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UNIT-I    HUMAN RESOURCES

I.  HUMAN RESOURCES

1.    Which are the countries that attract a large number of Indian workers?

Ans: India has one of the world's most diverse and complex migration histories. Since the 19th century, ethnic Indians have established communities on every continent as well as on islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific and Indian oceans.

The composition of flows has evolved over time from mainly indentured labor in far-flung colonies to postwar labor for British industry to high-skilled professionals in North America and low-skilled workers in the Middle East. In addition, ethnic Indians in countries like Kenya and Suriname have migrated to other countries, a movement called secondary migration. I would like to provide a broad overview of Indian migration flows and major populations worldwide, both in the past and more recently.

Emigration during Colonial Rule

In ancient times, Indian traders established bases around the Indian and the Pacific oceans, especially in East Africa and Western and Southeast Asia. However, those flows were not the basis for Indian migration in the 19th century or the global dispersion seen today.

Rather, flows of the last 175 years began with the era of British colonial rule. The British had strategic portions of India under their control by the end of the 18th century and gained control over more territory in the 19th century. In 1834, Britain began exporting Indian labor to Mauritius. The Netherlands and France, which replicated the British system, also relied on Indian workers. By 1878, Indians were working in Guyana, Trinidad, Natal (South Africa), Suriname, and Fiji.

Minor Migration Flows to Northern America and the United Kingdom

Emigration to the United Kingdom and Northern America started during colonial rule in India. However, the number of emigrants was insignificant, both in relation to emigration from India, and to total immigration to those countries.

Between 1820 and 1900, no more than 700 persons moved from India to the United States. In the following 30 years, this number rose to a still insignificant 8,700; most were Punjabi Sikhs who worked in agriculture in California. Anti-Asian legislation in 1917 and 1924 banned immigration from south or Southeast Asia, including India, and ensured that Asians would not qualify for naturalization or land ownership. In 1904, there were about 100 Indians in Canada, also part of the British Empire at that time.

Post-Independence Migration to High-Wage Economies

In the first decades after independence, unskilled, skilled, and professional workers (mostly male Punjabi Sikhs) migrated from India to the United Kingdom. This is commonly attributed to Britain's postwar demand for low-skilled labor, postcolonial ties, and the United Kingdom's commonwealth immigration policy, which allowed any citizen of a Commonwealth country to live, work, vote, and hold public office in the United Kingdom.

Between 1995 and 2005, half of the Europe-bound Indian immigrants headed to the United Kingdom. The other half opted for other EU countries, primarily Germany and Italy, which received 18 percent and 12 percent of the flows, respectively. Substantial Indian migration to Northern America started only in the late 1960s. Both in the United States and Canada, major changes in immigration policy affected immigration flows generally, and Indian immigration specifically.

The Immigration Act of 1990, effective from 1995, facilitated this process further by introducing the H-1B temporary worker category. This visa category allows U.S. businesses to hire foreigners with at least a bachelor's degree in "specialty occupations" including scientists, engineers, and IT specialists. Indian citizens are by far the top recipients of H-1B visas each year.

2.    What kind of jobs do Indians primarily see in other countries?

Ans: India has one of the world's most diverse and complex migration histories. Since the 19th century, ethnic Indians have established communities on every continent as well as on islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific and Indian oceans.

The composition of flows has evolved over time from mainly indentured labor in far-flung colonies to postwar labor for British industry to high-skilled professionals in North America and low-skilled workers in the Middle East. In addition, ethnic Indians in countries like Kenya and Suriname have migrated to other countries, a movement called secondary migration. I would like to provide a broad overview of Indian migration flows and major populations worldwide, both in the past and more recently.

In ancient times, Indian traders established bases around the Indian and the Pacific oceans, especially in East Africa and Western and Southeast Asia. On the labor-supply side of the equation, poverty among the South Asian peasantry accounted for the principal reason to leave the subcontinent. The bulk of workers in most French colonies, such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, and La Reunion, as well as the majority of indentured laborers in Natal (South Africa) were Indians. Laborers, mostly from rural areas, would initially sign up for a five-year contract. In addition to low-skilled workers, members of India's trading communities settled in many countries where indentured laborers had been brought or where business opportunities in the British Empire.

In the first decades after independence, unskilled, skilled, and professional workers migrated from India to the United Kingdom. This is commonly attributed to Britain's postwar demand for low-skilled labor, postcolonial ties, and the United Kingdom's commonwealth immigration policy, which allowed any citizen of a Commonwealth country to live, work, vote, and hold public office in the United Kingdom.

In many cases, the increased flow of Indians was triggered by European governments' attempts to tap India's highly skilled labor force. For example, Germany's temporary migration scheme, labeled "green card" and in place between 2000 and 2005, deliberately targeted Indian IT professionals. In the United States, the 1965 Immigration Act, which came fully into force in 1968, abolished national-origins quotas and made it possible for high-skilled immigrants from India, to gain permanent residence and bring their family members.

India's domination of computer-trained temporary workers is mainly attributed to the large supply pool in India and to the fact that prior waves of Indian IT workers had successfully established a significant presence in that industry.

Significant migration from India to the Persian Gulf began in the 1970s, following the oil boom. Since then, an increasing number of semi- and unskilled workers from South India have worked in the gulf countries on temporary migration schemes in the oil industry and in services and construction.

3.    What are the reasons for Indians seeking employment outside the country?

Ans: India has one of the world's most diverse and complex migration histories. Since the 19th century, ethnic Indians have established communities on every continent as well as on islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific and Indian oceans.

There are various reasons for Indians seeking employment outside the country. The reasons usually include two aspects which respectively come from countries and individuals. In terms of countries, the reasons may be social environment (in source countries: lack of opportunities, political instability, economic depression, health risks, etc.; in host countries: rich opportunities, political stability and freedom, developed economy, better living conditions, etc.). In terms of individual reasons, there are family influence, and personal preference: preference for exploring, ambition for an improved career, etc.

India has skilled and semi-skilled, employed and unemployed human resource. Low salaries and inefficient working conditions can be the first motive that triggers the movement to the countries with better living standards and facilities. There is huge difference in terms of salary in all three groups of countries namely developed, developing and underdeveloped. To demonstrate, Skilled workers aim to get pleasing salaries in return for their labour but the working conditions in their homeland don't fulfill their wishes. Therefore, those workers prefer to move another country in order to have better living conditions with high salaries. Employment is one of the strong reason for brain drain in India.

The growth in knowledge intensive activities in the developed world has led to a growing demand for Science and Engineering professionals. With an important reserve of trained people in this domain, India is becoming a major supplier of human capital for the advanced economies. India is sending large numbers of these specialists compared to other important origin countries.

One of the main reasons is the widespread unemployment and underemployment in our country. The excess of skilled professionals in India has bred an army of educated unemployed. Rather than return home to unemployment, skilled Indians prefer to stay back in the West, where professionals command at better market value.

The lack of research facilities in India is also one of the causes for Indians seeking employment outside the country. Scientists and other research professionals need sophisticated equipment to carry on their research related works.

