The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 16/01/2016

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TGS LIFE

Meet the city’s trending YouTubers

CITY

CITY

Why are so many PMC school students malnourished?

P3

Citizens live in fear of falling trees P5

Murderers and smugglers

turn a new leaf

The odds are stacked against people with criminal records as society is not willing to look past the taint and stigma. But there are exceptions who have served their time behind bars and still managed to retain a zest for life See Spotlight, p08 & 09

Dr Homi Bhabha’s iconic Same vehicle four bungalow to be demolished different PUC readings The pollution under control (PUC) certificate you stow away carefully may not be worth paper it is printed on See P4

Smita Godrej Crishna and her daughters who bought ‘Meherangir’ in an auction for Rs 372 crore in 2014, have submitted plans to construct a seven-storey structure

BY YOGESH SADHWANI @yogeshsadhwani

Two years after Dr Homi Bhabha’s bungalow ‘Meherangir’ in South Mumbai was auctioned, the new owners have decided to bring it down and construct a new one instead. Smita Godrej Crishna and her daughters Freyan and Nyrika have proposed construction of a seven-storey bungalow to replace the existing four-storey one. They have submitted plans to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) recently, seeking permission to build a new structure that would house three tenements.

Smita, Godrej Group chairman Adi Godrej’s cousin, bought the bungalow in an auction held in June 2014 from the National Centre of the Performing Arts (NCPA). She, along with her daughters, paid Rs 372 crore for Meherangir, which was named after Dr Homi Bhabha’s mother Meherbai and father Jehangir.

Contd on p2

High Court issues contempt notices to civic chiefs Two days after the city was plastered with illegal hoardings celebrating Congress city leader Vishwajeet Kadam’s birthday, on January 15, the Bombay High Court issued a contempt notice to Commissioners of Pune, Solapur, Navi Mumbai, Sangli, Bhiwandi, Ahmednagar and other municipal corporations and councils regarding illegal hoardings. The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed over illegal hoardings by Qaneez Sukhrani, a city based activist.

Qaneez Sukhrani and lawyer Ravindra Pachandkar had fi led a PIL

in 2014 over the illegal hoardings.

“The entire city is flooded with illegal hoardings. Why can’t PMC take suo moto action against these hoardings?” said advocate Pachandkar. His other argument is based on the political parties, who need to take action against their members if they engage in illegal activities. “My third point is how the money paid to contract workers who take the hoardings off is also coming from our pockets, and increasing our woes,” he said.

Their PIL, only for Pune, was connected with other PILs from

all across Maharashtra. In their combined hearing, the High Court had issued an order on November 29, asking the municipal corporations/ councils and political parties to fi le an affidavit stating what they were doing to curb the problem, the last date of fi ling which was ascertained to be January 14 by the court at the January 8 hearing. “The court has issued contempt against all the respondents on January 15. All of them are ordered to respond with explanations by January 18,” said Qaneez Sukhrani.

Related Story on P6

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

PUNE

MUMBAI

“Investors across the world believe that investment in India is very safe. Our effort will be enhance the confidence of the investors for investment in India, particularly Maharashtra.”

—Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister

Wish bigger start-ups have more respect for profit margin P 10

‘Harsh’ measures must for progress P 14

Dr Homi Bhabha’s iconic bungalow to be demolished

Smita Godrej Crishna and her daughters who bought ‘Meherangir’ in an auction for Rs 372 crore in 2014, have submitted plans to construct a seven-storey structure Contd from p2

The 65-year-old is on the board of directors of several organisations run by the Godrej group, including Godrej Holdings Pvt Ltd, Raptor Research and Conservation Foundation and Naoroji Godrej Centre for Plant Research among others. She is married to Vijay Crishna, who is on the board of directors of Godrej Industries Limited.

While Smita and her daughters bought the bungalow in June 2014, they got conveyance only in July 2015.

Initially, a public interest litigation filed by two Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) scientists stalled the transfer.

Later, it was permission from the charity commissioner’s office that took a while to come through. Immediately after getting the paperwork in order, the Crishnas started work on the redevelopment.

In August last year, the Crishnas appointed Talati & Panthaky, a noted architectural firm in Mumbai for the redevelopment project. Their scope of work includes preparation of architectural designs and municipal drawings, to obtain approvals from MCGM, recommended structural

capacity of eight. The proposed structure which will be a private residence of the Crishnas, will be spread over 22,808 sq ft in contrast to the existing 14,000-odd.

Sources in MCGM’s building proposal department said that they had forwarded the proposal to the survey department for approvals. The exercise is expected to take a couple of months before the plans are given a green signal by the civic body.

Smita Godrej Crishna (in white) with her husband Vijay and daughters Freyan and Nyrika; (Below) Papers showing that Crishnas have applied for redevelopment

and other consultants, among others.

Noshir Talati, co-founder of Talati and

Panthaky when contacted by TGS, said that he was abroad. He did not respond to text message either. The Crishnas could not be contacted either.

The papers in possession of TGS reveal that the Crishnas and their architects began work on obtaining approvals from MCGM in October 2015. The paperwork included Nyrika and Freyan’s power of attorney in favour of their mother Smita Godrej Crishna.

The sisters appointed their mother to take care of the legalities for constructing the new family bungalow.

The proposal submitted to the MCGM states that the Crishnas intend to build a structure which would have two basements, a stilt and six upper floors. While Meherangir has eight bathrooms and toilets, the new one would have 18. The new bungalow will have three lifts, each with a carrying

ABOUT THE BUNGALOW The ground-plus-three bungalow spread over 13,953 sq ft comprises 13 rooms, a terrace, three balconies, eight servants quarters, three covered parking spaces, an open parking place and two gardens. Dr Homi Bhabha used to reside on the third floor, his parents Meherbai and Jehangir occupied the second floor, while Jamshed Bhabha and his wife Betty lived on the first floor. The bungalow was built on a 17,150 sq ft plot.

Bhabha family bought the bungalow in 1937 from previous owners Bombay Company Ltd for Rs 1.5 lakh. After the death of Jehangir Hormusji Bhabha in 1942, the property was held jointly by his wife Meherbai, sons Homi and Jamshed. Homi, or Dr Homi Bhabha, father of India’s atomic energy programme died in January 1966. His share in the bungalow was passed on to his mother, who passed away in May 1973. Before dying she gave away her share in the property to Jamshed and his wife Betty.

Betty Irene Bhabha, Jamshed’s wife, passed away in April 1998, leaving her share in the bungalow to her husband. Jamshed became the sole owner the sprawling bungalow.

Jamshed died in May 2007 donating the bungalow to the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA). The NCPA conducted an auction on June 18, 2014 and the reserve price was

FDA officials who shielded fraud doctors under a cloud Three FDA officials charged with misguiding the organisation and government face suspension

BY SANTOSHEE MISHRA @TGSWeekly Governor C Vidyasagar Rao has asked additional chief secretary Medha Gadgil to conduct an inquiry into the complaint against three senior officers of the Food Drugs and Administration (FDA). They have been charged with misguiding their department and the state government, and if they are found to be guilty, they should be suspended.

Gadgil has ordered FDA Commissioner Dr Harshdeep Kamble to submit a report against the three FDA officials.

The complaint states that the three FDA officials not only failed to take action, but also gave false information to their own department, and helped fake doctors in their practice, thus endangering countless patients’ lives.

Complainant Ved Tiwari said, “I had submitted my complaint against M P Yadav, Krishna Singh and Jangbahadur Singh to the FDA, who are not bonafide doctors but were practising and running dispensaries.”

“Assistant commissioner B R Masal of FDA gave me a written reply that M P Yadav and Krishna

set at Rs 256.9 crore. Smita Godrej Crishna and his daughters won the bid for Rs 372 crore.

Days before the auction, two BARC scientists – Prashant Worlikar and Ram Dhuri - filed a Public Interest Litigation in Bombay High Court seeking that the bungalow must be declared a ‘National Monument’ and not be sold.

Their contention was that since it was home to Dr Homi Bhabha, it should be preserved as a heritage structure.

NCPA cited the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee’s (MHCC) affidavit, which stated that Meherangir did not warrant being listed as a heritage structure on account of its association with Dr Homi Bhabha.

The Central Government also stated that since the bungalow had not been in existence for more than 100 years, it could not be declared a National Monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. The Centre requested the Maharashtra Government to take up the matter for declaring the property as Protected Monument under the provisions of Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1960. The state too did not find any merit in the contentions.

The petitioners wanted a stay on

He was in wrong place at wrong time

30-year-old man succumbs to injuries after being brutally beaten up by eunuchs TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Manda Kale, 30, a caterer died in St George Hospital after he was brutally beaten up by three eunuchs, who also hit him on his private parts.

Kale was harassed by the eunuchs Churchgate railway station on January 4, at around 11 pm.

“The trio of eunuchs including Payal Verma, Koyal Chowdhary and Sameera Singh started passing lewd remarks at Kale at a tea stall. They then demanded money from him, which Kale refused and then they told him to pay for their tea. Kale again refused and then they started touching him inappropriately,” said a police officer

Three FDA officials submitted a report stating that the bogus doctors were clean. In the meanwhile, the doctors obtained fake degrees

Singh were working as assistants to the doctors. They have degrees and are not practicising as doctors.

FDA inspectors V D Chaudhary and Pravin Pawar informed that Jangbahadur is a sweeper,” said Tiwari.

He got a RTI reply from Maharashtra Homeopath Council that the three bogus doctors have been registered and they have acquired degrees from Bihar.

Investigations revealed that the three had forged and fabricated degrees. The first complaint against the bogus doctors was filed in 2011

and in 2015 they acquired a degree from Bihar also.

“Eventually the Council cancelled the registration of 70 persons including these three doctors who fraudulently produced their degrees,” said Tiwari.

Tiwari claims that the FDA inspectors Pravin Pawar, V D Chaudhari and B R Masal misguided the state government, provided false information which helped the bogus doctors in their practise.

Dr Kamble said, “I have already initiated an inquiry into the matter.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

the transfer of the property to the new owners. Back then, Senior Counsel Aspi Chinoy appearing for Crishna told the court that that his client would not demolish the structure for six months and that there was no need to stay the transfer. The HC disposed the PIL in September 2014, stating that NCPA could proceed with the transaction.

The only hurdle was permission from the Charity Commissioner’s office. Since NCPA is a trust, they needed clearance from the charity commissioner’s office for the sale. They filed a petition before AS Kolhe, joint charity commissioner. The NCPA trust pleaded that they were running in deficit and need funds to further their cause of promoting arts. While, the charity commissioner’s office was hearing the case, the Crishnas paid the entire sum of Rs 372 crore by October 2014. On June 20, 2015 the joint charity commissioner cleared the sale on the grounds that NCPA would have to set aside Rs 300 crore and use only the interest from the sum. The trust was allowed to use Rs 72 crore for its day-to-day expenses.

The bungalow was finally transferred to Smita Godrej Crishna and her daughters in July 2015. yogesh.sadhwani@goldensparrow.com

Relatives of the accused

from Azad Maidan police station.

“Then the trio assaulted Kale and hit him on his private parts until he lost consciousness and fell to the ground. The culprits then fled from the spot. Kale was taken to St George Hospital in CST, where he passed away on January 8,” the officer said.

The police checking the CCTV footage at Churchgate railway station, on the basis of which the trio was arrested on January 13 from the same spot where the incident had happened.

They have been remanded to police custody.

The investigation is stuck as neither Kale nor the accused are residents of Churchgate area. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

Sri Sri, Ramdev can attract tourists: Min P12

PUNE

“There is a well-organised hawking mafia in the Cantonment area. When we send teams to free up the roads and pavements, local anti-social elements confront our officers. Some food vendors, backed by these people, threaten them and even attack them with hot oil.”

— Sanjeev Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, PCB

Why are so many PMC school students malnourished?

It’s Hinjawadi, not Hinjewadi

Big percentage of PMC school pre-primary students found to be malnourished in NGO survey TEJAS GAIKWAD

Youths’ campaign to effect change in pronunciation and spelling of Hinjawadi bears fruit

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan

PMPML CEO Mayura Shindekar said, “We have corrected the pronunciation and spelling of Hinjawadi after the error was brought to our notice.

Buses other than those running on the BRTS route between the airport and Hinjawadi have not yet incorporated this change.

It will be done in the next few days.”

The ‘Le Royale’ hotel at Rajiv Gandhi Info Tech Park, phase 1, Reliance Mart at Sparsh Plaza and McDonald’s have changed from Hinjewadi to Hinjawadi. McDonald’s manager Satyam Dwivedi said, “We informed our headquarters about the change in spelling and the approved of the change.” sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

VISHAL KALE

The efforts of Samrat Jambhulkar, Akshay Jambhulkar, 20, Chaitanya Sakhare, 20, Dinesh Jambhulkar, 22 and Prasad Kakde, 20, to rectify the spelling of Hinjewadi to Hinjawadi over the last couple of months has borne fruit.

Some stores and restaurants of the area have changed to Hinjawadi. Even, the boards on Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) buses have been changed from Hinjewadi, to Hinjawadi.

Fergusson College student Jambhulkar who spearheaded the campaign, said. “Some stores

and restaurants have responded to our appeal and changed the spelling to Hinjawadi. But we are awaiting a similar response from the IT companies of the area. We belong to Hinjawadi and therefore we were really distressed with the wrong spelling and pronunciation. We approached the gram panchayat which helped us issue official notifications.”

The electronic display boards on 17 buses plying on the Bus Route Transit System (BRTS) have this new spelling following an appeal by the gram panchayat of Hinjawadi. The PMPML has also re-recorded the announcements, in which the pronunciation of Hinjewadi has been changed to ‘Hinjawadi’.

(Clockwise from left) The mission of Chaitanya Sakhare, Samrat Jambhulkar, Akshay Jambhulkar and Dinesh Jambhulkar has paid off; McDonald’s, Tamanna Hotels and Le Royale are issuing bills mentioning address as Hinjawadi in place of Hinjewadi

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @TGSWeekly The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) school board and non-governmental organisation Deepak Foundation had signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding health checks for students of PMC run pre-primary schools.

Accordingly, health checks were done in 501 PMC pre-primary schools from July 2014 to November 2015.

The report submitted last week to the PMC school education board throws up some alarming facts. Of the 15,000 students in PMC pre-primary schools, 2034 students were found to be protein deficient, 395 were found to be anaemic, and 2175 were found to be underweight.

Meanwhile 2,000 students had symptoms of cough, cold, fever, malaria and chickenpox.

The PMC’s mid day meal scheme does not seem to have been implemented and the health checks of students had not been done regularly for the last few years.

