Most distinguished mathematician and statistician of India, CR Rao, 102, rests. He, with 39 Doctorates, was the recipient of the International Prize in Statistics (considered as Nobel Prize) in 2023. His discoveries include: Cramer-Rao bound, Rao-Blackwell theorem, Rao’s Score Test. University of Hyderabad has established CR Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science. He excelled in creativity in both dimensions – new ideas/theory away from the existing paradigm that explains phenomena; discovery within the existing paradigm but of immense significance.
Chandrayan 3’s lander Vikram lands on the south pole of the moon (at a point named Siva Sakthi) on 23 August at 1804 hrs IST, and deploys rover Pragyan and Pragyan walks on the moon. It would be there for 1 Lunar Day (14 Earth Days). LVM3 M4 was launched from SHAR Sriharikota on 14 July. The first photos confirm that the lunar surface is like the earth surface. India, first on the south pole; fourth on the moon.
Prodigy R Praggnaanandhaa is the runner-up in FIDE world chess championships at 18, losing the final to World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. He is now qualified for the Candidates 2024 to determine the challenger for World Champion, Ding Liren of China.
Remembered: Manibhai Desai and his Urulikanchan. One of the foremost disciples of Gandhi, Vinobha Bhave et al, who started out to work with India outside political space. BAIF, launched on 24 August 1967. BAIF became BAIF Development and Research Foundation, BDRF in some time. BAIF supplements Dairy Board-IRMA-AMUL work.
July 2023 was the warmest month on record for planet Earth. The leaf temperatures were highly close to the critical high-temperature thresholds of the world’s tropical forest canopies. The studies confirm initial dysfunctionality of a percentage of tropical leaves. Climate change continuity may lead to the death of the canopies, biodiversity et al impacting climate regulation seriously. Tree carbon sequestering itself is coming down. Plants’ evaporative cooling ability reduces. Tree mortality is increasing. The good news is that mitigation is possible, through avoiding high emissions, and deforestation.
Can we have more of us in development leadership? Development practice? Livelihood space? Poverty reduction space? Poor-vulnerable-marginalized domain? Meditation-reflection, Devotion-dedication, Co-existence and living the values – hope, faith, promise, love and co-existence, constitute the essence of Development Practice. Culture, Celebrations, Events, Campaigns, Education, Training-learning, and Apprenticeship. Models and role models. Beyond Fish and Fishing. Beyond immersion-induction-graduation. Journey of practice that begins with Visioning-Ladders-Snakes-Steps, Practice and pursuit. Relentless. Authentic. 7R, transcending 3R. Inclusive – Sarvodaya, sarvajanaya, bahujanaya, combined with antyodaya – unto the last. Individual and Collective action – individual and collective enterprises. Communitization. Options-choices. In open, Transparent, Accountable approaches, ways and means. Ends include output-outcome-impact results, and changes in systems, policies, practices and norms. With less lapsing back, and more propelling forward. Can we? Can we have more of us?
Are we happy in our development practice? Can we take pride in our work? Can we be healthy, at the same time? Can we be sure of our well-being? Can we fight burning out? Can we remain fit physically, emotionally and mentally? Can we take care of ourselves? Into our fifties, sixties and seventies? Being useful without a burden and overbearing to our associates and communities of practice? Communities? If life and work are two sides of us, can we ignore one at the cost of the other? Can we have a portfolio of engagements and works? Can we work within our limitations, stretching to the hilt, inch-by-inch? Can these limitations be known to all our associates? And minimum needs? Can we keep revisiting, prioritizing, planning and progressing in tune?
Yes, we can. If we coexist. If we are living in space. Intensely. If we sharpen our saws of perception and intuition. If we reflect, meditate. If we flow in sync. The flow of N. For 7L.
Join us in the yoga of towards living fully in nature – ishudiyoga for 7L.