Sunday Biryani

Aug30

         People have been telling me, requesting me to write about some things which I thought were funny. So rather than start poking fun or relating incidents which I thought were funny ( The other day Prof Swarnalata was talking about how people's perceptionof what you have said may even lead to destroyed relationships) I thought that I will start off with myself.
          I intend to give opportunity to everyone I know In ASCI to relate Five FUNNY THINGS THAT THEY EXPERIENCED IN LIFE once every sunday. This will help lighten the mood of everyone and it is also a purge of self when you share this with someone else. This will be titled SUNDAY BIRYANI.  You can write about anything on earth - except what the society deems Taboo - but in a lighter vein. It is fun to share and I am sure that there will be enthusiastic response. So here I go with the first five things (Funny in my life)
1.         When I was in class II , I liked going to school because the teacher was a cute Parsi lady and she wore skirts( Not that that was funny) . Any how the joke is about a classmate of mine who gave me a cream biscuit in the break. As the day progressed we had a disagreement and he wanted his biscuit back. Well the only way to return it was to vomit  the stomach contents- and that is what I did...
2.         In spite of getting thrashed for practical jokes ( Parents did not skimp those days - they believed in the dictum of  ' Spare the rod and spoil the child'.) It was in class nine when being taught binary arithmetic that one of my class mates was taken up by ones and zeros. In a loud voice he kept shouting 111101101010... and so on, incessantly- until the teacher came and slapped him saying " Idhar main accounts karne ki koshish kar raha hoon aur mere accounts mein sirf one aur zero aa raha hai - chhup ho jaa".
3.         To get into the services one undergoes a battery of tests. These include written tests, after clearing the written one has to prepare for the Services selection Board where tests include physical, mental aptitude , psychological tests and finally  the interview where having made it we were standing outside in the garden for the president's interview. This also had a lot of weightage. While waiting,I saw a pipe jutting out of the ground, with a faucet. Being of inquisitive nature - or fidgety nature - take your pick, I turned on the faucet. What i did not expect was the pressure with which the water gushed out and wet my shirt totally. It was a defining moment, I was panic stricken. Another candidate came out from the interview, we exchanged shirts and as they say - the rest is history. My saviour did not get selected and it had nothing to do with my wet shirt...
4.         Time passed we grew up trained hard - training was not funny - graduated and joined our battalions. In 1984 we moved North east to train for counter insurgency. The move and the training thereafter was tough and back breaking. The oppressive weather did not help and the jungles were full of under growth. Our mission was to capture an enemy hideout. It was when we were close to the hideout when the company commander cautioned us against making any sort of sound. We were waiting to spring the ambush. It was dark and there was silence all round - which was broken by one of the boys - who was so tired that he started snoring loudly and ruined the surprise. Thank God it was training.
5.         One gets these urges sometimes. " Act in haste and repent at leisure" are some of the things that come to my mind. In March '87 when on leave I was returning late from a dinner at a friend's place on scooter. It was 2'0' clockin the night. I had this desire to close my eyes to see if I could go straight on the scooter; I found that I could not when I veered right and hit a culvert, flew over and crashed my knee against a steel pipe in the nala below. I found that my knee cap broke into many pieces, when I could not stand. Next scene hospital ER . The nursing staff( Male )  at the ER were to carry me to the ambulance for going for the X-Ray. While loading into the ambulance they dropped me on the ambulance steps - Result? - a serious gash on the eye and a bruised Ego. The matter did not end there. That day the orthopaedic surgeon came to check on me. Date for operation was set for the next day. By evening the same doctor suffered a Heart - Attack and was admitted in the hospital along with me... These things happen. The upside is I met my wife to be because of the accident - but that is another story.
               

Legalities and Self Analysis

Aug 27

Court cases are costly and can last several generations - not to talk about the money, the effort, the stress and the heartburn involved. There is also a lot of frustration among the people with regard to the slowness of the wheels of justice. You may even end up feeling that the wheels are square. How do we obviate the need for such lengthy cases and a heavy backlog of cases in the courts? At present there are as many as one crore cases pending in the courts. There is a shortage of judges . There are less than half the judges available in the courts . The perceived slowness of justice is because the courts are short staffed.  Indeed it was a revelation as to how people got old on cases in which the children grow up and leave home , spouses die , someone commits suicide ( I hope GJ Rao is listening) and more often than not the compensation is granted to the  the aggrieved party when it really matters very less. How do we overcome this problem?

