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PUNE, FEBRUARY 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
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Over 200 pools in the city, but not a single champion P5
Pune never ceases to amaze Pelham Roberts P 15
CAUGHT YOU!
6 city colleges fudge students’ attendance records, cops catch them red-handed BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke
ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
GRAND HOTELS SEEK ONLY
GRAND ENTRY In the mid 90s an armed forces officer decided to take his wife on a date to a star hotel on Valentine’s Day. He rode straight to the main gate on his bike and was instantly stopped. The officer tried reasoning with the security at the main gate of the hotel that he only wished to drop his wife off in the lobby and park his bike in the designated area. It was his way of pampering his wife and let her know that she was special. But the guards refused to budge. The officer and his wife had to park their two-wheeler
outside and walk to the hotel. Like most others in the restaurant, they too ended up spending a decent sum. Two decades later, situation hasn’t changed much. RITU GOYAL HARISH, the officer’s wife took a trip to six major hotels in the city this week and discovered that the class divide still exists.
See Spotlight on P8-9
Mommies making music
Fifteen Korean homemakers after three months of intense training are all set to take the stage for their debut performance
Knocking with his conductor’s baton, Jang Byeong Kook said, “Ok, let’s take it from the top,” and 13 women join in unison to hit the note perfectly. The faces behind the melody are Korean homemakers are regularly practicing for a big event. Jang calls it a test when this homely group will sing in front of hundreds of people at the Oldham Memorial Methodist Church at Camp on Saturday as part of the Poona Music Society performance. “We are going to sing two to three songs depending upon the response,” said Juhee Kim, the 18-year-old college student who is an accompanist to Jang. She and her 49-year-old mother Gyeong-ok Ko, who is an alto singer in the group, have been staying in Pune for the past eight years. “My father In Soo Kim works for a Korean NGO and was transferred to Pune eight years ago,” she said. Gyeongok Ko, a homemaker, also runs her business of ticketing. Gyeong-ok Ko never thought that she would get to sing again. “While in Korea, I used to sing in the church but never thought I would be singing in Pune. Since Jang got us together three months ago and formed this choir group, it has been fun,” she said.
Jang calls the group the Pune Ladies Singers choir. A qualified musician and holding a masters degree in the department of choir conductor from Hansei University, South Korea, he was looking at ways to expand his teachings in Pune. Jang is pursing higher studies in music from the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and teaching music at a seminary school in Bibvewadi as part of his research. “The spirit of choir is all about cooperation and bringing people together, of building a relationship. The goal is a thought process of give and take of cultural nuances and growing old together enjoying and learning each others’ culture,” he said. “Three years ago, I thought of popularising western music in India. There is no choir programme or a department dedicated to western music as compared to other countries like Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia. This form of music in India is limited to choir music in churches but I feel that it is not just about hymns but about bringing together a society. There are songs and symphonies that are sung which are enjoyed across the world. I was working with Korean Broadcasting System when my friend introduced me to this city. I fell in love with this city because it is so peaceful and gives importance to education,” Jang said. By establishing the choir, Jang wanted to give the Korean homemakers
RAHUL RAUT
BY PRACHI BARI @prachibari
in Pune something to do during their spare time. “There are around 1,000 Koreans living here with families and I often noticed that these women would drop off their children at the Korean Language School on MG Road and wait for hours till the kids finish their classes. One day I approached Gyeong –ok and Mikyoung Koo and asked if they would be interested in forming a choir group and are keen on singing. The response was good, as some agreed immediately and others took time, as it meant convincing their working husbands, arranging their lunches and taking care of children. The group’s strength is 15 women, including seven sopranos and six altos,” he said. Jang has a unique way of judging the quality of singing. He simply asks them to talk to him whereupon he can judge the quality of singing tone and accordingly asks them to yoddle a few times thus taking the exercise of adding members to his choir. Jang has music within his family too. His wife Seon Yong Yoon (37) is a cellist while his daughter Hyerin Jang (10) plays the violin and his younger daughter Hyemin Jang (8) knows to sing. With the support of his family, Jang has brought back the joy of singing to these women’s lives and found a way to strengthen the ties of friendship through music. prachibari@gmail.com
Korean all-women homemaker choir group formed by Jang Byeong Kook regularly practice and will perform at the Oldham Church
The Foreigners’ Registration Office (FRO) of the city police has issued notices to six colleges and educational institutions in the city for allegedly manipulating the attendance record of foreign students. Speaking to ‘The Golden Sparrow on Saturday’, Deputy Commissioner of Police (FRO) Sanjay Patil, confirmed the issuance of the notice. To keep a check on the rising cases of drug peddling, illegal overstay, violence and abuse involving foreign students, the FRO in May 2014 had made 70 per cent attendance compulsory for foreign students pursuing courses in city colleges, deemed universities and Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). The FRO in January this year had directed colleges and institutions to submit their monthly attendance sheets of foreign students to the office. Patil said that the FRO officials became suspicious after majority of the colleges submitted records showing 75, 80 or 85 per cent attendance. “We never came across a figure of 71, 79 or 83 per cent attendance. When we demanded details of the lectures conducted by the colleges and number of lectures attended by a
random student, we found the mismatch in a day,” he said. The irregularity prompted the FRO to issue notices to colleges and institutions for manipulating the attendance of foreign students. “In the notice, we have asked them to refrain from such practices and possible action,” he said. The police had made 70 per cent attendance compulsory for foreign students, after it was revealed that the students were involved in ‘other illegal activities’, such as working in companies despite holding student visa and drug trade. Some students do not wish to go back to their countries and fail in exams. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) had sent a letter to the city police explaining the issues related to foreigners’ overstay in the city. Since May 2014, the police have slapped ‘Leave India notices’ to five foreign students and sent them back to their respective countries for not being regular in colleges. Every year about 4,000 new foreign students arrive in the city on student visa while about 8,000 students extend their student visas with the police. Most of the foreign students are from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, north African countries and some European countries. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com
Since May 2014, five students have been slapped ‘Leave India notices’ for not attending classes
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
PUNE
“Even the sex workers have children. So I thought I should work with them. An HIV positive sex worker is ill treated by everyone. She deserves a dignified death.” —Girish Kulkarni, founder, Snehalaya
Bidding adieu to Aaba P4
They did not fall at the first hurdle P7
‘One needs to be ecologically sensitive’ Conservationist Pooja Bhale founded Protecterra Ecological Foundation to inculcate a sustainable way of life and raise awareness among people
She always believed in the concept of sustainable living, where both the environment and the individual are cared for. The 30-year-old Pooja Bhale is the founder-director of Protecterra Ecological Foundation (PEF). She has a MSc Conservation from the University College London, and a BSc (Hons) Animal Biology and Conservation, UEL, London. Bhale was drawn to nature and its conservation in teenage. Now, through PEF, she aims to change the common man’s attitude towards the earth’s ecology, and thus bring about a change in behaviour. PEF was set up in 2010, with an aim of establishing a sustainable way of life on the planet, by making people more conscious and aware. “While I was working in Delhi as a wildlife conservationist, I realised that there was a lack of awareness among people about sustainable living. People will do only what they are aware of. So, I felt the need to start by putting in my
own effort and then creating awareness about the same,” she said. Bhale envisions a world where people respect and care for nature, practise sustainability and unite to protect our planet. “There is a need to change and alter our lifestyles to bring about ecological balance. Development is inevitable but one needs to be ecologically sensitive. Our foundation has been working with schools, corporates and individuals to enable action through education, awareness and outreach. Th rough a network of volunteers and local, national and international collaborations, we have been motivating and inspiring people to refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, replenish, reinvent and rethink our lifestyles and impact on terra (Latin for earth/land),” she says. Robert Swan stated that ‘The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that somebody else will save It’. The PEF projects focus on wildlife conservation, ecological behavioural change, sustainable alternatives and habitat conservation.
You can adopt a tree, a water hole, a bird nest and a pond. For every adoption there is more for you than just the joy of doing a good deed. You get a one night’s free stay (for one person) at OWC within three months of your adoption. You can choose one tree to be named after you (valid for adoption of ten trees or more). You get a personalised adoption certificate.
collection of over 150 documentaries and many other features,” Bhale said. They also offer corporates to partner and conduct activities creating sustainable lifestyles. “Our objectives are to reinstate civic sense amongst society, increase awareness about wildlife and ecological conservation, motivate people to become agents of change and bring about Ecological Behavioural Change (EBC).” anjali.shetty@goldensparrow.com Founder-director of Protecterra Ecological Foundation (PEF), Pooja Bhale giving information about birds to children
One of its projects is the Open World Community Centre (OWC), which is set up over a plot of two acres adjoining a forest. “OWC has been built
On a mission to save lives on Indian roads
Indian-American surgeon Dr Dinesh Vyas and his team is in touch with state govts, med colleges to extend the training programme for trauma first responders
Dr Dinesh Vyas at a training session for trauma first responders for road accident victims in India
BY ARUN KUMAR
“We plan to start at least 50 centres across India each costing $700,000 with roughly two centres in WASHINGTON: An Indian-American surgeon is every state,” said Vyas whose team has trained more on a mission to save thousands of lives that are lost than 400 people in the last four months. on Indian roads every day with an innovative training “We add at least 100 every month from our three programme for trauma first responders using a centres - AIIMS, Jodhpur, Dr SN Medical College, $200,000 simulator dummy. Jodhpur, MG Medical University, Jaipur.” Rajasthan University educated surgeon Dr Dinesh Starting cost of the programme is at least $20,000. Vyas, an assistant professor in the Department of “Most of it is borne by me and the host institute bears Surgery at Michigan State University some cost of logistics,” Vyas said. “We since 2011, estimates that the number take the simulators on loan at this point of road deaths in India would in 10 from the company at a subsidised rate to years swell four times from current keep cost down for the initial phase.” 1,000 a day. Some leading corporate houses have “It’s a shameful figure for me as a also shown interest in the project, he said. physician,” he told IANS in an email “It gives a unique opportunity to NRI interview outlining his strategy that academic surgeons to pull together, central could easily save at least half of the road and state governments, with various accident victims, most of whom are sole private and government medical schools earning members of their families. contributing and building a system for “I can change the trauma situation trauma care,” he said. with my existing team of 40 US surgeons “Our research team has improvised - Dr Dinesh Vyas and 50 Indian faculty members in the the programme over the last 7-8 years next four years,” said Vyas. He visits with more than 20 visits to India and other India four times a year to build up collaboration across countries to design the programme and curriculum,” the country to make it a self-sustaining process. said Vyas. The programmes are largely conducted in Most of Vyas’s team is made up of surgeons and native language with sophisticated simulator dummies researchers of Indian origin settled in the US and and other equipment and educational videos followed the UK. They have also formed an Indian American by question- answer and video debriefing sessions Surgeons Association with close to 1,000 members to enable all trainees to learn from their and others’ many of whom are interested in the cause of trauma mistakes. care. His team is also in touch with state governments Run by a faculty of all dialect speakers from India in several states including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, recruited with the help of the Asian Studies Centre Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Telangana, at Michigan State University, “This programme will 15 medical schools and NITI Ayog to extend the train and educate people who cannot join the training programme across India. centres we are starting in India,” Vyas said. IANS
“We plan to start at least 50 centres across India.”
from scrap and waste and it is a zero concrete centre. Structures have been made from stone, bamboo, wood, clay, straw mats, tents, mud and cow dung.
We have an eco library, photographs and information, a camp site, an organic farm, a relaxation centre, an interactive, multi-purpose hall and a
GET IN TOUCH Protecterra Ecological Foundation, 166/1+2+3 /1, opposite Pinnac Gangotri ‘D’, Aundh email: pooja@protecterraef.org
He has his heart in the right place Shrikant Mundada, founder of Hriday Mitra Foundation, has made it his mission to help poor heart and cancer patients by generating funds through his helpline BY MEGHA CHOUDHARY @meghaVchoudhary Shrikant Mundada founded Hriday Mitra Pratishthan in 1994, after his father died of a heart attack. The charitable organisation helps out cancer and heart patients financially, to enable them to get treatment. Heart surgery is an expensive proposition, with costs running into multiples of lakh rupees. The affl icted and their families at times have to resort to selling their properties, jewellery, and even avail of loans at exorbitant interest rates to be able to pay for treatment. And the lack of money can also mean death for some unfortunate ones. Mundada says, “The hardships that so many people face owing to the high costs of medical treatment motivated me to start a helpline, through which we are able to provide R`80,000 to one lakh rupees for those who require heart surgery.” Till date, the helpline has generated `150 crore for more than 15,000 bypass angioplasties. “We have many generous donors whose help has enabled us to set up a corpus fund, ‘Heart Surgery Help Fund’, of `20 lakh to enable needy heart patients to undergo surgery,” said Mundada. Mundada has also set up another helpline for cancer patients. “from the number of those affl icted by cancer has shown a significant rise over the last five
years. A cancer patient needs `2-2.5 lakh and even more for treatment. Our helpline guides and helps them raise the required funds for the same,” he said. Going a step further, Mundada recently published a book called How to Generate Funds For Cancer Treatment. Mundada’s book provides information about government bodies, NGOs and trusts in Pune and Munbai, who provide monetary help to cancer patients. It also has detailed information on various government schemes one can avail of. For example, the Prime Minister’s Fund gives ` 50,000, CM fund gives `15,000, Shirdi Sai Baba Trust gives `25,000, and the Siddhivinayak Ganapati Trust gives `20,000. Th is book also tells how to apply for these funds, with a sample form, and the documents required to apply. It provides tollfree numbers and websites of every agency. It also has information on drug stores that provide medicines at concessional rates, for post surgery medication. Mundada has also mentioned about the Rajiv Gandhi Jivandayee Yojana in his book, which he said “is a boon for heart and cancer patients”. “The government should bring big hospitals under this scheme. People with annual income of one lakh rupees or less are eligible for this scheme. A patient gets `2.5 lakh for kidney, cancer or brain surgery, and `1.5 lakh for heart surgery under this
AWARENESS ACTIVITIES • Free lecture series on heart disease at Tilak Smarak Mandir • Publishing books on heart disease • Hriday Maitri Heart Club, Hriday Maitri Bypass Club for educating public on heart disease • Free blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, heart check-up camps are organised throughout the year
scheme,” he added. Mundada, who is also a practising naturopath, claims that naturopathy treatment along with allopathy medicines can minimise the need for angioplasty. His ‘Reversal of Heart Attack’ programme has many who were advised angioplasty lead normal lives. megha.choudhary@goldensparrow.com
GET IN TOUCH: Hriday Mitra Pratishthan, Manikprabhu Complex, 3rd floor 420, Shagun Chowk, Narayan Peth 020-24456849 Helpline: 9822041759
RAHUL RAUT
BY ANJALI SHETTY @shetty_anjali
DO YOUR BIT
Shrikant Mundada (right) counselling one of his patients at his Hriday Mitra Foundation office at Narayan Peth
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
Your hunt for roomie ends here! P6
Commandos to the rescue of those in love P 12
“Pune, the academic hub, can start defence related courses to cater to requirement. We have the talent and skills that can attract technology from all over the world. The youth are the central focus of our development activities.” — Prime Minister Narendra Modi
‘I will resign but not take this lying down’
Censor Board member Ashoke Pandit takes on CBFC chief Pahlaj Nihalani’s no gali-galoch in films diktat TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Film-makers have mocked him and ridiculed his decision banning use of cuss words in films. But Pahlaj Nihalani’s biggest nemesis is one of his own members Ashoke Pandit, who has come down heavily against the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief. A film-maker by profession, Pandit is far from impressed with Nihalani’s not so exhaustive list of abuses that cannot be used in films anymore. He has rallied support from other members on the board. On Monday when the Board meets Pandit and other members are all set to get the decision reversed. “This is nothing short of hypocrisy. The same man who introduced vulgarity in film industry is telling makers to not use abusive language in their films. Juhi Chawla broke down when she was asked to shoot for a song in Andaaz because she found it offensive. She was forced to shoot anyhow. Nihalani produced the film back then,” said a fuming Pandit. His argument is that if a character is such that he/she needs to abuse then the maker should be allowed. To prove his point he lists down movies – Gangs of Wasseypur, Vicky Donor, Chandni Bar, Ishqiya, among others – which have National Award. “What do you expect from a gangster, sex worker, or a dacoit? They can’t be using shuddh Hindi on screen, it will be full of expletives,” Pandit said. For the 57-year-old fi lm-maker who also happens to be president of India Film and Television Director’s Association (IFTDA), the list of abuses that are not be used in fi lms anymore is against the fi lm-makers’ freedom.
CBFC member Ashoke Pandit ridicules chief’s latest order of banning cuss words (right) in films
Ever since the order was circulated by Nihalani, Pandit has been wondering if the ban is restricted only to 28 odd galis and whether it is alright to use the ‘remaining one lakh up in the market’. “I am sure we are creative enough to come up with lakhs of abuses which Nihalani hasn’t thought of yet. He can keep updating the list and fi lmmakers will only get more creative with their choice of expletives. That way Nihalani will remain busy through his term as chief of CBFC,” mocked Pandit. Most members of the CBFC are upset that none of them was ever consulted and have joined hands with Pandit in their tirade against Nihalani’s diktat. On Monday when the board meets, the members have decided to corner their chief. “None of us was ever consulted before the order was issued. Ideally, the chief should have called a meeting of producers, directors, script writers and board members and discussed the problems that industry is facing. Instead of passing such regressive orders, CBFC needs to work on issues bogging the film industry down. On February 23 when
board meets we will fight tooth and nail to get the order reversed. I will resign from CBFC but not take this lying down,” said Pandit. Next on Pandit’s agenda is getting rid orders issued by CBFC pertaining to smoking and consumption of alcohol on screen. “As of now a fi lm-maker needs to put warning that smoking is injurious to health. Frankly I do not understand the logic behind that. If the government is so keen on preventing citizens from smoking or chewing tobacco then they ought to ban it completely across the country. These on screen warnings when the character is smoking are ridiculous. I will now focus on getting rid of this,” concluded Pandit. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
Growing hyacinth threatens Pashan lake’s natural beauty Environment activist blames Pune Municipal Corporation’s apathy RAHUL RAUT
The blanket of hyacinth covering Pashan lake should wake up PMC from slumber
BY ASHOK BHAT @ashok_bhat The historical Pashan lake, an avian paradise, has lost its natural beauty. Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) negligence has led to water hyacinth covering the lake. The civic authority’s claim of working in tandem with the garden, health, environment, solid waste management and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) cell to conserve the lake has fallen flat. Located off the MumbaiBengaluru highway, the man-made lake is built by bunding Ramnadi. Experts say that no migratory birds have been spotted this year. Around 25 species of water birds, including migratory ones, are spotted at Pashan lake since 1980.
