challenge. Their nests are made of thorns to enable quick take off, of their young ones. They also move in groups. They do not trust blindly but do all tasks by themselves to ensure success. They symbolise strength and victory. No wonder they are the emblem of the military in Mexico, Austria and USA.
Their mythological counterpart is the Garud, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu, symbolising capability and skill. Chanting of the Garuda Dandakam, composed by the revered Sri Vaisnava saint poet , Vedanta Desikan, improves concentration. My son often mesmerises me with the lyrical chant. Medieval Hindu kings used the Gandaberunda, the two headed garud, possessing inmense strength as their symbol. I remembered my university days of being a student of history when we learnt about the coins of this name by  Achyutdevaraya and other kings of the Vijayanagara Empire. 
These examples were given to bring home the fact that SHG women were similar and are no less than eagles waiting to take off in their lives on some enterprise.
Eagle's are large and powerful birds with strong wings to fly high up to an altitude of 10,000 feet. They also have the ability to land very swiftly on the ground. Their eyesight is excellent. They glide effortlessly in the air for hours.
Drawing an anomaly with the eagles, SHGs needed to take up new challenges, adopt innovative methods for their self development and growth of their enterprise.
Change was the need of the hour. Dinosaurs and eagles existed together but the dinosaurs became extinct and the eagles survived because they adapted to change. SHG women should also accept and adapt new changes and pave the way for their own growth. They needed to study the market, understand the needs of the customer and modify their products accordingly. Innovative methods of packing, branding and marketing needed to studied and understood. The dedication and devotion of an eagle and desire for perfection of the self, to achieve their own success could be emulated. Evidently their success was in their own hands.
Umed MSRLM was building their capacities and enabling them to stand on their own feet by taking up new enterprises. At times, it is extremely disheartening to see that the enterprises of women are looked upon as "paapad-pickle" enterprise and belittled. While decrying the fact that they have moved up and diversified to many more products including handlooms and handicraft, solar lamps, even brick making yet food products are an important sector. And why not? Is it possible for us to remain without food? Don't working women and other needy women and families require this support in the food sector? Aren't we all preferring organic food to whose production most women SHGs are contributing as women farmers under the Mahila Kisan Shashaktikaran Pariyojana?
Someone no less than our Hon"ble Prime Minister conversed with these women to understand their development and growth. His appreciation and directions may have trigerred more interest of all stakeholders in the state and country and will show us new pathways to take women SHGs forward.
It was the own efforts of the SHG women as individuals and as a group which had helped them to achieve success and ultimately , their own efforts would take them to greater heights. And for this, they needed to be like eagles, willing to soar high, accepting new challenges, learning new things, gaining new confidence and reaching new horizons.....

Recognition, acknowledgement and acceptance....

Recognition, acknowledgement and acceptance....