The better job conditions and higher standard of living in those countries lure these qualified professionals to decide to stay on there.

II.  SRINIVASA RAMANUJAN

Introduction:

Srinivasa Ramanujan, a poor uneducated Indian, was one of the greatest and most unusual mathematical geniuses who ever lived, was born on 22^nd December in 1887 in Erode in Tamilnadu. He grew up in Kumbakonam where his father K. Sirnivasa Iyengar worked as an accountant in a sari shop. His mother Kamalat Ammal was a house wife and also sang songs at local temple. 

Childhood:

Srinivasa Ramanujan started his schooling in 1892. He did not like school though he completed high school and tried twice to obtain a college education. But he failed both times because he was so obsessed by mathematics that he simply could not spend anytime on other subjects. He started excelling in mathematics. He came to think of his results or the source of his incredible outpouring of mathematics.

Early Life:

In 1909, when Ramanujan was 22 years old, he married 9 year old Janaki and took a clerical position in Madras Port Trust Office to support her and his mother who lived with them. While working as clerk, Ramanujan continued to pour out math results on wrapping paper in the office. He was tied up with mathematics in such a way that he forgot event to eat. His wife and his mother used to feed him at meal times so that he would continue writing while he ate. 

Education & Research:

Fortunately, both the chairman and manager of  Madras Port Trust Office were engineers who recognized his extraordinary mathematical talent. They urged him to send his results to English mathematics. He wrote to HF Baker & EW Hobson of Cambridge University. Both returned his letters without comment.

Then on 16^th June 1913, he wrote to GH Hardy. He invited Ramanujan to come to England to study with him  Ramanujan accepted his invitation and arrived at Trinity college in April 1914. Hardy characterizes Ramanujan as a very great mathematician full of paradoxes, who defies all judgment. Ramanujan worked very hard in collaboration with GH Hardy. He used to work 24 to 36 hrs at a stretch and collapse and sleep for 12 hrs or more at a time. As he was a vegetarian it was difficult for him for food in England. It resulted that he was affected by mysterious illness that might be vitamin B2 deficiency caused by his poor diet. He returned to India in 1919. He died a year later at the age of 32. 

Conclusion:

Ramanujan left behind 3 notebooks, which he wrote before coming to England and which are filled with as many as 4000 results. GH Hardy showed a colleague of his Ramanujan’s strange letter which was crammed with as many as 60 mathematical theorems and formulas stated without any proofs. He made a significant contribution to mathematical analysis, number theory and continued fractions. 

III.GETTING A VISA

      With the increasing Indian scientists in the international radar top-class, Indian professionals had become the mainstay of many a major American “cutting edge” company. Thus emerged the H1-B as the crucial enabling instrument.

TYPES OF VISAS:

      The H1-B visa is one of the most widely used US employment visas for newly hired foreign employees in specialty occupations. However companies can consider alternative visa categories such as-

Ø  The B-1 (business visitor)

Ø  L-1 (intra-company transferee)

Ø  E (treaty trader and investor)

Ø  TN (professional for Canadian or Mexican)

Ø  O-1(extraordinary ability)

Each of these categories has their qualifying criteria. But the privileges of H1-B visas are more that they can be issued quickly and are available for accompanying relatives.

ADVANTAGES OF HAVING AN H1-B VISA:

       US companies engaged in cutting edge operations include those in aerospace engineering, research, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and information technology industries. These fields rely heavily on the H1-B visa category to employ foreign professionals to meet skill shortages in the US labour market. The impact on American businesses, with key projects that are dependent upon the services of H1-B workers, is very critical.  The US government has proposed to increase the number of H1-B visas to 95,000 per year. It means that more people from India should logically find employment in the US under this category. The H1-B visas allow travel in and out of the US and enable the visa holder to remain there continuously. They also allow the holder to work legally in the US for an H1-B visa sponsor.

LIMITATIONS OF THE H1-B VISA:

      Besides the privileges that the H1-B visas provide to Indian emigrants in the US there are certain limitations too. They cannot be held for more than six years. A holder of an H1-B visa is restricted to work only for an employer who is an H1-B sponsor. To change a job a new H1-B visa is needed. Also, accompanying relatives allowed to stay in the US with the visa holder are not entitled to work there.

CONDITIONS FOR APPLYING FOR AN H1-B VISA:

      There are five eligibility requirements for an H1-B visa.

1.    The candidate must be a member of a profession with a college degree or its equivalent work experience. Accordingly professions include occupations such as architects, lawyers, physicians, engineers and teachers, as well as accountants, computer system analysts, physical therapists, chemists, medical technologists, hotel managers and upper level business managers.

2.    The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS) considers every three years of work experience equivalent to one year of college.

3.    You must have a job offer from a qualified US employer for the work to be performed in the US.

4.    The job you have been offered must be one that requires a degree of professional work. The position must really require the skills of a highly educated person. Henceforth a person who is an ordinary computer operator will not qualify as these visas are meant for specialty occupations.

5.    You must have the correct background to qualify for the hob which you have been offered. If you are a qualified nuclear scientist but are offered a  position of managing a US pharmaceuticals factory you will not be granted an H1-B visa.

     

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UNIT – 2 TRANSPORT: PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

I.    List out some problems in transport and suggest solutions for them:

Vehicles plying the roads of India have been on the increase in recent years. These have contributed in a great measure to the congestion of traffic on the roads especially during the peak hours. The more disturbing aspect of the transport scene is the increasing number of accidents. Violation of traffic regulations by drivers results quite often in fatal mishaps. The drivers are often guilty of over speeding rash and negligent driving and reckless overtaking on narrow stretches of roads. They are not afraid of stringent punishment since they believe the authorities will not enforce the laws strictly. Other factors that cause traffic hazard are stray cattle on the road and the pedestrians who refuse to use the subway for crossing the road, but just darts across it.

Accidents can be restricted to a certain extent by insisting a strict observance of traffic regulations. The problem of pollution can be solved by insisting the public to check that the vehicles are in perfect condition. Traffic jams can be solved by banning slow moving vehicles on main roads. The fourth major problem in transport is peak hour traffic that is being faced by the public in many cities. This can be solved to a certain extent by changing the timings of work places, and education al institutions

TRANSPORT BY AUTORICKSHAW

Transport involves problems being faced by autorickshaw users in certain metros.

1.                The general public is resigned to the demand that autodrivers make.

2.                Inspite of the government order regarding the fitting of the electronic meters, the old meters are still in use.

3.                The auto drivers are difficult and ask for a flat rate or a sum over and above the charge on the meter. Sometimes they even demand to pay double or triple the normal charge to travel a very short distance.

4.                Public seem to be at the mercy of the autodrivers because buses are either packed at all hours or are very infrequent.