Encroachment, human pressure, garbage, growth of weeds and invasive species, and eutrophication (a process where water bodies receive excess nutrients that stimulate excessive plant growth due to dumping of sewage in the lake) have forced the birds to abandon Pashan and shift to water bodies in the vicinity. Environmentalist Sachin Dhamane, a resident of Pashan, has fi led a complaint to PMC expressing concerns about degradation of the lake. “A few years back, PMC had undertaken a restoration and cleanliness drive under JNNURM. During the summer, dredging was carried out and silt was removed. A trail was made along the lake, besides building a room for security guard. These measures, including transplantation of trees and building a
THE LAKE’S ATTRACTION An avian paradise, the visitors to Pashan Lake include resident birds as well as migratory flocks that arrive from far-off countries like Mongolia and Siberia. The water body is a favourite spot for photographers and bird watchers as it hosts a variety of wetland birds such as storks, ibis, kingfishers, cormorants, ducks, herons and tree birds like barbets, wagtails, great tits and other Indian species.
garden helped in attracting migrating birds. But now the lake has turned into a dumping ground,” Dhamane, the son of former additional municipal commissioner of PMC late Bapusaheb Dhamane, said. He said that the room for security guard is in a neglected state. “PMC is not paying attention to this beautiful spot. I have demanded immediate cleaning up of the lake,” Sachin said. “PMC is working towards making Pashan lake a good example of wet ecosystem for migratory birds. The hyacinth flows from Ramnadi and has to be removed manually. We will clean the lake soon,” PMC environment officer Mangesh Dighe said. ashok.bhat21@gmail.com
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nswers to the following 10 questions are embedded in the stories featured in this edition. Send us the correct answers at contest.tgs@gmail.com and be one of the two lucky winners to receive gift coupons.
TGS Quiz Contest
No. 36
Contest # 35
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1. Who founded Danzofit? 2. Who is the CBFC member opposing Pahlaj Nihalani? 3. Who are the founders of letsintern. com? 4. How many messages per month is flatchat targeting? 5. What is the name of Amala Shekhar’s family magazine?
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6. What is the name of Inaamulhaq’s next feature film? 7. Where is the MTV Bloc party happening in Pune? 8. Which team inspires corporate chef Anirban Ghosh? 9. What is the name of choreographer Avikk Parkour’s dance troupe? 10. What is actor Subodh Bhave’s food indulgence?
37-sec tribute to Laxman
Talegaon-based animator couple Mahee and Pratima Pal captures the characteristic nuances of the legendary cartoonist’s Common Man BY YASH DAIV @yash009
It’s been a while since RK Laxman passed away. Lots of people have paid tribute to the famous cartoonist, illustrator and humorist. Animator couple Mahee and Pratimal Pal, founders of Digitalclay, has made a 37-second film titled ‘CommonMan Tribute’ that succinctly captures the key quality of Laxman’s Common Man, his non-verbose yet powerful thoughts. Man to perfection would have been a hurdle. This Laden in grey hues, and soft flute music, the imitative quality of animation is one of the reasons film has a nostalgic value. The Common Man walks why Mahee shifted from painting canvas to making with a smartphone, on the terrace of a building in animated short films. animated Mumbai. He receives a message which Last year, his studio had produced a short film says, ‘you said it’. He replies with a smile-faced ‘Things a Child Could Learn from Godfather’ on emoticon which goes viral. Common Man, once the necessity of child-lock on television sets and again, succeeds in giving larger anecdotes, packed computers. The film won an award at the FICCI, with allegories which the nation agrees too. the film festival held in Delhi. Pal has entered The idea of this film came to Mahee as an ‘CommonMan Tribute’ into the festival this year emotional response to Laxman’s demise. “His and will send it to Mumbai International Film cartoons did not appear for two years and then one Festival (MIFF), 2015. “I do not see the film day we get the news of his death,” he said. Pratimal travelling out of the country because of its content,” was habituated to starting his day by reading he said. The short film has garnered positive Laxman’s Common Man. The sudden dissociation reaction from the masses. The sentimental quality left him with a desire to do something, to pay is appealing. “People have said that it is a tribute tribute in his own way to the cartoonist. He chose to a person whose body of work is massive. It to make an animated short film. encapsulates the success of the powerful caricature “Common Man is a mute spectator. I wanted to and the person behind it,” said Pal. highlight this quality through the film,” he said. He yashdaiv@gmail.com put the Common Man in the current scenario. He was equipped with a smartphone just like any other person Jalgaon’s famous today. Communication takes place through messages and his messages RELIABLE Classes now in PUNE go viral, owing to his reputation. Coming soon... The short film became a mode of conveying his attachment to Laxman’s Common Man. Furthermore, it justified his liking to the medium. “Short films are a medium of expression just like painting,” he said. Moreover, if he had shot a real-time short film, dressing up the Common
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY PUNE
“For repair works of dams, water canals, wells, pond or lakes, along with the government funds we will be requesting the local MP and MLAs to provide funds.” —Vijay Shivtare, MoS, Water Conservation
Therapeutic benefits through dance
Raw eggs since ’38 keep her young at 115
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Bidding adieu to Aaba
NCP leader RR Patil was intrumental in bringing about major developmental changes in rural Maharashtra TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly
The immaculate representative of the rural areas, Raosaheb Ramrao Patil (August 16, 1957 – February 16, 1957), leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) succumbed to mouth cancer on February 16. He was 57. Besides being a frontrunner on the rural front, Patil will be remembered for holding key portfolios during the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra. Fondly addressed as Aaba by his colleagues, friends and media alike, Patil’s journey as one of the prolific Indian politicians, started from the small town of Sangli. In 1977, he graduated from Shantiniketan with art majors, subsequently followed by a degree in law. Two years later he won the Zilla Parishad elections at Savlaj, the fi rst ever election he contested. From then on, he embarked upon his affluent political career. After his warranted victory, by large margin, at the Maharashtra Assembly in 1990, he secured the Tasgaon, Sangli seat and retained it for six years. During an election campaign in 2000, Pramod Mahajan refused to campaign for the BJP in Tasgaon, against RR Patil. He believed that a clean conscientious man like Patil was an asset to the Assembly and good for democracy. Maha-
rashtra needed him. That’s the kind of respect and adulation he enjoyed across political parties. Everyone was his friend on a personal level once the official discussions, debates and challenges were over. In a blog written by Vinod Tawde recently, he states, “Above all, he was a large-hearted person and a friend to people across parties - especially to me. When I was the leader of opposition, I would attack his policies and the government in the assembly. I remember we had a heated debate over law and order in the state. That night, RR Patil called me and said, that was a fight between the LoP and the home minister; not between us as individuals. That is the mark of an evolved mature politician.” A decade later, he quit Congress to join mentor Sharad Pawar’s NCP. The same year, he was made the cabinet minister in charge of the rural development wherein he implemented finest ideas for rural development. He initiated the swachchta abhiyaan in the villages of the state. He introduced innovative programmes such as the Tanta Mukti Abhiyaan. The village was the centre of his political career. Sometimes, his initiatives were met with a resistance from coalition politics. But he made sure that his intention was never muddled with corrupt intent. As an administrator, he brought development to Tasgaon, a droughtprone area. He brought irrigation, encouraged agriculture and gave people a livelihood and development. Curtailing crime against women was an issue he worked relentlessly for. A year after he was appointed as the state home minis-
ter, he took the polemic decision of shutting down dance bars. It created immense problems for him within his party and the powerful lobbies that run dance bars. He did not give up his dignity under pressure but battled out it with integrity. The illustrious leader, beyond his stature as a politician was a gale and a hearty person. He was very close to his mother, Bhaghirathi. He would ask her to watch the Marathi news television channels whenever his profoundly successful activities would get covered. The opinions, which he valued the most, were of his mothers and his wife Suman, whom he declared as the reason to his success and strength. Patil curtained a quite life for his family, away from his professional ramblings. He
ensured that his children, Supriya, Smita and Rohit went to Zilla Parishad schools. His wife stayed home. In November 2014, Patil was admitted to the hospital for the fi rst time in his life. He was diagnosed with a mouth cancer. After struggling for two months, he passed away at Lilawati Hospital, Mumbai, on February 16. His death has become a lesson of sorts to prevent people from chewing tobacco. MP Supriya pulled up party workers for chewing tobacco at the funeral at Anjani, Patil’s birthplace. She has sternly asked them to quit the habit and take cue from Patil’s death. Ajit Pawar too requested his party worker to quit the habit, not only for the funeral but for the rest of their lives. As homage to Patil’s ideologies, there will be no post-funeral ceremonies or events. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
Citing technical glitches, logistic limitations and adverse impact on the livelihood of villagers, the Pune rural police have decided not to implement its ambitious plan to ban night treks in the hilly and picnic spots of Pune district. Superintendent of Police (Pune rural) Manojkumar Lohiya said that raising concerns about the cases of trekkers going missing, meeting with accidents, thefts and molestation, the police had proposed the plan to impose ban on night treks. “We faced a lot of practical difficulties to put the ban in place. Some trekkers, people related to tourism and allied activities, and villagers opposed the move as it affected their livelihood and adventure needs,” he said.
India has the dubious distinction of harbouring world’s highest number (nearly 20 per cent) of oral cancers. It is aptly labelled the oral cancer capital of the world with an estimated one per cent of the population having oral premalignant lesions. Each year approximately one million people in India are diagnosed with oral cancers and half of them die a painful death within 12 months of diagnosis due to late presentation. Cancer related death in men is associated with well-established risk habit such as tobacco, areca nut and alcohol. Genetic susceptibility and dietary factors may enhance the effect of these carcinogens. Undoubtedly, oral cancer control is a serious issue which needs a multi-pronged approach.
The veteran CPI leader and social activist Govind Pansare has been leading a crusade against toll collection in Kolhapur TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly
were supposed to provide details of their groups or firms with the police. The police and forest officials had also planned extensive patrolling in the areas of trekking. In 2013, around 300 trekkers had gone missing from the famous Rajmachi fort located near Lonavla and two girls from Mumbai went missing while trekking on Lohgad near Lonavla. In 2014, two girls who fell behind the rest of their group were molested by unidentified persons on Lohgad near Lonavla. In the same year, a group of trekkers from Pune was robbed at night in Velha. Many police complaints of molestation, thefts and people going missing in the forest areas had made the police to plan night trek ban. Lohiya said that night patrolling operation has helped to check cases of molestation and thefts. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com ASHISH PHADNIS
Many police complaints of molestation, thefts and people going missing in the forest areas had made the police to plan night trek ban
as a result of tuberculosis, respiratory and heart diseases, stroke and cancer. • Implementation of Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act (COTPA) 2003 and several subsequent amendments • Increasing taxes on tobacco products • Incorporation of tobacco control in school curriculum • Ban tobacco containing food substances under Food Safety and Standard Act of India, 2011 Promoting Oral Health in Indian population: A powerful public health campaigns to promote good oral hygiene would have beneficial effects not only in reducing oral cancer incidence but several other disorders of the oral cavity. National Alcohol Control Policy: Alcohol consumption is a well-known risk factor for the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The country needs a National Alcohol control policy to reduce production, sale, consumption, advertisement of alcohol products Oral cancer Screening Programme: A well-structured national oral cancer screening programme may lead to early detection and prevention of oral cancers. Oral cancer is our unique problem and it is for us to find a solution rather than look westward. (Dr Chaturvedi is an associate professor and Head and Neck cancer surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai)
Pansare couple defies death
Plan was proposed after hikers went missing or met with accidents The police officer said that it was not possible to cover the large expanse of hilly regions, other than popular spots of Lonavla and Khandala. The police authorities have also put away the plan to start the registration system for night treks. “It cannot be implemented,” Lohiya said, adding that the police have requested the forest officials to register entries of night trekkers. Generally, night treks in the forest areas starts at around 8 pm and concludes on the following evening. In June 2014, the police planned to ban night treks and even laid down rules to be followed by hikers following incidents of trekkers going missing, being robbed and molested. The rules included night trekkers registering their trek plans with the local police stations and registering their names with forest department. Commercial trekking organisations
Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi says controlling the largely preventable disease needs a multi-pronged approach
APPROACHES TO REDUCE ORAL CANCER Reduce tobacco and areca nut consumption: According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released in November 2010, nearly 160 million Indians are using smokeless Tobacco. In India, an alarming number of school children and young adults are picking up this habit. Tobacco is responsible for 1 in 5 of all male deaths in middle age. Men, who smoke, lose ten years of their lives,
Police take a U-turn on night trek ban BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke
‘Five lakh people die of oral cancer every year ’
Senior CPI leader and anti-toll crusader, Govind Pansare (84) and his wife Uma (70), sustained serious bullet injuries, when unidentified motorcycle-borne masked assailants shot at them. The incident took place at Ideal Housing Society, located in the vicinity of Sabarmala in Kolhapur, on February 16. The elderly couple was returning home from their daily morning walk at Shivaji University. Pansare, who is popularly known as Anna in Kolhapur, has been at the forefront of the ongoing agitation against toll collection. Several such agitations were staged at the toll booths in Kolhapur, under the leadership of Pansare and N D Patil, leader of the Kolhapur Anti-Toll Committee. Doctors treating him said that Pansare is out of danger and is recuperating. The octogenarian had to undergo three surgeries. The suspects fi red five bullets, out of which three hit Pansare, while one brushed his wife Uma’s head and one missed the mark. The incident has set off a turmoil in the state’s political-socio circles. Some activists have even drawn parallels between the assassination of anti-superstition activist Dr Narendra Dabholkar in Pune and the deadly attack on the Pansares. Pansare too has campaigned extensively against superstition and blind faith. Over the course of six decades, he has strived to eradicate the evils in society. For the past few years, Pansare has taken up an active involvement in the anti-toll tax
IANS
FEBRUARY 21, 2015
People stage a protest against attack on veteran CPI leader comrade Govind Pansare and his wife in Kolhapur
collection movement in Kolhapur. His close friends informed the police that a few months ago Pansare had received threat mail from Pune, that had a pointblank warning: Tumcha Dabholkar Karu (you will meet with the same fate as Dabholkar). However, Pansare ignored the threat. Pansare had also made public statements against the right wing organisations or groups. Pansare, who hails from Ahmednagar, migrated to Kolhapur to pursue his education. In 1952, he became a member of the Communist Party of India (CPI) and was chairman of CPI’s Central Controlling Committee.
A few months ago Pansare had received threat mail warning: Tumcha Dabholkar Karu
He had led many agitations associated with the labour movements and has also written a number of books on the labour movement in India, and the harassment of and rights of the labours, and related issues. He was instrumental in maintaining peace in Kolhapur after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and during other times of unrest. Pansare suffers from diabetes and has undergone heart surgery. INVESTIGATION TEAMS FORMED The Kolhapur police have formed 10 teams to investigate the case. Police teams from Pune and Mumbai are also in Kolhapur. Senior Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers have also got involved. It is suspected that the assailants fled towards the Maharashtra–Karnataka border after the incident. Police are looking for a two-wheeler which was used in the crime. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
The businesses made off observations P7
Pune has 42 engineering colleges, one of the highest in a city in the world. — Urban Management in India by Ramaih Bheenaveni
Over 200 pools
The actor-producer’s woes continues as Kaichi Productions files winding up petition TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly
Renowned coach Jitendra Khasnis laments the lack of infrastructure and international standard swimming pools in Pune
Pune has produced a number of swimmers who have made a mark both at the state and national levels. The list includes Sarita Kendre who set a new national record in 1986 and Karishma Sadarangani who used the ‘wave’ style in the breast stroke event to good effect. Amol Adhav, who swam seven seas and Arti Ghorpade, who recently claimed three national gold medals, are the other swimmers who have made the city proud. The tragedy is that besides the abovementioned, the city has not spawned an Olympian or world-class star. And lack of infrastructure is to be blamed. Pune does have a large number of swimming pools, but none of these are of international standard. This makes it difficult and nearly impossible for swimming coaches to groom champions, says renowned coach Jitendra Khasnis. Khasnis, who has won over 2,000 state and national medals during his swimming days, turned to coaching in 1990 and has coached several medal winners. “I feel that the swimming scene in Pune has taken a downturn and we must take the necessary steps to improve standards. Though the swimmers have improved, their numbers are on the decline. At the recently held national games, not a single swimmer from Pune won an individual medal. We are
Jitendra Khasnis coaching students at Nilu Phule swimming tank near Swargate
way behind in terms of producing an Olympian,” said Khasnis.
LACK OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS A world class training facility and POOLS GOOD FOR infrastructure are needed to produce BEGINNERS ONLY a world class champion. But Pune, Khasnis feels that swimming in swimmers are forced to make do with the Pune is mainly a recreational activity and existing facilitates. suitable for beginner or intermediate level “In most European countries, the swimmers. pools are mainly indoor or enclosed “During every summer vacation, to protect the swimmers from the all the swimming pools in the city are wind, weather and pollution. They also overcrowded, but very few of them maintain the right water temperature, have a competitive format and few thus allowing swimmers to train in swimmers take to swimming as a career any time of the year. But we don’t have option. The reason is a such facilities and most lack of motivation and swimmers stay out of infrastructure. We have the water during winter. around 232 swimming So their performance is pools in Pune, out of affected by the climatic which only 15-20 can be conditions,” said considered up to the mark Khasnis. for competitive training. According to him, as Except Balewadi, most per international norms, of these pools have some every pool must have shortfall or the other,” at least 8 to 10 lanes. said Khasnis. “But that’s not the case He said that an here. Jumping blocks are improper pool can missing at some pools, - JITENDRA KHASNIS affect a swimmer’s and the 15m mark line performance adversely. is not visible,” he said. “The performance of a The quality of water swimmer increases by 10 to 15 per cent is a crucial aspect. But very few pools pay when he or she trains abroad. And if they attention to it. can’t train abroad, they find it difficult to “Pools must use an ozonised filtration qualify for the World Championships or system, but that’s expensive. So, most pools any other major events,” he said. still use chlorine granules, which irritates
“I feel that the swimming scene in Pune has taken a downturn.”
the eyes and can cause allergic reactions,” said Khasnis. POOL MAINTENANCE The Pune District Swimming Association doesn’t have its own swimming pool and coaches like Khasnis, Vinay Marathe and Manoj Erande, conduct coaching at private pools. About the cost of a world class swimming pool, Khasnis said, “It takes around `3-3.50 crore to build a fullyequipped pool. But, maintenance is a huge task. It’s the same case at Balewadi, where maintaining the facilities is a difficult task. They have a touch pad facility which clocks swimmers’ timings, it is used during international tournaments only and so there are always disputes over timings in local tournaments.” ABOUT JITENDRA KHASNIS Khasnis was the first swimmer to swim from Dharamtar creek to the Gateway of India. He was an inter-university gold medallist for five successive years Khasnis has coached five Chhatrapati award winning swimmers, including Meghna Paranjape, Rutuja Deshpande, Shantanu Moghe, Jalja Deshpande and Jalja Shirole. He also coaches Gauri Gadgil, who won a silver medal in the Special Olympics Summer Games held in Beijing in 2007. Marathi movie Yellow, is based on real events of her life and her training with Khasnis. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com
CCTVs kaput at FRO, cops clueless! 16 cameras were installed at the Foreigners’ Registration Office and Special Branch in 2011 BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke The 16 CCTV cameras installed at the Foreigners’ Registration Office (FRO) and Special Branch at the office of Police Commissionerate on Church Road have either disappeared or are not functioning. The facility was installed at the sensitive offices four years ago to check the complaints of corruption and harassment faced by foreign nationals. Interestingly, both the Deputy Commissioners of Police (Special Branch and FRO), who joined their offices seven months ago, claim ignorance of the ‘unavailability’ of this crucial facility.