Dr Poondla Bhaskar Mohan was our visiting Prof from International Council for Alternative Dispute Resolution. He was addressing our combined class of Contract Management and Services Officers . For the next two hours we learnt all about the Lok Adaalats, courts of Law , how elders helped resolve the disputes and how through the third party help of Mediation, conciliation and Arbitration one can bring disputes in civil law to a speedy closure . I was reminded of my favorite Mythology the Mahabharat , in which all these methods were employed to prevent war but did not happen and hence total annihilation of the kauravas . Of course while employing all these methods now , all one can finally do is approach the court of law. Certain things which we believed of the law proved totally contrary to our expectations. Though Dr BabuMohan hastened to assure us that the courtof law , more often than not, got it right in the end. His repertoire of case studies in which he was involved personally made the other wise mundane class lively , interesting and educative.

Prof  Swarnalata's class was an entirely different kettle of fish. I still remember meeting her on 08Jun, when we kicked off the course . " You look very serious " She said to me and in the same breath she said " it would help if you smile once in a while". For the next two months our only contact with her was in the dining room during lunch when we wished her good afternoon every day without fail. Finally after going through various subjects , it was her turn to teach us about communication skills. In the beginning like fencers we were probing - or rather getting to know each other. Her questions were in a way to help us discover ourselves . Where did we study? How was our childhood ? ( It was fine) . Any defining moment? ( After a pause - " Let me see- there were quite a few defining moments..". ) Which school did we study in? ( Central School, St Patrick's , Many schools - My father had a transferable job, Army School, Little Flower { only for boys - adjustment with the girls may be difficult} St Francis {the instructor's school/ college - Justification - All round were boys schools} Did we have many friends? Were we popular ? ( Never thought about it) How many friends did we have? ( I started counting them Now - found out that I hardly had many). Which branch of the service were we involved in ? How many years of service? ( 4 people 30yrs + ,two 10 yrs) Those with more service -mostly critical - and those with less service relatively untouched by the rigidness of  behavior of the forces.

All this was proved by enacting a small play in which the youngster who did not complete the task at hand and was suitably urged  by the senior to complete the job in time- Interpretation - Parent (Critical ) Adult/ child the reaction of the junior who did not complete the task in time . Conclusion task best done in adult - adult interaction. A few pointers with regard to the body language and vocal inflections . How the overall posture played an important part in delivering the right message to the recipient. Real and artificial smile and how to differentiate the same....

 By now the class atmosphere was beginning to thaw. Under the expert probing by Prof Swarnalata the participants were becoming more animated. The probe continued in form of self analysis  questionnaire and exchanging of the self analysis instrument with your neighbour to see how he assessed you. Was there divergence in our perception and what aspects we were to improve to ensure that our communication skills stood the test of time and interviews (when we went in for interviews for our jobs in our next innings) I must confess that under the expert tutelage of Prof Swarnalata we (I) learnt a lot about ourselves and our course-mates.  Prof Swarnalata's class was interesting and revealing and it was with great reluctance that we had to end the class. Family commitments beckoned and of course the time for the class was at the end. We are thoroughly impressed with her and hope to pick up pointers about life which we had hitherto-fore not paid much attention to... In the end she labelled us as per the mythological characters Jagpal- Karna, Prasad - Bhishma, Himanshu - Arjuna, Sivaram- Krishna , Sandhya - Kunti and me....  

Nuts And Bolts

Aug 26

Cyber Towers

Jagpal And Prasad at Cyber Towers

 Second day in running we were clubbed with the Projects class. This class was as you remember, with us during the lecture by Prof Sarma from NALSAR, who lectured us on the intricacies of the law as regards contracts , arbitration and various other aspects of civil law which left us in a very thoughtful frame of mind  It also prevented us from interacting with the fellow learners from Assam, Karnataka, Maharastra and our esteemed neighbouring country ,Nepal. Today , however there was a lot of time for us to interact with them. Of course we had to remind them that we were together the previous evening. They in fact mistook us for L&T employees! After the initial hiccups we were at ease with each other . Today's trip was to the famed cyber towers at the Hi Tech city...This has become a landmark on the hyderabad skyline , ever since the city became a IT destination. Naturally , since we reached the destination earlier than the others we posed for some photoes outside.
 The guards were initially reluctant to let us in and only did so after the confirmation from the L&T office. This office was a much scaled down version of the one at Nagole which was opulent in comparison. On reaching their office on the 4th floor , we managed to get inside through the sheer forceful personality of Jagpal in part and finally the fact that L&T was made aware of our presence. The class soon arrived and the lecture by the L&T rep started soon after. It was de'ja vous for us services personnel as the proceedings started off with the 10 minute documentary on the Hyderabad Metro. Nevertheless we all watched the film with great interest. It is indeed a matter of great wonder and pride at what the company could achieve with a little direction and meticulousness.  The officer from the metro was peppered with questions and he - to his credit answered them with aplomb and thoroughness. Most questions came from the other participants of the project management programme of ASCI. During the briefing the officer made a presentation on the way the whole project was conceived , what planning went into the project , how they went about executing the project who their partners were, and where the project stood at the moment.