Today was a big day for the women of the self help groups of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission. They were directly interacting with the Hon"ble Prime Minister of the country.
Ever since it was announced that the Hon'ble Prime Minister would be interacting with the SHGs through the PM Samwaad, there was a lot of excitement.
Umed MSRLM has been working for the empowerment of women by creation of self help groups and enabling them through social and financial inclusion and sustainable livelihoods. A lot of effort has been made by the state, district and block teams to achieve this goal. More than 2 lakh SHGs have been created and over 33 lakh households have associated with this scheme in Maharashtra. Over 5 lakh livelihoods have been generated, financing of over Rs. 4000 crores through banks and income generation of over Rs.500 crores has also been possible.
The mission is moving from strength to strength in generating enterprises, creating producer groups and value chains and by enabling the creation of over 3 lakh women farmers.
These women have reached a new threshold of economic independence and self- confidence. It was therefore most opportunate that the Hon'ble Prime Minister chose to interact with the SHG women directly. Two members of the SHG including one pashu sakhi and an entrepreneur and one student of DDUGKY from Maharashtra got the opportunity to interact with the Hon'ble Prime Minister. They were from Yawatmal, Wardha and Nagpur respectively and were stationed in the NIC office in Yawatmal District.
The enthusiasm of the women from SHGs to listen to the interaction of three persons from their own clan with the Hon'ble Prime Minister was such that about 20 lakh women assembled at various places including Community Service Centres, Gram Panchayat, Block and District offices and at centres of DDUGKY.
We were also stationed at our office, waiting with baited breathe to see them intearct.
It was a matter of great pride for us that the SHG women from Maharashtra had got this opportunity.
The Hon'ble Prime Minister began the dialogue acknowledging the energy, determination and the ability of women to create groups and work as a team. Their strengths could be the base of studies of universities. The team spirit, tolerance and ability of women could be a source of inspiration for many. Women are excellent examples of managers as they manage their homes, time and finances. They are the best agriculturists and pashu paalaks, leading to the growth of the dairy and milk production. Given the right opportunity, they can do wonders.
NRLM was working towards giving them that opportunity and making them economically independent. It was therefore possible for them to work for the upliftment of society and fight against the vices or anomalies in societies.
He congratulated those working in the districts who were enabling this. He was happy that 45 lakh SHGs have been created and over 5 crores of family were benefiting through it in the country. The SHG movement had created an additional source of income for the family. 
The SHGs had multiplied 4 fold during the last 4 years incorporating multiple skills of diversifying agriculture, enterprise, marketing and skills through intensive training. And all this without formal education.
Amrita Devi from a SHG in Bihar, has prospered personally through loans she could access. She along with 200 women has formed a company for collectivisation of maize and together they have successfully eliminated the middleman trader who would exploit them.
A tribal from Rajnandgaon of Chattisgarh,
Smt. Meena Maanjhi and her group of 12 SHGs make bricks. They have made more than 1.5 lakhs of bricks and earned over Rs.4.5 lakh rupees. Their bricks are purchased by the Gram Panchayat and used for government schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Aawaas Yojana , Swacch Bharat. The Hon'ble PM mentioned that the profit was possible since most of the work was done by the SHG women and that was the strength of the SHG.
Throughout the country SHGs were undertaking different activities through the support and capacity building being done by NRLM. 33 lakh women farmers have been trained through the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana. Community Livelihoods Resource Persons were giving support 24x7 in the villages. Many were benefitting from the value chain approach in products like maize, mango.  Government was providing the required support in agriculture and vegetable production. Whether lac bangles or bricks women were being successful. Several products were being sold in the 122 Bihaan outlets. Women were even driving E-rickshaws in naxal-affected Chattisgarh and other remote places not only improving communication but also getting a source of income.
Shudha Baghel of MP overcame her poverty and now earns over a lakh of rupees from goatery and sale of lac bangles. Her children are studying in a boarding school and she herself is inspired to appear for the 10th exam almost thirteen years after she left her studies.
This is the power of Aajeevika, NRLM. Their group was working for sanitation through packaging of sanitary napkins, making phenyl, hand wash etc.
Rekha Girase who had never seen a bank nor transacted in banks, now works as a Bank Sakhi on commission basis and has facilitated opening of over 1000 Pradhan Mantri Jan dhan Yojana accounts with transactions of over Rs.3.5 crores.