Senior police officers claim ‘ignorance’ about non-functioning of CCTVs at the FRO
The critical importance of the CCTV facility was underlined when David Coleman Headley aka Daood Sayed Gilani, the American terrorist of Pakistani origin, had allegedly visited the city
and filled his C Form with the Special Branch prior to the German Bakery bomb blast on February 13, 2010, that claimed the lives of 17 people and injured 60. Investigations revealed that Headley had stayed in a hotel located near German Bakery and had done a recce of the Koregaon Park area, including the food joint. It is not clear when, why and how the facility became non-functional. A senior police officer said that discussions are going on for re-installation of the cameras. “But the question of why it was taken out of service remains unanswered,” he said. Joint Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said that he has instructed the officers to put in place the facility at the earliest. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com
Girl found dead on terrace, resort’s CCTV non-working
The body of the girl was found on the rooftop of Kumar Resort in Lonavla
BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke The body of a seven-year-old girl, who disappeared from a resort, was found on the hotel’s terrace after two days. The illmaintained and non-functional CCTVs at the hotel hindered the search operation. The girl was found murdered on the rooftop of Kumar Resort, one of the famous
hotels in Lonavla. The girl and her father had were staying at the resort to attend a wedding ceremony. The body bore cut marks on the throat, police said. Lonavla City Police found that her clothes were torn and there were possibilities that she might have been sexually abused. Late on Tuesday night, the body was brought to Sassoon General Hospital. The victim and her parents hail from Indapur and had come to Lonavla to attend the marriage ceremony on February 15. The girl disappeared during the wedding function. Additional Superintendent of Police (Pune rural) Vijay Magar said that the medical reports of the victim are awaited. “There might be a case of sexual assault, but as of now, we have fi led a murder case against the unidentified person,” he said. Magar said that the victim had some issues with her eye vision and was a slow learner.
Hum Saath Saath Hain P 10
Paltry sum ‘costs’ Shreyas dear
in the city, but not a single champion
BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish
PUNE
On the CCTV facility at the resort, Magar said that some of the CCTV cameras were found functioning and some were dead. “Proper CCTV facility would have helped in the probe,” he said. RESORT’S VERSION Dhiraj Ailani, director of Kumar Resort, claimed that his staff was cooperating with the police. “The premises has been under renovation for a while now. We were overhauling the CCTV system and installing 110 new ones. Unfortunately, because the entire system was being upgraded, though some of the newly installed cameras had been activated, the storage device for the feed was not in place,” said Ailani, whose family has owned Kumar Resort and Amusement Park since 1992. He added that there were several outsiders on the property and his staff cannot be singled out. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com
Actor-producer Shreyas Talpade may not have anticipated that a small payment dispute with a company could become his Achilles heel. Last year, Talpade and his wife Dipti, directors of Affluence Movies Private Limited, were dragged to court in Mumbai for a cheque Shreyas Talpade’s ‘non-payment’ of a few thousand rupees has snowballed to `1,23,000 bouncing criminal complaint filed by Kaichi Productions through its Partner Jash Shah for `50,000. The amount was towards the VFX Services rendered by Kaichi Productions and the same remained unpaid to the tune of around `1,23,000. The dispute revolves around alleged non payment of dues by Talpade who produced Poshter Boyz, the highest grossing Marathi films last year. Kaichi has filed a Winding Up Petition in Bombay High Court at Bombay, against Talpade in capacity as managing director and Dipti T as director of the company, under the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956. The petition states that the company is unable to pay its debts and under provisions of the Act, Affluence Movies be wound up and the official liquidator be appointed to take charge of the assets of the said company. In addition, Kaichi Productions have filed a summary suit for recovery of their money. Kaichi Productions have also filed a complaint with the Film and Television Producers Guild of India as well as the Indian Motion Pictures Association (IMPPA) for the harassment caused to them by not paying a paltry amount of `1,23,000 approximately plus interest, and availing of their services for the movie Poshter Boyz produced by them. Talpade, however, has been denying this vehemently. At his end says that Shah is using arm twisting techniques to defame him. He claims that Shah’s company was excluded from the film’s credits because they did a shoddy job. The complaint, a copy of which is available with this paper, says that initially the amount agreed between the parties was `7 lakh, which was later brought down to `5.5 lakh. “After the release of the movie on August 1, 2014, the directors of the company failed and neglected to pay the rest of the consideration amount and also failed to clear the service tax amount in the invoice,” the complaint states. In response to this Talpade said that the cheque bounced not because of insufficiency of funds, but because of a technical glitch in the date line. Talpade maintained his stance and said that he has cleared payments amounting to `4 crore, so there is no reason why he would hold back a few thousands more. He reasons in his response before the court - “It was blackmail and I am appalled by their unprofessional attitude. I’m not going to ‘settle’ this but will fight it out in court.” Advocate Tushar P Gujjar of Solicis Lex, representing Shah remained unavailable for comment. The next hearing of case is March 24, 2015. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
PUNE
The first Google Doodle was a vacation announcement. It was a stick man standing in the company logo. —http://www.steegle.com/
The fad of financial literacy
New and exciting version of yoga comes to Pune
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P 11
Your search for roomie ends here Picking a roommate can be difficult task; ‘Flatchat’ helps you solve this issue. The app helps you connect to the perfect roommate
USERS REVIEW
1. Anshul Gurbaxani: “Absolutely loved it! A great concept. Plus a great back end team ready for full support. This is the first time I’m writing a review ever, simply because these guys deserved it!” 2. Shikha Maheshwari: “They assigned me an assistant Riya, she actually helped me with the owner contacts, appointments with them. And she did know the areas in and out, it wasn’t like someone who is following a flowchart.” 3. Nikhil Kejriwal: “Was looking for a place and came across this app. I got a flat for myself within 2 day! Must say it’s a brilliant idea/initiative. Quick and polite responses. Thanks a lot guys!!”
BY ANJALI SHETTY @shetty_anjali Finding the right home in a big city can be a daunting task itself. Finding a compatible roommate is another hurdle. Gaurav Munjal (24) has found the solution to the endless residence hunt by launching Flatchat, an app that connects you to people who are finding roommates or have a flat on rent. Munjal, a computer engineering student from Narsee Monjee Engineering College Mumbai decided to come up with the app after he saw his friends struggle for residence. In 2013, the app was launched to a roaring response. It has helped youngsters in major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, Kota, Jaipur, Gurgaon find a home away from home. Flatchat’s mechanism cuts down on broker visits and the endless waiting on Facebook groups where people search for roommates. The ‘Flatchat Assistant’ feature is a virtual personal assistant that looks out for options that adhere to the preentered requirements by the user. “Communication is important when it comes to
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Shikha Maheshwari, an app use
Download the application. Fill the form that include questions on budget, localities and dates to move in. If not satisfied, a Flatchat assistant will guide you further
what motivates the team. We try our finding a home. I decided to make that best to deliver quality options in the our USP. The idea came up when I went on least amount of time possible. The team a date through a mobile app. My date and is always geared up and on toes to match I discussed on the possibilities of finding a up user’s preferences!” roommate just like the way we had found a The team also has a security date. This is how the idea for Flatchat struck mechanism in place. They match same me,” said Munjal. gender profiles to avoid stalkers. Rajat Ahuja, chat operations, Gaurav believes that with Flatchat Flatchat said, “Everyday is he can bring a game-changing a new challenge, and innovation on the home-hunting every challenge front the way Uber and Ola changed is worth it the radio-cabs scenario. The app has when our 9,000 users and an average 4.5 rating u s e r s - RAJAT AHUJA on Google Play store. On an average finalise three to four people find a home on t h e a daily basis through the app. They place are aiming at recording one lakh messages in a month. we suggest. The Currently they are at 70,000. satisfaction of anjali.shetty@goldensparrow.com helping people is
“The idea of an app for finding a compatible roommate came when I found my date on an app.”
Pune get mobile app to check air pollution India’s earth sciences ministry Tuesday launched the country’s first air quality mobile application to provide the forecast for air quality and corresponding health advisories in real time. The service is presently for Delhi and Pune. Available on Android at present, SAFAR-AIR will provide current and one to three day forecast based on a colour-coded system indicating air quality, where red would mean “very poor”. Developed by scientists at the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
that had earlier designed country’s first air quality forecasting scheme - system for air quality forecasting and research (SAFAR) this mobile app can be downloaded free of charge at http://safar.tropmet.res.in. It is also available on Google Play Store and on the ministry’s website. The users in Delhi and Pune, the first two cities to get the service, would now be able to plan their personal outdoor activities based on the advisories on the app. SAFAR-Mumbai will be launched in April 2015.
Releasing the app, Earth Sciences Secretary Shailesh Nayak said SAFARAIR was a government effort to generate consciousness among people and orient them towards a sustainable lifestyle low on carbon emissions. He said the initiative would help policy makers adopt city-level practical measures for clean air. Delhi would have air quality information and advisories available for five locations while it would be four - in Pune. IANS
Got a smartphone? Start livestreaming Brazilian journalist and photographer Bruno Torturra at a TED conference, talked about the power of livestreaming, the live experience and perspective it gives the readers BY YASH DAIV @yash009
big vans and the teams and the cameras, and I was basically doing the same thing and all I had was a backpack,” he said. The coverage garnered 90,000 views. He started to experiment with livestreaming in different ways, not only in the streets but mostly in studios and in homes, until the beginning of 2013, last year, when he co-founded a group called Mídia NINJA. NINJA is an acronym that stands for Narrativas Independentes Jornalismo e Ação, or in English, independent narratives, journalism, and action. They had little
finance. They thrived upon the hyperconnected environment of social media that allowed them to consolidate a network of experimental journalists throughout the country. At the same time street protests started to erupt in São Paulo. It posed him with the conflict of narrative. “There was this mainstream media version of the facts that anyone who was on the streets could easily challenge if they presented their own vision of what was actually happening there,” he said. The protests, the bus fare hikes
Frontback: Click yourself, click others at the same time This application will let you take a selfie and a group picture at the same time! Frontback app lets you use your dual cameras at once. It takes pictures from the front facing and the rear camera instantly, that way you can have your selfie and also tell the world the awesome place you are in. The app is also integrated with social features where the most popular uploads , nearby your phone can be surfed through. The new ‘reaction’ feature lets you interact with others using a 5 second video. Available for: IOS only
Magisto: Give a cinematic tinge to your videos
Magisto is best suited for curious beginners who want to give that cinematic tinge to their recordings. It has inbuilt themes that give a certain colour to the video. The user can you alter and match the audio and video even after the movie is created. Inapp purchases include a subscription to their pro features, which includes unlimited cloud storage space and downloads, and the ability to make longer movies. Videos can also be uploaded to Magisto’s website. Available for: iOS, Android, Amazon
TuneIn Radio: The universe of radios on your phone This is your tool to get the 1,00,00 live radio stations crooning live on your phone. The app offers a multitude of local content as well, provides on-demand streams encompassing sports, news, talk shows, music, current events, among other offerings. The app is not only for listener but also for enthusiastic broadcasters. If the broadcast is interesting enough, the user might just attract a few or all of the 50 million listeners. Available for: IOS, Android
Fitocracy: Democracy of fitness lovers
TED is a global platform where people from different fields come together and speak for 18 minutes or less about their respective disciplines. It was started in 1984 by a non-profit organisation called Sapling Foundation, under the slogan — Ideas worth sharing. Initially it organised conferences where matters related to technology, design and entertainment merged, but today it includes varied topics such as business, photography, art, science and the like.
“Livestreaming; the power of independent broadcasts through the web can be a gamechanger in journalism, activism, and as I see it, in the political discourse as well,” said Bruno Torturra, Brazilian live streaming activist during the TEDGlobal 2014 conference. His discourse declared the immediate need of covering events as they happen, to capture the true essence, horror, in short the reality of the situation. That idea dawned on him in early 2011 when he was covering the cannabis legalization protest in São Paulo. A group started to move, the riot police came from the back with rubber bullets, bombs, and then the gas. He had entered that protest as the editor-in-chief of a well-established printed magazine where the unsolicited effects of tear gas, literally opened up his eyes. He wanted to impart the raw experience to the masses. Next time he came on the streets with simple equipment with. “I had this weblink that could be shared through social media, could be put in any website, and that time, the protest went along fine. There was no violence. But there was something really exciting, because I could see at a distance the TV channels covering it, and they had these
APP WORLD
were about the people’s demands, their expectations. The country was suffering through a political catharsis. It was in that environment that Mídia NINJA emerged from almost anonymity to become a national phenomenon, because we did have the right equipment. They used smartphones which allowed them to become invisible in the middle of the protests. “We were able to show what it was like to be in the protests, to present to people at home a subjective perspective,” he said. The broadcast turned Mídia NINJA into a public service to the citizen, to the protester, to the activist, because they had a very efficient and peaceful tool to confront both police and media authority. He believes livestream can turn cyberspace into a global political arena where everyone might have a voice, a proper voice. “Livestream takes the monopoly of the broadcast political discourse, and it empowers the citizen through this direct and nonmediated power of exchanging experiences,” he said. It empowers the common man to question authoritarian perspectives. “It helps the citizen to put him- or herself in other people’s place. This substitution should be a journalist’s intention, but most of all, any good politics,” he said. yashdaiv@gmail.com
Fitocracy is a network and a bustling democracy of fitness worshippers. It introduces the user to a world of fitness coaches, nutrition experts, and other folks from a wide variety of fitness backgrounds. It turns this world into a game in which you enter strength training, cardio, and nutrition challenges, gain points, and track your progress toward the ultimate goal: optimal health and fitness. Available for: IOS, Android
For leisurely reading: Pocket Have you ever wasted too much time reading interesting articles or links when you should be doing something else? Did you know that you could actually pocket these important links? Pocket, the application, is a great offline reading tool that allows the user to select and save articles, pictures and videos for later viewing. Furthermore the user can organize the list by sorting out the articles he or she has saved. Available for: Android, iOS
An online library of films: SnagFilms SnagFilms is that video store you have been looking for. It has a collection of all kinds of films (including Indie), which can be watched online. It has a collection of 5,000 independent movies, TV shows and documentaries. The platform features a discovery tools empowering members to discover, watch and recommend a wide range of professional online video content. The SnagFilms viewing experience is available everywhere, enabling audiences to watch professional, award-winning video, including on over 110,000 affiliate sites and its sector-leading applications on mobile, set-top box and home entertainment devices. Available for: IOS, android, windows, smart TVs
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
“In a few years, nearly 30 per cent of the world’s billiondollar companies will be from India. India’s startup ecosystem has become attractive for investors.” — David Lawee, partner at Google Capital
Creative entrepreneurs on a single platform Film producer Guneet Monga, Universal Music representative Devraj Sanyal and NGO Goonj founder-director Anshu Gupta will be part of ‘The Coalition 2’, a platform to support creative entrepreneurs. A lineup of speakers, workshops and other activities has been put together for the event, to be held Feb 27 to March 1 at the Buddh International Circuit in Noida. The entrepreneurs will be able to connect with like-minded people who can help them turn their passion into profitable, scalable and sustainable businesses. The event will also have workshops, which will mostly be business skills boot camps and industry master classes covering a range of topics relevant to creative entrepreneurs in the present scenario.
Venture Capital firm will raise $150-200 million for its technology-focused fund Ventureast Proactive. The fund will be employed on firms leveraging cloud technologies, operating in digital health space, social media and the Internet of things. Ventureast, which manages a $300 million fund and largely focuses on technology, life sciences and clean environment, expects to close the round in the next three months. This growth story, has helped some early stage investors and VCs as Nexus Ventures, IDG Ventures and Helion Venture Partners.
They did not fall at the first hurdle
College-goers who studied in Pune, utilised their talents and surrounding observations into making successful entrepreneurs out of themselves YASH DAIV @yash009 Serendipity within a comfort zone gives out the most dazzling output. Such an anecdote is applicable to those young minds who have thought beyond their college’s reassuring boundaries. Going beyond the curriculum, some college goers have nurtured their ideas into successful businesses. letsintern.in was established to end the struggle for internships Pranay Swarup was a carefree BCom student at Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce 12 years ago until he was pushed into an international programme by AIESEC. Being a believer of ‘karma’, this
would train them, in adjudging the different aspects of a job; the salary, the brand and the job role, teeming the latter the most important and what the young minds should look up to. Today, letsintern.com is a hub for college students where various companies from all over the country come in search of interns.
philosophy, he claims, has helped him be a leader. During his tenure as student, he and his batch-mates had struggled for internships. Swarup along with his friend Rishabh Gupta decided to build up a network to ease-up the process of finding internships. In 2010, when the technology start-ups were high, the duo decided to take charge. What started in a make-shift office out of our bedroom in 2010 has facilitated more than 10,000 Internships across major cities of this country. They have been judged by Economic Times’ Power of Ideas and Nasscom as amongst the top 50 start-ups to watch out for in 2010 and 2011 respectively. “The whole idea behind letsintern. com was to lend exposure to students during college,” he said. The internships, RAHUL RAUT
Ventureast’s capital for technology start-ups
“We expect that within the next couple of years, we will have the second biggest startup ecosystem in the world.” — Nasscom, President, R Chandrashekhar ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
Signposts
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Co-founder letsride.in and co-founder Rajkumar Mundel started the website facilitate carpooling service after their experiences in Pune traffic
Shotgun Media’s zingy video skills got them attention Back in 2010, a bunch of college students Sumedh Natu, Soham Hundekar, Nikhil Iyer, Siddharth Sharma and Saiyam Wakchaure from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication formed Shotgun Media, an events company. The five friends saw the college festival as an opportunity to try their hand at documenting the events on video. “We did quite a lot of projects together volunteered at NH7, shot documentaries of the band scenes in Pune, covered many gigs, even sold tickets,” said Natu. A video that they shot for the college festival in the second year went viral. People took notice of their work and agencies dialed them. The success has been only climbing ever since. They established themselves as a production studio that generates video that revolve around the music scenario. They have worked with names like
Pranay Swarup, co-founder of letsintern.in started the website after he and his batchmates had to struggle for internships
Salim Sulaiman, Zila Khan and All India Bakchod to name a few. Community building through ride sharing is letsride.in’s objective 29-year-old Rajkumar Mundel the co-founder of letsride.in remembers himself asking for rides ever since he was in Class IX. Even when he was studying in Army Institute of Technology, Rajasthan, he asked for lifts. “I did not know the word carpooling the,” he said. Post college, Mundel came to Pune wherein he met his co-founders, Averi and Pravin Mane. Owing to their experiences in the traffic and the time
consumed in commuting they decided to launch a website that facilitated carpooling service. The first version of the website was launched in 2012, failed to garner any attention. The next version was amped up with social-media like features and was re-launched in September 2013. It was well received. “Our purpose besides ride-sharing was to connect people within their communities,” he said. The website today has 10,000 plus users from Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and other cities carpooling through the website. yashdaiv@gmail.com
Convoy for young minds
IntelligencePlus is an entrepreneurial conduit for young minds, where Pranjal Jain Gundesha teaches them to look beyond academics ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
BY MEGHA CHOUDHARY @meghaVchoudhary When the girls of her age were not sure about their career, Pranjal Jain Gundesha started School of Universal Learning (SOUL), with her father Vardhaman Jain, in 2006-07, at the age of 19. Four years later she started an education start-up IntelligencePlus, which gives students the entrepreneurial education. She is a National Federation of Neurolinguistic Programming, Venice, Florida (NLP) certified trainer and behaviour coach with a computer engineering degree from Pune Institute of Computer Technology and a degree in business and innovation from Moscow State University, Russia. In a tete-a-tete with The Golden Sparrow on Saturday, she talks about her journey as an entrepreneur.