There are 1214 schools under the PMC school board jurisdiction, of which 501 schools have pre-primary education facility and 261 are primary education schools. Vishrambaug division had 248 cases of malnourishment, followed by

202 in Hadapsar, while Dhole Patil Road division had just three.

PMC school board member Balasaheb Janrao said, “After getting the report, we had a meeting with PMC Commissioner Kunal Kumar, board chief Vasanti Kakade, additional commissioner Rajendra Jagtap, PMC health chief S T Pardeshi and Urban community development member Hanumant Nazhirkar. Members asked for nutritional foods like boiled eggs, chikki, bananas and amla (myrobalan) for pre-primary students, and regular health checks.”

Commissioner Kunal Kumar said, “PMC has granted four crore rupees for nutritional food for pre-primary students of PMC schools. I have also instructed the health department to improve nutritional levels and ensure medical facility for students.”

PMC Chief Medical Officer Dr S T Pardeshi said, “Health department has recently got instructions from commissioner regarding restarting health checks for pre-primary students. We have scheduled a health department meeting on January 18.”

PMC school board Education officer B K Dahiphale said, “Malnourishment among pre-primary students is a big concern, as it affects the child’s physical

and mental development. We will take steps to improve nutritional levels.” tushar.rupanvar@goldensparow.com

501

Vital Stats Pre primary schools in PMC school Board limit

2034

Low proteinenergy level

395 Anaemic

2175

2175

Underweight

Grime in ear

9

569

Skin diseases

27

Throat allergy

2000 Illness symptoms

15,000

Dental problems

24

Inborn diseases

4470

Low protein + anaemic + underweight Students

Pride Hotel plants garden along the footpath on both sides of its entrance

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma

The Pride Hotel in Shivajinagar is so enthusiastic about its beautification drive, that it has deprived the city’s pedestrians of footpaths around its premises.

The three star Pride Hotel on Ganeshkhind Road has an imposing entrance. On both sides of the gate is a well maintained garden with a

variety of flowering shrubs and plants.

The only problem is that this garden is on public land.

The garden has been created with a border of bricks on the footpath adjacent to the gate. Pedestrians are forced to step on to the road where the garden begins and the footpath ends.

The footpath then starts beyond the hotel gate.

TGS asked the hotel receptionist and senior managers about the garden on a public pavement. They did not seem to know what the issue was.

Rooms Divisional Manager Amal Kundu said, “I am sure we have taken the necessary permissions. But I am not the person to talk to about this

issue.” HR manager Lakshmidhar Joshi was unavailable for comment.

Pune Municipal Corporation anti-encroachment department chief inspector D R Langhe said, “We don’t give permissions to encroach on footpaths. No one has the authority to render the footpath useless for the pedestrians. I can’t comment about Pride Hotel as I have not seen it, but I am sure that it is illegal.”

Encroachment of pavements is common in the city. Activist Qaneez Sukhrani said, “I haven’t seen the Pride Hotel’s encroachment but encroaching on footpaths is what vendors do.” gargi.verma@goldensparro.com

TEJAS GAIKWAD

Taking Pride in beautification, ignoring pedestrians

With the footpath taken over for beautification, pedestrians are forced to walk on the road

Pune to get 50 tourist guides

TEJAS GAIKWAD

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka In wake of an initial tepid response, where just 25 aspirants had applied for the posts of tourist guides, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was in for an unexpected and pleasant surprise, with 75 applications received in just a fortnight.

With this endeavour, Pune city for the first time ever will have a number of tourist guides, who will be placed at the 40 major tourist attractions of the city, including Shaniwar Wada, Raja Kelkar Museum, Aga Khan Palace etc.

PMC’s Urban Community Development (UCD) department, is screening the applications before shortlisting and selecting the final 50 tourist guides. Thanks to the candidates’ enthusiastic response, Deputy Mayor and Congress leader Aba Bagul had had two lakh rupees sanctioned for their training and grooming as professional tourist guides. UCD department Programme Officer Sanjay Ranjane said, “Pune has never had professional tourist guides, who are an essential ingredient if we

Abhishek Magar, one of the budding guides

are to turn Pune into a thriving tourist attraction.”

The drivers and conductors of Pune Darshan buses, which is a Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited initiative, double as makeshift tourist guides. “Parvati, Sarasbaug and Shinde Chhatri and such are historic sites, information about which is not available to the average tourist. With the availability of professional tourist guides, these spots will have a far

greater number of visitors on a regular basis,” said Hanumant Nazirkar, UCD department in-charge.

PMC will groom the candidates in collaboration with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation.

“After we received only 25 applications, we extended the application process and also eased the educational requirements, which resulted in a far bigger number of applications,” Nazirkar said.

“If a candidate is not a graduate, he or she should have a diploma in tourism and hospitality. Initially 50 candidates will be selected, who will be given a fortnight’s training by the Maharashtra State Institute of Hotel Management and Catering personnel, before they start working as tourist guides. They will not be employees of the PMC,” Nazirkar said.

Tasneem Phaltanwala, 35, is excited about the prospects of working as a tourist guide. “There are very few women tourist guides. To me it’s a fascinating profession as I will have the opportunity to take around visitors to Pune’s historic sites and also inform them about the rich heritage and culture of the city,” said Phaltanwala, one of the applicants.

Rahul Gaikwad, 37, is looking at the tourist guide job as means to earn a living. “I recently lost my job as a Cam Engineer. A friend told me about the PMC’s tourist guide job and I have applied for it. It sounds like an interesting and very different from the kind of job that I’ve been doing,” said Gaikwad. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

PUNE

“Cycle tracks are there just for the name’s sake. Thus, cycling has remained confined to a few serious enthusiasts, or those who cannot afford any better means of transport.”

— Sarang Aawad, the deputy commissioner for police (traffic)

NASA tests Nissan’s driverless car

MLA’s car kills Air Force officer

P10

P12

PICS BY VISHAL KALE

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan

Same vehicle four different PUC readings

Pune traffic police collecting fi nes from vehicle owners for not having pollution test certificates is nothing new, but the glaring ignorance on the subject that the Pollution Under Control (PUC) centre staff display is almost comic, if it were not so sad. There are PUC kiosks at almost every petrol pump in the city but they do not have a standard measuring system.

TGS recce where we got a motorcycle tested at four different PUC centres, threw up different readings in both the Carbon Monoxide and Hydro Carbon levels.

The four certificates show that the Carbon Monoxide levels differed by almost 0.1 per cent to 0.4 per cent, while the Hydro Carbon levels show differences of 300 to 500 PPM. RTO sources said that of the more than 145 centres in the city, only a few have the upgraded machines to comply with Bharat stage III and IV norms. The Regional Transport Office (RTO) renews the licences of these centres every six months. But, RTO does not check machines before renewing or issuing licenses.

TGS queried Deputy RTO Anil Patil about the PUC centre certificate. He emphasised that the PUCs centres are not providing manually written

The pollution under control (PUC) certificate you stow away carefully may not be worth paper it is printed on

Place: Senapati Bapat Road Time: 2.40 pm Agency: Chaturshringi Service Station Carbon Monoxide: 0.390 % Hydro Carbon: 180 PPM Experience: We asked the centre staff about different reading of carbon monoxide and hydro carbon at another centre. He said it never differs as all machines are certified by the RTO. “We cannot change or modify percentage showed by the machine. If someone tries to modify or change the percentage, the RTO will cancel his licence.”

He charged Rs 40 for checking.

Place: SAI Petrol Pump, Jangli Maharaj Road Time: 3.45 pm Agency: Sangmeshwar PUC Centre Carbon Monoxide: 0.94 % Hydro Carbon: 916 PPM Experience: We asked about the accuracy of the machine.

“Our machine is Bharat IV certified and it gives accurate results. Some centres have Bharat II certified machines,” he said. He charged Rs 35. Why do some centres charge Rs 40? “We are authorised and RTO has issued the rate,” he said.

Place: Aundh Time: 2.20 pm Agency: Mauli Krupa Agency Carbon Monoxide: 0.6 % Hydro Carbon: 620 PPM Experience: The PUC centre worker starts checking pollution level of our motorcycle. We asked him about the process, but he had no idea what it was all about. “I only check the meter reading and write it down,” he said. He charges Rs 40 and advises us to keep our bike in good condition.

certificates. When TGS showed him the certificates, he was shocked. He said, “We will take action against them and before giving licence, we will inspect their machines.”

Experts say that the PUC system to check emissions of on-road vehicles in Pune is extremely unreliable, thanks to lax norms, poor enforcement and questionable quality test procedures. While petrol vehicles were tested for carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons along with lambda under PUC, diesel vehicles are tested only for smoke density.

Regional Transport Officer Jitendra Patil said, “We have already deputed a special squad to monitor PUC centres across the city. PUC centres provide manually written certificates to vehicles owners. If the percentage of Carbon Monoxide and Hydro Carbon is different at the centres, we will check all centres.

We will cancel the licences of the guilty.”

Sources said that the PUCs centres’ machines are not authorised. “The PUC centres have a union and an illegal pact with the RTO to give licences to people who are known to them. RTO never inspects these PUC centres. They only renew their licences and allow them to give certificates. These machines never show exact results but different centre show different results,” they said. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

THE RULE BOOK

T

he Motor Vehicle Department of Maharashtra guideline says, “The PUC test certificates shall be obtained only from the printing presses informed from time to time and shall be serially numbered. A separate account of receipt and utilisation of these certificates shall always be maintained and produced for inspection on demand.

The PUC certificate should be signed by only one of the persons authorised in this behalf, as mentioned in the application form for grant of authorisation. The PUC certificate should indicate the pollution levels before and after adjustments.”

The guideline also said that the persons conducting the test should hold a minimum qualification of certificate in Automobile Engineering or Motor Mechanics issued by Industrial Training Institute of Government of Maharashtra and should also know the procedure for minor adjustments/repairs with which the pollution levels can be brought down, without affecting overall performance of the engine.

CARBON MONOXIDE CO is an odourless, colourless, poisonous gas that comes mainly from motor vehicles and other combustion exhausts. A gas that comes from the burning of fossil fuels, mostly in cars. It cannot be seen or smelled. Carbon monoxide is released when engines burn fossil fuels. Emissions are higher when engines are not tuned properly, and when fuel is not completely burned.

Place: Kothrud Time: 4.00 pm Agency: Shree Ganesh PUC Centre Carbon Monoxide: 0.1 % Hydro Carbon: 402 PPM

HYDRO CARBON A hydrocarbon is an organic compound made of nothing more than carbons and hydrogen. It is possible for double or triple bonds to form between carbon atoms and even for structures, such as rings, to form.

Experience: Asked about the percentage displayed on the machine, the worker checking PUC level, said, “For two-wheelers the Carbon Monoxide should not be over three per cent and Hydro carbon should not cross 2000 PPM.”

Teen suspected of theft succumbs to burn injuries

BY YOGESH WAGH & DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @TGSWeekly Sawan Rathod, 17, who sustained 70 per cent burn injuries after being set afi re by three miscreants, succumbed to his injuries on Friday morning at Sassoon Hospital.

Sawan was forced to drink petrol and then set afi re by Imran Tamboli, 28, Zuber Tamboli, 26, and Ibrahim Mehboob Shaikh, 38, on Wednesday, January 13, at around 3 pm. The trio suspected Rathod of stealing a battery from a motorbike.

The Faraskhana police have arrested the Tambolis and Shaikh.

The police claimed that Rathod was an orphan but TGS tracked

down his father.

Sawan had a tiff with his father and came to Pune from Yavatmal a few days ago.

His father Dharma said, “Sawan ran away from home nine days ago. We were worried and came to Pune to look for him but we didn’t find him. Then we came to know about him being set afi re and we rushed back. Unfortunately he was not alive. All the accused should be punished.”

Ramesh Rathod, Sawan’s relative who is an advocate, said that the police didn’t record his dying statement, and nor did the doctors attend to him properly.

“The police haven’t recorded his statement. The doctors at Sassoon Hospital didn’t give him proper treatment. When I saw him, he wasn’t

provided with a cage, but was just wrapped in a bedsheet. The accused should be charged under section 120 b (to hatch a plot),” said Ramesh.

Faraskhana police station Inspector Dnyaneshwar Bhosale refuted the allegations. “We have taken the dying statement of Sawan in the presence of doctors. We are adding the sections of 302 (murder) and 120 b (hatching a plot),” he said Deputy Superintendent of Sassoon Hospital, Dr Yelappa Jadhav said, “We took the utmost care and provided the best treatment to Sawan.”

“My brother was a good person. He wouldn’t harm a soul. I urge the police to punish the guilty,” said Sawan’s sister Komal, 15. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Clockwise: Sawan Rathod at Sassoon Hospital; His father and sister; Police inspecting the crime scene

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

“There is complete disregard for traffic rules in the city. The authorities can capture more violations by installing CCTV cameras. Better roads are needed to avoid accidents. Two wheeler rider should wear helmets to avoid loss of lives.”

— Qaneez Sukhrani, Nagrik Chetna Manch

Tree Authority members have not met since October 2015, leaving tree-cutting issues unresolved

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka

Rajendra Vaidya, 70, has visited the Garden Department of Pune Municipal Corporation regularly with his application asking for the chopping down of a raintree in his housing society. The 32-year-old tree, which falls under the dangerous species category, has already caused loss of property in the Ashwamedh Society at Paud Road, and residents are wary of the prospect of harm to human beings if the tree comes crashing down.

The civic body has turned a deaf ear to Vaidya’s plea as it has to 251 similar pending applications since October 7, 2015. PMC’s Tree Authority (TA) members have not met for three months, leaving 667 hazardous trees uncut, which are obstructing constructions or the flow of traffic. The TA meetings have stopped against the backdrop of bickering with the district social forestry department over petty issues.

“We have been complaining to the Garden Department since we noticed cracks on the wall of our society a few months ago. We had to spend Rs 40,000 to repair the cracks on the floor.

My application has been pending for three months. A fortnight ago they asked for photos of the tree, which I have already sent,” said Vaidya.

Senapati Bapat Road resident Ojaswini Chitale was petrified when a Silver Oak near her bungalow came crashing down. “We were fortunate no one was hurt. There is another ancient Silver Oak near our parking area and now I am scared that it might fall any time,” Chitale said. Silver Oak was not

‘Harsh’ measures must for progress

Dogs’ domestication affected DNA: Study

P14

P11

PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

Citizens live in fear of falling trees an indigenous species and cannot survive here, but the trees were there when they bought the house.

The Garden Department employees only trimmed its branches though the PMC has issued permission to cut it down.

PMC Garden Department head Ashok Ghorpade said that Tree Authority was responsible for tree cutting decisions. “We cut down trees only after TA gives us the green signal. The next TA meeting will take place on January 16, wherein all the matters will be sorted out,” said Ghorpade.