Vandana Kushwaaha from Bardwaani took training as a beautician in the R- Seti and has set up a beauty parlour. She has overcome her fears and gained confidence and earns over Rs.8000. She has also become a trainer in the R-Seti.
Revati Saagar skilled in hospitality through DDUGKY earns over Rs.20,000/- now.
The Hon"ble Prime Minister emphasised how DDUGKY and R-Seti 's were bringing about a change in the lives of rural youth of the country through skilling for employment and self-employment. Over 600 Project Implementation Agencies (PIAs) were training 28 lakh youth out of which about 20 lakh had been placed. SHG women are also working as Bank Sakhis, improving banking and have transacted over Rs.350 crores.
SHGs from Dungarpur of Rajasthan formed the Cluster level federation and shared the unique solar project through which they make solar lamps and panels. The Hon"ble Prime Minister suggested them to see the website of 1 litre bulb and learn from it.
Kanakadurga SHG of Warangal, Telangana stated that they had learnt Hindi, visted over 8 states and trained them in the movement as External CRPs. The SHG had given their leader the strength to come out of a broken marriage with a drunkard husband. The SHG had given the confidence to speak on many forums including the Samwaad with the Hon'ble PM and she was grateful to it.
Seeing the Pashu Sakhi from Maharashtra interacting with the Hon"ble Prime Minister was a matter of pride. Ranjana Kamdi from Yawatmal came from a poor family of Ghatanji Block and joined the SHG in 2015. She initially had one goat but her flock grew through the loans she took and she now has over 40 goats. She became a Pashu Sakhi and got trained through the Mission. She now provides services as a Pashu Sakhi and earns income. She also sells pashu chaat, daana mishran, herbal balls, does deworming and vaccination and earns money. She also doubles up as a master trainer and has a goat kid nursery. This has made it possible for her to earn over Rs.2 lakh annually1. Her status in society has improved as her husband is known as a doctor and she is referred to as Madam. Her products of goat milk soap, paneer and ice cream and their novelty fascinated the Hon"ble Prime Minister.
Lakshmi Amol Shende of Shindemeghe in Wardha shared her success through paapad business. She was from a poor family and had a hand to-mouth existence. She and her husband would make paapads and sell door to door. Her life transformed after she joined the SHG. She took a loan an expanded her business. She now employs 10 people, makes a variety of paapads and sells home to home and also at different places. She is thankful to the Mission for educating them about packaging, branding and this transformation.
For me, the show stealer was Sonu Mandhre from Nagpur, who was a demotivated school drop out from 11th standard. She got the opportunity to learn voice BPO through DDUGKY at Dhatri Foundation and is now working in Megas Dialogue company in Hyderabad. She has helped in repaying the loan of her father, bought a bike for her brother and arranged funds for her sister's wedding. She wished to be an inspiration for others which the Hon'ble Prime Minister felt she already was. He also stated that 2 lakh CRPs were transforming lives of the community. DAY NRLM also propagated bank financing and the Hon'ble Prime Minister expressed great satisfaction that the SHG women had an excellent repayment capacity of almost 99 per cent.
Government was also making markets available through Saras Melas so that SHGs could market their products at the correct price. He also encouraged women to register on the government GeM portal and sell their products through it.
Gujarat SHG representative Lakshmi spoke  about the successful Nimbori , neem coated urea.
Rajasthan SHGs shared the, custard apple( Sitafal ) value chain and artificial jewellery business.
SHG from Jammu and Kashmir spoke about the strength through SHGs. They did business of cow rearing, vegetables, dairy, wool etc. The Hon"ble Prime Minister suggested use of trimmer for shearing of sheep as it would make the process easy and give longer length of wool.
For him each story was inspiring. Women have the innate potential and there were several such women waiting for support to grow. One needed to keep an open mind to support them. Sometimes people could demotivate but women must not lose hope and never give up the path to righteousness. They should work hard to take the country, their own self and family forward .
The mission gives strength and energy, inspiration and confidence and they should grow through it. There were several more stories which could be shared on his app. The dialogue ended with best wishes but the excitement in the lives of the women who interacted with the Hon'ble Prime Minister would remain forever.
Perhaps this was greatest achievement in their lives in terms of direct access to administration, to be able to interact with the Hon'ble Prime Minister. Or it was the culmination of their growth and self development which gave them the confidence.
NRLM aims at social inclusion and that feeling of inclusive growth shone brightly from each woman who spoke. Acceptance in society, acknowledgment of one's work and recognition is what we all strive for and that was given to them by none other than the Hon'ble Prime Minister!