Pranjal Jain Gundesha during a group of students at the Innoveture 2014 event, for fostering the ideals of entrepreneurship in young minds
Excerpts: What made you to pick up a niche concept and turn it into a successful business? Since my college days, I had definite goals. While at Pune Institute of Computer Technology, I was very firm that I wanted to start something on my own. It is this quest for independence because of which I started IntellegencePlus at the age of 23.
implement”. Challenge was educating parents of need of this kind of education. It was important to make parents understand the value of this concept. Then getting a dedicated team, reaching out to people, marketing and to do enough of prototype whether it is making an impact on children or not. Being a women entrepreneur, you have to balance work and life, which is very difficult.
How did you come up with the idea? Idea came from SOUL, our initial venture working in to corporate training. I realized that people between a certain age group were not groomed enough. So I decided to nurture children beyond academic, right from their foundation year to prepare them for the real life. Schools prepare children for specific content based exams, but we wanted to prepare them beyond their curriculum. This very thought gave birth to IntellegencePlus in 2012. What challenges did you face? Developing the concept of entrepreneurial education for young minds was our primary challenge. Most people told me that I was trying to do something market is not even ready for and I received reactions like “you are few years ahead in what you are trying to
What do you think young minds will take away from such a course? India is a country that needs entrepreneurs. We should think about creating jobs and not just finding jobs. Entrepreneurial education will help a child understand himself better. Th rough such a course, they should understand the value of creation and get that satisfaction at the end of the day. Our curriculum focuses on activity and processes and projects which have practical relevance. We draw our research from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where instead of trying to train children in something they may never use in their life, we try to give them different platforms where they will be able to understand their passion and likings. What
have
been
your
notable
FOR THE
THRILL OF DRIVING
achievements? We are officially approved to run a ‘TED-Ed’ club. It trains children to deliver TED-style talk. We did Innoventure 2014- a fi rst ever entrepreneurship challenge for children - which saw participation of more than 1.25 lakh children from across the nation. What are your future plans? We want to take Innoventure to a national level and to NSDC (National Skill Development Corporation), so as to reach out to lower income schools. Our mission is to bring about a transformation in the lives of at least one million children in the next 10 years. What is an ideal trajectory for a young entrepreneur? My advice to young entrepreneur is if you are good at what you do and you have clarity of thought you can deliver, then you should go ahead. Unfortunately most people don’t have clarity of thoughts at young age. If you start early in your life like taking projects and internships, it helps you understand your strengths in a better way. megha.choudhary@goldensparrow.com
Subscribe online at www.ThrillOfDriving.com/magazine
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY
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FEBRUARY 21, 2015
JW Marriott,
Grand hotels seek only
Senapati Bapat Road
grand entry
Auto: The rickshaw driver was grumpy about trying to get into the hotel. He kept saying, “They won’t allow.” When we insisted, he turned towards the gate and we were stopped by the security guards. Our grumpy auto driver had the look of ‘I told you so’ on his face. The security guard on duty politely folded his hands and greeted us with a cheery namaste and added that the autorickshaw won’t be allowed to go in. We got out of the vehicle and requested him but he declined stating that it was a ‘management decision’.
pics Aniruddha Rajandekar
Hotel Westin, Koregaon Park
Auto: We were stopped at the gate and instructed to go to the entry to the banquet section of the hotel on the ground floor level. When asked about being allowed up the ramp that leads to the restaurants where we intended to go, we were told that autorickshaws are not allowed up the ramp. The reason cited was ‘management decision’. We were told that once dropped off at the ground floor, we could take the elevators up to the restaurants.
Scooter: We were not allowed to get into the hotel through the entrance and were asked to turn around and go to the ‘other’ gate to park our vehicle. We requested the security personnel to allow us to go in only to drop the pillion rider off but were refused.
Move on you lesser mortals - this seemed to be the attitude of most star hotels in the city when TGS Team Member went there in an auto rickshaw and a scooter
Ritu Goyal Harish @Ritugh Scooter: As we arrived at the gate on our scooter, we were politely declined entry and asked to go to a side entrance which led to the designated twowheeler parking, from where we would have to walk into the hotel. As we argued over why we are never stopped when we come in a car, the security personnel politely nodded his head and said it’s a ‘management decision’ and two wheelers are not allowed into the foyer/lobby area.
Hyatt Regency, Viman Nagar
Citizen Speak
Auto: The autorickshaw driver stopped 50 metres short of the hotel saying that there was no point going up to the gate as we would not be allowed. Upon my insistence he drove up, and was directed to go to the side. The security guard informed us that rickshaws are not allowed to enter into the premises, as they are very ‘noisy’. Once again, ‘management decision’ was attributed to the reason why this was followed unquestionably.
Scooter: The security personnel shooed us to the side as he saw our scooter approaching the main gate. We were asked to go to the scooter parking and our pleas to allow us to go in just to drop the pillion rider off were not heard.
Hotel Sun-n-Sand, Bund Garden Road
Our city is famous for it s two wheelers and their riders. It’s known to have highest density of two wheelers – 48 per cent households have two-wheelers, as compared to mere 16 per cent in Mumbai. Of 35 lakh odd vehicles in the Pune, 75 per cent are two-wheelers. The numbers speak for themselves but do five star hotels in the city care? Not really. There is an almost bourgeois and subtle discrimination that is being perpetuated in the hotels in our city. Patrons and guests are
welcomed with big smiles and greetings when they drive in a four-wheeler, especially if the car is fancy and expensive. But guests arriving in three and two wheeled vehicles are treated differently. In many big hotels, one cannot even go beyond the main gate, let alone riding right up to the lobby on a two or three wheeler. Autorickshaws, which don’t require parking facility (they’re usually meant to drop guests off), are not allowed from entering hotel lobbies and guests are expected to alight outside the gate and walk in. Two-wheelers have designated separate parking areas in
Scooter: This hotel has a signboard that requests guests on two wheelers to alight and park at the bottom of the ramp that leads up to the lobby. Guests have to park and walk up the ramp to access the restaurants and other hotel services.
Last weekend when I visited one of the wellknown five stars of the city, I was shocked. At the entrance as I was waiting for my friends to join me, I noticed a young couple driving up the lobby on a bike. The security at the gate curtly informed them to park the vehicle at the parking lot. A fracas broke out between the guards and the couple who was not allowed to drive up the ramp. The whole incident was unfortunate. I didn’t expect this in our city. Just because they were on the bike, they were humiliated. The rule of not allowing bikes and autos to the lobby entrance in five star hotels should be done away with. Patrons should not be singled out on the basis of their cars and bikes. Ravina Moolani, 42, professional The rule of not allowing two and three wheelers to the hotel lobby is disgusting. I remember the time when I had planned brunch with my friends in a five star hotel. As my car had gone for servicing, I decided to rick it. The auto was stopped as we crossed the gate and I had to walk up to the lobby. As I was wearing a sundress, I was conscious. All eyes were on me. I would have preferred the rickshaw to drop me at the entrance. How does it affect a hotel if one drives up in an auto or bike? Hotels should welcome their guests and not discriminate on how they arrive at. Sheel Chaudhuri, 35, homemaker
the irrationality of this action. Ideally, whether you arrive in a fancy three box car, or a two-wheeler, or a three-wheeler, or even walk down, and as long as you have money in your pocket to enjoy the hospitality star hotels offer, your mode of transportation should not bother them. But in Pune, it is your ride that determines your status. TGS Team went around the city and tried gaining entry into six five stars on a humble Honda scooter and a modest auto rickshaw. The results were astounding. ritugoyalharish@gmail.com
Juzer Latif, AGM, Sun n Sand “It is very dangerous to allow three wheelers to climb up our steep ramp, the vehicle can skid in reverse. We of course make exceptions to this, if a lady is dressed for an occasion or something like that. We have a lot of conferences where we allow two wheelers to come into the hotel. They have to park in the parking area and walk up the ramp. We are a friendly hospitable hotel and this is not done for snob value, but for the safety of our guests. We are here to do business.”
Le Meridien, RBM Road
Athiti devo bhava... all customers are to be treated equal. How can one be judged by how he or she arrives at the hotel? The hotel owners are biased. This rule has to be stopped. Why this divide? Why are we tolerating this? In fact, abroad I have seen bicycle stands right in front of hotels. My question is if you being an Indian do not respect fellow Indians, how do you expect others to respect you? Namrapal Chudasama, 42, businessman
“Being an emcee, I have to visit five star hotels very often for my shows. Considering the Pune traffic, it’s a convenient option to take the bike at times. It’s a shame that most five stars discriminate between customers and don’t allow them to take bikes inside.” Chaitanya Rathi, 33, emcee
“There is a drastic shift in the way even the security at hotels treat you, it depends on the kind of vehicle you choose to arrive in. Bikes being the lowest in the food chain! If I have a different access to a hotel when I come in a bike then shouldn’t I also have a different price list?” Prachla Malhotra, 44, Learning Consultant
‘Management Decision’ Spokesperson, Hyatt Regency “In an effort to accommodate guest comfort in a noise and pollution free environment, we prefer not to allow two wheelers and rickshaws into the premises.”
Auto: The autorickshaw was stopped at the gate and we were asked about where we wished to go. Within seconds we were cleared to go ahead. Out auto driver zoomed towards lobby area via the ramp.
most hotels, which also happen to be outside the main entrance (usually located on the side, away from the main entrance) and almost all of them don’t allow scooters or bikes into their lobbies or foyer areas. If you wish to drop your pillion rider at the lobby, dream on. Some hotels claim it’s the noise that they fear will disturb their clients, while others claim that it’s a logistical issue – after all two wheelers don’t need a valet parking. The discrimination is understated but the body language, fiercely contemptuous of the guests arriving on a scooter or bike especially those who argue with security personnel over
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Spokesperson, JW Marriott “Like most of the five star hotels in the city and the country, we at JW Marriott follow certain parking rules as well. We allow three wheelers to the porch if it has elderly guests/ guests with luggage/ handicapped guests in it. Similarly, we have a separate parking for two wheelers, the entry to which is adjacent from the main entrance of the hotel. We have valet service for the cars and therefore, letting two and three wheelers in the lobby can create a lot of traffic and chaos since valets can’t park them.” Officials at Taj Vivanta were unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts. Le Meridian and Westin declined to comment.
Auto: We expected to be turned down like others. But at Le Meridien, the security didn’t create any fuss when we rode in an autorickshaw. The vehicle was checked in accordance to their security protocol and we were allowed to ride straight up to the lobby.
Scooter: On a scooter, however, we were stopped, and asked to go to the ‘other’ gate to park the scooter. We requested the guard to let us go through the main gate, as we just wanted to drop the pillion rider off at the lobby but were rudely asked to move away.
Taj Vivanta, Koregaon Park
Auto: We were pleasantly surprised when we reached the hotel’s main gate in a rickety autorickshaw. The security waved at us, asking us to halt. Guards checked the vehicle like they do with cars. Within seconds we were all clear and headed to the grand lobby. Our autorickshaw was checked in accordance with their security norms and we were allowed to go in and stop at the lobby area too. The security guy folded his hands in namaste and greeted us Scooter: The experience on the scooter was similar. The pillion had to alight to get the boot of the scooter checked for security purposes and was dropped off at the lobby entrance without being stopped, questioned or waved off! Way to go Taj Vivanta! Tell us what you think of the story. Scan the code to access the story on your phone. Write to us at: tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
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“In many cases, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited contract drivers have a history of ascidents. We have demanded that a proper system be put in place in this regard. PMPML should conduct detailed inquiries and explore reasons behind such incidents.” —Jugal Rathi, president, PMP Pravasi Manch
Aniruddha Rajandekar
Hum Saath Saath Hain
Kathak danseuse Amala Shekhar explores the literary facet of her creativity by reviving a family magazine called Nav Sahodar
By Anjali Shetty @shetty_anjali Kathank danseuse Amala Shekhar has thought of a better and more interactive way to bring families together. The Kothrud resident has revived a family
magazine that her maternal great grandfather Vishwanath Bhagwat had launched. “Titled Sahodar (born from the same womb), the magazine is a collection of articles written by family members. The second edition of the
magazine is called Nav Sahodar and it was relaunched in 2003, Suhas Naralkar was the editor then. I have launched the 2014-15 edition and I was a regular contributor to the earlier editions as well. The idea was to have a platform for like-minded people from
Finding an alternative way to store CO2 P 13
the family to bond,” said Shekhar, who does not restrict herself to a particular topic or section, as she wants her writing to be spontaneous. SECOND INNINGS: In the new edition, Shekhar speaks
about values and passing them on to dance postures. I could not have future generations. A popular dancer, thought of a better cover idea. I writing gives her another medium of specially got each page designed, creative expression. photocopied it and sent it to my “I enjoy writing and relatives. They knew I the compilation for the was a dancer but magazine took me two this aspect of my months. Each article personality amazed is handwritten on a them,” Shekhar said specially designed page. with a smile, I believe that values are She is very excited abstract and reflect your about the 2015-2016 behaviour. This book edition. Her guru reflects us as a family Rohini Bhate has and our thoughts,” she encouraged her to said. The 150-page write. “She loved my magazine contains 32 writings and often articles and 14 poems asked me to write - Amala Shekhar in English, Hindi and down my thoughts Marathi. on dance topics. I am “Our youngest contributor grateful to her for urging me to exercise is as young as 5 and the oldest is my writing skills.” 92. It is not a mere handbook of articles. I have planned and placed GLOBAL CONNECT: each article with utmost care. My The magazine has given Shekhar family members were amused that the opportunity to connect with her I had writing abilities. Everything fit so relatives around the world. The articles well, the poems, the art works and the started pouring in as soon as the word origami. Interestingly most of the art was out. works just happened to fit the theme of “There is an interesting article the book and they weren’t preplanned. that describes every member of our I believe when you work as a team family. This way people who haven’t things automatically fall in place,” said met in years will still feel connected. Shekhar. It is about connecting and reconnecting. I haven’t given bylines to anyone BRINGING FORTH on the index page. I want people to CREATIVITY: read every page and enjoy each piece,” A lot of thought and effort has she said. gone into the cover design. Shekhar The feedback has been great and has recreated each letter through Shekhar has asked contributors to send photographs of dance poses. The letters in handwritten articles. are reflected below and thus form a “With the invention of SMS and beautiful image on the cover. e-mail, we have forgotten the beautiful “I was initially worried about world of handwritten letters and notes. the cover as I wanted to present They beat printed matter hands down.” something meaningful and creative. One of my students suggested the anjali.shetty@goldensparrow.com
“The idea was to have a platform for like-minded people from the family to bond.”
Why Konkanis lack Symbians at the Climate on employment front Reality Leadership event The region has produced six Bharat Ratnas and some prominent national level figure, but this couldn’t assure jobs to millions of Konkanis
The training programme will be held at New Delhi and focus on India’s role in the climate change debate
By Quaid Najmi
The region has given many national-level figures to the country, among them six Bharat Mumbai: Maharashtra’s coastal Konkan Ratna awardees: in BR Ambedkar (born region conjures up vivid, enchanting images of in Mhow, but hailing from Konkan), Lata virgin beaches, the Arabian Sea and looming Mangeshkar, Vinayak Narhari ‘Vinoba’ Bhave, hillocks dotted by imposing seashore forts and Sachin Tendulkar, Pandurang Vaman Kane and lush greenery. Maharshi Dhondo Keshav Karve. There are snaky hilly roads hugging the Some other prominent names are: Bal hillsides, with lush orchards of mangoes, especially Gangadhar Lokmanya Tilak, Sarkhel (admiral) the world-famous Alphonso variety, cashewnuts, Kanhoji Angre, scholar RG Bhandarkar, religious chickoos, bananas, paddy fields in the valleys preachers Pandurang Sadashiv Sane Guruji, Shree mirroring the tall hills with big and small villages Narayan Vishnu alias Nana Dharmadhikari, his at regular intervals, all of which magically come son Dattaraya alias Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, alive during the annual 10-day Ganesh festival renowned socialist leader Madhu Dandavate. during the monsoon. But, amidst the rugged, However, Parab lamented that all this failed unexploited natural beauty of Konkan, with to bring about the much-needed change in the abundant rainfall, spread across 31,000 sq km in lives of the average Konkanis, who continue to Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and depend on small, slaving jobs while ignoring their Sindhudurg districts, there is seething unrest. independent entrepreneurial skills. Barring a few tokenist tourism ventures, the “The population of the coastal Maharashtra region which has thrown up six awardees of the region is more than 2.5 crore (25 million) - or Bharat Ratna - India’s highest civilian honour roughly 10 per cent of the state’s total as per remains vastly underdeveloped with 2011 Census. It is blessed with massive unemployment plaguing two major and 48 small ports. It the youth and gen-next, who are has the Tarapur Atomic Power forced to migrate to Mumbai or Station and the upcoming Pune and other big cities to take Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project up marginal jobs. “This region has and other things dotting its been overlooked by the government 760-km-long coastline. and industry for development. The But there are only 11,000 problem is compounded further industrial units and barely 20,000 since the 1970s. The migrants developed industrial plots. The slave in nearby cities and send MIDC has 10 IT parks and there money home to their families. are six private industrial parks, 60 It is uncharitably referred to as a SEZs, around 26,000 MSMEs ‘Postal Money Order Economy’,” and 1,250 large enterprises, Parab - Satish Parab Satish Parab, a top-notch insurance said, quoting official statistics. consultant and founder-chairman “But these do not generate of Mumbai’s Suvarna Konkan sufficient employment Foundation (SKF) NGO, told IANS. opportunities for the locals. Thus, Konkanis He lamented that although there are many comprise nearly 50 per cent of the migrant educational institutions and even a separate SSC/ unorganised working population of Mumbai and HSC examinations board, the region does not Thane. This must change. New entrepreneurial have a full-fledged university, except an agroopportunities need to be created so that there is research varsity, Ratnagiri’s Konkan Krishi reverse migration and pressures on the big cities Vidyapeeth. “Lacking opportunities, the Konkan reduce,” Parab said. youth are virtually addicted to low-paying jobs in The SKF has already begun with a media the unorganised sector in the cities, eking out a blitzkrieg, holding seminars and workshops in bare living and sending a few thousand rupees to schools, colleges and existing business enterprises support their families,” Parab explained. and reaching out to the ordinary Konkani village This month, SKF launched a mission to folk, emphasizing the quest for entrepreneurship. change the scenario and implement Chhatrapati “Our target is modest - ‘ghar wapasi’ of Shivaji’s mission of ‘Swarajya’ (self-rule) with a around 10 per cent of the migrants - so that by minor twist - “Majha Swaraj” (my self-rule) - by 2025, the entire Konkan region becomes a hub making the youth independent of small-time jobs of entrepreneurship and self-sufficency in all and equipping them with skills and abilities to economic respects,” Parab said optimistically. become entrepreneurs. IANS
“The Konkan youth are virtually addicted to low-paying job.”