Jagpal And Sivaram

 On a query about the whether the project was delayed the officer said that the overall progress was well on course to completion . He did talk about the minor irritants which were there and which were being resolved with application and some planning .He hastened to explain that there were times when frustration crept in because of the lengthiness of procedures and bottle necks which are there with all the projects. Such was his mastery of the facts that the question and answer session and the thirst for knowledge on all aspects related to the execution of the project that we overshot the time alloted for the interaction by more than thirty minutes. The desire to replicate the model in the states which were represented by the participants was overwhelming. It was education to watch Prof Shah steer the discussion in the direction in which the participants wanted to clarify the points which were unclear to them in the classroom. While we gained knowledge we are sure that in our desire to prove our grasp of the situation we gave many valuable inputs to the metro people in furthering their project - and - all for free! Soon this wonderful presentation got over - much to the disappointment of the participants. It was informed to us that the Mascot for Hyderabad Metro was NIZ. As per the details available the name was short form for Nizam of Hyderabad, since this was where the metro was ... He was dressed in jeans and held a scepter . The mascot is proposed to be located at all the stations and direct the people with his scepter. The scepter was also to establish the royal connection with the Nizam. Post the interaction the social interaction started. The government officials and the service personnel interacted. Prasad in his inimitable style was telling a lady from Assam that he had noticed rings on four fingers of her hand - he said " it would be a travesty of justice if the little finger was not adorned with a ring as it might feel neglected'. It elicited a lot of laughter and the lady promised to do the needful..I leave you with a few moments captured on my camera to record this evening of learning and enlightenment...

Presentation Concluded

Interaction

Prof Shah asking a Question

On The Way Out

Long Session And After

Analogies

Aug 25
Sometimes I compare myself to a housewife . Before you split your sides with laughter, let me clarify. A Housewife has to look after the family and the house and ensure that everyone in her brood stays happy and contented . Her children who are her biggest point of affection may also be the cause of her despair. All food she cooks may not be palatable for them They complain bitterly about the standard of food and refuse to eat claiming that the food she cooks is mostly tasteless and not fit for human consumption . If she does manage to please the children then her Husband may not be enjoying the same food that she so lovingly cooked for her children. He would have that sad look on his face - as if to say - " You have no time for the only bread winner of the family. Your universe revolves only around the children. " This would make her feel hurt and angry at the same time. The frustration builds up and she becomes a prime candidate for GJ Rao. Importance lies in recognising her contribution while the husband was at the office.

Jagpal in conversation with Prof Sarma

In a similar fashion when I am settling down to write the blog .The thought foremost  in my mind is what do I do next. How do I hold the attention of my audience ? How will the readers like the article? Did they enjoy it? Will the review be positive ? Or Negative? I hope that I have not rubbed anyone the wrong way. The pressures are too much... AND so one has to - by ones own standards - need to -write in an appropriate manner. Sampling the audience for better reviews is a must. Our stated aim should be " how do we convert more and more people to read the blog on a sustained level.. The theory that people read blogs not only to escape the mundane day to day activities but also to gain some 'Gyan' should be elaborated upon. This elaboration would help us come to the research design which in turn will help us formulate the research question. This framework will also lead us to the answers and help us apply the research questions to a wide cross section of people. Since most of the people who read the blog are of generally the same social strata sampling of the subjects becomes that much more easier. In this particular case issue of a questionnaire to almost all the subjects would throw up the solution to the problem. Well taught Mr Bilolikar . We hope that this feedback would be a reflection on how much we have learnt the past few days from you.Finally Prof Bagchi put in an appearance today at tea time. Proves that the blog is a powerful medium to express ones views. If you remember , yesterday I had said that he was not seen for quite sometime. Of course he came with the aim of telling us that we had to hurry up with the brochure . We told him that it would be ready by the first week of september.

Audience in a well earned tea - break

Progress on GJ Rao's Suicidal prevention gained impetus . He was granted audience with the Andhra Pradesh Health Minister, who promised to do everything in his power to help further the noble cause of suicide prevention.
During the afternoon there was another guest lecture by Mr Sarma. Mr Sarma is a Professor at NALSAR ( National Academy of Legal Studies and Research) For the next three hours he spoke about the law with regards to contracts and how we can make them iron clad. He pointed out various loopholes as existing in the law and how we could overcome them. His lecture was an eyeopener and one heartening feature was that he told us that non repayment of loans was not a crime. So all those who have outstanding loans can take comfort this fact. Although in the services it is a court martial able offence... Every day one becomes a more learned person. How we apply it in the future remains to be seen...