PMC Commissioner Kunal Kumar, who is also chairman of the Tree Authority, said, “There are some issues related to Bombay High Court’s order about tree cutting in Pune. However, all the decisions regarding tree cutting should be taken at the TA meeting on January 16.” priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

Ojaswini Chitale, a resident of SB Road and Rajendra Vaidya of Paud Road, have been desperately hoping that the Tree Authority clears their application to fell dangerous trees

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That’s what friends are for...

Friends, neighbours and well-wishers pitch in to help Puneite after his serious road accident

BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak It’s in times of trouble that one knows who your true friends are. They are the ones who’ll be by your side while the others fade into the background.

Amit Sangare, 24, is fortunate to have so many who came to his aid in his time of need. Sangare, who now lives in Pune, was riding to Mumbai late in the afternoon on December 12, 2015, when he crashed into a stationary tractor at the side of the road near Kamshet.

He was not wearing a helmet, and sustained serious injuries to his head, right hand and spinal cord. Amit was rushed to Pioneer Hospital in Pune for treatment.

Amit’s sister Priya, 26, and mother Suvarna, 44, who live in Chembur, were daunted by the thought of the five lakh rupees needed for his medical expenses.

“We’re fortunate that Amit’s friends and our neighbours came to our aid as soon as they came to know of his accident,” said Priya.

Their neighbours Kiran and Sheetal Jadhav, along with Nilesh Agane, Akshata Sable, Bhagyashri Bhise, Kamini Mail, Kiran Sarvade, Abhijeet Bansode, Vinod Awoghade, Sonali Jadhav and Rajan Bambade, all of Mumbai, co-ordinated with their Pune counterparts, Mahesh Sangare, Sumit Shigwan, Sumit Sangare, Sonali Sangare and Anil Kalal, to organise the money needed for

I don’t how my family could have coped with this situation without their help

Amit’s hospital expenses.

The raised money from trusts, and availed of one lakh rupees from the Chief Minister’s fund, as well as contributions from neighbours and well-wishers. They shifted Amit to Suvarna Hospital in Chembur, and then back to Pioneer Hospital in Pune.

Amit had to undergo a number of surgeries and he is stable now. He still needs plastic surgery for his right hand, and more surgery to extract fluid from his brain.

“All my friends and neighbours and well-wishers are like angels and I don’t how my family could have coped with this situation without their help,” said a grateful Amit.

Amit works as manager in a private company and his wife Sheetal, 24, is a housewife.

“Amit has always helped us in our times of need and now it is our time to return the favour,” said Kiran. ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com

Melamine limit set Dog bite cases soar by 25 per cent in 2015

by FSSAI in India Melamine is an organic base commercially synthesised from urea with an intermediate step producing cyanic acid. It is 66 per cent nitrogen by molecular weight. Melamine toxicity can be classified as acute or chronic, and can cause renal failure, kidney stones and even cancer.

“Melamine falls under carcinoma category which leads to cancer and related ailments in humans and other animals. It exists in natural resources around us. Mainly it is transferred to grains, foods, vegetables and even water from fertilisers and pesticides used by farmers abundantly,” said FDA assistant commissioner Dilip Sangat.

“It was previously unchecked by food manufacturers and us but now has come under the scanner after serious health hazards caused by it,” he said.

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1 The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department statistics show an increase of 4188 in dog bite cases in 2015 than in 2014. The 12,741 dog bite cases reported in 2014 rose to 16,929 in 2015, a 25 per cent increase.

There are therefore, 46 dog bite incidents on an average in PMC limits every day.

The civic body attributes the increase to outsiders and rural patients who come to PMC hospitals for treatment.

Health officials says that the maximum number of dog bite cases are reported from slum areas, and in

places where garbage is dumped in the open, where restaurants remain open till late in the night, where waste from food stalls is dumped in the open, and at construction sites where stray dogs find shelter.

PMC Health Chief Dr Somnath Pardeshi said, “The increase is because patients from other districts and rural areas come for treatment to PMC hospitals.” Incidents of people being bitten by tame dogs are more than stray

Going jogging? Keep your eyes open

Two incidents of female runners molested by miscreants have come to light in the last 10 days

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma For fitness enthusiasts, morning walks and jogs are as routine as a cup of morning tea. But there are two girls who are now scared to go jogging since they have been molested.

Anuja, an instructor at a college, is an amateur marathon runner and goes on long distance runs almost daily on the Baner-Balewadi-Pune University Road. “We go in groups of five to ten early mornings twice a week,” she said.

On January 12, Anuja had a scary experience. “I was on my way back on Baner-Balewadi Road at around 8:30 am. I was on my own, ahead from my group. Suddenly a motorcyclist with his face covered slowed down in front

of me, came close to me, touched me inappropriately and sped away. I was so shocked that I had no time to react,” she said with a shudder.

She stood rooted to the spot until her group caught up with her. She called up the nearest police station, who asked if she had noted down the bike number. She had not and the police station staffer immediately lost interest. She was sent from one police station to another on the pretext of jurisdiction. But at both Aundh and Pashan police stations, they refused to register a complaint without the vehicle number.

On January 2, Pooja, in the hospitality business, had a similar experience. Pooja was on a morning practice run with her group near the

Pune university ground near Khadki gate. She also was ahead of the group.

Around a turn, a male motorcyclist with his face covered, approached from behind, groped her and sped away. “It was still dark so I was unable to see the vehicle number,” said Pooja. She went to the police chowky outside the University gate. “When I told them that I couldn’t see the number of the vehicle, the stopped registering my complaint, and instead lectured me on why I was out running in the dark,” said Pooja.

After their identical experiences, Pooja and Anuja, are both concerned.

Pooja said, “Pune is said to be a safe city. But now that this has happened to me, I have changed my mind, and feel it’s not so safe after all. This happened on the University premises, where so many girls go for morning walks alone.

Imagine what else can happen.” Anuja said, “I will either change my routes

and even carry along pepper spray.”

“Many girls and even boys have had nasty experiences,” said a male runner from Aundh who refused to disclose his name. “People do not like to talk about it but we want to warn people that such things do happen,” said Pooja.

“Why can’t the police at least register my complaint?” Anuja said. “The man had the audacity to grope me in broad daylight. If action is not taken against such people, who knows what else they might do,” she said.

But the police have a completely different view. Chatushringi police station senior Police Inspector Arun Sawant said that the city is as safe as ever. “Such incidents are not increasing and there are hardly any complaints,” he said. Claiming that no policeman will turn down a complainant, even if they didn’t have the vehicle number, he said, “We’d obviously ask the basic questions. If the victim does not have

dog bites. It also includes incidents of where people are accidentally bitten while playing with dogs.

Pune city has a population of around 45,000 stray dogs, of which about 10,000 have been castrated by the four PMC and three NGO teams, which catch take stray dogs in vans to the castration centre. Then the dogs are left in the same locality and a cut in the ear is the mark of castration.

“Dogs have to be sterilised just

once. Every year we sterilise about 10,000 dogs. There is no provision to kill them and it is against the law. The only remedy is sterilization to curb their population,” said Dr Amit Shah, medical officer and chief of the dog squad of the health department. PMC sterilised 5720 dogs in 2010-12, 8825 in 2011-12, 8380 in 2012-13, 9244 in 2013-14 and 10,000 in 2014-15.

There is steady rise in dog bite cases in the last four years. In 2012, there were 12,731 cases, 13,668 in 2013, 12,741 in 2014 and 16,929 in 2015. Nine rabies deaths were reported last year in city limits. Health officials said that the rabies deaths were due to delay in treatment.

“The anti-rabies course of five injections is available free of cost in civic hospitals.

The rabies virus reaches the brain quickly, developing water and air phobia in a patient, leading to death. There is no cure once the rabies infection reaches the brain,” said a doctor from Naidu Hospital. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@gmail.com

VISHAL KALE

Melamine is a toxic, carcinogenic substance which can cause kidney malfunction/injury or other serious ailments. The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has therefore, set safe melamine limits in food products manufactured in India.

The notification issued in this regard by the FSSAI which comes under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on January 5, has come into effect in all the states. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will implement these regulations in Maharashtra.

The regulation will be implemented in Pune by Pune region FDA officials.

Pune region FDA joint commissioner (food) Shashikant Kekare said that they will initiate action if melamine quantities exceed the prescribed limit.

There are 46 incidents of dog bites in PMC limits every day and there are 45,000 stray dogs in Pune city

details, we lodge the complaint against unknown persons. If there are people who have faced such incidents, they need to come forth. I myself will lodge their complaints and help them.”

Pooja and Anuja are not so sure.

“I have been asked by the Magarpatta

groups to join them and I am even considering to shift to that side of the city,” said Anuja. Pooja said, “Now that I have faced something ugly, I’d rather train near my house and stay with the group than venturing out on my own.” gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

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“There is a law in place -the driver’s license can be suspended for three months if he is caught plying bus over 80 kmph. The bus corporation will also keep a vigil on such offenders and ensure there is strigent departmental action besides the license suspension.”

— Diwakar Raote, State transport minister

‘Eco decline talk is political hot air’ P 14

Garbage, garbage everywhere, not spot to dump PCB garbage treatment plant has made life hell for Hadapsar Industrial Estate area residents

VISHAL KALE

BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak Those who live in the Hadapsar Industrial Estate (HIE) area have to face the stinking prospect of the tonnes of garbage dumped at the Pune Cantonment Board Garbage Treatment Plant.

Everyday 100 trucks dump 40 tonnes of waste on the 23-acre plot of PCB land leased from a private party.

The untreated garbage has raised the spectre of a health hazard with the swarms of flies, mosquitoes and other insects.

Angeli Lobo, 54, who live in St Patrick’s Town, said, “No genuine effort has been made by the PCB to resolve the issue. The health hazards are numerous as the garbage attracts scavenger birds and animals, who even strew the whole area with garbage and even drop it in our backyard.”

HIE had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court, in 1999, asking for removal of the garbage dump. The High Court ordered its removal in 2001, but the PCB keeps asking for more time.

There are food factories, IT companies and townships in the vicinity, who have had to deal with the unhygienic conditions created by the garbage. The garbage has also disturbed the ground water levels. Pune Flour Mill manager Ankur Shah said, “We have been adopting countermeasures for a long time such as pest control. We

deal with and cannot afford to let the unhygienic conditions affect us.”

The Aircraft Act and Aircraft Rules of 1937 prohibit the slaughtering and slaying of animals, depositing of rubbish and other polluted or obnoxious matter in the within a ten km radius of the aerodrome. The Air Force Station is about seven km from the plant.

Lt Col Sunil Narula has made a video on ‘Pune Garbage Fiasco – Deadly AV Dossier’ that focuses on the effects of the garbage being dumped at the plant. “It should be called illtreatment plant. There is no security, there is no segregation of waste. The

garbage attracts birds which are a danger to the planes that fly overhead.

The PMC plant next door works efficiently. Why does not the PCB work in collaboration with the PMC?” The PCB’s Vermiculture Project in Hadapsar is another example of in efficiency. The plant has 75 pits, of which only four are utilised. Outdated methods are used to segregate the waste. The equipment is in disrepair.

PCB CEO Sanjeev Kumar said, “Partial treatment of garbage has already started. We have proposed a treatment plant under the Smart Cantonment Project, work on which

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @TGSWeekly

The BCS was launched in 2011, and the sixth edition will feature eminent personalities from politics, film, sports and education arenas, besides over 10,000 students from across India.

A student from Marathwada, on the condition of anonymity said, “Marathwada is reeling under such a severe drought that even drinking water is scarce. Women spend hours fetching water from far of places. In contrast, on our campus, water is being wasted on washing walls and footpaths, and on the lawns. It seems a criminal waste.”

MIT executive director Mangesh Karad however refuted the charge of water wastage. “There is no question of water wastage. Whatever water is used is part of our regular routine upkeep of the garden.”

Pune Municipal Corporation water supply department head V G Kulkarni said, “We will send our staffers to check if there is any excess use of water at MIT and will initiate action if necessary.” tushar.rupanvar@goldensparow.com

will start shortly. The garbage from the main market is sent to the Vermiculture Project. We will also be receiving a tender for the shredder.”

To promote segregation of waste, PCB will provide dustbins by the end of the month.

Kumar said, “The PMC is facing a problem so collaborating with them is not possible.”

Around 50 rag pickers work at the dump yard. “The waste is been lying here since ages. We earn our bread and bread by selling off the recyclable waste from the dump. ” ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com

Standard VIII started in only 27 of PMC’s 307 primary schools five years after passage of the Act

In 2010, the Parliament passed the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act which describes the modalities of the importance of free and compulsory education for children between the ages 6 and 14. The act has made it compulsory for primary schools providing education up to standard IV to add standard V, and schools providing education up to standard VII to start standard VIII, to reduce the incidence of school dropouts.

Five years later, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) school

MIT Kothrud is splurging water in preparation of BCS gathering even as Pune citizens scrimp on water use

Maharashtra has been coping with a drought situation for two years in a row owing to scanty rainfall. The state government had declared 14,000 villages as drought-hit, encompassing 34 per cent of Maharashtra.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) resorted to alternate day water supply to conserve water and ensure that it would last till the next monsoon.

Against this backdrop, the Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT) Kothrud’s splurging of water to wash building walls, pavements, and water lawns on the occasion of the sixth Bharatiya Chhatra Sansad (BCS) scheduled from January 27 to 30, is a profligate waste.

To stem the flow of school dropouts

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @TGSWeekly

There is no shortage of water at MIT

board has started standard VIII in just 27 of its 307 primary schools in the July 2015-16 educational year. Of these 27 schools, ten are Marathi medium, ten are Urdu medium and seven English medium schools.

Students tend to leave school after standard VII because of economic reasons, as the parents can’t afford the expense of sending their children to school in distant locations. Girl students suffer most as parents are unwilling to send them to far away schools for reasons of security.

PMC school board chairman Vasanti Kakade said, “The board had sought state government permission to

start standard VIII in all 307 primary three years ago but we were granted permission for only 81 schools. Owing to shortage of funds, we could start standard VIII in only 27 schools. This year we have demanded additional funds from the PMC commissioner to starting standard VIII in the remaining schools. There is great demand for English medium schools, owing to which there are fewer students in Marathi medium schools. So we will start standards VIII primarily in English medium schools. The board also sought PMC commissioner’s permission to start standard VIII of English medium in vacant Marathi school classrooms. Once we get permission, we will start standard VIII in the remaining schools.”