Jubilant students from the Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts, Pune who will be participating the Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training in New Delhi
By Ritu Goyal Harish @ritugh The Climate Reality Project, the brainchild of Al Gore, former US vice-president, is conducting its 27th Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training in New Delhi from February 22 to 24. Nineteen students from the Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts (SSLA), Pune, have been selected by the nonprofit organisation to attend this training. These students will get an opportunity to understand climate change and its solutions. The focus is on India’s role in the climate change debate, and how they will help raise awareness about the phenomenon that is purported to affect nearly 60 per cent of our population in a few years. Trepidation about the training is high, as are the expectations. While to a few students the very idea of hearing Al Gore speak is exciting, to some it is his celebrity status they fear will take away from the training. “I don’t want this training to be a lie, much ado about nothing,” pointed out Nikunj Agarwal, whose cynicism arises from a past experience he had as a volunteer with a leading environment NGO. Nikunj’s scepticism is shared by Ayush
Tiwari. “There is no action in the climate change area in India politically and that is very scary,” Ayush said, pointing out that the expectations from the training may be fulfilled, but it would be an uphill task to get India’s politicians to understand the issue. Debolina Samanta added to the spectre of doubt. “Training programmes keep happening, it is ‘the after’ of the programme that will matter,” she said. While Sana Vaidya agreed, and said that Indians could no longer keep their eyes closed to the reality whatever may be the policy of the country. “Often with global issues, certain kinds of voices are heard and accepted. I hope that this climate change training will give us a local perspective,” said Tanushree Baijlal whose voice found an echo with others who don’t want this training to become another seminar on what the ‘world is going through’. “We have been learning about environmental issues throughout school and there is a degree of awareness. But we would like to know what we can do at the local level,” added Sanika Potnis. To Ritwik Sharma the training presents an opportunity to improve his own awareness about this global issue. “India is the second
most populated country in the world and we have a callous attitude to climate change. This training will give me the knowledge I need to raise awareness and understand how I can contribute,” he said. Sujay Mungekar said, “The knowledge I gain will help me combat the negative views on climate change.” Harsh Agarwal added to this thought. “It is our actions which causes calamities like the floods in Uttarakhand, in 2013. The training, knowledge and exposure we will get will help us spread the message of climate change.” Suman Manvi also felt that the emphasis of the programme on leadership, public speaking and communication skills are important to bring about small changes in the perception of the reality of climate change in our country. Anita Patankar, SSLA director, who spearheaded the process of enrolment of the students, wished to proffer them the opportunity to get inspired and learn from the best in the field. “In keeping with the goals of SSLA, we wish that our students serve their communities and the country, become good citizens, moving beyond the goals of getting a job, money etc. This is an opportunity for them to push the envelope in terms of their own lives,” she said. ritugoyalharish@gmail.com
“Mammography screening can reduce breast cancer deaths but most women are unaware that inconsequential disease can also be detected by screening, leading to over-diagnosis and over-treatment.” —Kirsten McCaffery, University of Sydney
Therapeutic benefits through dance
“Reducing time spent being sedentary even by engaging in lowintensity activities could have important cardiovascular benefits for older adults with mobility limitations.” —Thomas Buford, University of Florida Institute on Aging
Danzofit is a fun yet scientific blend of dance with functional training. Dr Nikita Mittal throws light on the benefits of the programme miss,” says Punebased Mittal, who is a physiotherapist and dance therapist.
BY ANJALI SHETTY @shetty_anjali Pune has many gyms and clubs that help their clients get and stay fit by techniques and programmes adopted from the West, or that are a new version of an established health regimen. But Dr Nikita Mittal’s Danzofit is a fitness programme that is unique. “The idea was to create an indigenous brand and a programme to suit one’s body and musicality. We have always relied on the West for dance fitness exercises like aerobics and Zumba. Danzofit is my way, a happy method to attain fitness. It is fun yet scientific, that makes it a routine you will never want to
“Danzofit has the huge benefit of the positive atmosphere where you can meet people and socialise.”
scientific. We have programmes for kids, professionals, housewives, students and just about anyone. You do not have to be a dancer or know dance to take it up. The steps are easy and simple.”
RHYTHM AND BALANCE: Danzofit is a blend of dance and functional training, and those who practice DANZOFIT it will benefit from CHALLENGE: its therapeutic effects The Danzofit like rejuvenation, deChallenge is a goalstress and boost in and result-oriented energy levels. programme, where “It works on the participants are - Dr Nikita Mittal mind, body and divided into teams, soul. Strengthens given extra attention the muscles, and exclusive nutrition reduces the fat content, increases counselling. “I not only know the energy levels, improves flexibility science but also the mental, emotional and stamina, besides learning make-up of each participant, making dances from around the world. It the programme 100 per cent reliable, improves the sense of rhythm and scientific and extremely effective,” balance and gives you a feeling of says Mittal. accomplishment in the company “Participants work out (dancing) of like-minded people,” says thrice a week at any of our four Mittal. premium facilities, and an additional About being different from outdoor activity in a park. Th is makes other fitness regimens, Mittal said, “A it fun and breaks the monotony. It is gym atmosphere is monotonous and a competition between teams to lose boring. As individuals we are alone, the maximum weight as a group. Th is and in the gym we work out alone. makes it super exciting as you are now Danzofit gives you the advantage not exercising alone, you have a team,” of a positive atmosphere, where you adds Mittal. can socialise as well. It is reliable and anjali.shetty@goldensparrow.com
WHY SHOULD ONE TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE? “Most of us take to fitness without a goal, hence we tend to give up or feel demotivated very soon. This challenge is a result-oriented two-month activity. So the goal is not only small, achievable and practical, but it also gives you the confidence that you did it. So chances that you will stick to it are way higher. We have a certified nutritionist on board, who creates customised plans for each client, gives them suitable lifestyle tips yet keeps eating a very simple task. No complicated recipes, no artificial substitutes or medications,” Mittal says.
Members of Danzofit Challenge working out at Kalyaninagar studio
Unhealthy, excessive tech use affecting kids’ development
Parents need to monitor their Internet usage, especially in presence of their children BY SAHANA GHOSH KOLKATA: Pestered by his parents to go out and play, 10-year-old Ashwin refused to budge from his gaming console. It was only after his harried parents promised more gaming time that he ventured out - that too for a bit. Instances of conflicts between parents and their tech-obsessed wards, poor social interaction and worsening of basic skills are some of the consequences of addiction to and excessive use of technology among children in India, experts warn. And it is not just a child health issue but a public health concern as well, National Indian Public Health Association president J Ravi Kumar said. “Technologies like the Internet, smartphones and electronic gadgets are essential for development, but the sideeffects of overuse is a concern for public
health,” Ravi Kumar told IANS. “Children tend to follow what their elders do. So when they see parents working for long hours on their laptops, they are bound to get influenced. This, in turn, results in conflicts: when parents try to limit their children’s exposure to electronic devices,” Ravi Kumar said. Ashwin’s parents, both employed in the IT industry in Kolkata, agree. “We do need to monitor our usage, especially in presence of Ashwin,” M Bhargav (names changed) told IANS. While for preteens, the attractions are mainly video games and gaming apps, for teens, social networking and Internet activity are the top draw, said Manoj Kumar Sharma, associate professor at the Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore. Sharma said the institute’s SHUT
clinic (Service for Healthy Use of Technology) receives three to four mails per week from other states of India from parents of teenagers - enquiring about the service as well as possibility of online help or telephone counselling. “We get users of video gaming, mobile texting, social networking sites and pornography in the age group of 14-19 years, belonging to mid-toupper socio-economic class. They are predominantly male and indulge in online activities on their smartphone or at home computers or cyber cafes and have low to zero knowledge of cyber laws,” Sharma told IANS. Counselling was sought by parents in the wake of declining academic grades, behavioural changes in the form of irritability or angry outbursts when restricted in usage of technology by adults, said Sharma. IANS
Christopher Harrison demonstarting aerial yoga at AntiGravity studio in Aundh
Suspension-based Yoga makes way in the city Former American gymnast and founder and creator of a fitness brand AntiGravity, Christopher Harrison introduces an aerial version of the ancient form TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly PUNE: Yoga is constantly evolving and it has undergone an exponential growth in recent years. Aerial Yoga is the latest evolution and it is former gymnastics champion Christopher Harrison, who has introduced this new form to the western world. Th is completely new genre of Yoga that moves from a being ground-based to suspension practice, is now coming to Pune. Harrison, the founder and creator of internationally renowned entertainment and fitness brand AntiGravity, has launched its fi rst fitness certified Yoga studio in Aundh, in association with Biorhythm India. The origins of Yoga have been traced back to pre-Vedic Indian traditions. The gurus from India introduced Yoga to the West, where it became popular as a system of physical exercise. Harrison worked in India, in 1996, as a choreographer for the Miss India Pageant opening and closing ceremonies. He had then learnt the techniques of Yoga and now, nearly 20 years later, he is bringing his version of Yoga here. It will be for the fi rst time ever that Indians will experience a new version of what they have conceived, which is being developed in the USA. Interestingly, Harrison decided to launch his fi rst studio in Pune, known as the hub
of Yoga, because of the legendary BKS Iyengar. He opened the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune in 1975, and since then countless rich and famous people from around the world, have visited the city to learn Yoga techniques. “Key to AntiGravity fitness is a hammock, a swathe of silky fabric which is hung suspended in the air, that acts as your support system, capable of holding up to 2,000 pounds. The technique decompresses the spine, bringing greater health and less pain,” said Harrison. “The techniques are artistic and refi ned like ballet or acrobatics. They are challenging and structured like gymnastics. Despite evolution of the technique, this is the basis for the form and the one constant in all Yoga disciplines. It’s basically a fusion, based on an apparatus. Suspension-based Yoga is both a gateway into a full Yoga practice for neophytes and a chance to expand on an existing Yoga practice for seasoned practitioners,” he said. “It is also beneficial for kids and we are planning to start a special batch for kids between four and 12 years of age. Even several sports persons have benefited from this form and we are looking forward to use it for the Indian cricket players,” said Harrison. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
PUNE
The post-retirement financial dilemma P 14
“...sad, at a more general level that academic governance in India remains so deeply vulnerable to opinions of the ruling government...” — Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen
Commandos to the rescue of those in love! Sanjoy Sachdev’s Delhi-based ‘Love Commandos’ has helped around 38,000 couples who are either forced into marriage by their families or oppose their ‘love marriage’
For the past few weeks, Rohit (name changed) had been planning to run away from home and finally took the step on his wedding day. Though the decision brought embarrassment to his family, he was left with no other option if he had to get the love of his life. And to his rescue came ‘Love Commandos’ who also provided him a safe refuge. Like for Rohit, Delhi-based ‘Love Commandos’, comes to the aid of such couples who are either forced into marriage by their families or oppose their ‘love marriage’. “My parents fi xed my marriage within two days and I wasn’t ready because I am in love with someone else. They didn’t even listen to me. So the only option I was left with was to run away,” Rohit, a BPO employee, told IANS, adding that he got in touch with ‘Love Commandos’ a few days prior to his wedding. Formerly ‘Peace Commandos’ that supported young couples in celebrating Valentine’s Day ‘fearlessly’, they
transformed into ‘Love Commandos’ in 2010 after founder Sanjoy Sachdev helped free a young man falsely implicated of rape. “The poor man was implicated by the father of the girl he loved. Th is is when I decided to help couples in despair and started two helplines where they could seek help,” Sachdev, a former journalist, told IANS. So far, the organisation has helped around 38,000 couples start a new chapter in their lives. Such distraught couples, who in most cases have eloped without their families’ consent, are provided with a roof above their heads at ‘undisclosed’ shelter homes run by ‘Love Commandos’. In addition to these shelter homes spread across seven locations in the national capital, the organisation also operates 300 makeshift shelters across the country. These shelters are run by those couples who once took refuge with the organisation and today live independently. “We not only provide them with shelter, we also prepare them for the future wherein all possibility, they
Unconventional courses render students jobless BY AKANKSHA SHARMA
Kiran Chaudhary, 24, had glittery dreams when she decided to pursue a career in life sciences in 2009. The decision, made after much introspection, took her to the scientific study of living organisms. However, little did she know that her hard work, dedication and five years of education would leave her with no job in hand and even her gold medal in academics would be of little help. Like Kiran, there are scores of students whose educational qualifications in unconventional areas have forced them to fend for themselves as jobs in these fields are either limited or just not there. Left with no hope with their existing degrees and qualifications, these well-educated youngsters have been forced to either register for additional courses in similar fields in foreign universities or completely change their career line and opt for something else. “It is rather disappointing. It is high time we took note of this situation as even students who score well enough to secure gold or silver medals end up working in some other industry as they are unable to find a job profile that suits their education and expertise,” Ananda Singh, senior manager at Youth Power HR Consultancy, told IANS. Data collected by another HR company shows that over 90 per cent of students who take admission in courses like forensic science, biotechnology, life
sciences and genetic engineering usually face a hard time in finding suitable job opportunities in this region. Kiran, who has a masters in biotechnology, said: “Sadly there is no job opportunity available in Chandigarh. We have to go to other cities like Delhi or Mumbai but that is also not practical as the limited number of job options there are taken up by the students who study in the local universities in those cities. Most of my batchmates are unemployed.” Dejected, Kiran has now applied for a masters in physiology in a Canadian college. Manreet Kaur, a recent pass-out from the department of Forensic Science and Criminology at Panjab University (PU) here, told IANS: “It was a dream come true for me getting admission in PU. I opted for this course due to T PARTMEN NCES DE my interest and LIFE SCIE ANCY NO VAC passion towards solving mysterious criminal cases. But as soon as I passed out, I found out that there are no jobs available.” A former PU student who has a masters in forensic science, requesting anonymity, said: “Only a few available positions are of no use for fresh pass-outs like me as they demand a minimum five years of work experience. I have now decided to opt for an MBA from a foreign university. Though it is an expensive option and I have already done my masters I have to do it to secure a good future.” Akansha Sharma can be contacted at akansha.sharma9821@gmail.com
RAHUL RAUT
BY SHILPA RAINA AND SHWETA SHARMA
‘Love Commandos’ helps couples only after their background check is authenticated
would be living as a nuclear family,” Sachdev added. Th is is the reason why couples who take refuge at these homes are expected to follow certain ‘home rules’.
“You will find it surprising that we have a few rules in these houses that prepare these couples for a better future. The home chores are divided, and the women only cook. The men are
expected to help by washing utensils, cleaning the house and cutting vegetables,” said Sachdev. “Th is, we believe, would make their future life easy where the women wouldn’t be expected to do the entire household work. In many cases, women might work because they won’t have any family support. So we try to help them settle work distribution for a better married life,” he added. Apart from this, no one is allowed to use the Internet or mobile phones for ‘security reasons’. So, how is the credibility of the couples ascertained? “When someone calls on our helpline, we ask for their age and address proof. We have nearly 15 lakh volunteers working across India who do a background check to find out if they are genuinely facing problems,” Sachdev explained. He added that the couples are only approached after all the background check is completed and deemed authentic. “Th is is our way of giving a voice to the youth, and an attempt to make a
new India where the youth can follow its heart while also using its mind,” he said. The organisation can be contacted on 09313784375 and 09313550006 and also emailed at helpline@ lovecommandos.org. Rohit summed up the feelings of couple who go through traumatic times. “Nobody wants to go against their family wishes but at times, you have no choice because you know that you are doing the right thing by not compromising with the love of your life. “But in tough times like this, how much can a person rely on his friends? How long can a person hide or run away? There is always a danger of getting caught in legal battles. Many couples give up because they don’t have a support system. But an organisation like this helps you to prepare for better future. Love is not a crime, it is something that gives you strength. So one has to fight for it,” Rohit added. (Shilpa Raina can be contacted at shilpa.r@ians.in. Shweta Sharma can be contacted a shweta.s@ians.in)
Five Russian couples wed in Vedic style
Many AoL members from Asia, Europe, North America and South America got married at the centre over the last 20 years
Five Russian couples getting married in Vedic tradition in Bengaluru. The event was performed by chanting ancient hymns to invoke nature’s five elements to sanctify the ceremony
Five Russian couples were married in Bengaluru on Sunday in the Vedic tradition at the Art of Living (AoL) foundation’s international centre. “Hindu priests solemnised the wedding by chanting Vedic hymns as the five Russian couples tied the nuptial knot and vowed to live together for life in accordance with the Vedic tradition,” the foundation said in a statement. It, however, did not provide details of the couples, including their names, religion, occupation and where they live in Russia. The volunteer-based NGO, founded in 1981 by Indian spiritual leader Sri Ravi Shankar, hosts people from different countries the world over who decide marry in Vedic style as millions of Hindus do. “In the Vedic tradition, a wedding is performed by chanting ancient hymns to invoke nature’s five elements to sanctify the ceremony. Seven promises made while going around a holy fi re signify marriage to live together,” AoL faculty member Dinesh Kashikar. A few hundreds of the foundation’s members from countries across Asia, Europe, North America and South America married at the centre here in the ancient Vedic style over the last two decades. IANS
Newborn survives fall on track from train toilet Vol-1* lssue No.: 36 Published by: Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. CIN:U22200PN2014PTC151382 and printed by PRI – Media Services Private Limited CIN: U22222MH2012PTC232006 at Plot No. EL-201, TTC Industrial Area, MIDC, Mahape, Navi Mumbai. Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. 1641, Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411 030, Tel: 020-2432 4332/33. Editor: Yogesh Sadhwani (Responsible for the selection of news under the PRB Act, 1867)
A guard of FCI warehouse near the railway station heard the baby’s cries and alerted authorities
A baby boy delivered inside a toilet of a train by a woman slipped through the flush pipe and fell on railway track but survived miraculously in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh district, a railway police official said on Monday. “The incident occurred late on Sunday night in Dabli Rathan in Hanumangarh when a pregnant woman who was travelling on Barmer Kalka Express from Suratgarh to Hanumangarh with her mother and husband went to
The woman who delivered the baby became unconscious because of heavy bleeding
toilet after getting labour pains. She delivered a baby boy in the toilet and the newborn slipped through the pipe and fell on the railway track,” a GRP official told IANS. “The woman, because of heavy bleeding, became unconscious. She was taken off the train in Hanumangarh, which was the next station, eight km from the delivery site and was taken to a hospital,” the official said Meanwhile, the guard of a Food Corporation of India warehouse near the railway station, passing the spot, heard the baby crying. He informed railway authorities at Dabli Rathan which passed the message to Hanumangarh station. The baby was rescued and was taken to the same hospital where he was reunited with his mother. IANS
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
PUNE
We want to develop strategic cooperative partnership with India for peace and prosperity and wants the same with Sri Lanka —Hua Chunying, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Mundhwa’s predicament needs solution P 15
Raw eggs since ’38 keep her young at 115 By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO
Emma Morano in her home in Verbania, Italy. She is the oldest person in Europe, and the fifth oldest in the world.