SOLUTIONS:

1.                The public should complain to the police when they are thus harassed.

2.                The old meters are to be replaced by the electronic meters

3.                Public should be firm enough to pay only the amount shown by the electronic meter.

4.                Government should take steps to provide frequent buses during the peak hours.

II.    ROAD SAFETY MEASURES IN INDIA

‘Speed thrills but kills’

Road traffic safety refers to the methods and measures used to prevent road users from being killed or seriously injured. Typical road users include pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, vehicle passengers, and passengers of on-road public transport (mainly buses and trains).

Road travel has become an integral part of all of us and cannot be avoided in our day to day life. With increasing economy and population, there has been an immense increase in the traffic on the roads over a period of time. While on the one hand it has made things convenient for us but on the other hand it also increases our concerns of road safety.

Even though India has the second largest road network in the world yet it has a high toll of road accidents. Every day around 350 people and every year more than one lakh people die in road accidents in India and the percentage is increasing each year. India accounts for about 10 percent of road accident fatalities in the world and has even overtaken the more populous China, which is alarming. Our roads have a heterogeneous mix of traffic with high speed vehicles, rickshaws, motorcyclists, scooters, cyclists and pedestrians all sharing the same space at the same time which makes things difficult, on an already overburdened road infrastructure leading to major accidents. The time has come to go for the high-end road safety measures in India, but before that we must understand the causes behind these accidents.

1.    What are the causes of these accidents?

Around 80% of the road accidents happen because of the fault of the driver. There are several other reasons for these high accident rates in India such as-

 Drunken driving.

  Driver’s fault due to over speeding.

  Incompetent, untrained drivers.

  Pedestrian’s fault.

  Bad and defective roads.

  Mechanical defects in the vehicles.

  Bad weather conditions.

2.    What are the effects of these accidents?

  Loss of life.

  Loss of earnings for the family affected.

  Costly injuries.

  Property damages.

  Primary accidents cause backups and lead to secondary accidents.

  Loss of travel time and increased congestion on the road.

  Increased noise and air pollution.

  3 to 4% of Gross National Product is lost in road accidents.

  Total annual economic loss to the country due to road accidents is more than Rs.3,00,000 crore therefore road accidents are a huge burden on the national economy.

3.    What are the measures that can be taken to curb these accidents?

To make our roads safer and accident free, we have to take a few important steps in this direction such as-

  Make Road Safety Assessment in India a compulsory part of the syllabus in schools as the children should learn about the rules and safety of roads early in life. It could be done through workshops, role plays, make believe situations, movies and field trips making it a fun and interesting subject for the students and teachers. A suitable road safety curriculum in India needs to be designed and structured.

  Strict implementation of the traffic rules- The defaulters should be fined heavily for breaking the rules. There should be an enforcement of the use of seat belts in car and helmets on two wheelers.

  Proper and authorized driver training institutes with adequate infrastructure. The government of India has decided to set up 10 modern driving schools costing Rs140 crores in different states to produce competent drivers.

  Make licensing and driving tests stricter.

  Enforcing the heavy vehicles to fix reflective tapes over them to be clearly visible during night time.

  Mandatory registration of criminal cases if the vehicle is overloaded.

  Imprisonment and heavy penalty for drunken driving.

  Mandatory annual fitness checks of the school buses as well as drivers.

  Emergency medical services such as crash rescue vehicles, paramedics, free trauma care etc. to be fully functional and in place for prompt relief and care of the accident victims.

  Mandatory vehicle fitness checks for all vehicle owners.

  Road infrastructure-The automobile population in India has grown up to 170 times in the past 50 years but the country’s road has grown only about 9 times. So there is a dire need to improve the quality of the roads in India. Flyovers, grade separators, service roads, sign boards, pavements, monitored crossings near schools and other safety features have to be the primary focus while designing new road infrastructure.

 Need to provide well maintained, safe and efficient public transport systems.

 Road Safety Awareness in Indiais very poor therefore there is a need to educate and make people aware of the road safety through various events and programs such as melas, exhibitions, seminars, cultural programs, mobile exhibitions through vans, education through announcements from PA system, following road safety weeks, providing on the spot help and first aid to road users, distribution of road safety literature etc. on a regular basis. This can be done with the help of schools, colleges, RWAs, NGOs, transport and trade unions.

  There is also a need to follow and organize Road Safety Programs in India on a regular basis through road safety march, street plays, painting, essay and quiz competitions and through regular programs for school kids, pedestrians, drivers of commercial vehicles, auto drivers, bus drivers, truck drivers, two wheeler drivers, cyclists etc.

There is a dire need for road safety management in our country. Smart traffic management needs to be implemented in all the major cities of India. Some of the things that can be done are-

 Installation of more CCTV cameras for better monitoring of traffic.

 Highway patrolling using radar to detect overspending vehicles.

 Highway advisory radios.

 Center to center communications.

 Weather monitoring stations.

 To reduce primary and secondary accidents there is a need for a traffic incident management program which helps to reduce congestion and rescues the accident victims to nearest hospital promptly.

4.    Who should share the responsibility of road safety?

  First and foremost the citizens of the country. As responsible citizens of the country together we can make the change.

  Government and legislative bodies of India.

  Police – police can improve road use behavior through enforcement and strict measures.

  Media- media can play a very important role in creating road safety awareness through advertisements on safe driving (use of seat belts and helmets, avoiding the use of cell phones and dangers of drunken driving etc.). Celebrity endorsements make the message even more effective.

  NGO’s

Let us make our cities and towns’ safe and accident free with our conscious effort and positive attitude. We need to have voluntary discipline within ourselves to overcome this hurdle.

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UNIT- 3 EVALUATING TECHNOLOGY

I.        Technology - boon or bane!

The modern world despite all its technological innovations and inventions has not been successful in keeping human beings on earth together. We have the best gadgets, technologies and the rest of it but these have not been able to serve the purpose as the world is increasingly becoming a community centric place, each claiming their own place under the sun. Each nation is trying to assert their superiority and authority over others and the oddest side to this game is that these nations have communities inside them who too are seeking independence and sovereignty. The latest among them is United Kingdom (UK) where Scotland is going for a referendum this month to seek independence from the UK and add as a new country into the European Union (EU). If the September 18 referendum favors creation of Scotland as an independent state then Great Britain will certainly not remain as great as it is today. Britain, which ruled the world through its colonialism will be a fractured democracy despite being a member of the EU and geographically located in one of the most advanced parts of the world. But the question that haunts is advancement, unbelievable technological development and all those stuffs that helps a nation boast of at the first place is enough to keep the union going. Well, no matter whatever is the reason but these world developments indicates that preserving racial identities is a global concern now followed by the role of politics, businesses and what comes next in this list.