In General..

Aug 24

       Welcome Back to reading some of the more exciting stuff in the Blog world. It was a Sabbatical of sorts. Last blog was written on thursday last when we had visited the metro. Since then the effort to chronicle the happenings at the metro took toll on the creative quotient and left the author in a poor state of befuddlement and exhaustion. The new week did not bring much needed succor in any form in spite of the extended weekend. Prof Bagchi has gone incognito. He is not to be seen nor is he to be heard . We miss him. In fact he is not even seen in the dining room for lunch. Almost makes for a book "The Mystery of the Missing Professor". Prof Bilolikar fell ill. There is flu virus in the air.Hats of to his resilience. When asked as to why he was not resting he said that his work ethic prevented him from doing so,Moreover how could he think of resting  when there was so much work to be done.

         Prof Mahadik is the only one who is dedicated to the course. He is there every morning dot on time at 0855H. He is always there to hand over the class to the new instructor who visits the class for the first time. The day was relatively quite. But in the lunch time there are all sorts of noises from protesting people. While the noise was bearable earlier it has developed in to a major irritant in the past few days. They scream shout and then go away for lunch. Wonder how it would feel if someone disturbed them while they were having their lunch. It is a point to ponder upon....But the show must go on . In spite of this impasse between the Management and the staff, it is to the credit of the ASCI that the participants are not inconvenienced.

        The study on prevention of suicides by GJ Rao is fast drawing to a close . He is single-mindedly pursuing the completion of the project to ensure that it gets completed before the world suicide prevention day on September 10. On the other hand more field trips are planned in the near future by our Directing Staff. The time has come to put into action the learning we have garnered in the past 12 weeks of the course.  The practical aspect of the course is coming to the fore. We look forward to these trips and hope to meet new people who, we are sure will provide us insights into the way the civil organizations function and how best we can amalgamate ourselves into this world so that we remain gainfully active for a long period of time to come post retirement from the Armed forces.

        There is a dearth of material for putting down on record , considering the slowing down of the course. For the fear of sounding repetitive and boring I plan to conclude my ramblings . Who knows what might happen in the future.... But then tomorrow is another day...

Metro Mazaa

Mr Anil Saini

Aug 20
Captain Ravinder Reddy's (Retired ) Guards received us at the gate of L&T Operations Base at Uppal. They were quietly professional. One of them politely asked me to open the boot of the car, so that he could check it . We were surprised at this request for L&T had prior information of our impending visit . We of course attributed it to professionalism and were impressed with the thoroughness of the guard . Thanks to Prof Vilas Shah and Prof Mahadik , who, on our request had arranged this trip. The trip was  in conjunction with another course of government Officials. They were of senior cadre and were part of this for learning about the Hyderabad Metro. Before we could get to know them better their course is already getting over tomorrow. Most of them were the rank of finance secretary in their states.

Map of Metro

All along the way there were people posted to direct us to our destination. At the reception , after we were parked, we were led to the conference room where Mr Anil Saini was awaiting us . Mr Anil Saini is the head of railway systems of Hyderabad Metro. He seemed to be a man who knew his nuts and bolts and personally I and other course mates of mine were suitably impressed with him. He was earlier with reliance Infrastructure and before that he was with Indian Railways . What better man to look after Hyderabad Metro than Mr Saini who did a stint with Delhi Metro prior to moving to Hyderabad . We felt that L&T did well to put him in charge of operations. Post the niceties where Bouquets were presented we got down to the understanding this 73 km Metro line of Hyderabad and the work that went in putting it together . In spite of snacks on the table none of us were distracted from our speaker . The story about the metro which was a PPP project was quite fascinating . The amount of financing Rs 18375 crs was quite staggering . It was also notable for the short period it was being  completed in - not to mention the fact that it bagged the award for being the best engineering project in New York. Regardless of the statistics , by the end of the presentation it was clear that PPP was alive and functioning though with minor hiccups ...

OCC Theatre

Post briefing we were taken to the gallery from where we could view the OCC theatre . Mr Saini told us that the personnel employed were tested stringently for mental toughness and healthiness. He said that the ops room was the place that all trains were controlled from and there was a need for these persons to be on their toes all the time...
Our learning (we thought ) was complete . Many among us were busy storing the memories on their mobile phones. When in doubt - follow the crowds- I was also clicking away but only to boast to my immediate family that I had been to see the Metro in the  making. We were hugely mistaken about the learning being over because the next stop was the stable for the coaches. Delays notwithstanding the coaches were ready and rearing to be put on the track to servicing the people of Hyderabad . These coaches - Mr Saini told us were specially designed with pneumatic lifts to cater for the loads to ensure that they adjusted to the platforms to be on level with the platforms depending on the loads. Since the

Jagpal in the Train Servicing Shed

Sprawling  Area Of Metro Operations Area

 coaches  were not yet in use they were suitably mothballed with polythene covers. Maintenance of the coaches was done in huge sheds with facility of cranes to lift and turn them if required . The huge stables reminded me nostalgically of the huge hangars in the services where the                                                                      aircraft were serviced...