single for most of her life, after an unhappy marriage that ended in 1938 following the death of an infant son, has kept her kicking. Separation was rare then, and divorce became legal in Italy only in 1970. She said she had plenty of suitors after that, but never chose another partner. “I didn’t want to be dominated by anyone,” she said. Gerontologists agree that there is no one key to longevity. “You talk to 100 centenarians, you get 100 different stories,” said Valter D. Longo, the director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, whose studies
suggest that diet is an important factor in living longer. And there’s genetics. “We do know that the ability to make it to 110 is heritable, so you have a large increase in chance if you have several people in your family to live to a late age,” Longo said. One of Morano’s sisters died just short of 100; another lived to 102. Morano lives alone, shuffling around a tiny two-room apartment surrounded by dusty memories and the vestiges of her more recent fame, including tributes and certificates from officials, among them the country’s previous president, commending her
resilience. Next to her bed is a small plaque with the numbers “115” in bright blue letters, made by children at a local nursery school, who handdelivered the present. “They also brought their coughs and sniffles,” fretted Rosemarie Santoni, her niece and principal caregiver who comes by every morning to prepare the day’s meals, which consist of the aforementioned eggs, now down to two a day, ground meat, soupy pasta and a banana. A neighbor checks in periodically and is on call for emergencies, but there have not been many. The few times she has been ill, she has “refused
Burying a mountain of CO2
THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY
The work is part of a $10 million project called CarbFix, which is developing an alternative way to store some of the carbon dioxide emitted by power plants and industries
Fighting Parkinson’s with dance P2 ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
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THE SAD STATE OF PUNE’S ‘ZERO STONE’
Help restore Pune’s Zero Stone
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Given its significance, this valuable part of the city’s heritage ought to be restored, fenced and beautified ABHAY VAIDYA @vaidya_abhay
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Pune’s water situation improves
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City dams need additional 10 TMC water to tide over crisis BY ASHOK BHAT @ashok_bhat
`2,200 cr project for water augmentation
The Zero Stone monument in Nagpur and other parts of the world
Rainfall in July has brought some reThe PMC’s Water Supply lief to the citizens of Pune and the civic Department has proposed a administration. However, to be able to `2,200 crore project to replace ensure regular water supply without the network of old, leaking and cuts in the coming weeks and months, and drainage Modiwater tweets the dams supplying water to Pune willPMdamaged BY GITESH SHELKE lines. A Draft Project Report (DPR) need to build up an additional 10 TMCin Japanese @gitesh_shelke is scheduled to be placed before (thousand million cubic feet of water) the City Improvement Committee storage. Primenext minister Narendra With 28-years-old Asif Shaikh as its week, BJP’s groupModi leaderon While the Khadakwasla dam hasThursday putGanesh out a series of told tweets in head, the Shri Shivram Tarun Mandal in PMC, Bidkar TGS. reached its storage capacity of 1.98Japanese and said that be as his friends Trust on MG Road is truly an inspiring project would financed TMC, the situation in the Panshet,from The Japan had him to talk to icon of communal harmony, as it through theasked Jawaharlal Nehru Varasgaon and Temghar dams wouldthe people of Urban JapanRenewal directly, Mission. he had prepares for Ganeshotsav with a range be crucial not just for Pune city butdoneNational so. Modi is scheduled to visit Jaof charitable activities every year. The project will drastically curtail also for smaller towns downstream likepan from 30 to September 3. Describing their youth group as “a waterAugust wastage. Daund and Indapur, which depend onIn a tweet in Japanese, he said he was truly cosmopolitan mandal”, Shaikh these dams for their water supply. Tovery “excited” about the visit that will and the mandal’s secretary Sheldon fulfi l this demand, a total of 20 TMCstrengthen the relationship between Fernandes spoke of water will be required, of which storagethe ministration tookIna another review oftweet the rain-what Ganeshotsav two countries. of 10 TMC has been achieved. fall andtowater storage status at thecelebrations mean addressed his Japanese counterThis was underlined by the officialspartKhadakwasla, Panshet, Shinzo Abe, Modi said Varasgaon he deeply andto them every year. of the Irrigation Department duringrespected Temghar dams which supply water to Abe’s leadership. First and a meeting convened at the civic headforemost, the trust involves everyone National Herald case: from the locality in Court defers hearing the festivities. The mandal collects vargani ( v o l u n t a r y A court on Thursday fixed December contribution) from 9 as the next date of hearing in a case the neighbourhood against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and but does not spend her son and party vice president Rahul it entirely on decorations and the Gandhi and others over acquisition of immersion procession. “Instead, we the National Herald newspaper. provide meals to the poor for 10 days Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati and also undertake other charitable Manocha deferred the hearing after it activities,” Shaikh said. was apprised that the Delhi High Court This includes the distribution has put on hold a trial court’s summons of blankets, jackets and other such clothing to the poor, especially
Signposts
APSHINGE:
The great village of brave soldiers Two days from today, July 28, 2014, will mark the centenary of the First World War, also known as the Great War, that ushered in a new epoch in world politics. The history of that war is intertwined with a small, remote village in Satara district. TGS Special Report p13 This medallion was presented by the Queen of England after the First World War to the next of kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed in the war. Sepoy Khashaba Powar’s medallion has been placed by his family at their place of worship
Signposts India to have 4 new central universities NEW DELHI:: The government has decided to set up four new central universities in the country, parliament was told early this week. “The ministry of human resource development (HRD) has decided to set up four new central universities, viz. one Central Tribal University each in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, one central university in Andhra Pradesh and Mahatma Gandhi Central University in Bihar,” HRD Minister Smriti Irani said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. At present, there are 40 central universities under the purview of the ministry.
Army chief pays tributes to Kargil War martyrs SRINAGAR: Indian Army chief after the wreath laying ceremony at the General Bikram Singh on Friday paid Kargil War Memorial in Drass town of tributes to the martyrs of 1999 Kargil Kargil district. War in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh The chief of the Indian Army said region on the occasion of 15th Vijay ceasefire violations by Pakistan have Diwas. been taking place regularly on the He said the army is alert and Line of Control (LoC) in the state, but has been deployed effectively on the assured that the army has been effectively borders to defend the integrity and the responding to those violations. sovereignty of the country. “They violate the ceasefire every “Let me assure you, the army is week and every month, but the army has deployed on the borders to defend the been taking effective steps to respond to PUNE, AUGUST 30, 2014 www.goldensparrow.com integrity and the sovereignty of the those,” he said. country,” General Singh told reporters Contd on p 10 I've always been a movie guy, movies have been my thing. I love movies, all kinds of movies. — Christopher Nolan
WASHINGTON:: An Indian-American CEO of two publicly-traded companies has been convicted for paying kickbacks in return for purchases of his companies’ stocks, a media report said. Shailesh Shah, 48, of California pleaded guilty before a US district judge to two counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud Monday, The Boston Globe reported. Shah will be sentenced in October and could face up to 20 years in prison for each count and a $250,000 fine. Shah was the president and CEO of SOHM and Costas, both based out of California. He was accused of paying kickbacks to an investment fund representative in exchange for buying stock in the two companies. The fund representative was, in fact, an undercover FBI agent working on an investigation into fraud in the market for penny stocks, the report said. Penny stocks are less heavily regulated than stocks that trade on major exchanges such as the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange.
RAHUL RAUT
Indian-American convicted in stock scheme
Chief of Army Staff General Bikram Singh paying homage to martyrs at the Infantry War Memorial during his farewell visit to the Infantry School, Mhow in Indore recently
What is going wrong with road safety in India?
Telangana school bus accident resulting in the death of 19 students is part of a larger tragedy that acquisition of the paper’s publisher. demands immediate attention BY PRIYANKA NEW DELHI: India not only has the dubious distinction of having one of the worst road accident records in the world, but these are taking more and more young lives, particularly of school children. Road accidents have left nearly 70 children dead and many injured since the start of 2013, a NGO has said. More than 60 students were also injured in 11 accidents spread over seven states since January 2013 till July this year. In all instances, the victims were travelling in school buses which were either hit by other vehicles or trains or rolled down mountain slopes. According to NGO Save Life Foundation, which works for road safety, the accidents took place in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Telangana. In one of the worst disasters, 19 stu-
On Wednesday, when this newspaper took a review of Pune’s Zero Stone on the footpath outside the General Post Office (GPO), the sight was pathetic to say the least. With white paint spilled over it, there was a sweeper’s broom lying next to it and rubbish all around. A tea vendor was stationed with his cart next to the stone. In 2006, when this journalist fi rst reported on this small, yet valuable piece of Pune’s heritage, there was a watermelon seller sitting on the stone, using it as a convenient stool. The Zero Stone is a very special milestone as it signifies the geographic location of a city and the point from where distances are established between towns and cities. As such, it ought to be restored, fenced and beautified so that the children of this city, other citizens and tourists can go back to the time when Pune was taking shape under the British, bit by bit. There are just 80 of such special milestones that were installed in the
students- to prepare for the winter. The mandal also runs a small library for the neighbourhood residents and children, says Shaikh, explaining that a lot of money can be saved if spent prudently on just decorations, sound systems and other such expenses. As a part of its activities, the mandal has rented out some space to a tea vendor and the rent is used for the Ganeshotsav celebrations. Ni ne te enyears-old Sheldon, a BBA student, helping others and doing something constructive for society brings lot of joy to everyone involved in the celebrations. Associated with this youth group since childhood, he says his fellow members hail from different castes, creed and religion. The Ashok Chakra Mitra Mandal close to Shivaji Market, Camp, is celebrating its golden jubilee this year and has a number of Muslims as its members, said Faiyaz Khan, one of the activists. Headed by Raghuvir Vanal, this
Kalam spoke about the challenges that India and the world were facing and emphasised the role of leadership to tackle these issues and develop possible solutions to ensure socio-economic
on Thursday. The “missile man”, as Kalam is also known due to his background in aerospace engineering and his role in India’s
He said the key requirement for achieving a distinctive profi le for the nation was by creating sustainable enterprise-driven models at the rural level. Kalam urged the students to emulate a development model to bring
urban amenities to rural areas. “Providing Urban amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) is one such system which I suggest will help in providing opportunities through cooperative working of resource and social entrepreneur in the rural areas,” he said. “PURA is the creation of physical, electronic, knowledge connectivities leading to electronic connectivity of rural regions. With this combined and planned intervention of infrastructure, digital technology, information and enterprise, we can select a cluster of about 20 to 50 villages, which share core
Speaking to this newspaper, BJP’s leader in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Ganesh Bidkar said that one of the top priorities for
the BJP’s newly elected city MP Anil Shirole, was to closely follow-up on the mass transportation project. Shirole focused on updating himself on the project and seeking clarifications on the project as proposed by the Congress-NCP government.
Pune FC enter Durand Cup final P 16
Nat’l movement to promote marriages of choice gets going ‘Chayan’ promises to offer shelter, legal support and counselling to couples in case of outburst from families BY YASH DAIV @yash009
RAHUL RAUT
&DESERTED
Prominent social workers from different parts of the country who promote intercaste and inter-religious marriages have decided to establish a national movement called Chayan (Choice). This was decided at a meeting in the city on November 4-5 during a conference on ‘Right to Choice of Partner in Inter-caste and Interreligious Marriages’. Activists from the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), SM Joshi Socialist Foundation, Rashtriya Seva Dal and Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal along with the voluntary organisation, Dhanak from Delhi, were present at this meet.
the Special Marriage Act, 1954, which is complicated, different in every state and plagued with controversies. “A platform like Chayan can help modify such a law,” he said. Iqbal suggested that under the national platform one can create a secure place for couples who have mixed marriages. “We can offer them shelter, legal procedures and counselling in case there is an outburst from the families,” he said. Chayan would ensure the smooth functioning of the legal structure pertaining to marriage. Deepak Girme, president, MANS said society’s mindset have deep religious roots. Having worked with the late anti-superstition crusader Narendra Dabolkar for 25 years, he said any religious text should be questioned.
Pune’s hottest start-up, 2014 to get top prize today
Asif Shaikh (left) and Sheldon Fernandes (right) of Shri Shivram Tarun Mandal Trust preparing the decorations for Ganeshotsav
mandal runs a social organisation called Anzuman Faizane Raza and the members celebrate other prominent festivals and occasions such as Eid, Independence Day and Republic Day with equal fervor.
“We collect money and support poor patients in the hospitals. Our members also support orphans in different orphanages in the city,” Khan said. This members of this group include
Muslims and Christians and they are steadfast about the spirit of unity in diversity and respect for all religions that defines the nation, said Khan.
shelke.gitesh@goldensparrow.com
With support from Delhi, city BJP 12 Indian firms among keen to push Pune Metro project Forbes Asia’s Fabulous 50 In view of the forthcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra, central road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has begun giving personal attention to the proposed Pune Metro project. In a bid to counter the ruling CongressNCP government in the forthcoming polls, the BJP is chalking out its strategy to gain maximum advantage by announcing critical steps on the
SPORTS
DEAD
WASHINGTON: A dozen Indian firms figure in this year’s Forbes Asia’s “Mr Gadkari informed the Pune Fabulous 50 list of the region’s best big BJP leaders that he is taking charge of publicly traded companies with HDFC the Pune Metro project at the centre,” Bank making the list more times than Bidkar said. In this regard, the Union any other company. minister called a meeting in Delhi of China boasts the most companies about five experts from various fields on the list, as it has for the last three related to the project. years. But the number fell to 16, down “We are planning to meet the from 20 last year and 23 the year Central minister with regards to this before, according to the list published project soon,” Bidkar said, adding that in the web edition of Forbes Asia. an announcement on the forthcoming China’s tech companies made a state assembly polls is expected in PUNE, OCTOBER 11, 2014 www.goldensparrow.com strong showing, with Tencent the most a week or two and the BJP is keen valuable, having a market cap of $155.6 to push the Pune Metro project to a billion, nearly twice that of runner-up decisive stage before the Model Code India’s Tata Consultancy Services. of Conduct comes into force,” he said. Lenovo is the biggest in terms of annual revenue of $38.7 billion, Continued on p 10
The Software Exporters Association of Pune’s (SEAP) annual mega event, PuneConnect 2014, that seeks to promote a culture of innovation, just edging out India’s Tata Motors. creativity and enterprise in the city is India trails China with 12 companies setsame to unfold on the Fab 50 list, the numbertoday as at Hotel Westin, PUNE, AUGUST 2, 2014Koregaon www.goldensparrow.com Park, at 9.30 am. last year. At this event 2014’s hottest start-up HDFC Bank, the country’s fromsector Pune will be selected from four second-largest private bank, finalists for theyear, top prize. appears on the list for the eighth The entire the most times of any company on the galaxy of bodies Yousince have pridebegan inpromoting how in India is list Forbes compilingStart-ups this you take care of your supporting this event and includes the roster in 2005. family. Association of Software and Other notable National companies from —Julia Roberts Service Companies (NASSCOM), India include HCL Technologies, Indus (Tie, Pune), which makes the listTh fore the fifthEntrepreneurs time, SoftwareIndustries, Technologies Parks of and Sun Pharmaceutical (STPI), Mahratta Chamber Of which appears on theIndia list for the third consecutive time. Commerce Industries & Agriculture (MCCIA), PuneTech, iSpirit, IIM Mahindra & Mahindra also rejoins Ahmedabad’s the list after a two-year absence. Centre for Innovation Incubation IANS and Entrepreneurship, SME Joinup, Hinjewadi Industries Association (HIA), IACC, and Pune Open Coffee Club. The four finalists for the top prize are: Scandid- a shopping technology start-up that enables shoppers to compare prices by scanning the product barcodes with one’s mobile phones; Framebench- a cloud based online collaboration, communication and feedback platform; Ecozen Solutions, started in September 2009 to promote awareness against poor energy management practices and elevate the Indian industry to the standards and expectations of a developed nation, and The Green Raddiwala which focuses on providing door-to-door services in collecting raddi or recyclable waste such as plastic, newspapers and the like. Founded by Sushil Chaudhari and Madhur Khandelwal in 2012, Scandid also helps consumers find latest online and offline deals. The company previously won the regional round of the Seedstars World- a global start-up competition.
FRAMEBENCH
THE GREEN RADDIWALA
feedback platform. Framebench is a central workplace where one can store and share one’s creative assets. The company can help remote teams and
clients to review, mark changes required on the assets and even host discussions on them in real time, which automatically gets documented for viewing later. This visual communication workflow allows for crisp & quick feedback. Ecozen Solutions run by Devendra
(Left to right) MANS state secretary Milind Deshmukh, president Deepak Girme and Dhanak secretary Asif Iqbal at SM Joshi Hall in Navi Peth on November 4
Gupta, Prateek Singhal and Vivek Pande was started in 2009 to promote awareness against poor energy management practices and elevate the Indian industry to the standards and expectations of a developed nation. It is with this view that this designed a pioneering and innovative micro Cold Storage- a solar powered cold storage system, which was primarily designed for the rural segment to serve their needs ideally. This innovative product can be suitably adapted for local conditions Great across thethings world. can happen when have the The you fourth finalist, The Green courage to yourself. Raddiwala hasbebeen established by Michael Sam Nikhil Pagare—and Saurav Pasalkar to provide door-to-door services in collecting raddi or recyclable waste such as plastic, newspapers and the like. Green Raddiwala purchases the recyclable waste from households at market rates and sells it directly to recycling industries. This drastically reduces environmental pollution. ishani.bose@goldensparrow.com (See related reports on p3)
After several brainstorming sessions
“People blindly follow the vedic rituals. A person should be able to justify all his or her activities rather than following a tradition. If we are able to instil this attitude in the masses we will be able to eradicate class politics and in turn the problems of mixed marriages,” he said. Subhash Bhave, secretary, SM Joshi Socialist Foundation emphasised on the need for mass awareness. “People have a tendency to hide their marriages until the legal documents are ready. This attitude must be changed,” he said. It was suggested during the deliberations that there should be a group of five to ten people in every district who will promote and provide assistance if required, for inter-caste and inter-religious marriages. yashdaiv@gmail.com
City takes lead over Delhi, Mumbai in the journey of product start-ups TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeeKLY Pune has emerged as the nation’s second-fastest product start-up hub in the country. A close second to Bangalore, Pune has taken a lead over mega-metros like Delhi and Mumbai. This has been stated in the latest report by iSPIRIT, (Indian Software Product Industry Roundtable), a company mainly focussed towards the product industry. “Pune is significantly ahead of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad,” the report said while
noting the product start-ups activity in Bangalore at 33% of India, Pune (21 %), Delhi and Mumbai (about 1112% each) and Hyderabad at 9%. “Pune is definitely No. 2, which is excellent,” said Amit Paranjape, co-founder of Pune-Tech, an online tech portal for the tech and startup community in Pune. Addressing a recent press conference Paranjape spoke about Pune’s viable ecosystem, which has been developing tremendously to enable entrepreneurs to launch an enterprise.