Mumbai meri Jaan and monsoon magic...

Mumbai meri Jaan and monsoon magic...

Today, I woke up with the pitter patter of raindrops on our window sill. It was 5 30 in the morning. I looked out of the window and saw raindrops falling like pellets from the sky. Thick silvery drops , they broke into tiny droplets, splashing into the flowing waters. The sky was grey and misty, full of clouds. The leaves of the trees, freshly washed, blowing with the breeze bringing cool winds.
It was another day but the rains were adding a different charm.
Monsoons in Mumbai are beautiful if one is at home, safe and secure. Or else there are instances of people losing their lives. The newspapers reported about 30 deaths till date due to the monsoons. They seemed to have risen by 30 percent it said. Suddenly, the beauty of the rains was lost.
I continued with my daily routine of cooking, getting my son's tiffin ready as he had to leave for school. As I stepped out into the rains, armed with an umbrella to drop him at the bus stop, I was once again engulfed in its romance, almost enticed to throw away the umbrella and walk in gay abandon in the flowing waters. That is what we did when we were small , chase the rain waters, jump in it, make paper boats. It is difficult to see any child doing that these days. Either parents are over- protective or children are plain disinterested.
I walked back from the bus stop folding the umbrella unabashedly, feeling the rain on my face and hands. It was pure and simple joy which took me back to my childhood, our cute little bungalow in the railway colony. I jumped into the puddle of water with childish glee. Of course this lasted for a couple of minutes for soon I was home, back to the grind of getting ready to leave for work.
The Rain Gods continued to descend when i left for work an hour later. The trees still swaying, showing off their washed look with pride. The roads were relatively empty as Mumbaikars avoid going out when heavy rains are predicted. The skies were misty.
Suddenly my mind traversed to the hills of Mussourie.
Last year, at this time we were at LBSNAA for our Induction training. Mussourie was dreamlike and wondrous with clouds drifting in the valleys, enveloped with greenery. Silvery and grey clouds spinning magic with the hills, beckoning us to explore the green hillsides.
We were taken on a scenic trail to Lal Tibba and it was exciting to explore the beautiful misty mountains. Our trip to Kemptee falls in the backdrop of the lush greenery was mesmerising. Occasionally I used to walk down or cycle to Happy Valley to the gym and it would always be invigorating to experience the cold winds and the light drizzle. Being in the Queen of Hills during the monsoons is an unforgettable experience. I suddenly yearned to be there, very much of a student eager to explore, learn and enjoy.
A splash of muddy water on the car's wind screen brought me back to Mumbai and it's worldly charm. No doubts Mussourie was good for a change but after all Mumbai is Mumbai and is "meri jaan"....

 

 

A notebook of a letter....

A notebook of a letter....