Prasad and GJ Rao at the Train

Finally came the part of the visit where we were going for a ride on the Metro. It was exciting for all of us whether it was the government officials , or my hardened colleagues or for that matter Ms Ashita Allamraju our faculty from ASCI. We were going to do something which not many people in Hyderabad had done - ride virgin trains of the Metro. As we headed out of the Hangar the huge area dedicated to the operation of metro was indeed breathtaking.As far as eye could see the area had countless number of coaches lined up the area. There was also a hub for the radio communication for the entire operations of the metro which dominated the area. For the sake of  the population the hope that the area will remain open without much buildings coming up is a fervent hope. From the stable we headed to the railway station . The platform was built on two levels one for the tickets and the upper story for the trains. The platform, as of now was spick and span . It was obvious that Mr Saini ran a tight ship and took lot of interest in all the aspects of the metro. One innovative feature that was really good about the Metro railway station was that it also provided a overbridge for the pedestrians who could cross over safely from one side of the station to the other side road without getting run over by the unpredictable traffic of Hyderabad. The journey in the train was very good . I for one saw Hyderabad from an angle that I had not seen it from before - the top. It seemed that the traffic below was scurrying along like many ants who were going to feed on a rotten carcass. The safety features incorporated in the trains was explained to us in great detail. We were convinced that the journey for the commuters was going to be free from safety issues.

Inside The Train

Every one of us had been on Metro in various states and countries but since this was a maiden journey of sorts it was really worth it . All too soon the journey got over. A few kilometres travelled and a wealth of experience gained is how I would like to sum up this first field trip that our course had - not counting the trip to new campus of ASCI to escape the administrative hassles. We parted from the staff of Metro with mutual expressions of goodwill and a lot of praise for the way the things were being done. Who said that we in India are lazy and unplanned in our approach to all things? I leave you with a few photographs which will I am sure encompass the trip to the Operations Hub of the Metro Hyderabad.

A Light Moment

Getting on to the Train

Metro Station Under Construction

Daytime Rush hour During Construction

Night View Of The Metro

A Meeting With A Veteran

Aug19

He was walking briskly along the walkway when I happened to  encounter him. Our eyes met and mutual recognition for what we were ( Service personnel ) struck us at the same time . He had already been on the walkway for sometime, evident from the way he was sweating from the rigours from the exertion that he was undergoing. He was looking for company as was I. We introduced ourselves to each other stating our rank and name as was the custom of service personnel wherever they met ...
In any case as I had time on my side I started walking with him. The pace was brisk and and demanding . In fact he walked at a pace which was suitable for a younger person . He was slightly built and radiated good health. In due time I got to know that he had retired in the year 2001. Post retirement , rather than sit at home he took up a job in a company which was employing personnel who were specialists in the field of communication. He told me that he had no guidance and that the pay he received was minimal. This fact came to light when he interacted with other personnel in the company. He said that " it was at that moment that I decided to leave the job. But I did not want to leave the company in a lurch. And so I continued for the next two years. In the meanwhile I managed to find a more lucrative job . After much deliberation I left the job and joined another company. To my query as to how the experience was he launched into a monologue on the pros and cons of the of serving in the civil organization.

 He said , "Ravindra when I first left the 'fauj' I was apprehensive of my acceptance in the civil stream." " It was almost like one leaves the protective cocoon of a mother's womb: it was like restarting life allover again. There were many questions in my mind. The foremost among them was not whether I will be accepted by my civil counter parts but whether I would be able to function in the civil world away from 34 years of orderliness in the services . To my surprise the private sector was quite organised . In the beginning it was total chaos but later a pattern started emerging and a method started emerging from the madness. The most heartening part was that they really looked up to me with respect and I also did likewise. I was determined to leave my mark and worked diligently and my work ethic was praised .

I asked him whether he was still working. He said with a sigh " The past ten years have been a roller coaster my son and daughter emigrated to USA and Australia. I never knew how the time passed . I used to enter the office at 0900h and before I knew it it was six in the evening . I enjoyed the challenges and the work . Unfortunately my wife was alone at home and I was loath to leave her all alone . The only solution that presented itself was to take retirement full-time. I did this and am at home now... We got talking about people and places that we were posted to. Turns out that we were never at a common place at a point of time. He asked me whether I was serving. I replied in the affirmative.and told him that I was undergoing a course in the Administrative staff  college of India. He was appreciative of the efforts of the service machinery to ease us into the civilian life.