Although, sovereignty of any state will have a higher degree of politics and people’s will involved but what about families, neighborhoods, public institutions and all those classifications that is centered around humanity. They are faltering like ninepins, be it anywhere in the world, from the northeastern part of India to Africa to Europe, Middle East, in fact the world as a whole. Technology which is shaping up human lives in every possible manner, unimaginably, is also the bane here. If we see the use of social networking in recent times, it has created more friction in societies over the world than the good that it was designed with. Countries like China have come up with their own set of legislation towards use of such sites but this undreamed of freedom of expression is sinking more into the world of spreading hatred, jealousy, igniting comments, fanaticism and the rest which has created commotion and has even taken lives in many nations. Mischief mongers, groups with extremist motives use these platforms as it is very easy to open a fictitious account and do maximum harm, all but free. The time has come when users must be asked to produce documents, as required while opening bank accounts, to create email and social networking accounts given the number of misuse and damages that these ‘camouflaging’ mediums are producing on a daily scale. It cannot go on and on like what it is now where nuisance is going unabatedly as these forums have become safe heavens for them. No matter how good the intentions are but it cannot be denied that these mediums are playing mischief and has divided this world more than the wars and crimes it has seen.

We cannot deny the fact that most of these technological developments have truly taken place in advanced countries, mostly in America and Europe. If we analyze their use, form and freedom they are actually developed targeting the free economy and people of these nations. For an average American or a European, it is “cool” to say and post comments, which is a trend in their societies. Now, if some of these comments create any type of fissure in the country then they have a holistic legal framework in place to correct them. But in countries, outside the parent countries where these technologies are developed, it may not be in sync at the first place and the increasing animosities, trapping to false mails, creating law and order issues are some that is constantly reported in countries in Asia and other parts of the world. It has to be understood that technologies are after all the manifestation of intelligence inside a human brain and that manifestation may not necessarily work well all the time at all places until and unless it is a divine sanctity. What one cannot say, write or speak in regular frontline media, these social networking sites are thus allowing public to vent their anger with the most foulest of language never ever seen in any public domain earlier because it is just enough for the owner of such sites to escape prosecution with a nondescript disclaimer that any comments posted are not the views of these sites. In fact this disclaimer is the root cause of the danger associated with these sites. How absurd it is that the owners of such sites are roaming scot-free whereas a slightly absurd comment in the regular media, bosses are taken to task. The comments made in the social networking sites are not confined to specified geographical boundaries as seen in case of newspapers, television channels since they can be read and seen by anybody in any parts of the world and create local trouble. Their circulation is worldwide and so their bosses should be held more responsible for any problems that arises out of comments, videos and others postings in their sites.

 The divided world, in which we live, where families are shortened to a pigeon hole, is actually the result of our efforts trying to instill technology practically in everything in our daily lives. We have literally become slaves instead of technology being our slaves. This penetration into critical areas of human lives, where a human touch can do much good than any technological interference, is changing the dynamics of our society. Today people tend to rely on technology more as they prevent themselves from every possible personal contact with fellow beings and keep that up through the use of gadgets citing pretexts of one thing or other. People say, “we will keep in touch” whereas a neighbor is seen conversing via technology instead of a possible meet. This virtual reality is the new reality now as good wishes, greetings, condolences and everything else are all but possible through technology. The gap thus remains since there is no alternative to human to human contact and technology can never fill up that gap. Technologies which are designed to simplify human lives on earth have rather complicated it alarmingly. We may get heart-attack, nightmares and the rest if we are asked to imagine our lives for a day without it. But then what good have technologies done instead of taking us away from our roots. A rootless civilization will not last and continue to rupture no matter how advanced is our technologies. It is like shielding the exterior more and more ignoring the vital interior which is collapsing all the time and will bring down everything, one day. The present world civilization is sustaining on this falling core.

II.        SOLAR COOKERS:

      In recent decades, the decline in forest resources in many countries called attention to more efficient household use of bio-mass as well as solar cookers. Solar cookers are found in Asia and Africa which are driven by public programmes, household demand and declining resources.

      Solar hot water for residential and commercial uses is cost effective in many regions. China’s solar hot water industry mushroomed in the 1990’s with up to 10 million households served. Other major markets include Egypt, India and Turkey. Solar home systems mini grids and bio-gas do offer a number of solar and economic benefits for rural areas in developing countries.

      Applications of renewable energy provide income generation and social benefits such as clean drinking water, cottage industry and improved agricultural productivity. This will appeal to increase in segments of rural populations. The affordability of rural household systems such as solar home systems and bio-gas digesters has received much attention. Many are of the opinion that households can afford to substitute solar home systems for candles and kerosene lighting if the monthly costs of each are comparable.

III.        SILENT SPRING:

      There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seem to live in harmony with its surroundings. The town lay in the midst of prosperous farms, with fields of grain and hill sides of orchards. In spring white clouds of bloom drifted above the green fields. In autumn oak and maple set up a blaze of colour that flamed and flickered across a back drop of pines. In winter the roadsides were places of beauty, where countless birds came to feed on the berries. People used to travel from great distances to observe them.

      Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change. Some evil spell has settled on the community. Everywhere there was a shadow of death. There had been several sudden and unexplained deaths not only among adults but even among children. The few birds seen anywhere were moribund. They trembled violently and could not fly. The mornings that once filled with the dawn chorus of robins, catbirds, doves, jays, wrens, and scores of other bird voices, was now without sound. The apple trees were coming into bloom but no bees droned among the blossoms, so there was no pollination and there would be no fruit. Even the streams were now lifeless. Anglers no longer visited them, for all the fish had died

This town does not actually exist, but it might easily have a thousand counterparts in America or elsewhere in the world. .It can be understood that no community had experienced all these misfortunes described. Yet every one of these disasters has actually happened somewhere and many real communities would have already suffered a substantial number of them. A grim spectre has crept upon us almost unnoticed and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality.

IV.        GOOD BYE PICTURES, HELLO PIXELS:

The world’s largest office products company, Staples, launched a new “Copy and Print Online” service in the United States. Customers can now use the web-based facility to create a document, brochure, business card, invitation or whatever, save it as a PDF file and email it to Staples. Designers will redo the job in a professional manner and send proof copies to the customer by return email. If the design is approved of, the material is printed and shipped by courier, to reach the customer the next morning. This job is fuelled by a digital print management server called ‘Fiery’ and a software tool called ‘Digital Store Front’- both offered by EFI, a California based global leader in the emerging niche of commercial print management print solutions.

Large parts of the Fiery server ad almost the whole of the Store Front software were crafted by Indian engineers at EFI’s Bangalore-based development centre.

The IPEX 2006, the global showcase of the printing business, which concluded in Birmingham, U.K., on 11^th April, was an interesting barometer of change within industry. Hardcore analogue- era printer players strived to highlight offerings which allowed corporate customers to continue profitably operating adaptin g to a digital work flow regime.

The market today sees a clear segmentation. For large print runs- like newspapers and multimillion copy paper-backed books-offset still makes the best sense.

For smaller printer runs, even high quality colour work, digital printers have to be seriously considered, Books and magazine format publications are now served by high speed machines which scan, print, cut and bind all at one go. It is called VDP or Variable Data Printing. It allows a small-or medium- run magazine to print advertisements localized to the mailing address of every subscriber. Digital print process management can be leveraged even when the actual printer is not a digital machine; work flow tools like Fiery are available from third party vendors like EFI, who offer server-based solutions that promise to computerise the entire process from pre-press and have the added advantage of being Web-enabled.

