Waiting

This is the most interesting situation where you are waiting for posting. The Probationers are nobody's baby after completing their training at IGNFA. The changed atmosphere in the States has led to such a situation. The waiting will continue for some more days.

Sun set at Bhopal

Mount Everest

Jog Falls, Karnataka

Forest Research Institute, Dehradun

Threatened species

Threatened species

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2007, a total of 16,306 species out of 41,415 assessed species are threatened with extinction, meaning that they are listed as either Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. These include:

• Mammals: 1,094 species (22 percent of all known mammals);

• Birds: 1,226 species, 2008 data (12 percent of all known birds);

• Fish: 1,201 species (39 percent of all assessed fish);

• Reptiles: 422 species (30 percent of all assessed reptiles);

• Amphibians: 1,808 species (31 percent of all assessed amphibians); and

• Gymnosperms: 321 species (35 percent of all assessed gymnosperms).

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org

(http://www.iucnredlist.org/info/2007RL_Stats_Table%201.pdf)

Extinction threat for Primates

Extinction threat for Primates

The first comprehensive review of the world’s 634 kinds of primates in five years has found that almost 50

percent of species are in danger of going extinct, according to the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. In Asia, more than 70 percent of primates are classified as threatened, meaning they could disappear forever in the near future. “Tropical forest destruction has always been the main cause, but now it appears that hunting is just as serious a threat in some areas” says Russell A. Mittermeier, Chair of IUCN’s Primate Specialist Group. As our closest relatives, apes, monkeys and other primates are important to the health of surrounding ecosystems. The forests they live in provide vital resources for humans and also absorb carbon dioxide that causes climate change.

Source: http://cms.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/species/index.cfm?uNewsID=1391

FACTS…..REALLY?

FACTS…..REALLY?

Ø    Once you wrote examination, you will find the same question paper is easy to solve.

Ø    If you are not properly dressed, you will find CD (Course Director) around.

Ø    Whenever I find the key to success, someone changes the lock.

Ø    The road to success??.. Is always under construction.

Ø    Alcohol doesn't solve any problems, but if you think again, neither does Milk.

Ø    All the desirable things in life are either illegal, expensive or fattening or married to someone else.

Ø    Since Light travels faster than Sound, people appear brighter before you hear them speak.

Ø    You can never determine which side of the bread to butter. If it falls down, it will always land on the buttered side.

Ø    Anything dropped on the floor will roll over to the most inaccessible corner.

Ø    As soon as you mention something?? If it is good, it is taken? If it is bad, it happens.

Ø    If you come early, the bus is late. If you come late?? the bus is still late.

Ø    Once you have bought something, you will find the same item being sold somewhere else at a cheaper rate.

Ø    You always do better but faculty doesn’t award you excellent marks.

Ø    When in a queue, the other line always moves faster and the person in front of you will always have the most complex of transactions.

Ø    If you have paper, you don't have a pen?? If you have a pen, you don't have paper?? if you have both, no one calls.

Ø    Especially for Probationers, if you have bunked the class, the professor has taken attendance.

Ø    You will pick up maximum wrong numbers when on roaming.

Ø    The door bell or your mobile will always ring when you are in the bathroom.

Ø    After a long wait for bus no.20, two 20 number buses will always pull in together and the bus which you get in will be more crowded than the other.

Ø    If your exam is tomorrow, there will be a power cut tonight.

Ø    Irrespective of the direction of the wind, the smoke from the cigarette will always tend to go to the non-smoker.

Ø    Everyone has an idea of changing the Academy which never works.

-----Vasantha Reddy, K.V. IFS (P)

RANDOM REFLECTIONS …

RANDOM REFLECTIONS …

“There will be thousand eyes watching you, so you must behave befitting to IFS officers”. These were the cautious words by our CD, Anu madam during initial phase of training. This was the way she made us to understand the importance of discipline. It was a memorable journey of two years for all of us at IGNFA. I still distinctly remember our first day when the ball started rolling in the conference room. Since then we have been together and it is really difficult to separate from the intimate group and go to our respective cadres.