PMC school board education officer B K Dahiphale said, “We already had standard VIII in 30 high schools, where we provide education

Vital Stats Total primary schools of PMC school board - 307 Standard VIII classes in Marathi medium schools – 10 Eight standard classes in English medium schools – 10 Eight standard classes in Urdu medium schools – 07 High schools which have standard VIII – 30 Total schools having standard VIII - 57 from standard I to X. We have started standard VIII in 27 primary schools from this educational year, so we now have 57 schools with standard VIII.” tushar.rupanvar@goldensparow.com

Chamchas put up illegal hoardings for Cong leader’s birthday Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam birthday celebrations cause traffic bottlenecks at prominent Pune roads

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE AND EKTA KATTI @TGSWeekly PICS BY TEJAS GAIKWAD & VISHAL KALE

Kadam’s supporters gathered at his residence on BMC Road, causing chaos and blocking the road; (Right) One of the many illegal hoardings put up by his chamchas

Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam’s 34th birthday celebrations at his ‘Sinhagad’ residence on BMCC Road culminated in unmanageable crowds and traffic bottlenecks, which proved an unwanted nuisance for passersby and residents of the area on Wednesday.

The throngs had started to gather at Kadam’s house from 5 pm. One over-enthusiastic Kadam supporter from Solapur brought along a crane to carry the superheavy birthday garland.

With the ensuing chaos, traffic from Law College Road was diverted to Bhandarkar Road by Kadam’s security guards, which resulted in traffic snarls on both the roads.

Vishwajeet Kadam came into the limelight he was named as the Congress Party candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Pune constituency in place of tainted city MP Suresh Kalmadi. But Kadam lost the election in Congress-dominated Pune and faded from active politics.

Vishwajeet is the secretary of Bharati Vidyapeeth and son of former state forest minister Patangrao Kadam, and also president of Maharashtra Youth Congress.

To add to the chaos, his supporters had painted the city red with his hoardings. Illegal banners and hoardings were put up all over Pune wishing him for his birthday.

RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar said, “Illegal hoardings are a bane of Pune city and the bigwigs brazenly flout the rules regularly. The police refuse to take action against such people so it seems that the rules apply only to the common man. Why can’t the police and PMC take strict action?”

In a recent PMC survey, 1,600 illegal hoardings were spotted but no action was taken against the same on the occasion of birthdays, anniversaries and special occasions.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Om Prakash Bakoria said, “We will remove all the hoardings if they have been put up without necessary permission.”

TGS was unable to contact Vishwajeet Kadam despite several phone calls and SMSs. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic Branch Sarang Awad said that he had not receive any complaints regarding traffic snarls on BMCC Road.

The Bombay High Court has warned of action against commissioners of civic bodies and councils of every district in the state

who fail to file compliance reports regarding steps taken against illegal hoardings and banners.

Justices AS Oka and CV Bhadang, hearing public interest litigations on January 8, warned the state and asked for strict action against politicians who had put up the hoardings. The

division bench asked all municipal corporations and councils to file compliance reports on steps taken against illegal hoardings put up prior to and on Republic Day this year, failing which civic chiefs would be held in contempt. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

“ The Hindu King Jadi Rana gave us sanctuary in India 1,300 years ago to save our religion and Modiji is the present day avatar of King Rana as he has pledged to save Udvada.”

— Yazi Desai, Chairman, Bombay Parsi Punchayet

“Dr (BR) Ambedkar had said that through the Constitution we managed to ensure political equality, but this political unity cannot be sustainable until we achieve economic and societal unity.”

— Mohan Bhagwat, Chief, RSS

He defied destiny

Having survived earthquake and betrayal by mentor, Avinash Birajdar’s ‘café nine’ has 28 franchisees spread across Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Bhivandi, Belapur, Badlapur, Sangli and Satara TEJAS GAIKWAD

BY SHEKHAR PAIGUDE @TGSWeekly It takes some time and a lot of belief in destiny to accept that the tall and shy Avinash Birajdar who is busy with visitors at his office near SNDT College on Karve Road had a tragic past. The 27-year-old bachelor and owner of famous coffee brand ‘Café Nine’ is one of the youngest entrepreneur in the city with business annual turnover of Rs 30 lakh. Avinash has fought with fate to smile on success.

As a child, Avinash survived an earthquake with head injury. He lost his home in the disaster, and his father in a road accident after two years. The father’s demise forced his elder brother Mohan Birajdar to leave his job and help the family in subsistence. After completing higher education from his village Kondjigad in Osmanabad district, he came to Pune for further studies.

“I started working in ‘Joshi Wadewale’ as a part-timer. After getting familiar with the business, I took their closed shop in Navipeth on lease. I did not have a single penny to pay the franchise deposit, but my friends at Marathwada Mitra Mandal College Hostel paid the deposit money for the shop,” he said, adding that his family members were against the hotel concept.

Elder brother Mohan found the venture profitable and came to Pune to join him.

“Navipeth franchisee earned popularity. As the business was giving profits we came with the idea of starting a snack centre. Owner of Joshi Wadewale earlier promised to help for the snack centre but later asked us to even vacate the Navipeth franchise. I

Banking on his business acumen, Avinash Birajdar left his police constable job to start a chain of food joints and live the success story

don’t know why he did that. When a small tree grows under a big tree, the huge tree is unable to see its shadow and tries to resist the growth of the small tree,” Avinash said, describing the sweet turned sour relationship with the Joshi family.

Fate strikes again when a premonsoon wind blows off their dream.

A huge tree falls on the snack centre started by the Birajdar brothers at Cummins College on Karve Road in February 2009 with loan from friends.

The municipal department didn’t lift the tree for two months saying it was not affecting the traffic. The brothers run from pillar to post to seek authorities help in removing the tree but the civic administration takes two months to do so. Meanwhile, the shop remains closed and the brothers incur huge loss, forcing

them to shutdown the snacks centre.

“As I had spent two years in hotel business, I was keen to join the industry again. I was also preparing for police constable recruitment and got selected in Maharashtra police as constable on March 2010. I joined the police force,” he said, adding that his brother had to shoulder the responsibility of looking after the family. Mohan started a juice and coffee shop at a vacant stall on BMCC Road in 2010. Avinash was helping his brother to run the stall. Their life was back on track before the encroachment department of corporation removed all stalls on BMCC Road after three years.

They lost the stall and a prime place of business as Fergusson and BMCC colleges were next to it.

“Business is my passion. I was not satisfied in government service. I left

They are here to spread awareness about Thalassemia Ishanya Youth that fosters socio-cultural relations between North-East India and Maharashtra will organise fundraising musical event on Saturday

that they should test for something like thalassemia. Hence, awareness is a must as people will look for cure only if they know about thalassemia,” he said, adding that expensive bone marrow transplant is only cure at present.

Bhaskar Dutta of Ishanya Youth says that expensive bone marrow transplant is the only cure for genetic blood disorder thalassemia

BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry For Bhaskar Dutta and Pritam Rajkhowa, hailing from Assam, it was an endeavour to make people coming from NorthEast India feel at home in Maharashtra.

A conversation between the two friends at a roadside café after attending a live concert in Pune gave birth to Ishanya Youth, a youth association for northeast Indians.

Bhaskar Dutta Bhaskar, 32, who is married to a Pune girl, lives in Ambegaon Budruk and works as a software engineer. His 31-year-old co-founder Pritam is an hotelier in the city. Started about five years ago, Ishanya Youth has been organising and assisting in cultural activities organised by others. The vibrant group that had a handful of members in its initial days as over 600 supporters and volunteers, comprising students, professionals and married couples.

Anthem 2016, Ishanya Youth’s annual Pune and North-East India Integration Youth Festival this year, will focus on spreading awareness on thalassemia across the city. And the vibrant group has been planning and sharing responsibilities since past six months. Joining hands with

Thalassaemia Society of Pune, Ishanya Youth will be holding one of its largescale fundraiser. The group has arranged for noted Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, singer of ‘Ya Ali’ fame from ‘Gangster’ movie, to feature in the musical event that will be held at The Irish Village Ground, Mundhwa on Saturday, January 16.

AN ‘UNKNOWN’ AILMENT “Whenever I visited a hospital during any social service initiatives, I saw many children on beds. And most of them were thalassemia patients. We have a lot of cases like this in North-East too,” said Bhaskar. According to him, thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that is as dangerous as cancer but lacks widespread awareness. “The kind of projects and campaigns organised in the city is not enough and our effort is Pritam Rajkhowa to reach out to maximum people.

The major cause of rising thalassemia patients is ignorance. If parents don’t know that they are thalassemia minors then their child suffers. An antenatal diagnostic screening will detect if a child suffers from the ailment in the womb itself. Thalassemia patients suffer from anaemia and changes of heart failure at an early age is a huge risk factor. The problem rests at its roots when people don’t realise

PUNE

ONE OF ITS KIND Till now Ishanya Youth has only managed to organise low-key awareness events where the members and volunteers would carry posters on thalassemia and only members would donate funds. This time they decided to take it to a whole new level. The musical event will comprise live in Concert by Zubeen Garg and his band, performances by renowned rock bands and Ishanya Group Dance Competition. The participants include Rock band Blackwings and Vishal Pawar, winner of dance reality show ‘Let’s dance’.

“We are using music and dance as a medium to attract maximum audience. Had it just been a thalassemia fundraiser we probably would not have got enough response as many people are unaware about the ailment,” Bhaskar said. President of Thalassaemia Society (Pune) Dr Nita Munshi will give a talk on the ailment.

The live concert is one of its kind organised to raise awareness about prevention of thalassaemia in Maharashtra.

VIBRANT GROUP Ishanya Youth stems from word Ishanya that means north-east in Hindi. The group helps the youth who relocates to Maharashtra for studies and job opportunities. The group is a socio-cultural amalgamation of north-east students and working professionals in Maharashtra. The organisation also enables them to assist each other in education, career and social awareness, besides promoting cultural exchange between the NorthEast India and Maharashtra. Currently 600-member strong, they work as a wing of ASOMI, which is a leading microfinance institution in Assam. The social group has lined up various programmes to extensively advocate the awareness of thalassemia. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

the job and joined my brother once again. We started a full-fledged snacks centre ‘Gurukrupa’ (God blessing on Bhandarkar Road on March 13 in 2013.

Coffee was the soul of our snacks centre.

We later opened coffee shops on NIBM Road, Vimannagar and Wakad within six months,” said a proud Avinash.

Avinash identified the potential of coffee and allied food like ice cream and sandwich. He focused on production of thick milk required in making coffee and started production house of milk and ice cream at Shivne village near Pune on February 14, 2014. Now they provide thick milk across Pune and other parts of state. “It was impossible to manage all our shops. So, we registered as a private company ‘café nine’ in December 2014 and started our first company outlet on Senapati Bapat Road on April 2015 under the brand name ‘café nine’,” he said.

He said that the city is rapidly changing and ‘café nine’ matches to global brands like McDonald’s, Dominos... We have given around 28 franchisees within one year. We are present in Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Bhivandi, Belapur, Badlapur, Sangli and Satara. “We give franchisee to young people having spirit of doing business. We take minimal money from them. Encouraging youth for selfemployment is our aim. We don’t want anyone to suffer like us,” Avinash said.

Avinash credits his elder brother for standing by him through thick and thin. He has made his brother’s wife as director of company and plans his business to expand to Maharashtra and Gujarat. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

IITians get new symphony

Industry doyens play the strings for noble cause

Y_Point Orchestra has performed in Delhi, Goa, Mumbai, and Pune

BY ZAINAB KANTAWALA @kantawalazainab IITians are generally known to be associated with books and technology.

They have other interests too. They started Y_Point Orchestra in Pune with the sole purpose of giving a platform to those students who are musically inclined. Ten likeminded friends from IIT Bombay came up with the concept to give students the opportunity to play in a relaxed and sociable environment.

“Y_Point orchestra was born four years back with an aim to encourage IITians to hang around and have fun,” said 63-year-old Nandu Kulkarni, the vocalist and percussionist of the music group.

Y_Point orchestra’s recent show at Bal Shikshan Mandir in association with NGO The Great Foundation was a fundraiser organised for their teacher Viney Kirpal. The show was dedicated to providing quality education to less privileged children. The group helped the NGO raise Rs 6 lakh that helped them set up interactive science labs in

government schools. They sung the popular numbers of melody queen Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar.

The alumni orchestra comprises 18 members, where the youngest member is 14 years old and the oldest is 61. Having performed in Delhi, Goa, Mumbai, and Pune, the memory of their first performance is still afresh in their minds. “We performed for the first time in Pune in 2011, in front of 300 people who would not stop applauding and tapping their foot to our beats. We played a set of old and new Hindi songs.

It was the deciding moment for us to continue performing,” he said.

“We are the Pune chapter of IIT Bombay. Our team is a mix of those who graduated in the 70s till last year.

Initially we were just 10 members who would get together and practice on weekends. Now our members have increased and we put in more hours to jam,” said Nandu. But what Y_Point stands for, one might wonder. “Y_Point is a gate at IIT Bombay, which is very popular with the students,” he said. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

PUNE

The bad times are now a thing of the past...

T

anaji Yashwant Ombale, 45, comes across as humble, forthcoming and seems to harbour a load of regrets. He obviously wishes he could wipe away the period on his life and the incident that led him behind bars.

“It was a rough patch and one that I wish I could go back and change.

Not only have I given up politics but stayed away from it in every way possible,” he said.

A farmer by profession, Ombale had cleared standard X and was doing social work at Salpe village in Karjat, when his life took a downward spiral. He was one of the youth leaders who wanted to get a road made in the village. But a dispute arose with people from a neighbouring, which sparked violence, after which Tanaji was booked by the local police under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code on June 7, 2001.

His family could not raise the money for bail and Tanaji spent 14 months behind bars. From Karjat Police Station, he was shifted to Adharwadi in Kalyan, where he spent two years and four months, before being moved to Yerawada jail, Pune in 2004. While he was in the jail in Kalyan, his case came

before court, he was deemed guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.

“When you enter the jail for the fi rst time, it is probably the scariest experiences in your life. The cold stares and judgmental looks in the inmates’ eyes sent shivers down my spine,” said Tanaji, recollecting his fi rst moments inside jail. After a month or so, the staring stops and then everyone is extremely supportive. “It is like one big family,” he said. Fights and disagreements are part and parcel of living in close quarters with so many people, he said.

One’s fate inside prison depends primarily on what you do and how you do it. Just like one sees in films, there is bullying, sexual harassment and rape but more often than not, it is an action to a reaction. “If you rub people the wrong way, some of them have enough contacts and strong relationships with the authorities to make your life miserable.

The jailers and other authorities do their best to be fair, but it all depends on you,” Tanaji said.

Most inmates are extremely accommodating, he said.