Others who shared this thought were Gaurav Mehra, past president SEAP and managing director, Saba Softwares; Maneesh Bhandari, director, Pune Division, Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) at IIM Ahmedabad; Ashutosh Parasnis, president of SEAP and managing director of Qlogic; Ramaswamy Narayanan, vice president, SEAP; Vishwas Mahajan, president of TIEPune chapter and Navin Kabra, cofounder of Pune Tech. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
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Carrying the torch in the battle against cancer P2
Six out of eight subways in the city are in a sad state of neglect and are closed to the public. Some are used as convenient urinating spots or as gambling dens. They are dirty, poorly lit and unsafe. Why can’t city subways be restored and made user-friendly for pedestrians? Also related is the complete avoidance of foot over-bridges by pedestrians. Why waste public exchequer and construct them if they are so very unpopular with the public? See Spotlight on p8-9
competencies and empower those using local enterprise. This would enable our country to grow by shared efforts and overcome the challenges faced by the society,” he said. Charting out a link between creative leadership and economic development, the former president emphasised the importance of the role that change in leadership would play for ensuring success. He also accentuated on the role of integrity among leaders for sustained success and development of the society. (IANS)
Ever wondered where thoroughbreds go after retirement? Or why jockeys are weighed before and after a race? Barnalee Handique has the answers
Pune brands go pan India
BY ISHANI BOSE @ishani_bose
dents were killed and some 20 injuredSchool expels toddler when their school bus was rammedover mom’s FB post by a speeding train at an unmanned rail-road crossing in Telangana Thursschool bus collided with a truck at day. The dead included the school busA four-year-old toddler was expelled Malkapur in Maharashtra on January driver. from his school in the US after his 10 this year. According to the foundaAlthough the number of schoolmother vent her frustration against tion, all the accidents involving school children is a minuscule part of the total the school in a Facebook post. buses in 2013 led to deaths. number of Indians dying daily on the post read: it that evI Habat’s live cinema and “Why Six students lost istheir lives on roads, activists say most accidents are ery single daylove theremusic, is something new passionately the Solapur-Dhule highway while avoidable. I dislike about Will’s school? Are my and my efforts in both on an excursion in these Maharashtra on Piyush Tewari, founder and presistandards really too high or are people crafts are unfolding. December 7, 2013. dent of Save Life Foundation, said —Priyanka working in Chopra the education field really In an accident in Tamil Nadu’s holding an adult “accountable for safetyjust that ignorant.” The next morning, Pudukottai district in June 2013, a of children while on the move” andshe received a call asking her to meet mini van collided with a bus, killing having child safety laws would act as the principal when she dropped off seven school children. deterrents. her son at Sonshine Christian AcadAnother seven children died when Two accidents this year injured 12emy, a private religious school, in Flortheir bus fell into a gorge in Jammu and school students. The first took placeida. To her shock, the school decided Kashmir’s Anantnag district in April May 12 in Greater Noida in Uttarto expel her son. 2013. In July last year, 11 students were Pradesh, injuring two students. Ten killed and 20 injured when their bus hit students were injured in adjoining Noia truck in Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh da April 29 when their school bus was district. hit by a state-run bus. Contd on p 10 Three children died when their
Horse,s
TGS LIFE
City subways are
Emerge as creative leaders: Kalam to IIM students indigenous missile development, is one of the visiting faculty members in IIM-
country as special markings for a survey by the British. India’s Zero Stone stands proudly in Nagpur, denoting the centre of the country. The oldest and most famous of such milestones is located in Rome, the Milliarium Aureum (“Golden Milestone”) of the Roman Empire. The maxim “all roads lead to Rome” is believed to have originated from this monument. A number of prominent cities in the world have their own “zero stones” and are proud of it, including Washington DC, Tokyo, Berlin, Buenos Aires... The citizens of Pune and publicspirited organisations such as the MCCIA’s Janwani, INTACH, Pune International Centre and the National Society for Clean Cities, to name a few, need to lobby with the Pune Municipal Corporation’s Heritage Cell to do what is needed. The Golden Sparrow on Saturday pledges its fullest support to such an effort. Get in touch with us at: editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com www.goldensparrow.com or Tweet us: @TGSWeekly
Generosity & communal harmony define these mandals
WIKI COMMONS
HENGILL, Iceland - In a cramped work trailer not far from Iceland’s largest geothermal power plant, a researcher pored over a box of core samples cylinders of rock that a drilling rig had pulled from deep underground just a few minutes before. In a test that began in 2012, scientists had injected hundreds of metric tons of water and carbon dioxide gas 457 metres down into layers of porous basaltic rock, the product of ancient lava flows from the nearby Hengill volcano. Now the researcher, Sandra Snaebjornsdottir, a doctoral student at the University of Iceland, was looking for signs that the CO2 had combined with elements in the basalt and become calcite, a solid crystalline mineral. In short, she wanted to see if the gas had turned to stone. “We have some calcites here,” she said, pointing to a smattering of white particles in the otherwise dark gray rock samples. “We might want to take a better look at them later.” Snaebjornsdottir and her colleagues are certain that the process works, but the cores - eventually hundreds of metres of them - will undergo detailed analysis at a laboratory in Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, to confirm that the calcites resulted from the CO2 injection.
The work is part of a $10 million project called CarbFix, which is developing an alternative way to store some of the carbon dioxide emitted by power plants and industries. When that carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, it traps heat, making it the biggest contributor to global warming. So to help stave off the worst impacts of climate change, experts say, billions of tons of CO2 may have to be captured and stored underground. But doing so is costly. And with little in the way of economic incentives to spur carbon storage, there are only about a dozen large-scale projects operating around the world, storing a total of less than 27 million metric tons a year, according to the Global CCS Institute, which promotes the technology. Only one of these is at a power plant - the Boundary Dam project in Saskatchewan, Canada, which started capturing and storing emissions from one of its coal-fired boilers last fall. Boundary Dam and the other projects operate roughly the same way: Carbon dioxide gas, highly compressed so that it acts like a liquid, is injected into a formation, usually sandstone and often an old oil or gas field. Impermeable rock layers above the storage zone should, in theory, keep the CO2 trapped indefinitely, but because the gas remains buoyant, there is a risk that it will move
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By HENRY FOUNTAIN
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ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
Bara Kristinsdottir for The New York Times
A drilling rig at the CarbFix site in Iceland, where researchers are testing whether gaseous carbon dioxide can be turned into rock as a way of keeping it out of the atmosphere
upward through cracks and eventually bubble back into the atmosphere. The CarbFix project differs from this conventional approach by using water along with carbon dioxide, and by injecting them into volcanic rocks. The technique is designed to exploit the ability of CO2 to react with the rocks and turn into solid minerals. “Basically we’re using a natural process and engineering it for climatechange mitigation,” said Juerg Matter, a geochemist at the University of Southampton in Britain and one of the lead researchers on the project. Until last year, Matter was at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University, a CarbFix partner. But whether the approach will prove to be commercially viable and lead to wider adoption of carbon storage, particularly on the huge scale that will be required to help stem the forces of climate change, remains uncertain. In the CarbFix process, the injected water and CO2 mix inside the well as if it were a giant geological soda machine. The resulting carbonated water, which is acidic, helps break down the rock, releasing calcium and other elements that combine with the carbon and oxygen from the CO2. Because the gas, in effect, disappears, “we don’t like to call it storage,” said Edda Aradottir, who manages the project and works for Reykjavik Energy, the utility that runs the geothermal plant and is another CarbFix partner. The preferred term, she said, is mineral carbonation. But injecting huge amounts of water along with the CO2 adds to the cost. CarbFix scientists have estimated that transportation and injection could cost about twice the cost of transporting and injecting the gas alone. But Sigurdur Gislason, a geochemist at the University of Iceland and the project’s chief scientist, said the CarbFix approach might have a cost advantage over the long term. Because of the risk of leakage, a conventional storage site would have to be monitored, potentially for hundreds of years, at a cost that is difficult to estimate. A CarbFix site, with its stable minerals, could be left alone. © 2015 New York Times News Service
to set foot in a hospital,” even having blood transfusions or stitches done at home, said Carlo Bava, the doctor who has cared for her since she turned 90. Her general health is good, he added. Morano appears to enjoy her new fame, patiently reviving rote reminiscences for the many strangers who call on her to recount her life and the times she lived in. Her memory, however, evades entire decades. Ask her about Mussolini, or the world wars or any number of current or past political figures, and she shrugs indifferently. Her recollections are mostly intimate. “My sisters and I loved to dance
ILLUSTRATION BY GAURI BARVE KALE
VERBANIA, Italy - Celebrity came late to Emma Morano. Her routine life, in fact, might have raised barely an eyebrow were it not for the fact that she’s managed to hold on to it for so long. At 115 years and nearly three months, Morano is the oldest person in Italy and in Europe, the fifth oldest in the world and one of only a handful of people whose lives have straddled three centuries. In her time, she has watched Italy evolve from a monarchy to a republic that spawned nearly 70 governments in seven decades, with a 20-year foray into Fascism in the middle. She survived two world wars, and the hardship of their aftermath; years of domestic terrorism, and years of economic prosperity that transformed Italy from an agrarian economy to one of the world’s most industrialized nations. On a recent chilly January morning, trussed up in hand-knit shawls, next to a warm radiator, she summed up her life simply: “115 years are a lot.” Morano has no doubts about how she made it this long: her elixir for longevity consists of raw eggs, which she has been eating - three per day - since her teens when a doctor recommended them to counter anemia. Assuming she has been true to her word, Morano would have consumed around 100,000 eggs in her lifetime, give or take a thousand, cholesterol be damned. She is also convinced that being
and we’d run away to the dance hall and then our mother would come looking for us with a birch stick,” she recalled recently. One of eight children, Morano was born Nov. 29, 1899, in Civiasco, a tiny town in Piedmont, in the same year that Guglielmo Marconi first transmitted a radio signal across the English Channel and a group of investors founded the Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, or FIAT. While still a girl she moved with her family to Villadossola, once an important iron and steel company town. The climate - humid and cold winters - was not congenial to her constitution, so a doctor suggested she move to the nearby environs of the Lake Maggiore, which straddles Italy and Switzerland. She chose Verbania, a pretty lakeshore town with a milder climate where she found a job in a factory, making jute sacks. “The doctor told me to change air,” she said, “and I’m still here.” Morano began to gain fame only when she crossed the 110-year-old milestone and entered into the everdwindling ranks of supercentenarians, nearly all of whom are women. She is amused to be the object of interest among researchers from around the world, who travel to her bedside because she no longer leaves her home - to study her lifestyle and genetics. “She’s aware of the privilege of living,” said Bava, who said Morano had always graciously accepted the aging process and the aches and pains that come with it. He visits her once a month, just to check in. “If all my patients were like this,” he said, “I could have spent my days reading newspapers.” © 2015 New York Times News Service
Alessandro Grassani for The New York Times
Morano is the oldest person in Italy and in Europe, the fifth oldest in the world
A Woman Of Substance
DEEPIKA PADUKONE
Talented, hard-working and a big league movie star, They are independent and opinionated and Deepika Padukone can also these 20-year-olds are going it solo when everyone around them is getting hitched. take a tough stand when Ishani Bose tells us more push comes to shove.
Anjali Shetty gauges public opinion See P10-11
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PUNE
“India has a critical need to add capacity to its grid as it continues to experience strong economic growth and growing demand for energy.” — Pashupathy Gopalan, President of SunEdison Asia-Pacific
Signpost Sensex up 184 points A benchmark index of the Indian equities markets, the 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex), closed Wednesday’s trade 184 points or 0.63 percent up as capital goods stocks surged. The wider 50-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) also closed the day’s trade with healthy gains. It ended Wednesday’s trade 59.75 points or 0.68 percent up at 8,869.10 points. The Sensex of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 29,136.07 points, closed at 29,320.26 points, up 184.38 points or 0.63 percent from the previous day’s close at 29,135.88 points. The Sensex had touched a high of 29,411.32 points and a low of 29,126.91 points in the intra-day trade.
Mutual funds gather `1.94 trillion in 2014 According to Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) figures, investors have put in around 1.94 trillion in mutual funds between April 2014 and January 2015. As per the figures, the net inflow of funds for private sector mutual fund players for the period under review stood at around `1.72 trillion while for the public sector it was around `227 billion. The industry’s total mobilisation for the period were around `91 trillion while the redemptions/repurchases were around `89.78 trillion. The cumulative assets position of net assets of mutual fund industry as on January 2015 stands at around `11.81 trillion.
Bharat Forge to supply Boeing Global aircraft manufacturer Boeing announced that it has signed a multiyear contract with Bharat Forge for supply of wing components for the next-generation 737 and 737 MAX planes.“We are pleased to welcome Bharat Forge into our supply chain as they have an impressive record of performance across many industries,” said Kent Fisher, vice president Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Under the agreement, Bharat Forge will supply of pre-machined forgings from its facilities in Pune and Baramati to Boeing in the first quarter of 2016.
“The kind of enthusiasm that the international investors are reposing in India today has made us a natural recipient of both domestic and international investments.” — Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister
The post-retirement financial dilemma Principal Financial Well Being Index 2014 says 49 per cent out of the 70 who claim they are ready for retirement, know how much money they would require post-retirement MONEYLIFE DIGITAL TEAM The Principal Financial Well Being Index, which touches upon the perceptions and attitude of Indians towards financial planning, retirement planning and availing the services of financial advisors, found that overall individuals are financially prepared for retirement showing an increase in savings and investments. However, only 49 per cent people claim to know how much money they require post retirement and just 53 per cent people keep inflation in mind for retirement funds. The second edition of the Principal Financial Well Being Index in India has been conducted along with Nielsen in 11 centres (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Jaipur) and a tota l of over 1,550 resp on-
dents were inter viewed during the last quarter of 2014. On questioning participants on their retirement planning, 70 per cent say they believe they will be financially prepared for a comfortable retirement. Overall 49 per cent people claim to have started investing for retirement at age of 26–30 years. Yet, 67 per cent say they are worried about their longterm financial future and 63 per cent feel stressed about their current financial situation. 65 per cent often worry about their job security. On other aspects of financial planning, only 28 per cent said that they had some kind of emergency corpus available. As many as 73 per cent of the households are satisfied with their current levels of savings, this is despite the facts that 63 per cent of the households say that their savings have stayed the same in past one to two years. Rajan Ghotgalkar, Country Head – India, Principal International said, “It is exciting as well as encouraging
to see the optimism in Indians, reaching a new high as we enter 2015. The Well-Being Index is a source of some very useful insights on how we perceive and feel about our economy and our finances. We hope this will help all the stakeholders to collectively educate and empower investors” Unemployment, rising inflation and fuel inflation continue to be top concerns in the economy in the next one year. Few are concerned about rupee volatility in foreign exchange, environmental issues and economic reforms. Overall 52 per cent respondents feel that the prices of groceries, fuel and other household items will go up in next one year.
On surveying people’s attitude towards spending, the study found that there is a slight increase in conservativeness when it comes to spending as compared to last year. Just 30 per cent of the respondents increased their spending slightly compared to last year. On their expected spending for the current year, most Households expect spending to increase across all categories such as education, family care, food products and apparels. Children expenses (education & marriage) and Buying a House/property continue to be big-ticket expenses expected in 2015. As many as 59 per cent of the respondents say they are not planning a holiday in 2015. The number has decreased from 73 per cent in the last year. On coming to spending on festivity, 24 per cent of the respondents said they will spend more compared to last year and 62 per cent said they will spend about the same compared to last year. Financial advisers too plan an important role. About 58 per cent of the respondents say that they rely on financial professionals when making important financial decisions. Setting financial goals (54 per cent), Tax saving / planning (47 per cent) & investment advice (46 per cent) are the top three reasons for consulting a financial advisor. Retirement planning also figures prominently with 41 per cent respondents consulting financial advisor for the same. Overall 68 per cent respondents feel that a financial advisor plays an important role. 57 per cent people cite knowledge (know enough on their own) as the foremost reason for not consulting a financial adviser. 54 per cent do not want to pay a fee, 33 per cent do not trust financial professionals. Almost 70 per cent people consult financial advisors referred by their friend / family & co-workers. Financial advisers experience (57 per cent), qualification (51 per cent), trust (44 per cent) & reputation (42 per cent) are the key attributes that people look for
The fad of financial literacy Crores being blown up, while aggrieved investors don’t get redress SUCHETA DALAL Financial literacy is as much a fad today as corporate governance was after the global accounting fraud had engulfed top multinationals, at the turn of the century. In the past decade, we have seen regulators pooling investors’ own money (in the form of unclaimed dividends and interest on various financial instruments as well as bank and corporate deposits) into large funds which are spent on conducting financial literacy seminars and issuing advertisements on how to be smart with money. The amounts available for this exercise are huge; but significantly, investors’ money is being spent without any tangible outcomes. The ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have several thousand crores of rupees in their kitty for investor education and protection. Stock exchanges and financial regulators have a few hundred crore rupees each. In most cases, there is no real effort to trace the investors who have not claimed their financial benefits or to ensure that their heirs receive the funds due to them. RBI had, at least, asked banks to publish the list of bank account-holders who had not claimed their deposits, before the money was transferred into a fundpool that will be used for investor education. MCA, with over Rs1,000 crore in the Investor Education &
Protection Fund (IEPF), has a clunky and rather difficult process for tracing if a person’s unclaimed financial benefits have been transferred to the IEPF. But those who were unable to claim dividends or benefits due to litigation that invariably exceeds seven years are left high and dry. MCA has unilaterally cancelled the accreditation of all investor groups and prefers to work only with professional institutes under its regulatory ambit. While the IEPF website lists a few financial literacy seminars that have been conducted around the country, there is no clarity about the basis on which it decides to dole out funds. The ministry is now busy setting up a permanent IEPF authority that will give it greater flexibility in spending investors’ money. Meanwhile, financial consumers, who are
struggling to get dozens of companies (such as Neesa Leisure, Helios & Matheson, Elder Pharma, Unitech Constructions and Plethico Pharma) are being made to run from pillar to post without redress. The ministry, in fact, scrapped an investor helpline, funded out of the IEPF funds that used to be run by Midas Touch Investor Association without providing any reason for its action. Despite a new government in place, there is no indicator that the ministry will be made accountable for ensuring that these funds are correctly spent. The key question is: Do endless financial literacy seminars work? Research, based on behavioural economics, shows that the rational economic person does not exist. Most people are simply not
wired to understand financial products and tend to translate their experience of buying consumer goods to financial products. A study published in the Journal Management Science found that almost everybody who has taken a financial literacy class, forgets what has been learnt in 20 months. So, the impact on their future financial behaviour is negligible. An article by Helaine Olen, author of Pound Foolish on Slate.com, has a title that says it all. “Stop trying to make financial literacy happen. It is a noble distraction from actual consumer protection. That is why financial services industry loves it.” We agree. In fact, our regulators love it even more. And, they have figured out a way to get access to a large pool of investors’ own money to spend without any accountability. Regulators use this money power effectively to dole out advertisements to friendly media; those who ask uncomfortable questions are left out. Th is probably explains why little media attention is focused on the pathetic grievance redress record of financial regulators, despite setting up online redress systems. Moneylife finds that investors with resources manage to have some investigation initiated by fi ling complaints with the economic offices wing of the police. However, this rarely helps them recover their money. @moneylife.in
in an adviser. Along with the above findings, the study attempts to highlight the Indian household’s perception of their own financial health and economy in general and how these perceptions have
changed over the last year. Overall optimism on the economy has increased in the last one year. Around 55 per cent of the 1,585 respondents say that the economy will improve. @moneylife.in
Provident fund starts web help desk The decision to set up the help desk was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Shrameva Jayate
The Employees’ Provident Fund inoperative account to their existing Organisation (EPFO) has introduced accounts, an EPFO official told IANS. an online help desk to assist members “Based on the reference ID in tracing out “inoperative accounts”, generated, the field office concerned the labour ministry said Thursday. shall contact the member and guide The EPFO will “assist the holders subscribers in settling or effecting the of inoperative accounts to trace out PF transfer,” the ministry said. their accounts and effect settlement or “The introduction of Universal transfer of the same to Account Number their present account”, a (UAN) is expected statement here said. to greatly facilitate Provident fund the above initiative as accounts that fail to UAN would enable make contributions consolidation of for 36 continuous multiple previous PF months are classified as account numbers with inoperative and interest the present one,” it is not credited to these added. accounts from the date Nearly 50 million they turn inoperative. EPFO members are A sum of `27,000 able to access their crore was lying in permanent or universal - EPFO report inoperative accounts of account numbers the EPFO as on March (UANs) on real-time 2014. basis through a dedicated members’ Th is online help desk can be web portal since October last. The accessed through the EPFO’s website. UAN is portable throughout the Subscribers are required to fi ll in working career of members and can be information like company name and used anywhere in India. year of employment in order that the According to EPFO, it has already help desk can assist in finding other captured bank account details of over details. After members provide details 20 million employees, PAN details of of inoperative accounts, a reference ID nearly 10 million people and Aadhar is created. Once the details are traced, numbership in respect of 3.54 million the help desk will guide subscribers in workers. transferring the amount lying in the @moneylife.in
“The Universal Account Number (UAN) will bind PF accounts.”