Fiery is also licensed by many new generation digital printer makers who embed the work flow monitoring features into their hardware. Major centres of job printing like Jammu and Sivakasi are seeing a slow but perceptible lurch towards a digital work regime. Emerging pre-press centres like Mumbai and Bangalore are leading the way- out of sheer market compulsions.

Tomorrow’s printers cannot be just providers; they will have to reinvent themselves as digital graphics partners of their customers, interacting at every stage of the process from the routine to the creative collaborating everywhere in the work flow and jointly creating the end product.

V.    MASS PRODUCTION V/S PRODUCTION BY THE MASSES:

As Gandhi said, the poor of the world cannot be helped by mass production, only by the production by the masses. The system of mass production based on sophisticated, highly capital intensive, high energy input dependent and human labour saving technology, pre supposes that you are already rich for a great deal of capital investment is needed to establish one single work place. The system of production by the masses mobilises the priceless resources which are possessed by all human beings, their clever brains and skilful hands and supports them with first class tools. The technology of mass production is inherently violent ecologically damaging and self- defeating in terms of non-renewable resources, and stultifying for the human person. The technology of production by the masses, making use of the best of modern knowledge and experience is conducive to decentralisation compatible with the laws of ecology gentle in it s views of scarce resources and designed to serve them human person instead of making him or her the servant of human machines. It was named that intermediate technology which tries to signify that it is vastly superior to the primitive technology of bygone ages but at the same time much simpler, cheaper and freer than the super technology of the rich. It can also be called self-help technology, or democratic or people’s technology- a technology to which everybody can gain admittance and which is not reserved to those who are already rich and powerful.         

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UNIT- 4 ENERGY: ALTERNATIVE SOURCES

I.    RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE SOURCES

We can not use our feet to power our cars like the flint stones. So, how do cars move around? Energy! what is energy? Energy is the ability to do work. All living things need energy to grow, plants use light from the sun to grow, also light is a type of energy we use all the time, we get most of the light from the sun, but at night we make our own light using another energy source known as electricity. Energy makes things move, cars run on the energy stored in gasoline sail boats are pushed by the energy in the wind. It takes energy to run our televisions, computers, and video games in the form of electricity, we use electricity all day long, it gives us light and heat, it makes things operate. After a long day don't you feel too tired to move? Well you have ran out of energy, you need some food to refuel. Imagine what your life would be without electricity?!

There are two main types of energy; renewable and non-renewable, basically Most of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas and petroleum. Uranium is another non-renewable source, but it is not a fossil fuel. Uranium is converted to a fuel and used in nuclear power plants. Once these natural resources are used up, they are gone forever. The process of gathering these fuels can be harmful to the biomes from which they come. Fossil fuels are put through a process called combustion in order to produce energy. Combustion releases pollution, such as carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide, which may contribute to acid rain and global warming. Other than Renewable sources of energy can be used over and over again. Renewable resources include solar energy, wind, geothermal energy, biomass and hydropower. They generate much less pollution, both in gathering and production, than non-renewable sources. But it is believed that petroleum in particular will not be depleted as it is generated in the deep sedimentary basins even if it will take thousands of years but it will be generated and petroleum will still be one of main and important sources of energy and the source upon which countries' economies depend on, in the following report we will try to identify different energy sources available in the world.

All the natural resources can be divided into two categories:

(i) Exhaustible natural resources (ii) Inexhaustible natural resources

Exhaustible natural resources are soils, forests, water, coal, petroleum, natural gas, minerals etc. These are consumed or exhausted through continuous use or misuse. Exhaustible natural resources can be further divided into two-

(a) Renewable natural resources

(b) Non-renewable natural resources

Inexhaustible natural resources are those which cannot be exhausted through continuous use or misuse eq. air and sunlight etc.

 Renewable Resources:

The natural resources which are consumed/exhausted/depleted through continuous use and can be recovered by very hard efforts taken up for long periods are called Renewable Resources, for e.g. Soils, forests, groundwater etc. In other words we can say that all renewable resources are replenished through natural cycles or manually. For example oxygen in air is replenished through photosynthesis. 'Forest is maintained themselves and manually. Similarly fresh water is available through cycles & manually too.

Most of the removable resources are interdependent to each other. Forests maintained the environment/climate; plants need to check soil erosion & soil is needed for plants. Air and insects are needed for pollination. Wood, fibre, fodder, fruits, vegetables, milk etc. are developed directly or indirectly by recent photosynthetic activity.

Thus the renewal of these resources will continue at as long as photosynthesis continues on this planet. These resources are the life support system which can fulfill all human needs. But its productivity/renewability is limited or depends upon availability of water, nutrients and environmental conditions.

The natural resources are useful to human society in one way or other. Hence we should ensure a continuous yield of useful plants, animals and materials by establishing a balanced cycle of harvest and renewal (Odom - 1971).

Non-Renewable Resources:

Non renewable resources are not replenished able or we cannot get back our coal and petroleum reserves in our life time, if ones they are consumed/exhausted completely. Non-renewable resources are metals (iron, copper, zinc etc.), coal, oil deposits, minerals, stone, mineral, salts (Phosphate, nitrates, carbonates etc.) etc.

Minerals are often called the 'STOCK' resources, because their new materials can only be extracted from the earth's crust once. But even in the transformed state in which they are used, they are not lost to the planet and so are ideally available for reuse. Metals/minerals come from a very slow process of geo-chemical concentration, which took millions of years to form. Therefore, these deposits which occur today can disappear at some point of time in future.

Coal, petroleum and natural gas are called as 'FOSSIL FUELS' because they are formed from dead remains of plants and animals buried in the earth long ago. They are called fuels because they are burnt to give off energy. Coal have a high heating value, hence it is a useful fuel. Since fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy, therefore it is essential to explore more and more alternatives. Today we are utilizing solar energy, wind energy, ocean, geothermal & atomic energy as alternative sources of energy.

Minerals, rocks, salts and chemicals etc. are termed as 'a biotic resources', as biological activity is not involved in their formation. Continuous over exploitation of these resources shall exhaust many of our valuable deposits, which took millions of years to form. They cannot be duplicated within the human scale of time.

II.        ALTERNATIVE ENERGY DEVICES

       The two alternative energy devices are pedal power and wind power which are used in Philippines and the United States of America respectively.

PEDAL POWER:

      Pedal power using either a bicycle- like arrangement or a treadle arrangement can be used to power a range of agricultural equipment, water pumps, grinders and electric generators. Engineers of Philippines developed a small light weight inexpensive foot powered pump that will lift large quantities of water several feet. The operator simply stands on two footrests at either end of the pump and rocks back and forth. This effect compresses a diaphragm which forces water from the outlet valve which results in a continuous flow of water that is being pumped.

WIND POWER

In the case of wind turbine technology part of the reason for persistence is how accessible wind turbines are to the understanding. Wind energy conversion is a fascinating field because its past has been so checkered and its exact future is so uncertain.