Talking of challenges and tough times inside, there are only two phases when the pressure is at

its peak, he said. Since there is no work when you are under trial, you have nothing to do other than sit and think. Th is is also the case at the end of the day when you have had a tiring day and do not have the energy to do anything physical to keep your mind diverted. Th is is when negative thoughts creep in the most and test your will power.

In the time that he spent inside, Tanaji learnt how to make mattresses and work on a computer as well. While he did attempt to pursue Bachelors in Social studies, he has never been fond of books and so barely managed to get through the fi rst year. A theatre enthusiast since childhood, he also took part in several plays in the cultural programmes that the inmates organised. His happiest memory in prison is that of the Ganesh Festival celebrations.

After being released on August 21, 2015, Tanaji began planning a poultry business to keep himself busy. He still helps his brother and father at their farm.

Dressed in a crisp white shirt and trousers, Tanaji has the look of man who has had his share of ups and downs, but the downs are a thing of the past, it seems.

Murderers and sm

A NEW L

The odds are stacked against people with criminal records as society is not willing to look past the taint and stigma. But there are exceptions who have served their time behind bars and still managed to retain a zest for life

BY ZAINAB KANTAWALA AND SALONEE MISTRY @TGSWeekly

The New Year brings along an opportunity to start afresh, to discard undesirable habits and routines, and focus on new opportunities that come your way. That said, it’s easier said than done, because we are creatures of habit and for the most time we would rather resist change and stick to the familiar, than turn over a new leaf and adopt unfamiliar modes of life.

It’s difficult enough when you’re a regular person and are not weighed down by restrictions and any excess baggage that shuts down avenues of possibility and reduces viable options. A

Ad

From ace smuggler to preaching sermons P

aul Kirpashankar, 52, once lived the life of a Bollywood baddie, a suave, super cool con man, who smuggled highpriced contraband such as gold and diamonds for no less than the likes of Mumbai don Haji Mastan. He lived the razzle-dazzle life and flourished as smuggler. But his fall from grace came suddenly, and unexpectedly just like a fi lm script takes an untoward turn.

Paul was born and brought up in Singapore, and after his education he underwent military training for six years. Happy go lucky and an extrovert, Paul made friends easily, but he fell into bad company, people who introduced him to the high-flying world of smuggling.

The 20-year-old was quickly lured to the big money, lavish lifestyle that the profession promised. “I started smuggling gold and diamonds into India. I would hide biscuits in electronic items, and I was always able to come up with new ideas to smuggle gold into India. In Singapore nothing was illegal, but the challenge was to get the contraband into India, and this is where I came into the picture,” said Paul. “Thanks to my military connections, I received VIP treatment at the airports, which made my job as smuggler easy. I had quick reflexes and the ability to think on my feet, which helped me wriggle out of tricky situations. Th is is what brought me to the notice of top Mumbai don Haji Mastan. And I soon became one of his most trusted henchmen, thanks to my knowledge of the nitty-gritty of international smuggling.

I was the master of my craft,” Paul said.

With money and all the good things of life at hand, Paul got married to an Indian girl from a middle class family. It was all hunky-dory until the day his wife vanished with his daughter and two crore rupees.

“She was cheating on me. In 1991, I traced her to Mumbai, and after a heated

argument, I strangled her in a fit of rage. I was advised to flee the country which I did.

But I was arrested by the police in Nepal, and after a court case, I was sentenced life term for murder,” Paul said.

Paul was housed in Kolhapur jail, and with his money and underworld links, life wasn’t too bad.

The turning point came in 2000, when some Christian inmates asked Paul to talk to the jail authorities about starting a Sunday church. “I was not even a Christian but my name Paul had misled them. But I started going to the Sunday gatherings. Soon, I found myself preaching sermons every Sunday.

These sermons changed me because I was spending hours preparing for them. I started reading the Bible regularly, and the thoughts and preachings somehow became ingrained in me,” he said. “It seemed to cleanse me from within. I noticed the radical changes in my behaviour and I found that I like this new me,” Paul said.

During his court appeal hearing in 2001, Paul asked the advocate to withdraw the case.

He requested the IG of Kolhapur jail to get him transferred to Yerawada jail, so that he would be away from underworld links. His applications for parole were rejected because of his foreign citizenship. Finally in 2008, after 16 years in prison, his plea was accepted and he was given a two-week furlough.

“When I stepped out of jail, I didn’t know where to go. I felt like going back to prison, because for so many years my life was just prison walls, a little outing and conversations with fellow prisoners. The outside world had ceased to exist,” he said.

Paul travelled to Mumbai but the city he once knew so well had changed completely.

He then decided to meet his daughter who was staying with his in-laws in Surat. On the

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bus to Surat he heard people talking about the serial bomb blasts that had take place there. He returned to Mumbai on the same bus, scared about the prospect of falling into a police met and being implicated in the blasts.

When it was time to return to jail, the thought of escape did enter his mind. “I could have so easily disappeared. But my conscience nagged me and forced me to return to prison.

I was miserable for a while. But if I had not returned that day, I would have been an absconder now,” he said.

Freedom came three months later, when he was released from prison. He decided to make Pune his home, and work for the betterment of society. Paul today runs a real estate business, a private detective agency and is also part of a trust that caters to

underprivileged children.

Paul is happy man. He lives in Dhanori and leads a stress-free life with his pet dog.

After spending nearly a third of his life behind bars, Paul is an exceptional human being, who has retained a joie de vivre, a zest for life.

“If you want to lead a happy life, don’t think about yourself, live for others,” he says

rehab likem up m “Desp realit crime also e that said organ Th in co Yeraw organ the o convi back the p after get jo variou for f and h positi Th whose in jai Helpl dome of wo often teasin reluct famil agenc are le alone menta realis for wo all su Th to spr fraud witho in slu fraud is lead Uday.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

PUNE

PICS BY RAHUL RAUT AND TEJAS GAIKWAD

mugglers turn

LEAF

minal record, then, is a formidable and even ossible obstacle to overcome, and those o have to bear this burden are certain to face ersity every step of the way, even though they y have the strongest motivation and incentive hange track.

That is to be expected though, as society s not have the time to look upon those who e fallen foul of the law, and now must bear stigma for the remainder of their lives. It’s eed rare that a former convict gets the chance tart anew, on a path that offers a ray of hope, prospect of redemption.

For the most part, those with a criminal must sort out the meagre options available hem and opt for the handiest. No one wants

darsh Mitra Mandal

A

darsh Mitra Mandal is a voluntary organisation that works in the areas of crime prevention and criminal bilitation. Founded in 1999 by a few minded individuals, they have taken many social issues since inception. pite all the efforts, crime is still a ty, and very little is done to prevent e. Protection from all sorts of crime is equally important. It is with this aim we started Adarsh Mitra Mandal,” Uday Jagtap, the founder of the nisation.

They work for Criminal Rehabilitation ollaboration with Pune Police and wada jail authorities. The Mandal nises programmes and seminars with objective of changing mindsets of icted criminals and bringing them into mainstream society. They counsel prisoners into living crime-free lives they are set free and also help them obs at various organisations. They run us educational and health programmes family members of these criminals help them to get respectable jobs and ion in society.

They also sponsor education for children e parents have died in gang wars or are il. They have also started the Bhagini line Project to stop trafficking, estic violence, and sexual exploitation omen and girls. “Young girls quite n face issues like molestation and eveng by miscreant youth. But they are tant to report such cases either to ly members or to social or government cies. As a result, these women or girls eft to go through all such problems all e leading to more serious issues like al depression or suicide. The Mandal ses these issues and started a helpline omen and girls, where they can report uch problems,” said Uday.

They have also launched programmes read awareness and prevent fi nancial d. “Today there is a race to become rich out any efforts. Youth, particularly um areas, are turning to robbery and d to earn quick and easy money. Th is ding to alcoholism and drug use,” said y.

A burning desire for learning W

here there is a will, there is a way, is an adage that defines Santosh Shinde quite well. At the age of 19, Santosh was found guilty of the murder of his girlfriend, for which he served a 16-year jail term. It was during these years, without any prospects of hope, that Santosh found some inner reserves of strength that enabled him to acquire 11 degrees and diplomas, during incarceration. Th is achievement has etched Santosh Shinde’s name in the Limca Book of Records in 2009.

Santosh Shinde’s life began on a normal, unexceptional note. The youngest son of a Khadki Ammunition Factory employee, he completed his 12th from Ambedkar College in Yerawada. During his college days, he fell in love with a girl who was a teacher at a school in Vishrantwadi.

“Th ings took a turn for the worse when other students who were jealous started interfering in our relationship. Th is caused my girlfriend and I to quarrel and bicker frequently.

One morning some guys who didn’t approve of our relationship physically attacked me. I fled from them to save my life,” he said. Santosh then sought help of a friend who gave him a ‘khanjar’, a dagger with a pistol grip, to defend himself. “I was in a rage and wanted revenge. So I accosted those who had attacked me, and in the fracas that ensued, my girlfriend intervened and was inadvertently struck by my dagger,” Santosh said. He was immediately handed over

to take chances with an ex-con so the criminal on the path of reform must take the path of least resistance and take up jobs like driving an autorickshaw or such, where testimonials of a spotless characters aren’t necessary.

Resilience and fortitude are human virtues though, and when one’s back is to the wall, we may find within ourselves reserves of an unexpected and infinite strength. Th is is the story of mortals who have been dealt or who have dealt themselves a raw deal, and are now on the upward trail, as they erase the traumas of a troubled past and go about carving a niche, and finding a foothold on a slippery slope that they find themselves on. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Living his life one day at a time...

D

ilip Kamble, 57, has come a long way since the time he was accused and held guilty of killing his wife. He tries not to think of the 16 years of his life he has spent in jails across Maharashtra. Take every day as it comes and make no long-term plans, is his simple philosophy.

Dressed in trousers and T-shirt, Dilip is often overcome by emotion as he narrates his story.

Dilip Kamble was an electric engineer with the Maharashtra State Electricity Board. Well settled with Asha, his wife of 14 years, and three sons at Dahanu in Palghar district, he had no inkling of the turmoil to come. On a work day, Kamble was getting ready for office when the argument between him and his wife took an ugly turn. According to Kamble, his wife decided to teach him a lesson and took poison in an attempt to frame him. She was probably hoping to recover in a hospital while he spent time in jail. “I did not mean to do her any harm,” he said. “It all happened in such a hurry and so long ago that I don’t even remember why we were fighting,” he said, During the court hearing, his three sons testified against him, and Dilip pleaded guilty, seeing no other way out. His three sons who were 14, 12 and 10 years of age, went to Baramati to live with Dilip’s brothers.

Based on the evidence that the police found at Kamble’s house on the day of the incident, he was arrested on October 21, 1992 and kept in the lock-up at Dahanu police station. He was 32 years old then. When he fell ill after about two or three months, they moved him to Dahanu Cottage Hospital. It was only on March 7, 1993 that he was taken to the District Central Jail in Thane.

Then soon after came the 1993 bomb blasts in Mumbai, in the wake of the Babri Masjid riots.

Laws became extremely stringent and appealing for and getting bail was nearly impossible. It was only 1996 that the court finally heard his case and found him guilty, sentencing him to life imprisonment. While in Thane jail, Kamble spent most of his time around Jayendra Thakur also known as Bhai Thakur, who was in jail at that time

for conspiring to murder builder Suresh Dube.

On December 21, 1999, Dilip was transferred to Nashik jail and then in 2004 to Yerawada jail, Pune. After a month of moving to Yerawada and staying in barracks with 240 others, he moved to the Open jail which is in the same premises.

Th roughout his stay in the jail, he did all sorts of jobs from farming to even administration duties for the jail authorities.

Talking about the environment inside and what rules one must follow, he said, “You get treated the way you treat others and this is the only rule to remember. As long as you keep to yourself and don’t interfere in things that don’t concern you, your stay inside will be peaceful.”

Living in the jail environment is not an easy task no matter how long you have been inside. Once your day ends at 6 pm and there isn’t much to do, one’s mind most definitely wanders, recollecting memories from the past they would rather forget.

The environment inside never lets you forget your mistake and in some weird way this helps. “There is a sense of unspoken brotherhood inside and the inmates are extremely supportive of each other,” he says. Even so, he preferred living in the Open jail compared to the wards. Th roughout his sentence his brother and sons often came to visit him even though he never expected them to show up. They, in many ways, were responsible for never letting me give up on my own, he says.

With all the time he had in jail, Dilip took to reading and decided to study as well. He fi rst completed his Bachelors and then a Masters in Sociology from Jnana Prabodhini, Pune. He also did a Vipassana course. Although he was sentenced to life imprisonment, Dilip was released in 2008, his sentence reduced by eight years for good behaviour.

Dilip now works as an engineer at a construction site at Uruli Kanchan and lives at Shewalewadi, Pune with his two sons and their families. Th is seems like a good place to be, but he sure has taken a roundabout route to get here.

to the police, the law took its course, and with all the evidence against him, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

“When I stepped into jail for the fi rst time in February 1993, the reality hit me hard, and I was resigned to the worst and thought that it was the end of my life,” he said. The overcrowded barracks, flea-infested blankets and tasteless food made it seem like a veritable nightmare. “I had a dim hope that I would walk free, but my bail pleas kept getting rejected, and all the advocate did was give my parents false hopes,” he recalls.

At his wits end, Santosh then was struck by the thought of continuing his studies while in prison. He asked the IG, who was kind enough to guide him. That was the start of a new phase as he spent hours in the jail library preparing for BA in Sociology. “I was determined to concentrate on my studies, and not get distracted by other factors around me. I wanted to study law too, but the university didn’t allow me, quoting the rule that only regular students were allowed for this course. My appeal to the department for permission to attend college was rejected,” he said.

Meanwhile, he completed his graduation in Political Science, History and English, and went on to pursue his masters in Sociology and Hindi. “Then I did some computer courses and a certificate course on Gandhian philosophy and another in English grammar,” he said. The course in Gandhi Philosophy was introduced by

Asim Sarode.

Santosh was drawn to theatre in college.

He was a part of Sangharsh theatre group in his college and had participated in the prestigious Purushottam Karandak and Rajya Natya Spardha as well. So he took to performing oneact plays in jail to entertain other prisoners.

“There is no entertainment in jail. There was one TV set that did the rounds of the barracks. We would get a chance to watch TV after waiting for one and half months. So the theatre group was a good option,” he said.

He staged 40 plays while in jail and gave acting lessons to 120 inmates. “There were yoga and Art of living classes which made our life a bit interesting and also eased our frustration,” he said.