At the same time He was critical  of the government's effort at trying to scuttle the One Rank One Pension. We got into discussing as to how it was affecting the retired service personnel . He said that while some officers got jobs outside the service life, there were a number of others who did not. He mentioned cases where the widows of retired personnel were left to fend for their kids on half the pay with no safety net . He had got quite worked up by now. He visibly had to control his anger - but the intensity was there when he said " Ravindra, you and me as officers can manage the retirement to some extent - but what about the jawans? They join the services at a very young age and retire equally young with little or no specificity in any field. They have spent the better part of their productive lives defending the nation at inaccessible areas , more often than not suffering casualties in the process. We are inextricably linked with them -retired or not- we have to fight for our rights and if this means ruffling feathers of the government , then be it so!"

The time was getting late for my class. If I had to reach in time at ASCI then I had to leave now . We parted on amicable terms . The last I saw of him was an erect figure striding away briskly and with a purpose,,,  

Back To The Future III

Aug 18 2019

A lot of water has flown under the bridge the past few years. I sometimes wonder that if I was not goaded by Jaggu , would I have consented to the course at Administrative Staff College of India? In all probably not ... I would not have met the wonderful Faculty - and more importantly my course mates - who were on the same retirement boat as I was . They were also looking to transition into civil organization as I was.

 Four years earlier , in November2015 we had successfully completed six months of business management. One person who was doing the course with us at that time was Prasad. Hailing from Nizamabad he took the difficult route to becoming an officer in the Services. What struck me from the beginning was his clarity of thought and ability to simplify and solve complex problems . It was ingrained in his DNA. He knew no other way except the direct way. He was an expert linguist and used to burst into couplets , both in telugu and Sanskrit with equal ease. He used to tell us stories as to how his teachers in school believed in the adage do not spare the rod or you will spoil the child. To avoid getting thrashed he used to recite poetry by rote at school. As he grew in age his love for poetry grew and he started reading and assimilating it for the pure joy of the experience." Give me a telugu literature book and I do not require anything else " , he used to say..."Whatever you do - do it cheerfully and with conviction" was another of his favourite sayings,

 As a youngster , on a bet he stopped drinking - believe it or not - tea and coffee for 10 days. After all these years he still does not drink any beverages. On completion of the course he used to say that he would not like to be under anyone's thumb. "I am a man who was self made and intend remaining so". Prasad was excellent at making friends. Unlike others he went out of his way to befriend someone or the other - atleast one person a day. That the person was of inferior economic means and did not deserve overt approaches of friendship did not matter to him. Like an Alcoholic who could not do without a drink, he could not do without friends. It was his avowed wish to be happy and cheerful and this manifested in his spreading sunshine wherever he went.

He went into action after completion of the business Management course at administrative Staff college. True to his beliefs he decided to go into transport business.( What an unimaginative Idea - one would be forced to say). The difference was that he brought all his learning at ASCI into play. He contemptuously rejected all attempts at being recruited.  Immediately on retirement with the corpus he gained from the retirement, he spent a part on buying three buses and outsourced them to a reputed school. Part of his retirement benefits he invested in the stock market and balance he kept for a rainy day. " The gut feeling in which stocks to invest plays a big part in how I invest in the market", he used to say. Systematically he made profits in the stock market never overplaying his hand. The profits he gained he put it all in the transport business - always in school buses. At an early point post retirement he realised that educational institutions wanted no headache of having a fleet of buses to look after and then there was always the problem of looking after the human element and their welfare. He took on these problems of the schools gladly and ensured delivery of children safely to schools and back to home.

His human relations have paid dividends and all his employees are fiercely loyal to him . His innovative approach has reaped rich rewards . Today he is planning to open branches of PRASAD SCHOOL BUS SERVICE in other states. We wish him all the success.

Present

Today's class by Prof Bilolikar was on business research. There was none of the tentativeness , which characterised his first class last week. The class was precise , upto the point and we were benefited from the class. Hopefully it will stand us in good stead in the future....

Do Dogs Have Blood Group?

Duke and Sandy

 

This happened today. A lady who is living in an apartment nearby came to our home. By the look of it she was in a state of panic and barely coherent. Slowly the story started taking shape. She owned a Beagle (The Beagle is a breed of small to medium-sized dog. A member of the hound group, it is similar in appearance to the foxhound, but smaller with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, deer, and other small game. They have a great sense of smell and tracking instinct that sees them employed as detection dogs for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine around the world. Beagles are intelligent but single-minded, and popular pets because of their size, even temper, and lack of inherited health problems.Although beagle-type dogs have existed for 2,500 years, the modern breed was developed in Great Britain around the 1830s from several breeds, including the Talbot Hound, the North Country Beagle, the Southern Hound, and possibly the Harrier.).