Initially we had argued with faculty members about the relevance of some of the subjects but at the end of training we are wiser and more matured. But the real joy of learning was in the tours and exercises. It all started with the introductory tour where we were exposed to the real field situations. The West India tour and Hill tour were memorable in many ways. In the hill tour studying PBs at different places made us to understand practical nuances of Forestry. All my friends would agree that visit to Leh was a great experience. It was at Ranthambore, I sighted tiger in the wild for the first time in my life. It was a wonderful experience for all of us. Apart from this, the interaction with the Hon’ble Governor of Chattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh was also eye opener for me. At times there were enthusiastic interactions in the bus during journeys. The “lively debates” in the bus are testimony to the talent of our batch. I am sure that those who were participants in these debates and those who were listeners will never forget those ‘animated’ discussions. South India tour had all the components of good forest areas to visit. Moments to remember are trek in the forests, visit to Periyar, Bandipur and Mudumalai, Tirupati, ITC Bhadrachalam etc. Visit to Bhutan was also memorable where we got the opportunity to witness the rich culture and hospitality of Bhutanese people. The exercise on map reading is still lingering in my mind. The GPS, compass and toposheets did not show us the way to reach destination! Mensuration exercise started with ‘Jai mensuration’ song by Bhutia and chorus. Cricket matches played at Kanasar are memorable owing to the new set of Kanasar rules of the game and must win’ attitude of players. And working plan exercise was really great learning experience to all of us where we applied the knowledge which we had gained during training.

The ‘Forest Gupp’ was new initiative of our batch. It was Nyali, who was instrumental in bringing such a novel idea and relentlessly writing variety of issues. Probationers and faculty members and their family members made it possible to release Forest Gupp successfully for almost one and half years. Now the onus is on our juniors to continue the trend to express their writing skills.

Gaju’s questions to the faculty members when others were searching for questions and Gubbi’s answer like questions was also interesting. It was Anshuman who had answers for all the questions. As a secretary of the club it was always very difficult to arrange Cultural programmes at IGNFA whenever madam asked us to do. Because I myself is not great talent, it was daunting task to influence others. The dance programme by Ashok & co and lady officers were really good. Funny part is that people still remember our dance more than anything else courtesy music system. Apart from this, Nyali and Bhutia’s songs, Renjitha’s Mohiniattam, Katwal and Kezang’s Bhutanese dance, Dilaraj’s single man shows, Anshuman’s old songs are still fresh in mind.

It was BSP’s (Basu, Sree Lakshmi and Padma) combined effort that enabled us to celebrate birthday functions of all our batchmates. Hats off to them for their love and affection which drove them to celebrate other’s birthdays. The memorable event towards the end of our training was volleyball and football matches between bachelors and married probationers. Somehow married probationers had upper hand barring few occasions. It was really fun playing such matches and even faculty members supported married people. Yoga in the end invigorated all of us. After East India tour, my batchmates started taking physical fitness very seriously (including lady officers) except for Kiran whose excuse was ‘We are fat but fit’’. MCTs and Reunion workshops provided us an opportunity to interact with our senior officers. In fact New Year – 2010 was celebrated along with MCT officers. Sometimes we were busy finding who is who of our cadres and knowing many things about our cadre states.

We are indeed fortunate to have Anu madam as our CD. She was cordial and accommodative to our requests. She made us to learn and understand different aspects of Forestry by arranging guest lectures and modules. We were always engaged even on Saturdays. Book review was an interesting innovation of our CD where she made us to read and/or listen to different kinds of books. In the end we had different events for communication prize which was interesting but too many to participate.

In the end, I would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to all the office bearers of IGNFA club - Gajendra, Santhosha, Basu, Dilraj, Bhutia, Ajit, Naidu and mess Secretaries Honna, Kartikeyan, Renjtha, Anshuman and Amit who were instrumental in successfully organizing various events for the probationers.

The journey of our’s (Probationers) to officers has only begun and I hope all of us will keep on striving for excellence.

- Vasantha Reddy, IFS (P)