During the 16 years in prison, he was often invited by other criminals to join their gangs, with the lure of good money and positions. But Santosh remained focused on his goal. “In jail, there are good people inside who will take you on the right track and encourage you, and there are habitual criminals who will distract you. It’s all about what you want to do with your life,” he said.

Santosh was freed in December 2009, with some time off for good conduct. He now lives a settled life with his wife, son, mother and elder brother in Dhayari. He works as a store manager with a construction company and also counsels prisoners. At the beginning of his 40s, Santosh has a lot left to look forward to.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

PUNE

TECH/START-UP

“About 1 out of 8 couples met their spouse on the Internet within the past few years.

There are more people meeting their significant others online each year.”

— http://geekofreak.com

Nepal is set for start of new Constitution P 13

Wish bigger start-ups have APP WORLD more respect for profit margin A date to remember Infosys chief Vishal Sikka says growth of some start-ups has come at the cost of investor money that has been burnt

ISRO, NECTAR to help NHAI monitor highway projects The government said it will take the help of ISRO and North East Centre for Technology Application and Research (NECTAR) to monitor the progress of National Highways across the country through advanced technology.

“NHAI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NECTAR for use of spatial technology for monitoring and managing National Highways, the Road, Transport and Highways Ministry said in a release.

“NHAI will take up some pilot projects with both the organisations to identify and finalise actual use and benefits of both satellite data and spatial technology and UAV technology in highway and infrastructure sector,” the release said. A 24x7 technical cell would also be set up to provide relevant project specific data using the technology to project report Consultants, Engineers, staff and users, it said.

The use of satellite data and geospatial technology will be useful in providing inputs in highway and infrastructure projects for preparation of DPR (detailed project report), prefeasibility status in new alignment, widening of road, monitoring of road segments under construction and Road Asset Management System, it added.

NECTAR, Department of Science and Technology uses Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for acquiring aerial images for infrastructure planning.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been entrusted with National Highways Development Project (NHDP), along with other projects for development, maintenance and management of National Highways across the country.

PTI

PTI

Lauding the buzzing Indian start-up ecosystem, Infosys chief Vishal Sikka said these are healthy signs for the economy but “wished” that “bigger startups” have more respect for profit margins.

“Overall the emphasis that is being placed in India on start-ups and on entrepreneur is a good thing. Of course it is true that vast majority of the start-ups fail. However, entrepreneurs never fail,” Sikka said in response to a question.

“I think it is a good thing, although frankly I wish that the bigger start-ups have more respect for profit margins, that would be a good thing,” he said.

Sikka, however, did not specify any names.

Over the past two years, investors have pumped in billions of dollars into hundreds of startups, many of which have grown into thriving businesses.

However, many analysts believe that growth for some of them, especially in the eCommerce segment, has come at the cost of investor

CEO of Infosys Tecnologies Vishal Sikka laughs during a press conference to announce the third quarter results of the company at its headquarters in Bengaluru

money that has been burnt to acquire customers through deep discounts.

Sikka was speaking to reporters here as he announced Infosys December quarter results. The country’s secondlargest software firm today reported a 6.6 per cent growth in consolidated net profit at Rs 3,465 crore.

He said the city-based firm is engaged with various ministries and government agencies for initiatives like Startup India, Make in India and Digital India campaigns.

“The start-up movement in India is absolutely a very healthy sign. It is a very positive sign of a growing economy,

of innovation, of an innovative youth culture and that’s a very good thing,” he said.

He added that more can be done to encourage this, both at the government and corporate level.

The government, on January 16, is holding a day-long session on start-ups in which around 2,000 new age ventures, 40 CEOs, and venture capitalists would participate.

Prime Minister is expected to unveil the action plan of the Startup India during this event.

Pointing out that Infosys is investing in start-ups and mentoring them, Sikka said:”One of the things that I’m excited about is to help rethink the idea of incubation in a very interesting way... you will hear about that in Make in India week”.

He said the company is also working on helping bring scale into some of these start-ups and taking them to its clients so that there can be joint solutions.

PTI

UK’s draft Internet spying law threatens rights: UN experts Britain’s proposed new Internet spying laws could threaten key rights if passed unchanged, UN rights experts said today, calling for a “comprehensive review” of the draft legislation.

The proposed David Kaye measures, which were unveiled in November, would allow security agencies to access the Internet communication records of suspects and require web and phone companies to keep records of all activity for 12 months, among other measures.

The “draft Investigatory Powers bill could, if adopted in its present form, threaten the rights to freedoms of expression and association both inside and outside the country,” the experts said.

Among matters of concerns were the “excessively broad definitions and disproportionate procedures to authorise surveillance, including mass surveillance, and data retention without adequate independent oversight and transparency.”

The group of three UN special rapporteurs, David Kaye who deals with freedom of expression, Maina Kiai, who specialises in freedom of peaceful assembly and Michel Forst, an expert on human rights defenders, called for “a comprehensive review” of the bill “to ensure its compliance with international human rights law.”

Other rights groups have condemned the draft Maina Kiai bill as an attack on civil liberties,

while technology giant Apple has said that complying with it could pose significant problems.

Critics have focused in part on measures that would allow the security agencies to “interfere” with Michel Forst personal devices to obtain data.

Home Secretary Theresa May has said the bill would make existing surveillance laws more transparent and update them to take into account the growth of online communications.

The bill would also install a new way for approving warrants for data interception, making a judge’s authorisation mandatory. May has said this measure should allay fears of excessive government intrusion.

AFP

BioLED with proteins developed Scientists have developed a BioLED by packaging luminescent proteins in the form of rubber which renders the same effect as with traditional inorganic LEDs at a lower cost.

A German-Spanish team of scientists have created the BioLED which gives off a white light which is created by equal parts of blue, green and red rubber layers covering one LED. LEDs are manufactured using inorganic materials that are in short supply - such as cerium and yttrium meaning that they are more expensive and difficult to sustain in the long run.

Additionally, white LEDs produce a colour that is not optimal for eyesight since they lack a red component that can psychologically affect individuals exposed to them for long periods of time.

The researcher’s technique consists in introducing luminescent proteins into a polymer matrix to produce luminescent rubber. This technique involves a new way of packaging proteins which could end up substituting the technique used to create LEDs. “We have developed a technology and a hybrid device called BioLED that uses luminescent proteins to convert the

blue light emitted by a ‘normal’ LED into pure white light,” said Ruben D Costa, from the University of ErlangenNurnberg in Germany.

“It is always necessary to have either a blue or an ultraviolet LED to excite the rubbers that are put over the LED in order to make it white.

In other words, we can combine blue LED/green rubber/red rubber, or ultraviolet LED/blue rubber/green rubber/red rubber,” the researchers said. The findings were published in the journal Advanced Materials.

PTI

NASA tests Nissan’s driverless car

The all-electric driverless car uses robotics software originally developed for planetary rovers to operate autonomously National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists have successfully test driven Japanese automaker Nissan’s all-electric driverless car, which uses robotics software originally developed for planetary rovers to operate autonomously.

For the past year, NASA’s Ames Research Centre and Nissan North America have been collaborating

on the development of autonomous driving technologies that could one day be used in consumer vehicles, robotic rovers on Mars and other space exploration missions.

The technical partnership allows researchers to develop and test autonomy algorithms, concepts, and integrated prototypes for a variety of vehicular transport applications from rovers to self-driving cars.

Scientists observed testing of Nissan’s all-electric LEAF vehicle as it performed safe autonomous drives across the centre.

The Nissan LEAF vehicle is equipped with cameras, sensors and cellular data networking, and uses robotics software originally developed for Ames’ K-10 and K-REX planetary rovers to operate autonomously.

“This is not only a demonstration

of the transfer of space technology to industry, but also the application of their research back to our space technology, with additional uses for our unmanned aircraft systems research here at Ames,” said Eugene Tu. “This is a perfect example of technology literally driving exploration and enabling future space missions,” she said.

PTI

Thrill

Android: Free

unites only people with similar interests and way of life. So, go forward, find love with Woo.

Desi Crush

IOS/ Android: Free

Thrill is an Indian android dating app that lets the ladies take matters into our own hands. The app, fashioned entirely for Indians, is worthy wager for girls since it comprises an elementary, selection procedure where it screens doubtful and suspicious profiles, so there is no opportunity for unscrupulous virtual dating experience. Consumers or users can then assess the other based on the profile photographs and information and consequently select the companion. A little lethargic, but steady and consistent updates and a swelling consumer base, make it a modest and trustworthy app to check out.

Tinder

IOS/ Android: Free Tinder is a free dating app which first burst into limelight due to its easy interface and hassle free profile creation process. It gives the users an interesting swipe ‘right’ or ‘left’ option to accept or reject a potential match respectively. The app uses Facebook profile for signing up and creating user profile. Tinder lets you fetch your best pictures from Facebook along with other interests and passions. Once a profile creation process is complete, users can anonymously browse profiles for potential matches. The coolest part about Tinder is it takes rejection off the table and emphases on privacy and least initial emotional investment.

Woo

IOS/ Android: Free Possibly people have the same contacts, associates or friends.

P e r h a p s the person goes to the same kind of shows.

Unfortunately, the couple would not have had the luck to meet. All the couple needs is that one date or meet to materialise.

Woo connects fascinating, lone professionals from same cities who are on the lookout for a companion.

Woo is not a dating app that brings arbitrary men and women together for a spontaneous date. Woo is all about tangible associations and

This Mobile dating app is created exclusively for Indian users, this lets the user look for matches not only in the same city but also in Indian communities.

Nevertheless it is complicated to fashion a summary and log in as there are numerous stages where one needs to enter facts and data. Also, one needs to pay for many of the features in the app, so the selection is restricted. However, bearing in mind that the apps that are tailor made for the Indian community are few and between, this app is one of the more prevalent ones.

TrulyMadly IOS/ Android: Free

Next on our list of best dating smartphone apps in India is TrulyMadly dating and matchmaking app.

The app is a brainchild of Founders of Makemytrip and Letsbuy. The App boasts the fact that it uses critically designed algorithms and not mere horoscopes to find dates for its users. Unlike other dating apps, TrulyMadly has some peculiar features.

It claims to be super safe as users can’t download or take a screenshot of pictures of fellow users. It verifies user account with Facebook, LinkedIn and phone numbers. Like Linkedin here too you can seek an endorsement from your friends.

Meet4U

IOS/ Android: Free If you are single and seeking: the perfect girl, the man of your dreams, new friends or the love of your life - Meet4U is the perfect app for you!

Meet for you is a free, fast and convenient dating app to find a lot of girls and boys, choose the ones you like the most and chat with them. Date hot singles nearby and make new friends! Meet for you is a free, fast and convenient messenger: you can send your text messages for free to lonely women and men, send voice and video messages, draw something, send gifts, make photos and choose pictures from the gallery.

COURTESY: NISSAN

ENVIRONMENT “Completing half-a-decade without any case of wild poliovirus is an achievement. Globally, polio transmission is at it’s lowest-ever levels. However, the risk of importation of the poliovirus into all polio-free areas persists.”

— Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO

People behind rage attacks have smaller ‘emotional brains’ People who are prone to outbursts of impulsive aggression that may result in rage attacks have smaller emotional brains, a new study has found.

Neuroimaging studies suggest that frontolimbic regions of the brain, structures that regulate emotions, play an important role in the biology of aggressive behaviour.

Scientists found that individuals with intermittent explosive disorder (IED) have significantly lower grey matter volume in these frontolimbic brain structures. In other words, these people have smaller “emotional brains.”

“Intermittent explosive disorder is defined in DSM-5 as recurrent, problematic, impulsive aggression,” said lead author Emil Coccaro, from the University of Chicago in US. “While more common than bipolar disorder and schizophrenia combined, many in the scientific and lay communities believe that impulsive aggression is simply ‘bad behaviour’ that requires an ‘attitude adjustment’,” said Coccaro. “However, our data confirm that IED, as defined by DSM-5, is a brain disorder and not simply a disorder of ‘personality,’” said Coccaro.

The researchers also report a significant inverse correlation between measures of aggression and frontolimbic grey matter volume.

“Across all subjects, reduced volume in frontolimbic brain structures was associated with increased aggressiveness,” said Cameron Carter, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences at University of California, Davis. The study was published in the journal Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

PTI

H EALTH

UCLA researchers found that domestication may have led to rise in the number of harmful genetic changes in dogs, as a result of temporary reductions in population size

The domestication of dogs from grey wolves more than 15,000 years ago may have inadvertently caused harmful genetic changes in the canines, according to a new study.

Domesticating dogs involved artificial selection and inbreeding, but the effects of these processes on dog genomes have been little-studied.

Researchers at the University of California,

Los Angeles (UCLA) analysed the complete genome sequences of 19 wolves; 25 wild dogs from 10 different countries; and 46 domesticated dogs from 34 different breeds.

They found that domestication may have led to a rise in the number of harmful genetic changes in dogs, likely as a result of temporary reductions in population size known as bottlenecks.

Genome sequences of 19 wolves, 25 wild dogs; and 46 pet dogs were analysed

“Population bottlenecks tied to domestication, rather than recent inbreeding, likely led to an increased frequency of deleterious genetic variations in dogs,” said Kirk Lohmueller, senior author of the research and assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology in the UCLA College.

“Our research suggests that such variants may have piggybacked onto positively selected regions, which were also enriched in disease-related genes,” Lohmueller said.

“Thus, the use of small populations artificially bred for desired traits, such as smaller body size or coat colour, may have led to an accumulation of harmful genetic variations in dogs,” Lohmueller said.

Such variations, Lohmueller said, could potentially lead to a number of different developmental disorders and other health risks.

Selective breeding programmes, particularly those aimed at conserving rare and endangered species, may need to include and maintain large populations to minimise the inadvertent enrichment of harmful genetic changes, he said.

The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

PTI

Decrease of migratory birds in Bhitarkanika Erratic rainfall, no uniformity of day and night temperature are cited as hindrance for visiting birds

The Bhitarkanika National Park and adjoining wetland areas have witnessed a decrease in the number of migratory birds this winter.

The latest figures released by the forest department showed that 1,06,356 feathered species from trans-Himalayan region made a fl ight towards the Bhitarkanika wetland sites for their winter sojourn this year, while it stood at 1,13,226 last year.

The rainfall was erratic this time. Besides there was no uniformity of day and night temperature which might not have proved congenial for visiting birds, said Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division, Bimal Prasanna Acharya.

The enumerators spotted two rare groups of winged species of central Asian origin from the wetland spots of the park.

The rare group of avian species sighted are greater scaup and ferragon pochard. These species were sighted for the fi rst time in Bhitarkanika, he said.

JANUARY 16, 2016

PUNE

“Recharging of groundwater should be undertaken on a war footing to save every drop of rain. The state government and PMC have put out guidelines on rooftop rainwater harvesting.”

