Lion Safari in the making in Etawah,UP,India

TWO PAIRS OF ASIATIC LIONS WERE TODAY SHIFTED TO UTTAR PRADESH FROM THE 
Sakkarbag Zoo in Gujrat as part of animal exchange programme between the zoos.The four lions (two males  and two females) were handed over to a ten member forest team from UP , which arrived in JUNAGARH Zoo,VJ Rana ,Superintendent at Sakkarbag told PTI.
                           Both pairs will be housed in the LUCKNOW Zoo for the next few days  before they are shifted to the breeding centre  at the upcoming Lion Safari Park at ETAWAH  early next year , he said .



Please read this news ,courtesy Business Standard dated December19,2013.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/guj-gives-4-asiatic-lions-to-lucknow-zoo-under-exchange-prog-113121900484_1.html

Angela's Ashes

Angela's Ashes  is an extraordinary childhood memoir  of its author Frank McCourt(August 19,1930-July 19,2009) , as he grew up from a five year old to nineteen years old.I read it second time recently, and was  moved , as much as  I was when I read it first time .It makes you" live" the poverty, powerlessness , struggles and hopes of Frank,his mother Angela and his brothers.It tells us how hope still, somehow emerges in a situation of total hopelessness.One reason why  this book is so popular is that it makes the reader realize  how lucky he/she is , to be able to lead a life which so much more secure and well provided.

                             I  had always wondered what made McCourt  choose the tittle of this book as Angela's Ashes.Are these the ashes that fall from Angela's cigarettes, or are these ashes  in the fireplace which she continuously stares at blankly?Do these ashes represent the weakening hopes and dreams of Angela for raising a healthy , happy family and wanting Frank to become  much more accomplished and successful  than only  a messenger boy ?The best thing is that despite all setbacks  and disappointments , her ashes are still warm(?)  about her dreams , which in some way prepare a mindset in Frank to save money enough to go from Limerick in Ireland to New York.Hovering between his indecision to leave for a better future or to remain in Limerick  in a small but secure job at post office  , he manages to keep his dreams alive and sails to New York .

                     I recommend you to read this very powerful and inspiring book .It impacts  its readers on all their senses , it provokes them  and makes them think  and feel  .

Leadership and Change

             It is my firm belief that among all values of a true leader, courage is the essential and the most important value. This is a value which makes other values happen. Courage is the touchstone of leadership. Courage becomes hope and faith on one side and love on other side. The three Christian virtues of hope, faith and love are united in courage. Leading transformation needs courage and risk taking and over coming fear.

                                                 We must be the change we wish to see in the world"- Gandhi. Provide personal example. Throw your full weight on the side of change. You must wear your heart on sleeve so that all can see who you are, where you are coming from and where you are going. Never ask others to do what you are not willing to do yourself. Good example gives you the only real influence over others that you are likely to have. It also gives you the moral authority to ask for sacrifice.

    If you do not motivate others by  example, it amounts to manipulation. Good example is self- effacing. It does not draw attention to it self. 

                                               Leadership capacity involves

1-               Freedom of Self.

2-               Courage , confidence and Fearlessness.

3-               Competence.

4-               Integrity & conscience.

5-               Non-attachment /unconditional love

                                 In a transformation, change is in all senses and directions. There is physical/economic change, mental and emotional change and spiritual change. In other words you have changes in

1-    Hierarchy

2-              Structure

3-              Processes

4-              Systems

5-      People and beliefs

                                             Tools for transformation

(1)      Cross-functional teams and collective leadership.

          Breaking down of departmental barriers and empowerment of teams. (A cultural change)

(2)    Development of leadership Capacity throughout the organization by:

(i)                          Providing freedom for action

(ii)                       Instilling confidence through  discussion.

(iii)   Providing skills and competence through training & workshop.

(iv)                     Providing resources for change (A cultural change)

(3)   Change & monitoring of processes through ISO 9001:2000 standards. These standards represent international consensus to monitor in the best possible way those processes which influence quality & enhance customer satisfaction & performance. (A cultural transformation).ISO results in simplification, decentralization and consumer processes and gives continual improvement.

4.                HRD issues gain priorities. 

         Quick redressal of employee grievances builds self-esteem & energy of employees.

5.                Involvement of all employees

Employees are given meaningful work & active participation in change. It releases their energy for organizational purpose. Job mastery experiences release energy. Assign jobs according to abilities & skills.

6.                Internal Transparency

When employees do not know what is happening, they withhold their energy from organizational activities.

7.                Openness & accessibility

Ideas of (ownership) by all are incorporated into vision mission & transformation process, at every stage.

8.                Change in attitude of Employees

Two ways

(i)                          Presentation of analysis.

(ii)                 Arousal of emotions. Coercion can not produce change agents.

Repeated affirmation is essential.

9.           Change in design of products

Designs have to be in accordance with cultural values aesthetics, desires & needs of consumers. Designs must be changed creating an emotional relationship with people.

    10. Other Supports

(i)                          Rituals, ceremonies, music, poetry & songs.

(ii)                       Active participation in community programs

(iii)                    Listen to role models & get emotional support.