 It was understandable why the lady was so attached to the mutt. He is cute and lovable. The problem was that he was having some health problems and needed to be operated upon. Could we spare one of our dogs to donate blood? My first reaction was of course to refuse. I was not sure that my dogs could withstand the trauma. However better sense prevailed and I agreed that if required my dogs would only be too pleased to help a fellow canine.

This also got me wondering on the question "Do Dogs also have a blood have a blood group"?  Turns out that dogs have 13 blood groups of which 8 are identifiable. But the good news was that most of them are universal donors. Whatever little hope I had of my dogs not being involved was almost snuffed out . To my relief the vet found another donor and we were spared the trauma of seeing our dog being sucked out of blood. Hopefully the beagle has survived....

You must be wondering what this photograph is all about. Obviously it is a bar or an ante room in a officers mess . The story of this Bar is quite unique and worth sharing. Please notice the wooden seating and the portholes on the sides . The persons in the Background are of little consequence and do not figure in the story I am relating. It is just that they happened to be in the vicinity when the photograph was clicked. So I would request you to take your mind of them and llisten to the rest of the story...

          

In 1985  we had quit using the Packett Aircraft for all activities related to the army. We had switched to different aircraft by that time. All phased out obsolete Aircraft had been given to various Air force stations for display. One of them was given to our station also . For the next 17 years the Aircraft kept lying on the Base braving the vagaries of the weather . Slowly it got dusty and neglected - for who would want to waste time on a aircraft which had served its time? But the army also had fond memories of the aircraft. We had used it in the Bangladesh War and every time we visited the air force station we looked to see as to what could be done to utilise it better and how it would be constantly in the present - at the same time - telling us stories of the glorious past of the Indian Army. It was then that someone hit upon a brilliant Idea. "What if we could use the aircraft for some useful purpose and at the same time maintain it"? And so an Idea germinated. The wheels started turning . A requisition was put from the army side and in due course the Packett aircraft was given to the army.

Disassembling And Assembling

Since the air force base was far from the army base, the problem was of moving the aircraft. This was done by makig precise diagrams and video graphing the entire process. The the aircraft was moved in small parts to the army base , where it was assembled again into a whole aircraft. It was thoroughly cleaned and painted. It now started looking new. The interior was made as authentic as possible and finally the redecoration was done to convert it into a Bar. The effect was stunning and was an instant hit. People after a log day love to assemble in the aircraft to loosen up and use the excellent facilities therein. An attempt to replicate the seating resulted in the authentic albeit uncomfortable wooden benches which passed as chairs. If you think the story ended ther you are mistaken. In 2010-11 when the new mess was established  at a different location the only thing missing was the aircraft which again underwent the procees of disassembly and assembly at the new location to complete the ambiance  of the mess. To this day visitors are dazzled by the aircraft, its interior and the novelty which goes with it...

Monday's class was muted and conducted by Prof Mahadik . It was about stocks and shares and how we could best make of the knowledge imparted to us to stay ahead in the game

Independence day

Aug 15

On the 69th independence day we the Officers of ARMSASCI WISH YOU ALL A VERY SPECIAL AND HAPPY DAY . We also take this opportunity to wish all the participants in the one week programme for bankers and government officials, a very happy independence day . The country , not withstanding various setbacks has made spectacular progress in all the fields. The  change from a fledgling state to a force to be reckoned with has been slow but steady. Over a period of time the undying enthusiasm guided by the thinkers and lawmakers has ensured the place of  our country among the top ranked nations of the world. Our ability and tenaciousness to fight the odds and our pride has led the country to stand out in various fields. Successfully celebrating the 69th independence day has proved that we do not require intervention from outside to improve the lot of our people . For the past so many years we have been proving to the world that - in spite of our diverse culture from Kashmir to Kamyakumari and from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh - Democracy is alive and well and is capable of taking whatever the vagaries the nature or outside interference has been throwing at us, in our stride.

Let us take some time to thank Gandhiji and all freedom fighters who fought selflessly to make this possible. But for their sacrifice we might still be a satellite of the British empire .We respectfully bow our head to these wonderful people. They are the karma yogis of the world as we know it today . While the civil organisations have been fighting a different war on the economic front to ensure that the country was economically viable , the soldiers of the nation have not been idle. They are largely responsible in keeping the enemy at bay. The nation has been going from strength to strength after having fought the war of Kashmir in 47, the debacle of the chinese war , the pakistan aggression of '65 . the Bangla desh war of 71 and the kargil war of '99 . Many soldiers have lost their lives defending the honour of the country and ensuring that the country progressed on other fronts. We salute the martyrs and pray for their families . 