III.        ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY

1)    SOLAR POWER

`     A team of Canadian students travelled by a sleek aerodynamic car, Radiance along a distance of  7044km at a speed of 80kmph for over 30 days. Radiance used the equivalent of just 4 pounds worth of electricity compared with over 600 po8unds in diesel fuel. The vehicle solar panels worked well powering the electric motor and storing excess energy in batteries for cloudy days. The expedition is hoped to demonstrate the potential of renewable energy to communities along their route.

2)    HYDROGEN POWER

Iceland is making plans to become the world’s first hydrogen powered economy. Currently Iceland is producing 200 tonnes of hydrogen annually. This is used to produce ammonia for making fertilizer. 80000 to 90000 tonnes would be needed to power the country’s entire transportation sector and fishing fleets. The use of this power aims at eliminating most of their dependence on oil by 2030.

3)    OFF SHORE WIND POWER

The UK is one of the windiest countries in Europe. Two of the most powerful wind turbines are to be raised by the UK government. Each turbine is capable of generating two megawatts of electricity and in total will provide enough electricity to power3000 households annually. The turbines will be installed at an average depth of 8mts by the marine division.

4)    SEA WEED POWER

Marine bio-mass can be used to produce electricity and fuels .Five million tonnes of sea weed is formed in China, Japan and the Philippines for bio-mass every year. The global potential of bio-mass energy has been estimated at 100 million megawatts per year, 35% of which is from marine bio-mass. The ocean is the only region for large scale cultivation of marine bio-mass.

5)    BIO-GAS POWER

Bio-gas is a mixture containing 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide. A bio-gas generator is a simple apparatus for turning animal dung into bio-gas and nitrogen fertilizer. Bio-gas can be used as a fuel for domestic cooking or for running diesel engines. It is widely used in most of the countries throughout the world.

6)    WAVE POWER

A team of European researchers invented a new device for harnessing the power of the waves. The Wave Energy Device comprises a column or cylinder, 5mts in diameter extending 14mts below the surface of the sea. The principle of multiple water columns which oscillate owing to the movement of the waves is adapted here. Air in the columns under pressure from the water below drives a turbine to generate power

IV.        GREEN STRUCTURES

1.    SOLAR-WIND HYBRID POWER PLANT:

A new study by the Reiner Lemonine Institute and Solar Praxis AG has found that solar and wind power generation complement each other better than previously thought. The study examined the surface area where solar photovoltaic and wind turbines work together. In the same surface area, twice the amount of electricity was being generated and the sharing produced by the wind turbines accounted for mere 1to2% loss in the photovoltaic system which is much less than previously thought would be the case.

One of the strong benefits in the construction of these types of power plants to do not require grid expansion since these plants generate wind and solar power at different intervals and during complementary seasons. This helps ensure that the level of energy being fed into the grid is steadier than that of wind or photovoltaic power plant alone. In the study they also calculated what effects combining photovoltaic and wind power plants will have on power grids on both global and regional level.

The bottom line in solar power plant generates more solar power in summer while wind turbines generally produce lot more electricity during the colder parts of the year. This balances out the overall supply to the grid and keeps it more stable throughout the year.

2.    BIO-GAS PLANT:

The bio-gas generator is a simple apparatus for turning animal dung into bio-gas and nitrogen fertilizer. Animal dung can be supplemented by organic waste, water hyacinth, corn stalks, wild grass and aquatic weeds.

Bio-gas mixture contains about 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide. The mixing of equal parts of animal dung, water hyacinth and algae results in upto 70% of methane being produced. A acre plot of water hyacinth would yield 1100 cubic feet of gas per day or 4 lac cubic feet per year which is equivalent to 60 MW power. Bio-gas can be used as a fuel for domestic cooking or for running diesel engines.

Bio-gas is produced as land fill gas (LFG) which is produced by the breakdown of bio-degradable waste inside a land fill due to chemical reactions and microbes or as digested gas produced inside an anaerobic digester.

Benefits of Bio-gas:

High levels of methane are produced when manure is stored under anaerobic conditions. During storage when manure has been applied to the land, nitrous oxide is also produced as a by product of the denitirification process.

By converting cow manure into methane bio-gas via anaerobic digestion ten millions of cattle in the US are able to produce 100 billion kilowatts per hour of electricity enough to power millions of homes across the country. In fact one cow can produce enough manure in one day to generate three kilowatt per hour of electricity. Furthermore by converting cattle manure into methane bio-gas global warming gases could be reduced by 99 million metric tonnes or 4%

Applications:

Bio-gas can be used

(i)    for electricity production on sewage works

(ii)   for gas- grid injection

(iii)   for transport 

3.    THE BEDZED ESTATE:

Beddington Zero Energy Development (BEDZED) is an environmentally friendly housing development near Wellington, England. It was designed by the architect Bill Dunster, who was looking for a more sustainable way of building houses in urban areas. The project was a partnership among bio-regional Bill Dunster architects, the Peabody trust and has won numerous awards. The buildings are constructed of materials that store hea5t during warm conditions and release heat at cooler times and where possible they have been built from natural, recycled or reclaimed materials. The first residents moved in during March 2002 and these houses are on Helios Road.

BEDZED receives power from a small scale combined heat and power plant (CHP). In conventional energy generation, the heat that is produced as a by product of generating electricity is lost. With CHP technology, this heat can be harnessed and put to use. The heat from the CHP provides hot water, which is distributed around the site through super insulated pipes. Each home or office has a domestic hot water tank that doubles as a radiator.

The CHP plant at BEDZED is powered from tree surgery waste. Wood is a carbon neutral fuel because the CO2 released when the wood is burned is equal to that absorbed by the tree as it grew.

BENEFITS OF BEDZED:

(i)    High quality

(ii)   Energy efficient

(iii)  Water efficient

(iv) Low impact materials

(v)  Waste recycling

(vi) Transport

PROBLEMS IN BEDZED:

(i)    The down draft wood chip gasifier has reliability problems due to schedule of operation.

(ii)   Passive heating from the sun spaces had been insufficient.

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UNIT-5 OUR LIVING ENVIRONMENT

I.    SALIM ALI: ORNITHOLOGIST AND ENVIRONMENTALIST

      Salim Ali made a sterling contribution to the field of conservation. His life was dedicated to the study of birds, protection of bird life, setting up of national parks and reserves. His auto biography was titled “Fall of a Sparrow”. Young Ali, when he was a boy was very much impressed with a man’s knowledge who belonged to the Bombay Natural History and Society and made up his mind then itself to study about birds. He excelled in this field and became known as “Birdman of India”.

      Salim Ali was not only a great naturalist but an explorer. The book about his field work earned him a place among the great naturalists of the world. He studied a large number of about two thousand species of Indian birds, classified and described them. A hand book of the Birds of India and Pakistan was written by Salim Ali with the help of Dillon Ripley. It stands as a monument for the bird lovers. In the year 1934 he researched in the field of economic ornithology which includes studies of food and feeding habits of birds in Dehradun.