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
“ The garbage menace has been raising its head intermittently for the last two years. But the then state leadership and the guardian minister of Pune, Girish Bapat handled the situation well.” —Vandana Chavan, MP and senior NCP leader
PUNE
Safety of the Expressway is our top priority. We went through the report presented to us, inspected the highway with all reference to it and decided to implement some of the recommendations.” — Eknath Shinde, PWD Minister
Mundhwa’s predicament needs solution
Iqbal Chaney, Chaney Architects
I want to draw your attention regarding the various problems we are facing at Mundhwa. As you know, Mundhwa lies towards the northeast of the city, roughly between Koregaon Park and Keshav Nagar. It is the only area within Pune’s original limits that has been retained as an agricultural zone. There is only one solitary farm out of the 900 odd acres that is under active cultivation. All other farms have been sold off to builders.
The Pune Municipal Corporation proposed to change its status to residential zone over 15 years ago. For various incomprehensible reasons cited by the PMC the status has remained so. In contrast, Magarpatta and Amanora were allowed to be developed on lush green cultivated fields. Keshavnagar, Chandannagar, Kharadi and even as far as Wagholi the lands have been converted to residential zones. One has only to look at the ownerships of large projects to know the reason for this. Consequently, the vacant lands of Mundhwa are now used as labour camps with no sanitary facilities, dumping grounds for excavated debris from other sites, car parks for the passport office, restaurants, wedding lawns and scores of unauthorised businesses from tyre repair shops to dhabas that litter the roads with garbage. Once green, the farmlands are now converted into dust bowls. Besides the large volume of traffic that traverses the North Main Road from Kalyani Nagar bridge to MundhwaGhorpadi Road junction, the wedding lawns, ABC farm restaurants, The Westin Hotel and Koregaon Park Plaza generate their own traffic. The North Main Road does not have a grade separator. Traffic grid locks are common, particularly at peak hours and on weekend nights.
Citizen journalist
The last 100 meters or today, nothing has so of the road at the materialised of all the Botanical Garden end discussions between of the North Main the PMC, Railways Road is left incomplete and the Cantonment and is riddled with Board. To make pot holes. Our pleas matters worse, the for erection of grade Army has closed separator on North the road between Main Road and traffic Kalyaninwagar lights at MundhwaBridge and the Ghorpadi Road railway crossing, junction has not been forcing people to go addressed so far. all the way around. - Iqbal Channey To travel to If the Ghorpadi from Commissioner of the Kalyaninagar or from Mundhwa, Pune Municipal Corporation comes one has to negotiate a terrible down from his ivory tower and visits railway level crossing. A fly-over was this area during peak hours, maybe he proposed around 18 years ago. Till will find some way to offer us solace.
“Our pleas for erection of grade separator and traffic lights has not been addressed yet”
A non-Punekar describes why the city makes him feel at home
‘Pune never ceases to amaze me’ Aniruddha Rajandekar
Restore the past glory’
It is their interim stay in Pune and yet the city has become their homestead
Cafe Goodluck at FC Road
Rajib Borkataki, IT Professional.
I came to the city with two objectives; for higher studies and to find a good job. I made many friends during my college days. Some of my friends were from different parts of Maharashtra. My friends and I used to take turns in cooking. I used to cook the traditional assamese ‘masor tenga’ and chicken curry, while my roommates used to make the delicious ‘thalipeeth’, ‘misal’ and spicy ‘thecha’. Those were the days! After completing my post graduation degree from Pune University, I started looking for a job.
Letters to the
Editor
The Jatayu Moksha’ performance by Kalakshetra Foundation Chennai artistes at Balgandharv Rang Mandir enthralled the audience. The programme was organised by Meghana Sabade’s, Nrityayatri institution. The dance drama was choreographed by legendary doyen of Bharatanatyam Rukhminidevi Arundale. ‘Jatayu Moksha’ depicts the abduction of Sita as narrated in Ramayana and how the eagle Jatayu gives his life trying to save her. In the midst of their forest exile, Rama and Lakshmana come across Shoorpanakha, Ravana’s sister, who is infatuated by them. Spurning her proposals, Lakshmana chops off her nose. To avenge her humiliation, the she-demone persuades Ravana to take Rama’s wife for himself. The golden deer is sent to attract Sita, and the plot is executed. Unlike the oft-seen demure Sita and Rama as Mr Perfect, here we
By that time my classmates had left for our home state –Assam. I decided to stick on as I loved the city, its culture and traditions. The city made me feel at home with its simplicity, great climate and the laidback attitude similar to Assam. When I was offered a job at an IT industry in the city, I grabbed it. I have been working in this particular segment for 15 years. my job has given me ample opportunities to explore career wise and connect with Puneites. My favourite spots in the city are Savitrabai Phule University and National Film Archives. Whenever I find time from my busy schedule, I visit the university and catch up with my teachers over Chai. I also visit NFAI to watch movies
Above: The incomplete road used by trucks and the exposed wires in the telephone DP box at Mundhwa
with my friends. I never miss the opportunity to visit cultural events like ‘Sawai Gandharv’. Knowing the city’s rich cultural traditions, it has been my endeavour to host festivals where the Assamese and Puneites can connect. I am associated with organisations like Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) and ASOMI – the Assamese Association in Pune. I love the city’s food joints situated on every street. My all time favourites are ‘Good Luck Café’ and Marz-o rin. I frequent these joints for Irani Chai, Ban Maska, and butterscotch milkshake. Down the years, the city has changed. I would like to see the past glory of the city restored.
non-native
parole
Pelham Roberts, head, MUWC
I first came to India in 1982, armed with a backpack and bad advice about Pune water being okay to drink. After a number of failed attempts to get back, I finally returned with my family in 2011 to assume the position of Head of the Mahindra United World College (UWC) of India in the city. This is my life - a citizen of two countries, Canada and the United Kingdom, over the last decade. I have lived with my family in Germany, Swaziland in South Africa, the United States of America, and now Pune. As an educationalist there are
Aniruddha Rajandekar
Iqbal Channey, resident of Mundhwa speaks about the issues plaguing the area
few more stimulating, exciting opportunities than working in a UWC (www.uwc.org) and one located in Pune was an outstanding challenge that I could not miss. UWC “makes education a force to unite people” across the divisions which usually divide them. The people of the city of Pune have allowed me to delve into the “ubuntu” of our common humanity. Often I go cycling with my sons on city roads and in and around Mulsi. I remember an incident when my sons and I participated in the ENDUR 03 race. We rented mounted bikes and eagerly started off. After riding for my sometime, we lost our way. We missed the bridge we were supposed to cross. As I tried to collect my bearings, a good Samaritan helped us from our dilemna. I have experienced Pune traffic chaos on foot, bike, motorbike and
rented car. I am amazed that it all works, and I remain alive to tell the tale. The best way to navigate the traffic is to find a few cows, which know the rules of the road better than anyone, and make sure that sunglasses are a shade lighter. In the city I love…. I hate to be lost. When I do sometimes, I seek refuge at the neighbourhood bookshop. The storekeeper usually gets into an animated conversation and offers me a cup of sweet tea! The tea is too sweet for taste, nevertheless it refreshes me and I go back on the streets hunting for my destination. The city’s is amazing. What never ceases to surprise me are the crisscrossed multiple, random interwoven drooping electric wires. Though there are certain things I like to avoid crossing the road, puddles and the traffic.
from foreign
shores
Jayatu Moksha was a scintillating performance see Sita somewhat petulant, and Rama the regular irascible scolding hubby, upbraiding his wife for being attracted to what surely must be a demon’s ploy. But alas, she persuades him after all and sets off the inevitable chain of events. It was a scintillating performance executed with precision. The hard work put in by the troupe is evident from their performance. The abhinaya, aramandi, angashuddhi captured all the relevant and significant features and lent a distinct vibrancy to the performance. Well supported by the vocal and the musicians, the dance drama was the finest to be staged in Pune. —Pandithar Sivakumar Perumal
Words or weapons? We do live in an interactive world
where language is for communication. It is not about the abuse of a language but more about how it can be useful to make life sustainable. A human has every right to express his or her thoughts but should also be ready for the counter reaction. Humans can be hurt by an insult and it does cause damage. Every human is different and we cannot expect everyone to have the same sense of humour. Vulgarity is not about adults only because most of us have seen kids in school communicating in languages laced with abuses. Every part of life is a phase and sometimes we outgrow juvenile habits and move into other zones. We desire humor but even a classic joke can be as effective as an abusive joke. Today people are still sensitive and cannot forced to be thick -skinned. Human nature is not defined by one feature and this is why a harmless joke for one can be an insult for another. Both sides need
splendidly while batting, bowling and fielding. We expect the team to perform brilliantly in the ‘World Cup’ final to be held on March 29 and bring laurels to the country. —Vijay Dattatray Patil
to be tolerant if free speech is to be effective. There is a time and place for everything and the right space is vital. The use or abuse of communication is personal but then we cannot rule out counteractions. Will we then expect free speech to usher in the concept of free slap? We all have our opinions and need an outlet but we realise that a language can communicate without the need of extra elements. Life is about understanding the concept of time and place and this is where a language can be used as tool with edges and not a sword that looks sharp but is blunt. —Sunil Melwani
Well done, Team India! Congratulations to the Indian cricket team! The way the players convincingly and dominantly won
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its first fixture in Group B matches, against arch rivals Pakistan by 76 runs in Australia was commendable. It is the country’s sixth consecutive win in a row in the ‘World Cup’ against Pakistan. We hope that in the forthcoming matches, the cricketers will perform
Letters to the Editor may be emailed to editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com, editor_tgs@gmail.com or mailed to The Editor, Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt Ltd, 1641 Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411030. The Best Letter of the Week will receive a special gift from Venus Traders, Pune’s finest stationery departmental.
SPORTS
THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2015
PUNE
“ India have got too many class players in their team to not be serious contenders at some stage. If they happen to play as well as they can, they are very dangerous.” — Australia’s World Cup winning captain Ricky Ponting
“ We haven’t thought too much about whether we have got a psychological advantage over India or not. We are just focusing hard on our preparations this week.” — South Africa cricket coach Russell Domingo
‘India can dominate in football too’ Former English football coach Barry Knowles, who joined Pune’s Bharat FC, feels that the youth development, right infrastructure and patience are keys to success BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish PUNE: The Former English coach Barry Knowles, who has served as the head of youth development for various top clubs in England, has been roped in by Punebased Bharat FC, as the head of Youth Academy Programme, recently. The 55-year-old has already taken charge and has started working with talented youngsters in the city. The experienced coach has landed in India, when cricket fever is at a high point, with the ongoing ICC World Cup. While the cricket team is on the upswing, the Indian football team, in contrast, had slumped to its worst-ever FIFA rankings, dropping to 171st in the 209-nation chart. It’s truly disappointing for Indian football fans that the Indian team rates below little-known nations like Montserrat in the Caribbean, and Sao Tome Principe in Africa. However, Knowles thinks that Indian football is in resurgence, and with the grooming of young players who are offered the proper infrastructure, Indian can rise to
become a force in world football in the near future. CRICKET AND FOOTBALL CAN WORK TOGETHER Knowles says that in England every cricket-loving person knows about the passion for cricket in India, the Indian team and the great players it has featured. “There is great exposure at the moment due to the World Cup in Australia, but what surprised me even more since I arrived, is the exposure to football. The young generation closely follow the English Premier League, Champions League and Spanish league. Th is is a good sign for Indian football. I believe, if cricket and football can work side by side, India can also be a major player in both sports like England.” YOUTH SYSTEM Knowles, after retiring from professional football at the age of 33, delved straight into coaching, taking up a youth academy role with Wigan Athletic. He is credited with spotting the current England international Leighton Baines’ potential. Knowles then moved on to coaching roles with former Premier League side Blackpool FC, where he served as the head of youth development and was also an important constituent at the youth set-up of Chester City FC. Now, he is on a mission, to do the same in Pune, and particularly with Bharat FC. Bharat FC is currently constructing their training ground at Manjri. The custom-built facility will house the club’s academy and Bharat FC has plans to put together under-9, under-11, under-13,
under-15, under-17 and under-19 teams in their youth structure. The academy will be giving preference to young aspirants from Pune. “I am very excited by the prospect of working in a youth academy set-up in India, when Bharat FC’s head coach Stuart Watkiss fi rst indicated about the opportunity. Indian football is growing rapidly and from what I have seen, the youngsters here are really willing to learn, absorb new things and improve. I think that’s a great foundation and we can definitely build upon that. My goal is to give Bharat FC the best youth system in this country,” he said. UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE Knowles has wide experience in working with clubs like Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. However, for the fi rst time he has set up an academy outside England. Talking about the challenges, he said, “I have set up several academies in England, but it’s the fi rst time I am setting up an academy in India. So my priority is to understand the culture, the needs of the players and the staff I employ.”
KNOW ABOUT BARRY KNOWLES
Knowles, born in Wigan, is a former professional footballer who has more than 300 appearances to his credit for five distinguished clubs in England. Having signed for Southport FC at the beginning of the 1978-1979 season, Knowles moved to Runcorn FC, Barrow AFC and then to Wigan Athletic where he enjoyed great success. He is amongst the first coaches in England to complete the UEFA A License. He spotted the talented Leighton Baines during scout hunt. Knowles have played coaching roles with former Premier League side Blackpool FC, where he served as the head of youth development and played an important role at the youth setup of Chester City FC.
2017 YOUTH WORLD CUP Pune is among probable venues for the Youth World Cup to be held in India, in 2017. Asked if Pune youngsters can get the chance to represent India in this elite event, Knowles said, “That depends on many factors. My staff and I will do our best to have players from Bharat FC in the Indian squad and there won’t be a prouder Englishman, if we do.” ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com
Maharashtra enter Ranji semis TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly PUNE: Maharashtra is just one step away from reaching second consecutive final at the Ranji Trophy. The team that lost to Karnataka in the final last year, have booked their place in the last four by beating Andhra Pradesh recently. In the quarterfinals, Maharashtra bowlers delivered the goods and defeated Andhra by 75 runs. Chasing
176 on the third day of the match, Andhra were folded up for 101, with Anupam Sanklecha being the most successful bowler with figures of 4-19 at the Bansi Lal Stadium. He emerged as one of the key players of the match, by taking eight wickets in two innings. Sanklecha was well supported by Samad Fallah (2-33), Domnic Joseph (2-26) and Shrikant Mundhe (2-17). Earlier, Kedar Jadhav (81), paved the way for Maharashtra to have a total
PLAYER’S CORNER TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly
ASHISH PHADNIS
Abhishek Mangle is the new kid on the Pune tennis circuit. The 13-year-old announced his arrival in no uncertain terms, by winning the AITA under-14 national level tournament, in Pune recently. The Paranjape Vidya Mandir student’s elation on winning his maiden title, after graduating to the under-14 age group was all evident. “This is very exciting. Last year, I started playing in the under-14 category but was not able to win a single title, not even in the local tournaments. It took little time for me to adjust to the new level, but finally the hard work of several months and patience has earned me this title,” said Abhishek. About the tournament, he said, “The first two rounds were comparatively easy, but as the tournament progressed, it became quite challenging, especially in the quarter-finals against Sanmay Gandhi. Though I won that match, I feel that I could have played much better. I committed several unforced errors.” Abhishek does not have a family sports background. His mother is a homemaker, while father Mahesh Mangle is a writer. That said, his parents have always been keen on fitness and always en-
to defend. Earlier, Maharashtra had conceded a 47-run fi rst-innings lead, before riding on the innings played by Jadhav, Harshad Khadiwale (47) and Rahul Tripathi (43). D Siva Kumar was the best bowler for Andhra with 6-79 that led to Maharashtra being bowled out for 223. Maharashtra will now take on winner of Vidharbha and Tamil Nadu at Eden Garden stadium, Kolkata from February 25. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
FEB 27-MARCH 1, 2015 at Amanora Town Centre, PUNE
Abhishek Mangle couraged Abhishek to take up physical activities. Like most kids in cricket-crazy India, Abhishek started with a cricket bat and ball at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana. But, after a while, he shifted his focus to tennis. “I realised that getting an opportunity in a team game like cricket or football is low, compared to individual games like tennis or badminton. Even my mother advised me to take up an individual sport. I started tennis coaching at the Chaitanya Health Club when I was 10,” said Abhishek. After a few months, Abhishek began training at Pashan, then Shikshak Nagar and finally settled for Club Solaris at Kothrud. “My earlier coaching was limited to a beginner’s level. But here I am getting exactly what I need at this level. My coach Parth sir has taught me how to tackle tough opponents, how to use the forehand and backhand combination, when to attack and he has played a major role in the improvement in my service. Earlier, I used to serve with an open stance, but after analysing my game, sir advised me to go for a close stance, and that really worked for me,” said Abhishek, who tasted his first national success in 2013, by winning an under-12 title. He then participated in tournaments at Pune, Nagpur, Panchgani, Kolkata and Mumbai. “I also participated in the Rode to Wimbledon tournament held in Kolkata last year. Though I lost in the initial rounds, it was a learning experience for me,” he said.
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