(iv)                     Appreciate others.

(v)                        Apply Stress Reduction techniques.

(vi)    Participate in personalized management development programmes 

I am only one

But still I am One

I can not do everything

But still I can do something

And because I can not do everything

I will not refuse to do

The something that I can do

                                                          Edward Everett

                                          

Hunger

An excerpt:

"Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Today i completed the reading of Knut Hamsun's Hunger.It is truly a great book written in 1895 when Hamsun was 31 years old.What a terrific book!It is semi autobiographical.It reveals what it means to remain honest while facing poverty and hunger.I started feeling smallness of my sacrifices for following truth compared to those faced by the hero of the book.
It raises the fundamental questions:what is pride?what is is insult?what is conscience?Is conscience a luxury?what is love for a poor man?How does your poverty affect love of others for you?What does starvation really mean?
No wonder it is one of the most influential books in the history of mankind."

The line between home and work

In this age of internet , laptops and mobiles, it has become necessary to revisit the issue of drawing a line between work and home .I believe, it is essential to draw the line firmly, though it is not easy to do so .The line becomes fuzzy when we start talking about home offices and alternative work places.We are in a new kind of Mobility Paradox 

                        If you are in an office of public utility and your mobile number is in public domain , the chances are  high that your mobile will continue to ring at odd hours .The mobile has eliminated the role of private secretaries screening your official  calls.The spill over of official fatigue and worries chases you till you decide to put your mobile in the  silence mode  at some time in the evening.The border line becomes further blurred when you get mails in large numbers  on your computer from unknown quarters .If you respond to each of these calls and mails ,the slow fizzle of chronic fatigue , cynicism , negativity  is likely to set in till you have a burn out .And still you  may get a complaint from your boss  in the morning that you did not receive his call when he called you on your mobile in the late evening.The work has a tendency to spill over  for 24 hours a day.

                            Does this efficient communication internet and mobile , obviate the necessity of  meeting people in person ?NNot necessarily .People may not be satisfied with  your quick return calls.You are never free.

                 Lou Gerstner(former chairman of the board   and  chief executive officer of IBM  from April 1993 to 2002 ) had a habit of bringing suitcases of work home with him every night.But things have changed drastically since then .There was an era when people sought connections with each other, by moving around .We are now in an era where we have to decide when and where to disconnect  -both electronically and socially.We have to face this new Connectivity Paradox.There is no other choice.

All about Self-esteem

Do you care whether you are praised or criticized?Does a compliment make you happy?Does an adverse remark make you  unhappy?Do you have  fame , envy or admiration as your goals?If yes , then you self-esteem is coming from others .And that is dangerous .Why do you give others  power over you and control your mind and state of happiness?Your pursuit of happiness should depend on you alone , and on no one else.Don't place others  before your self.Be great , rather than wanting to be thought great. Donot lead a second hand life.Do not be a second- hander.

          Don't run after popularity . Give honest judgment to a friend , even if it is unpleasant .Demand a certain quality in people you like.Donot believe in fratenities , professional associations , etc.

                     Have a self .Respect your self .If you do not respect your self , you can have neither love , nor respect for others.Be true to yourself .Have robust  independence, an impeccable integrity and an enviable competence .Be fiercely independent.Never sacrifice your integrity  and your independence even for the best causes.Sacrifice of integrity or independence  can never be a virtue.The integrity of  your  creative work is of greater importance than any lofty endeavour.

                       Be competent .Before you can  do things for others , you must know how to get things done .That is competence.To be competent , you need to have love for what you do .Also the way you do your work .Your work done your way .Develop the habit of working meticulously.(Zero errors)..Know every part of your work.Do a thing for your own purpose.

                      Do you like to hold power over another human being?Rulers of men are dependent on their power.Donot decide for others.The man who goes after power is the worst second-hander  of all.

                        Do you share credit with others?More than that , do you share dis-credit with others.?Be clear that all credits and discredits are yours alone .Be the responsible doer.No one can really hurt you or help you .

 If you believe in the above , you will  have  some  wasted periods in your life.But  that is the price you pay.Donot give in when circumstances are adverse. Donot sell the person you love for money  or for popularity.Then I will be proud of you. 

The art of Project Management ,Part 2.

Today(October9,2013;Wednesday),I had   one more opportunity to address the officers of Indian Forest Service ,  in Forest Training Institute , Kanpur,UP,India, on the subject of project management .I was told that about 10% of forest officers/officials out of about 13,000 get trained  on a variety of subjects  once in one year .This I thought, was inadequate .To my mind , every official has a right to be trained under a short duration training course, at least  once in a year .This requires up scaling of budget , infrastructure and faculty many fold .But it would be a worthwhile investment .One reason , why in India , government officials work much lower than their potential , is lack of training .Training inculcates the qualities of leadership and competencies.
                                             One very important concept to be understood is project life cycle.We must deliver on time .For this , we must start and finish on well defined times .The project has to be conceptualised/defined in a time frame , project planning must take place in a defined time period , execution must finish on time , and delivery of the deliverables must be made on time .In other words , the project life cycle must have a well thought and well defined time frame .
                                                While all stages of project life cycle are equally important , the project planning must need special attention .It has nine equally important aspects/parameters as follows:
1.Scope/Deliverables.
2.Schedule/Time management/Delivery target time.
3.Cost/resources.
4.Human resources/Staffing .
5.ICT.
6.Procurement/Contract.
7.Risk.
8.Quality.
9.Processes.