      According to Salim Ali, birds can be highly destructive to cereal crops and orchard fruits as well as beneficial in controlling the ravages of insects and vermin such as rodents. They also effect cross pollination and are thus of great usefulness in the propagation of plants. After a thorough study Salim Ali stated that greater exposure to ultra violet radiation results in greater paleness of colour observed in desert birds and plants resulting in their sandy colour. People wishing to pursue research must try to understand the ‘scientific temper’ of Salim Ali which is nothing but totally and relentlessly getting immersed in one’s work.

      Salim Ali received numerous awards like the Paul Ghetty International award, the Golden Ark of the IUCN (International Union of Conservation), gold medal of the British Ornithology Union, something that is rarely awarded to Non- British people. The Indian government awarded him Padmashree and Padmavibhushan. He also initiated the creation of Keoladeo Ghana and Silent Valley National Park.

II.        PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS

i.        The Forest Wealth of India

Forests are one of the most important natural resources on this earth. Covering the earth like a green blanket these forests not only produce innumerable material goods, but also provide several environmental services which are essential for life.

We do untold harm unknowingly to nature, to the majestic, broad trees of dense foliage which have been nurtured and grown over generations. We thoughtlessly felt the trees which are the suppliers of oxygen to us, for; they breathe in carbon dioxide from the air and give out oxygen so vital for our living. Formerly avenues were lined and decorated with trees of awesome growth, and the avenues were always cool and shady even if the scorching sun shone in the sky. By felling the trees in the villages, towns and cities we have intruded into the forbidden area of forests which are the exclusive habitat of the wild animals and birds and fell the trees stealthily for wood for cooking and for making furniture.

It is deplorable that the Government which emphasizes the importance of the forest cover or wealth commit the unpardonable crime of felling the trees of the ancient forests for the purpose of constructing a dam or an electricity project.

It is said that the ecological balance is maintained by the co-existence of populated villages, towns and cities and the forests and mountains inhabited by the wild animals.

Nowadays where there were trees, where there was a vast open stretch of land full of plants and trees, there are concrete buildings rising higher and higher till they touch very vault of the sky. We have done untold damage to our towns and cities by felling trees unnumbered and should we fell the trees of a forest, nature’s priceless wealth? Yes, forests are the wealth of a nation, just as the people of a nation are its wealth.

Forests are one of the essential causes of rain. If the trees in the forest are cut off regularly the forest becomes a barren land. Good rainfall is affected. As a result there is not enough water for the cultivation of fields, there is not enough drinking water, and there is not enough water for the functioning of the various factories. If the sun scorches the earth and if there is not enough rainfall the nation suffers from water famine. Water famine leads to food famine.

If the forests are cleared of trees gradually the wild animals living there stray into the human habitations and cause problems. We should preserve and develop the forest for its flora and fauna, for its beautiful flowers and for the wide variety of trees, some awesomely tall, some short and of broad trunk. Honey is obtained from the honeycombs built by the bees in the forest trees. The tribal people living in the forests trade on the honey they gather and nuts available in the forests. They sell their products in a cooperative market nearby and earn money.

ii.        Green Cover - Lifeline

Forests cover one third of the earth’s landmass, performing vital functions and services around the world which make our planet alive with possibilities. The forests serve as green lungs and water purifying systems in nature.  In fact, 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods.  They play a key role in our battle against climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide.  Forests feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly 50% of our largest cities.  They create and maintain soil fertility; they help to regulate the often devastating impact of storms, floods and fires. Forests are the most diverse ecosystems on land, and are home to more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. Forests also provide shelter, jobs, security and cultural relevance for forest-dependent populations.  They are the green lungs of the earth, vital to the survival of people everywhere -- all seven billion of us. Forests embody so much of what is good and strong in our lives. Yet despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, we are destroying the very forests we need to live and breathe.  Global deforestation is growing at an alarming rate -- every year, 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed. Anthropogenic factors that can affect forests include logging, urban sprawl, human-caused forest fires, acid rain, invasive species, and the practice of shifting cultivation. If forests disappear, the amount of Carbon Dioxide in air will increase, resulting in increase of temperature of earth. Furthermore, it would cause global warming as the Carbon Dioxide gas will trap the heat radiated by the earth, resulting in the melting of glaciers. People who depend on forests for their livelihoods are struggling to survive.  Many precious species face extinction....

iii.        Deforestation

 A large area of land abounding with trees, bushes etc. are called forest. And deforestation means cutting down trees in large numbers. Trees are useful to us in various ways. They provide us with wood, food and other products, they give us shade and they help to prevent droughty and floods. But the third of these services of trees is the most important. To draw quick profit from trees, men cut them down in large numbers. Trees are destroyed mostly for being used as fire wood. This destruction disturbs our ecological balance. It leads to soil erosion and deprives us of fruit and timber and causes economic loss. So, we have to realize the bad effects of deforestation. In fact, if deforestation goes on our country will be changed into a desert. So, we have to educate our common people and to persuade them to abstain from cutting down trees. We should create awareness among the general people about the evils of destroying forests and motivate them to plant more and more trees. Otherwise the forests of our country will slowly disappear and we will be in great miseries. So, I think every man and woman should pant at least a tree every year.

iv.        Global Warming

Global warming is the increase of world's average temperature, mainly in the sector of atmosphere, seas and the land on Earth. here are three serious factor, namely the crack on the lower part of atmosphere, pollution on Earth an so many green houses. The first factor is on the atmosphere. Recent years, many researches show that atmosphere has some kind of crack because of the heat from sun's emission. The layer of atmosphere seems cannot take the heat anymore. The crack gets larger as the sun-ray holds in the atmosphere as there are gases as what it seems to be the cause. This second factor, pollution, takes its toll as the one which makes the sun-ray stuck n the atmosphere. These gases are very thick that even the sun-ray cannot get through it, or at least it is hard to do it. The third factor is that the green houses, reflected the sun-ray that supposed to be stayed on Earth sending the sun-ray back to space, but remember though, there is the gases that block the process of sending away the sun-ray. If the green houses don't stop being built, that will just be a helpful tool to make the atmosphere and our Earth worst. From these explanations, details and examples, my conclusion is that someone has got to do something and not just keep inventing new technology or fancy factories because what we need now is not something that can make life easier but something that can decrease the temperature.

v.        Threat to Humans and Wildlife

Earth is home to millions of species. Just one dominates it. Us. Our cleverness, our inventiveness and our activities have modified almost every part of our planet. In fact, we are having a profound impact on it. Indeed, our cleverness, our inventiveness and our activities are now the drivers of every global problem we face. And every one of these problems is accelerating as we continue to grow towards a global population of 10 billion. In fact, I believe we can rightly call the situation we're in right now an emergency – an unprecedented planetary emergency.

There are few places left on the planet where the impact of people has not been felt. We have explored and left our footprint on nearly every corner of the globe.  As our population and needs grow, we are leaving less and less room for wildlife. Wildlife is under threat from many different kinds of human activities, from directly destroying habitat to spreading invasive species and disease.  Most ecosystems are facing multiple threats. Each new threat puts additional stress on already weakened ecosystems and their wildlife.

vi.        Chipko Movement

Environmental movements like Chipko have become historical landmarks because the ecological insights and political and moral strengths of women have fueled them.