— Col (retd) SG Dalvi, Director, Parjanya

Dogs’ domestication affected DNA: Study

Domesticating dogs involved artificial selection and inbreeding, but the effects of these processes on dog genomes have been little-studied

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

There is ample food security for the birds as the place criss-crossed by innumerable water inlets and nullahs is free of human interference. Th is in itself was a positive sign and thus further research on the behavioural pattern of these threatened species was being taken up, said wildlife officials.

“The enumerators have also spotted hordes of Backheaded godwit, Greater crested tern, common shell duck and blue tailed godwits,” they said.

All these species come under rare and threatened category.

The prominent species who have also made Bhitarkanika their winter home are Brahmi n Duck, Bar-headed Geesse, Godwin, Pintail, painted stork, seagauls, common teal, tawny eagle and osprey.

Other prominent winged visitors to Bhitarkanika this time are Indian Skimmers, Grey Pelicans and White-backed vultures, Lesser adjutant, Grater spotted eagles. All of these sighted species are conferred endangered status under the International Union for Conservation for Nature (IUCN)’s Red Book Data, they said.

PTI

E-waste gives more gold than mining

XLRI faculty says 50 pounds of gold and 20,000 pounds of copper could be extracted from 1 mn discarded cell phones E-waste, which comprises precious metals like gold and silver, can produce more gold than what is obtained through mining, a senior academician said today.

Fifty pounds of gold and 20,000 pounds of copper could be extracted from one million discarded cell phones, if processed properly, Pranabesh Ray, Dean (Academics), XLRI - Xavier School of Management told a twoday national conference on e-waste management here.

Emphasising the need for proper management of e-waste, Ray said, globally, about 64.5 million tonnes of e-waste are generated annually of which, only around 40 per cent is processed properly.

India ranked third in the world in e-waste generation per annum, he said, adding that the country generated 1.7 million tonnes of e-waste in 2014.

The volume of e-waste is increasing everyday, thus becoming a major environmental concern even as the common man is unaware of his contribution to it, said Ray. If unchecked, by 2017, the global volume of discarded e-waste will weigh almost equivalent to 200 Empire State buildings, he added.

While 70 per cent of discarded electronic gadgets ends up in landfills, thus contaminating the environment with hazardous materials, only 30 per cent of it is recycled, said the academician.

The volume of e-waste is growing due to ‘human greed’, said Ray, adding that users prefer to change cell phones even when they are working. The problem is also amplified by ‘illegal’ dumping of dysfunctional products by developed countries who do so under the pretext that the products are for re-

use, he said.

The conference was organised by Centre for Global Management and Responsible Leadership (CGMRL) at XLRI - Xavier School of Management, University of Queensland, Australia and IIT, Kharagpur.

Speaking on the occasion as the guest of honour, Shreekant Mokashi, chief (Group Information Services), Tata Steel, strongly advocated for a mechanism to extend the life of electronic gadgets.

“We will have to develop a mechanism to extend the life of electronic gadgets,” he said, adding that an electronic gadget may not be useful for a particular industry, but it may prove to be useful for another.

The mechanism should be developed particularly for those section of the society who do not have access to it, Mokashi said, while branding mobile phones and laptops, among others, as “major contributors to e-waste”.

Mokashi also suggested to create a chain of eco-supply system, development of a business module by a set of entrepreneurs and certified processing agents for disposal of e-waste.

“The kabadiwala (scrap dealer) is not trained as far as disposal of hazardous e-waste is concerned,” he said, expressing apprehension that disposal of e-waste in an improper manner is a threat to environment. Anthony Halog from Geography Planning and Environment Management, University of Queensland, Australia, echoed a similar view, while stating that e-waste is a major environmental problem, also adding to global warming.

PTI

E-waste is a main concern as the common man is unaware of its contribution

India ranks third in the world in e-waste generation per annum. The country generated 1.7 million tonnes of e-waste in 2014

The gharial which lost its freedom after traveling 1,000 km Sub-adult female gharial released in Bihar’s Gandak river swims to Mahananda river in West Bengal

BY NIKHIL AGARWAL Born under captivity in Patna Zoo, a young critically-endangered gharial, which was released into the wild has now lost her freedom once again after swimming 1,000 kilometres into the neighbouring West Bengal.

The nine-year-old sub-adult female gharial was released in the Gandak

river near Valmiki Tiger Reserve last year along with 24 other crocodiles by the Bihar forest department as part of a conservation program.

For reasons best known to nature, the gharial swam over 1,000 km over the next few months to reach Mahananda river which flows in the northern part of West Bengal. Gandak and Mahananda are both interconnected through the river Ganga as its tributaries.

In Malda district local fishermen raised an alarm after spotting the gharial as they felt threatened by the carnivorous mammal, which is rarely spotted in the river. West Bengal forest department officials then captured it and

kept it at Rasik Bill in Cooch Behar last October. The release of the crococodile has now become complicated since it is a trans-state issue.

“This is not good for the animal.

It has survived so long in nature after being in captivity for eight years. Now it is a wild animal and if it is forced to return to captivity then you are spoiling its life. We had released it in the wild so that biodiversity increases in the river,” Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)’s Samir Kumar Sinha told PTI. He is working along with the Bihar forest department to save the gharials from extinction as it is estimated that only about 200 breeding individuals

of the species, listed as critically endangered, survive in the wild today. .

WTI has already appealed to the West Bengal forest department to release the gharial at a safe wild location.

“We will take necessary action after we receive a letter from the Bihar forest department,” Bengal’s chief wildlife warden Pradip Shukla told PTI when asked about the future of the mammal.

The reason for the migration of the gharial from Bihar to the neighbouring state remains a mystery.

“Travelling over a range of around 200 km is a known phenomena for the gharials but what made this particular gharial travel for 1000 km is a mystery to

us. Floods during the monsoon may be one of the reasons but we are not sure.”

Sinha said. What was more intriguing to wildlife experts is that she swam against the current for over 100 km to reach Bengal.

“It first went upstream and crossed the barrage near the Nepal border and then it came downstream to Mahananda. When our field biologist went to the spot after hearing the news we identified it as we have done a unique marking system on all the ones we released from our stock,” the WTI official said.

Gharials, which feed on fish, need fast flowing rivers and good sand banks

for laying eggs.

“This wasn’t a fully adult individual so there is no question of she migrating in search of a mate. The mating season anyways starts from February,” Sinha said. Finding a suitable place to release the gharial in the wild in West Bengal will be a tough task. “The species is rarely found in the state. It needs a place where there isn’t fishing pressure as fisherfolks feel threatened by the presence of the aquatic reptile,” he said.

“We are monitoring their movements. Some of them may have crossed over to Nepal. We will soon do a survey to get more details,” he said.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

PUNE

“Pakistan is the source of instability and source of terror, both to India and to Afghanistan from many years now. What has happened in Quetta and Afghanistan is unfortunate.”

— Manish Tewari, Congress Leader

‘Bearing extremism emboldens criminals’

US official Sarah B Sewall says people should proactively speak out as both public officials and private citizens against hatred, bigotry and religious discrimination NEW DELHI: Silence can “embolden” criminals and it is t h e r e f o r e important for public figures and private individuals to speak out “pro actively” against hatred, a senior US official said, referring to the Dadri lynching Sarah B Sewall case.

Delivering a lecture on ‘Democratic Values and Violent Extremism’ at Vivekananda International Foundation here, Sarah B Sewall, US Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights talked about the need to end “stif ling regulation” on civil society.

“Ensuring freedom calls for most than just enforcing laws. It means pro actively speaking out — as both public officials and private citizens.

Silence can embolden the criminal and cruel — as in the lynching of a Muslim man last September, or the burning of churches in Odisha,” she said.

Sewall’s comments assume significance at the backdrop of the criticism faced by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi over his “silence” on the Dadri lynching episode, wherein a 50-year-old man was lynched to death by a 200-strong mob over beef eating rumours in Uttar Pradesh.

The official cautioned the leaders from falling into the trap of invoking security to justify bigotry, profiling and or discrimination against one religion.

“Our own experiences remind us that no religious or political ideology is immune to violent extremism, from the history of White supremacists in the US to Maoist extremists here in India.

“Learning from the past we must avoid the trap of invoking security to justify bigotry, profiling, and discrimination against any religious or ethic group--including our Muslim bothers and sisters. That defies not only our deepest values, but strengthen the lies that the group like ISIS profess that democracies are somehow incompatible with Islam,” she said.

Against the backdrop of

Centre’s crack down on some NGOs like the GreenPeace, Sewall noted that allowing citizen groups to peacefully speak around sensitive topics, can help in dealing with violent extremists in the society.

She said the civil society and citizens can also go a step further in building ties with communities targeted by violent extremists for recruitment.

“Governments can give the civil players a real seat at the table in policy development and ensure they have access to the resources and information they need to fully contribute.

Interestingly, the US official came out in support of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for “praising” Indian Muslims for their fight against extremism and said the world was looking for this type of action from leadership.

Sewall suggested that the government can train religious leaders to use new communication platforms to curb extremism.

PTI

Official said religious leaders should become peace makers

HIGH FLYING

PTI

Service (CSS) and Central Secretariat Stenographers Service (CSSS) in about 20-25 years time. Both CSS and CSSS form backbone of secretarial work in the Central government as they work in different sections and as personal staff to senior officers.

The move is based on recommendations of 6th Central Pay Commission.

PTI

Vol-II* lssue No.: 31 Editor: Yogesh Sadhwani (Responsible for the selection of news under the PRB Act, 1867) Printed and Published by: Shrikant Honnavarkar on behalf of Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. CIN:U22200PN2014PTC151382 and printed at 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: 020-41220010.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari cleared that casinos are not welcome in the country while he pitched that organisations doing “good work” like Yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali group and Sri Sri Ravishankar’s Art of Living should create facilities at the over 1,300 islands, which are to be opened up for tourism across the country.

“We oppose things like casinos, and I will not give permissions for that. People will also not tolerate such things,” Gadkari said at an industry event here.

Stating that “Art of Living (of Sri Sri Ravishankar) and Ramdev Baba (of Patanjali group) are doing good work,” Gadkari asked them to start ayurvedic spas to give massages and ayurvedic treatment at these islands being opened up.

The Union shipping minister said apart from ayurveda and traditional

wellness activities, “entertainment facilities are also welcome on the islands but definitely not casinos”.

The functioning of the casinos has been a contentious issue in the country and only the BJP-ruled Goa, the UT of Daman and Sikkim have functional places of gambling.

As per the Constitution, gambling and allowing casinos are a state subject.

Referring to a conference held earlier to leverage on the tourism potential offered by the islands and lighthouses, Gadkari said the government has decided to open up 1,300 islands and 280 lighthouses.

He said there is a good demand for activities like yoga and traditional Indian wellness programmes from foreigners and apart from the foreign exchange (forex) it will also help in generating employment.

PTI

Union Minister for Shipping and Transport, Nitin Gadkari during the inauguration of Second Liquid Chemical Berth at Mahul in Mumbai

The Audi car that killed Air Force airman

supervising the parade.

The road is normally closed for traffic during the rehearsal in the morning hours but the car sped towards the officer, knocked him off his feet and continued to move at high

speed till it hit a barricade and came to a halt, a defence official said. The Air Force personnel sustained injuries and was rushed to Eastern Command Hospital where the doctors declared him dead. The driver left the car and fled.

Describing the death of the officer as “unfortunate”, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ordered “strict and strong action” against the person responsible for the mishap.

After meeting the family members of the Air Force officers at the hospital, Banerjee said, “All strong action must be taken. Even after seeing that a parade rehearsal is going on and the total area has been barricaded how come somebody breaks in... It raises the question whether the person

Archival photographs from India inspire 12 artists NEW DELHI: As the second World War raged on in parts of Europe, an unidentified US soldier, stationed in rural West Bengal took his press camera set out on a journey to capture the sights of the then Bengal countryside.

Almost 42 years later, in 1990 a US-based couple Alan Teller and Jerri Zbiral - was pleasantly surprised to find the pictures in a box they had brought from a yard sale.

“27 years ago a collector friend passed away and his widow was selling a lot of his photos. Stuffed under a couch we found a shoe box with lot of brown paper envelopes filled with negatives and photographs all from India. We purchased it from her for USD 20, and then forgot about it,” says Teller.

The Illinois-based couple which has a combined background in photography, anthropology, history and design during a class in Chicago tasked one of Teller’s students to research the photographs and found out that were all from Bengal.

“Our son, got a chance to study music under Pandit Shivkumar Sharma in Mumbai and we tagged along to see India and because we were curious to see the country of origin of the photographs,” says Teller.

The couple applied for and received a Fullbright scholarship to research

PTI

NEW DELHI: Tech-savvy and multi-tasking Executive Assistants will replace staffs working as Lower and Upper Division Clerks (LDCs and UDCs) in government jobs as part of key administrative reforms decided by the government, close on the lines of corporate culture.

The new scheme of having a cadre of Executive Assistants will replace existing Central Secretariat

HAJIPUR BIHAR: Three postal department officials, including the postmaster of the main post office of Hajipur have been suspended for nondelivery of New Year greeting cards send

by Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan to the people of his Hajipur Lok Sabha constituency.

Acting on the complaint of LJP workers and others that greeting cards send by the Minister was found abandoned on the third floor of the district bar council building, Superintendent of Post Umesh Chand Prasad ordered suspension of the three officials. Those suspended included postmaster of Hajipur main post office Lallan Ram, Public Relations Officer Raj Kumar Shrivastava and postman Deonarayan Mahto, Prasad told PTI. Prasad said he received a complaint that more than 450 greeting cards were found strewn on the third floor of the district bar council building and preliminary inquiry found the complaint was true. Hence, action was taken, the Superintendent of Post said.

He said arrangements were being made to distribute the greeting cards to the persons concerned at the earliest.

A detailed probe was on in this connection and if involvement of more officials come to light, action would be taken against them, Prasad said.

District LJP president Awdesh Kumar Singh said many people had complained about not getting the New Year greeting card of Paswan. Paswan is the Lok Sabha member from Hajipur (SC reserved) in Bihar’s Vaishali district for the record eighth time.

PTI

PTI

Babus will be tech-savvy

Sri Sri, Ramdev can attract tourists: Min

Postal officials suspended for not delivering Paswan’s cards

MLA’s car kills Air Force officer KOLKATA: Kolkata Police have issued a look out notice against Ambia Sohrab, Sambia Sohrab and their father former RJD MLA Mohammed Sohrab, who are absconding after a speeding car reportedly owned by them killed an Air Force officer during a Republic Day parade rehearsal here.