In the ever changing equation throughout the country the only stable factor has been the Armed Forces. We of ARMSASCI are proud to be a part of this excellent institution. If today , were someone to ask us , that in case we had a choice to turn back the clock and take up a different profession , our answer to this rather inane question would be a resounding NO. We would , if given a chance do it all over again and continue to serve the nation in uniform, for the betterment of the country.                                                                                                                                                   

The Elite Parachute Regiment on Rajpath

In the past sixty nine years the country has done well be it in the field of science , space - we are among the elite nations who are top ranked in this particular field , Our culture has spread all over the world and India is a favourable destination for tourism spiritualism and our expertise in the medical field is so good and cheap that this country is a favoured destination for all major medical procedures . What others call Brain Drain We call it export of intellect to foreign shores . Many people are in top positions in world renowned companies,making their mark in private as well as governmental organizations.All in all brand India is alive and kicking on the world stage . We are proud to be Indians . Once Again Happy Independence Day!

A Naval Ship Hoisting the Indian Flag on Independence Day

The pride of Indian Airforce The Surya Kirans Performing Aerobatics on Independence Day

I leave you with this moving picture of our soldiers hoisting the Tricolour after capturing an important position in the Kargil War. The look of pride and achievement on their faces is worth a thousand words .

JAI HIND 

Half a century

Aug 13

     I take this oppurtunity to thank all my course mates and instructors and ASCI for having whole heartedly participating in the process of developing this blog. Many of you have contributed to this blog and also been the life and soul of the daily occurrences. The most anyone can do to make any venture a success -you have done it -- we all have done it. Thank you Sandhya, Himanshu Jaggu, Sivaram, GJRao, Banjo , Prasad and Perumal. We have completed 50 contributions including today. I am sure that with your continued participation the blog will keep going from strength to strength in the days to come....

     A variety of topics were in discussion during the tea break. Soon it inevitably drifted towards jokes One joke was about how the ladies were the dominant partners financially in any marriage. It was mentioned that most of the jokes were about the marital relationships on whatsapp. And that they were not always complimentary. Immediately all started narrating jokes about this particular aspect. Someone told the joke about the man who was ecstatic with joy on being divorced. When asked why he said that from now on he only had to pay fifty percent of his earnings to his wife! The joke was well received. We struggled with the reason as to why this was so. The ultimate conclusion was that any  relationship was symbiotic in nature.

Further jokes were cracked and there was much hilarity.

From our window to the world we could see the lawn. If one went down to the lawn , one could see a board lying under the bushes. On closer inspection one could see that it was cautioning people not to walk on the grass. People have a tendency to ignore such cautions when speaking on the mobile telephone. They have an urge to travel when they receive a call . they like to wander all round without really seeing where they are going. They also tend to speak in loud voices not really caring as to whether anyone is paying attention to what they are talking. There is really no pattern in their wanderings.....

Yesterday we left the story of losing weight half way. The audience feels betrayed if left halfway on a good story. They tend to lose interest and say " here is an author who cannot be trusted - he cannot complete a story.....so here goes....

The knee pain was so intense (Refer yesterday's Blog)that it was impossible to locomote without limping.                the time was ripe for some drastic action. In 2012 I instituted the plan for weight reduction by working out regularly, Almost for about two hours in a day . This kept me healthy and in fine fettle. But did not help me lose weight even by a kilogram.Probably this had something to do with my eating habits. While I did work out I did not do much else with regard to my diet or otherwise . It was back to the doctors for advise on how to reduce weight. The prognosis was not very encouraging. They looked at me , pursed their lips and shook their heads pessimistically. But there is always a silver lining to the cloud. There was one bright spark amongst them who advised me that it was possible to lose weight by undergoing surgery. After much thought and deliberation I decided ( Or rather was pushed into the surgery by my well wishers) to go ahead. For those among us who are wondering as to what this surgery was , it is called the beriatric surgery. The procedure in simple terms is that one goes under the surgeon 's knife and gets ones stomach snipped off to about one fourth the size . This prevents one from gorging on food and one can eat only small amount at a time. A reduction in diet helps one lose weight to a certain extent thereafter one has to keep constant vigil and keep exercising and maintain/ reduce ones weight. The biggest drawback being that one can possibly relapse into heavy eating and as one's capability to eat increases over a period and  again put on weight.I thank my Doctor KJ singh for having put me on the path to recovery. The journey back to fitness was replete with pitfalls and it took constant vigilance to prevent relapse. The advantages of having lost weight were so many that I will not even deign to enumerate them here. Suffice it to say that I feel good and very happy to have regained my health. In all I lost about 76kgs.....