It was a resurgence of woman power and ecological concern in the Garhwal Himalayas interwoven in a mosaic of various factors. The issue was of planting trees and planting ecologically appropriate trees. Women were protesting against the replacement of mixed forests by the commercially valuable pine, which was a major reason for increasing economical instability of the Himalayan region and the growing economic deprivation of Garhwali women.

Life-sustaining forestry was to give way to life-destroying practices. The Chipko movement showed that devolution of environmental rights and obligations is the more important aspect of environmental management.

This Chipko Movement was started by group of villagers in Uttrakhand who opposed the cutting of trees. It is the first organised movement started in April 1972 to protect the trees against the commercial Forest Policy. Though this Chipko movement gained its prominence in 1970s, the real movement occurred in 1604, when a large number of villagers from the Bishoni community embraced the trees in a forest (near Khejri village, close to Jodhpur) and prevented the king’s soldiers from cutting them down. That event has been recorded in Indian history as the Chipko Movement. Thus started, the Chipko Movement has now gained great significance throughout the world's conservationist circle for its successful attempts against deforestation. “Chipko” in local dialect means “to embrace” and refers to the method that has been applied to protect the forest from the commercial timber cutters. This revolutionary movement started by the villagers to save forests from deforestation soon got worldwide support and attention.

vii.        Government Plantation Programmes

 It is needless to speak the importance of trees. It is not possible to describe the importance and uses of trees in world. They are part and parcel in our day to day life. We cannot think our existence without trees. Rabindranath Tagore says “Back thy forest, take your town” Our government has also launched a massive and ambitious programme regarding tree plantation. We should not use and destroy trees at random. Rather we should plant trees more and for a better and healthier life. Trees bear a great impact on our climate. If we destroy trees at random, one day the country will turn into a great dearest. The country will bear the consequences of green house effect. There will be no rain and as a result the country will face a great crisis because our country is an agriculture depend country. Our agriculture is also depend on rain. So trees plays a vital role on our climate. Trees keep the soil strong. Trees save us from flood and many other natural climates. Hence, the A.P Government has decided to launch Haritha Andhra Pradesh Mission through "VANAM — MANAM" Programme with a view to secure green cover over 50% of the geographical of the state by 2029. Each and every citizen of Andhra Pradesh across the social, economic, demographic, gender, and political spectrum ought to become partners in this programme that would benefit not only the state but also the nation and the entire world through eco-regeneration. Apart from its impact on environment and climate change, the programme is an effort to strengthen the bond between the nature and people.

viii.        Van Mahotsav

Van Mahotsav or the festival of trees is a festival celebrated in India in the first week of July. This celebration was started in 1950 by Dr. K.M. Munshi the Agriculture minister for India during the same year. As part of the celebrations, millions of saplings are planted by people of all age groups from all over the country in the Van Mahotsav week.

All over the country, people are encouraged to plant trees. This practice is observed by schools all over the country. Schools usually declare this day to be a half day where classes are suspended and students are encouraged to plant trees. This helps in making the students better citizens and also spreads awareness as to the adverse effects of cutting trees.

This practice takes place every year and helps conserve the greenery of our country. The preservation of nature has become a very important part of our life due the acceleration in industrialization and the construction of so many factories, conservation of forests has become a point of major concern.

Due to the celebration of this festival in the month of July which is also the onset of the monsoon season, planting trees proves to be beneficial. Planting of trees also serves other purposes like providing alternative fuel options, food for cattle, helps in soil conservation and more than anything offers a natural aesthetic beauty. Planting of trees also helps to avoid soil erosion which may cause floods. Also, planting trees can be extremely effective in slowing down global warming and trees also help in reducing pollution as they make the air cleaner.

The constant felling of trees has been a problem for a long time now and as a result of that it is extremely important for us to create awareness for the same. And everyone must try and actively involve themselves in this practice as well. According to the forest department for every tree felled ten trees should be planted to regain the loss of one. The survival of plants and animals is also put in danger as each and every time a tree is felled or a forest is uprooted. Van Mahotsav is thus a widely celebrated festival and should be celebrated as more than a day of planting trees and celebrated as any other festival.

ix.        Environmental Awareness

Environmental awareness is to understand the fragility of our environment and the importance of its protection. Promoting environmental awareness is an easy way to become an environmental steward and participate in creating a brighter future for our children.

To define environmental awareness we must first understand the environmentalist movement. Environmentalism is an ideology that evokes the necessity and responsibility of humans to respect, protect, and preserve the natural world from its anthropogenic (caused by humans) afflictions.

Environmental awareness is an integral part of the movement’s success. By teaching our friends and family that the physical environment is fragile and indispensable we can begin fixing the problems that threaten it.

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UNIT – 6 INDUSTRY: SAFETY AND TRAINING

I.        OFFICE ETIQUETTE:

The current office environment at most organizations is extremely noisy with umpteen (many) interruptions during the day time that have a negative impact on productivity. Indian offices are extremely noisy with cramped work stations people chatting with each other, talking loudly on telephones, crunching food without guilt, borrowing things from each other’s desks without permission, cell phones ringing  incessantly (non- stop) etc, etc.

To make your office environment more productive, comfortable and harmonious, the rules of civility at the work place are:

1.    PRAIRIE DOGGING:

Tossing something to a person a few desks or cubicles over or poking his head out of his cubicle to survey the environment and peers over the wall of cubicle is quite annoying in an office. One should always try to check if it is a good time to speak to their co-worker or not and then speak to them. If they are found busy it would be better to drop a note on their desk or send an email or chat message

2.    SILENT ZONES:

Understand that every individual needs to pay full attention to the task in front of them to perform at their full capacity. Contact your co-worker by walking to them, sending them email or calling them on the landline instead of yelling from your seat.

3.    HANDLING PHONES:

Playing games at your desk with sounds coming from your phone is unacceptable. Using head phones is a better way in order to avoid any disturbance. Keep your phone on ‘silent or vibrate mode’. You should definitely feel that you don’t want to be a nuisance to your co-worker. Be courteous.

4.    EVERYTHING YOU SEE ISN’T PUBLIC PROPERTY:

Avoid picking up whatever you want from a vacant cubicle. It is nothing but invasion of one’s privacy. Let your co-worker know when he/she can expect to get back the borrowed item and try to return it before time. If this is your attitude, definitely your colleague feels happy to lend you whatever you need.

5.    WAFTS (SOUNDS) ARE QUITE DISPLEASING:

Eating at your desk doesn’t make you super dedicated. It only indicates that you are incapable of finishing your day’s work. In addition to this eating involves crackling of wrappers, food aromas, smacking, chewing, crunching, gulping and lots of other sounds which might make your co-worker hungry making it difficult for him to concentrate. Never invite your office buddy to have lunch with you in your cubicle. Go to the office lunch room and join others there. Having a meal together fortifies office relationships.

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