A decade ago when we joined services we were told during our training that the "Tapal" that is the daily mail that one recieved in office was the most important and must be paid complete attention. It would give you the real picture of administration. And so throughout my career, I have devoted sufficient time to it.
Last week, I was going through the folio in which all the mail received is kept. Amongst them, I saw a shiny paper attached to a long page notebook. Curious to know more about it , I took it in my hand immediately and saw that it was notebook written by Smt. Manasi Gaikar, a community resource person (CRP) of Umed MSRLM from Wada block in Palghar district. I hurriedly flipped through the pages and saw that the CRP had literally poured her heart into penning her thoughts.
The whole book is handwritten , each alphabet etched beautifully on its pages, her thoughts flowing through it.
She begins with thoughts on the journey of most rural women in a patriarchal society which is bound by customs and traditions, tied to the home and hearth, without any freedom to speak or express themselves. Her life wasn't different.
She was an ordinary woman in a village of Palghar district. She too was someone's wife and daughter-in-law living in oblivion till Umed MSRLM touched her life. Thereafter her life was completely transformed.
Inspired by the Wardhinis who had come to introduce SHGs to them , she derived the strength and confidence to join the self-help group in her village. Later she facilitated forming of a village organisation for the SHGs and also got trained to become a CRP.
Ever since then her life is devoted to the cause of empowerment of women in the villages nearby.
She is particularly impressed with the ten cardinal principles, the 'DashaSutri' adopted by MSRLM which include regular meetings, savings, internal lending, repayment of loans, health, education, taking benefit of government schemes, participation in Panchayat Raj Institutions and sustainable livelihoods leading to overall development of the individual and the village.
She is grateful to Umed MSRLM because it made her aware of her own qualities and gave her an identity. Today she is known as a CRP and has got recognition as an individual in society.
As a CRP, she has devoted herself completely to the cause. She makes an effort to understand the emotional needs of the women because that according to her is the most important. That is exactly why she emphasises on the importance of weekly meetings because it enables bonding between women. It is only when they meet often they will able to share their feelings. The meetings also ensure transparency and accountability enabling trust.
The SHG membership has also freed the women from the exploitation of money lenders. The other social benefits include rebuttal of superstitions and marriage at a young age. It has also enabled women to become aware of the importance of menstrual hygiene and procure good quality sanitary napkins under the state government's Asmita scheme.
However the most important aspect for her was understanding the banking systems and the removal of fear of banks from the minds of women. Financial inclusion had enabled them to understand various procedures in the banks beginning with the process of filling of an application to open a bank account. They also knew what a pass book was and how to update it , how to apply for a loan etc. Umed had also opened several vistas for sustainable livelihoods.
According to her the secret of being a good CRP is being sensitive to the needs of women, to be a friend and to be human.
She also feels that one must not be upset by failures but find the reasons for those failures if any and work to overcome them.
She is unable to understand the generalised apathy against government officials because according to her they too are human. In fact she feels without their support she would never have achieved so many milestones. She is particularly thankful to Block Mission Managers, Shri.Sunil Patil, Shri.Kiran Patil and Shri.Santosh Pagar who worked selflessly, at times even on holidays to support the SHGs.
This combined with the various trainings and capacity building exercises through Umed MSRLM has made her what she is.
No wonder she has even written a couplet on Umed, saying,

" Without you, there would be nothing.
Without you, there would be no dreams
Without you, we would never be there
Without you our world would be empty !"

Every word in the 45 handwritten pages of the book made me realise the depth of her thoughts and feelings. Her triumph was not only the reflection of her joys but also of the hope which Umed MSRLM had brought into the lives of many like her. My head bowed in reverance to her courage and fortitude, for making this effort and for writing so beautifully in the book....

The Sulonian Honours Society....

The Sulonian Honours Society....

While we were in school, being first in class and getting the coveted 'first in class' was a dream for many of us. With passage of time and newer thoughts this ranking was considered discriminatory and schools adopted grade points or other systems to acknowledge scholars. I fondly remember the scholar badges and coats of my nephews and niece.
Our son stuides in Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School at Thane. Enrolling one's child in Singhania School is like a dream come true for any parent staying in Thane or it's vicinity. Very few schools in India may be matching their standards in academic and co-curricular activities. No wonder they are among the topmost schools of the country.
The efforts made by the school to instil confidence and ensure overall development of the child are beyond compare. The standards for assessment of a child's performance are not restricted only to academics but are also dependent on the overall performance in other activities of the school including home work, behaviour in class, participation in sports, culture, music and dance apart from excelling in studies.
Only those students who measure upto these standards are enrolled into the honours society. Till the previous year a 3.75 GPA on 5 was considered as the benchmark for enrolment however it was increased to 4 GPA from the current year.
This was the third year wherein Vishnu was elgible to be enrolled and it was a matter of great satisfaction for us. Even though we have never pestered him for grades or marks yet sub-consciously for us and for him too it was important to perform sufficiently well, at least to be a part of the honours society. Once his marks are known and the grades calculated we would heave a sigh of relief.
At times, I do wonder why do grades of our children becomes so important for us, more so when most of have grown devoid that pressure. Maybe the context and times are different now or perhaps their latent dream of being 'first in class ' goads them !
Of course the sense of joy, happiness, satisfaction on achieving the set standards is something beyond compare.
Last week we had the opportunity to attend the honours society function in the school. We have seen Vishnu's growth and development as an individual during the last 9 years. He is in the eight standard now. The satisfaction and happiness on his face was evident as he walked up to take his award. This feeling reflected in all the children whose confident gait and sparkle in the eyes said it all. They had worked hard for it and being recognised for all the hard work added to their self-esteem.
As the Principal, rightfully said, their expressions were very happy akin to
the joy of climbing a ladder by themselves.
Each one of them had the aspirational value to get better and their confidence was reflected on their faces.
She further said that it was mportant to work hard but without stress or anxiety. Learning should not become mechanical but should be the means to harvest real knowledge.
She also mentioned that a few students and parents were upset due to missing it by a narrow margin or even by one mark. Yet that single mark became a motivational factor for others. So it was important to strive hard and improve one's own performance . The competition was not with others but with one's own self.
As an individual each student has his own intellect. The opportunities they get in the school are the means to capacitate their intelligence and realise their goals. Acquring knowledge and skills with the right attitude was the key to success.
It was also important to remain grounded and continue to work hard  because it was their knowledge which had placed them on the cutting edge.
Those receiving the awards today were the chosen 300 among the 1500 students of the secondary and high school. Amongst them was Vishnu, for him and for us, the day was certainly memorable and special. Not only he but we also felt truly honoured.....