The tools available with a project team are many :
1.Checklists.
2.Documentation .
3.IT.
4.Knowledge management.
5.Reports/Presentations.
6.Investment in capacity building and training.
Monitoring , control and compliance can be done trough some of the following methods /tools:
1.Steering committee/Budget Approval committee.
2.Process audit/Process improvement .
3.Due process.
4.Performance review/Oversight.
5.Plugging the Leakages.
6Project Closure.
7.Performance audit/Performance improvement.
             I was told that in China , a very large number of universities have started giving degrees in Project Management .But in India, there is not even a single university awarding a degree in Project Management.
Most of the departmental Training Institutes in states do not have ant training programme of training government officials on project management .It is such a glaring gap in the governance system of India.
                        A good,robust project management training can go a long way in improving efficiency, delivery and cos-effectiveness of our public development , welfare programmes as well as our governance .
                         I was happy to see overwhelming support to the idea of project management in public sector and government, among the audience.

Lion Safari and Eco-restoration of Fisher Forest at Etawah

 Lion Safari to conserve the Asiatic Lions (at present numbering 411 in the world) is being set up in the Fisher Forest Etawah.Fisher Forest has a total area of 2912 acres.Lion Safari is being established in 875 acres .An Eco-restoration project of 1000 acres of Fisher Forest was completed on October5,2013.In all , 153240 plants were planted ).What follows is a report of the event of October5,2013 published in The Pioneer , Lucknow in its edition dated October6,2013.

     - - - --- --- - --- ---

Lion Safari will boost tourism, development in UP: CM

Sunday, 06 October 2013 | Pioneer News Service | Lucknow | in Lucknow

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said on Saturday that the Lion Safari at Etawah would not only boost tourism in the region but also bring happiness and development in the state.
Addressing a huge gathering during inspection of Fischer Forest/Lion Safari project in Etawah on Saturday, the Chief Minister reiterated that the Samajwadi Party was committed to all-round development of Uttar Pradesh. Former Defence Minister and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam  Singh Yadav was also present on the occasion.  The SP supremo and the Chief Minister planted a sapling in the area. 
“We have planted over 1.5 lakh saplings in the Fischer Forest and the Lion Safari area spread over 1000 acres in Etawah. The progress of work which was started by Netaji (Mulayam) is now in full swing despite of various hurdles,” the Chief Minister said. Yadav Junior said that they were adopting international standards in developing the Lion Safari and it would be one of the world’s best wildlife sanctuary. 
                    
“The uniqueness of this safari would be that while at other such places the animals remain in the cage and the tourists roam in the area, in the Etawah Lion Safari, people will move in caged paths while the lions and other animals will roam freely in the jungle,” the Chief Minister said. Yadav Jr said the area would be developed as a green belt with more than 11 lakh trees and this year the Government had fixed a target of planting five crore saplings here. The Lion Safari, which is mainly being developed to save lions, will also have a Lion Breeding Centre.
The Chief Minister said his Government would spend more than Rs 45 crore on developing the Lion Safari and Rs 30.50 crore of this amount would be utilised on setting up animal house, conservation breeding centre, veterinary hospital and other such facilities. He said of the remaining amount, Rs 9 crore would be spent on tourist promotion by setting up interpretation centre-cum-library, gardens, parking lots, watch towers, toilets and other amenities.
As per the plans, 50 hectares of the total area will be reserved for developing lion safari core, 300 hectares for buffer zone, 50 hectares for chain link fencing and 350 hectares for habitat. Highlighting the achievements of his Government, the Chief Minister said they were giving Kanya Vidyadhan, unemployment allowance, assistance under Hamari Beti, Hamari Kal, free laptops, and had waived loans of farmers and were providing free irrigation facilities. He said many more welfare schemes would be announced in the near future.
Yadav Jr said the state Government would open employment avenues for youth, particularly in the police force. He said the Government was trying to improve the power scenario. Speaking on the occasion, Yadav Senior asked the Government to expedite the Lion Safari work. The SP chief said the state Government had already laid emphasis on improving education and health systems.
“UP is the only state where education, irrigation, medicines and treatment of all chronic diseases are free, he said, adding that the state Government was making all efforts to improve the power scenario. The SP supremo stressed the need to tackle communal violence with tough hands. He said that Etawah, which was once known for dacoits and crime, was now known for its good environment, particularly after the Lion Safari/Fischer Forest. 
Yadav Sr lauded the Chief Minister for speeding up the pace of development in the state and said the Lion Safari would bring Etawah on the international map.

My favourite quote by Gandhi

“An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does truth become error because nobody sees it. Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self sustained.”

M.K.Gandhi

wildlife week in India

Today is the first day of India's Wildlife Week .(October1-7, 2013).

Let us reaffirm our commitment to preserve ecology , biodiversity , wildlife , forests and environment .