Suloniathon, my first marathon.....

Suloniathon, my first marathon......
A call from my son is timed at 4 pm everyday, when he returns home from school.  A fortnight ago, he called when I was in the midst of a meeting and began telling me excitedly that their school was organising a marathon and we had to participate in it as family. He could barely contain himself as he continued in the same breathe that it was for a social cause, to promote education and knowledge. He made it sound so easy by saying there was a 5 km and 2 km option and that it was on a Sunday, 1st July. So I had no reason to refuse participation. I muttered that we could discuss this in the night as I was in a meeting but I knew that he already confirmed our participation. Of course, as parents, we both wanted to participate wholeheartedly and I completed the registration formalities .
Vishnu used to be excited each day after that and would make it a point to discuss the Marathon with me every day. In fact he even suggested getting into a fitness regime before the do. However, being human and caught up in the vagaries of life and work we landed up today morning with me being quite unprepared.
As soon as we entered we saw on stage the Principal, Ms.Revathi Srinivasan, Headmistress, Ms.Kabral and other faculty members. Mrs.Kabral set the tone rolling by announcing Zumba with gusto. Soon all the participants were rhythmically working out, following the footsteps of the instructor. We were pumped up with enough adrenalin for the run.
The event was flagged off by the Collector Thane, Mr.Kalyankar along with the Principal. The participants of the 5 km marathon began first . Vishnu and his father took off for it.
My 2 km run began 15 minutes later. I was really excited. I had previously participated in a walkathon. A marathon sounded exciting. Of course,  it wasn't possible for me to run continuously but it was fun managing to run and brisk walk to my catch my breath. I managed to complete the run with a feeling of immense satisfaction.
The morning air was pleasant, the Zumba had energised me sufficiently and completing the run made me invigorated that I had completed my first marathon. Of course, Vishnu's joy knew no bounds too. The completion of the run by me and his father was more exciting for him than his own timing of 5 kms in 27 minutes which according to me was highly appreciable for a first timer.
The event was perfectly managed with every detail in place. From the flagging off , to the distribution of medals and the sumptuous breakfast there was no chaos. The spirit of the school reflected along the way with teachers and students encouraging, cheering, guiding all the participants and providing water at intervals.
Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School is celebrating it's fifty years of glory. Among the year long activities planned by the school was this marathon, aptly named as the 'Suloniathon'.
It was a run for a cause and about making a difference to the society. The mission was to support knowledge and rehabilitation of the underprivileged students from a local school at Yeoor whose students also participated in the event.
The motto of the school reflects in the school song which emphasises on being human and protecting humanity even before acquring knowledge. This spirit was reflected in the Suloniathon.  Of course God's blessings are with the school and the cause, little wonder that the skies were clear and the rains too refrained from being a spoil sport.....