The Air Force officer was killed during the Republic Day rehearsal parade after a speeding car belonging to the son of former RJD MLA Mohammed Sohrab tore through the barricades at the spot and hit him.

The brand new white Audi broke three guard rails and barged into the parade rehearsal on the Red Road at about 6.30 AM and killed 21-yearold Corporal Abhimanyu Gaud, the Air Force drill instructor who was

A kite master flying a huge kite during International Kite festival at Sabarmati river front in Ahmedabad

Two weeks later road repair work is still incomplete P 15

A picture from ‘Following the Box’ exhibition at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts in Delhi

the photos and presently is showcasing the photographs in an exhibition titled “Following the Box” at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Art (IGNCA).

The display is accompanied by works created by 12 contemporary artists most of them with roots in Bengal who have been inspired by the vintage photographs.

“The photographs are so evocative and since we are artists too we have used

the photographs in our own artworks.

Besides these other artists have been inspired to make their own art,” says Zbrial. .

While artist Sunandini Banerjee made some beautiful collages out of it another artist Amritah Sen turned the photographs into colorful post cards.

“These pictures immediately reminded me of my family album, restored with care and love by my parents,” says Sen. Another artist Prabir Purkayastha even paid a visit to the US so that he could “bring the soldier to life,” assuming the anonymous photographer as a guy from Roswell in Texas, and naming him John Millett.

“My father was in army and when I saw those pictures I said, ‘Oh I can relate to them,’” says Purkayastha.

Sanjeet Chowdhury, Sarbajit Sen, Chhatrapati Dutta, Alakananda Nag are some of the other artists who have contributed to the exhibition.

“70 years ago a white US soldier had a striking view of India and now artists from India are interpreting those photographs to make paintings, comic books graphics and other inspired artworks,” says Teller. The exhibition is scheduled to run till January 31.

PTI

driving the car was okay or not.. This is very unfortunate and a serious matter.

We have lost a life.

“Investigation will take place for sure and I have told the Police Commissioner to take strong action and lodge a murder case against the person. I do not know who drives vehicles in this manner... Those who drive cars like this do not have any right to get a driving licence,” she said before leaving the hospital. “As per showroom records, the car has been registered against a company which belongs to former RJD MLA Mohammed Sohrab. And the showroom records show the car purchased for Rs 90 lakh belonged to Sohrab’s son Ambia Sohrab,” an officer said.

PTI

11-year-old boy mimics hanging in TV serial, loses life MUMBAI: Demonstrating a reel life ‘stunt’ in front of his elder sister allegedly cost an 11-year-old boy his life in Marathwada region of Maharashtra.

Shaikh Sajed Shaikh Wajed, the fourth standard student of an Urdu school was at his home at Flowers’ Quarters in Ambajogai with his siblings recently when the incident happened, a police officer told PTI over phone from the tehsil town in Beed district.

“Sajed was apparently showing his elder sister how hanging takes place in TV serials,” the officer said.

Sajed’s father, a labourer at a brick kiln, was away as was his mother, at the time of the incident.

The boy allegedly attempted a ‘stunt’ by hanging with the help of a rope after coming back from school.

The child had a meal with his brother and sister and was watching TV with his siblings before committing the ‘stunt’, police said.

“We have registered a case of accidental death,” the officer said.

Police said Sajed had demanded a bicycle from his father some time ago and was unhappy that his wish wasn’t fulfilled.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

‘Pune’s coaching level is dropping’ P 16

PUNE

“Terrorism is prevalent in both India and Pakistan. We are also victims of the same so we should not overreact to what happened in Pathankot. Yes, of course we want to control such incidents, but one should not get hyper over such incidents.”

— General (retired) Pervez Musharraf, Former Pakistan President

Chinese military wants to win all wars

Buddhist monk’s biopic is complete

The India-China dispute remained unresolved though both countries have tried to improve relations

BY KJM VARMA

In this photo provided by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, center front, poses for a group photo during a meeting with the new heads of the reorganized organs of the Communist Party’s Central Military Commission in Beijing

All genuine concerns of the Madhesis would be addressed through dialogue, assures Thapa

Indian student numbers at UK universities fall further

THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY

BY ADITI KHANNA

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

PUNE, MARCH 28, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE

Run for... yourself

NATION

CITY

Get your voice heard on NetaG P6

No damaged goods please P3

GRANDCHILDREN SUE THE COMPLETE MAN

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

PUNE, MARCH 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

PAGES: 16+16 (TGS LIFE) | PRICE: `5

PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

Dr Vijaypat Singhania’s grandchildren from his estranged son Madhupati have moved Bombay High Court seeking their share in ancestral property. They have filed a suit against their grandfather, father, mother and Raymond Limited. Detailed story on p7 TGS LIFE

When hunger strikes past midnight

NATION

CITY

Bakery worker’s daughter gets her wings P 12

Why are traffic cops taking selfies these days?

P3

AUTO,

HAIL A

CAB

or long distances (depending on their mood), overcharge or ask for obnoxious fares, often refuse to ply by meter – the list is endless.

TGS Team members decided to give the ‘victimised’ autorickshaw drivers a chance.

Five members of the team tried hiring rickshaws for distances ranging between 1.5 and 20 kms. All the members came

Intentions of Dr Singhania were ‘malafide and illegal’ with a motive to grab the share of Madhupati and Anuradha as well as grandchildren and to achieve the same he directed that his son and daughter-inlaw move to another country ‘instead of Collectively Pune Municipal continuing to stay in India with the family.

DEHU

6

Corporation, PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited have spent `1,816 crores on constructing dedicated corridors and flyovers along major routes, erecting bus shelters, and buying buses.

Despite this not a single route is operational or has succeeded in years. Citizens residing in twin cities continue to cry foul over pathetic public transport system. And from the looks of it nothing is going to change in near future.

See Spotlight on p8&9

said director of the school, who

Supriya Bhoite from Chaturshrungi police station.

Contd on p4

CHINCHWAD BHOSARI

4 THERGAON HINJEWADI VILLAGE

KALEWADI FATA

WAKAD

DIGHI

NASHIK PHATA

5

LOHEGAON

DAPODI 50

PIMPLE GURAV

WAGHOLI

3 4 BANER

VISHRANT VIMAN WADI NAGAR YERWADA

AUNDH

2

SANGAMWADI PASHAN

AH47

WADGAON SHERI

MUNDHWA

SHIVAJI NAGAR

GHORPADI

9

BAVDHAN

CAMP

HADAPSAR

KOTHRUD

SWARGATE PARVATI

WANOWRIE

1

NANDED AMBEGAON BUDRUK

KONDHWA

UNDRI

KATRAJ

4

Had it not been for a Pune-based activist everybody had forgotten about a film on Lokmanya Tilak commissioned in 2001 by Central Government at the cost of 2.5 crores. Three years after Vishnu Kamalapurkar raised questions about the film,

fi led the FIR and kept in touch with “We are feeling the investigating officer and public prosecutor The director is let down by the PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015throughout. | www.thegoldensparrow.com yet to get a copy of the order. prosecution The case dates back to February 2013 when some of the students and the system. studying in class five walked up to their class teacher and alleged that It is upsetting their creative writing sir had touched because we do them inappropriately. The class teacher in turn informed the principal and not how to face management.

School authorities spoke to several other students and the parents and found that 22 girls in all had levelled similar allegations. Director of the students who school approached Chaturshrungi came forward police station and lodged an FIR under the Protection of Children from to give their Sexual Offences Act (POCSOA).

The investigation was carried out by statements.”

DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL

ALANDI

AKURDI

RAVET

Sab golmal hai...

The creative writing teacher from a reputed school in Baner was booked and arrested in February 2013. A special court acquitted him on the grounds that police bungled up in collecting evidence

RITU GOYAL HARISH

CHIKHALI

KIWALENIGDI

~ Suit filed by the siblings

Precious man hours are lost every day at Hinjewadi just because planners forgot to make more entry and exit points. Over a decade after Hinjewadi was planned to house country’s best IT firms and talent, planners have finally woken up to the plight of citizens.

They have now planned five alternative roads. But the authorities are in no hurry to complete them. See spotlight on p8 & 9

The case created ripples across the city. A teacher was accused of sexually abusing 22 students all from fi fth standard of a reputed school in Baner.

In February 2013, Chaturshrungi police registered a case of sexual abuse against the creative writing teacher and arrested him immediately. Two years after the cops went all out to claim that they had a watertight case, the teacher has been acquitted by a Special Court. The court ruled that the prosecution made out a weak case. The management of the school and parents of students are not only disappointed but also irked with the outcome.

“We are feeling let down by the prosecution and the system. It is upsetting because we do not how to face the parents and students who came forward to give their statements.

We believe we were on the right,”

Parents teach them more than exams do P 10

`1,816 1,816 crores spent on BRTS,

~ Suit filed by the siblings

What a mess!

Teacher booked for sexually abusing 22 students acquitted

Truly, a tree lady P4

And yet no respite for commuters

DR VIJAYPAT SINGHANIA

Madhupati Singhania (57) and his wife Anuradha (54) with their children Ananya (29), Rasaalika (26), Tarini (20) and Raivathari (18)

Rickshaw unions across the city want us to believe that private cab service providers or radio cab operators, as they are popularly known as, are villains.

Around 12,000 radio cabs have made their lives miserable for 50,000-odd autorickshaw drivers in twin cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The auto drivers want us to believe that corporate houses with deep pockets behind the cab services are eating into their share. Essentially poor rickshaw drivers are getting poorer because of stiff competition from private cab operators.

All that the auto drivers are saying is true. But what they are not telling us or willing to concede is that their enemy lies within. Their enemy number one is not private cabs but members of their own ilk – many of whom are rude, refuse to ply short

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

CITY

TGS LIFE

Hum Saath Saath Hain

PICS ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

DITCH THE

GAUTAM SINGHANIA

While Gautam Singhania ‘in a span of 14 years as CMD of Raymond Limited has built a personal net worth of `1.4 billion, Madhupati belonging to the same family was struggling to settle down in a new country, educate his children and make a new life.’ Gautam and his family led a luxurious life ‘with fancy cars, private jets, yachts and expensive holidays.’

RAHUL RAUT

London, Jan 14 (PTI) The number of Indian students enrolling to study at UK universities continued its downward trend last year, apparently due to scrapping of the post- study work visas, according to new statistics.

The number of Indian first-year enrolments at UK varsities fell by 10 per cent. According to the figures released by Higher Education Statistics Agency, the numbers dropped from from 11,270 to 10,125.

That meant that the US overtook India on the list of countries that are the biggest sources of UK university first-year enrolments from outside the European Union (EU), edging into second place behind China.

“We could be doing better than this. It is essential that the UK government presents a welcoming climate for genuine international students and academics and ensures that visa and immigration rules are proportionate and communicated appropriately,” said Dame Julia Goodfellow, Universities UK president and University of Kent vice-chancellor.

In an indication that abolishing of the post-study work visa was one of the key factors behind this decline, she added: “We would also like to see enhanced opportunities for qualified international (non-EU) graduates to stay in the UK for a period to gain professional experience and contribute to the economy.

“These measures will be essential to meet the government’s own target of 30 billion pounds education exports.”

Just yesterday, Prime Minister David Cameron ruled out the reintroduction of the visa which was abolished in 2012. It had allowed students from countries like India to stay on at the end of their course and work for two years.

“We don’t need the brightest and best of students to come here and then do menial jobs. That’s not what our immigration system is for,” Cameron told the House of Commons.

PTI

Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China in May last year. It was jointly produced on the life and times of Zang’s 17-year-long journey to India in sixth century.

Part of the film was shot in Maharashtra and Nalanda in Bihar, tracing the areas traversed by the monk in the seventh century.

The other two India-China co-productions include Kung Fu Yoga, by Hong Kongbased director Stanley Tong and comedy fi lm Lost in India, featuring the star from China’s 2012 blockbuster Lost in Thailand. These two fi lms are expected to be released this year.

PTI

The film will be released in both countries at the same time

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Madhesis are also protesting against the division of their homeland

fight battles and strengthen their awareness in preparing for war at any time. In a major reform of the military, Xi has reorganised PLA’s four military headquarters, staff, politics, logistics and armaments into 15 new agencies under the CMC. The new structure includes new commissions -- discipline inspection, politics and law and science and technology as well as the general office, Xinhua report said.

The reform also includes formation of five more divisions, administration, auditing, international cooperation, reform, organisational structure and strategic planning. There are six new departments -- joint staff, political work, logistical support, equipment development, training and national defence.

PTI

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa expressed hope that the world community would support Nepal for the smooth implementation of the new Constitution and assured that all “genuine concerns” of the Madhesis would be addressed through dialogue.

Addressing chiefs of diplomatic missions based here and representatives of donor agencies, Thapa, who is also foreign minister, noted that Nepal has become only the second country in South Asia to draft its constitution through a democratically-elected constituent assembly.

Thapa also thanked the international community for its support in concluding the peace process and promulgation of the new Constitution in September last year.

“I am also confident of receiving your continued support which is crucial for the implementation of this Constitution,” he said.

“Nothing is perfect in this world,” he said adding “Nepal’s new constitution encompasses the main features of a democratic and inclusive polity to judge by any fair standard”.

“Commitment has been expressed in the very Preamble to democratic

norms and values, civil liberty, fundamental freedoms, human rights, adult franchise, periodic elections, complete press freedom and an independent, impartial and competent judiciary, and the rule of law,” he said.

He said that the new constitution has guaranteed the rights of socially backward groups and communities based on principle of inclusion.

Stating that a few political parties, especially Madhes-based parties, have expressed discontent over some of the provisions of the new statute, Thapa stressed that Nepal government has repeatedly made it clear that the Constitution is dynamic in a true sense and genuine concerns can and will be addressed through dialogue.

Nepal has been in political turmoil as the Indian-origin Madhesi people are opposing the seven-province model of federalism which was introduced in the country through the promulgation of the new Constitution. Madhesis are also protesting against division of their ancestral homeland under the new structure and have led an ongoing blockade of key border trade points with India. A high-level mechanism will be formed to settle the dispute over demarcation of provinces.

PTI

initiated several measures to keep the situation along the borders peaceful.

Xi on January 11 directed China’s 2.3 million-member armed forces to strictly follow the orders of the ruling Communist Party and focus on winning wars as he reorganised the military headquarters structure fi rming up his grip on the world’s largest army.

President Xi, who is also the CPC chief beside being the chairman of the CMC which makes him the strongest Chinese leader in recent times, said military leaders must adhere to the Party spirit, obey political discipline, and “be politically intelligent,” with fi rm political faith and right political stance.

Xi said that the military organs must concentrate on the study of military affairs, wars and how to

Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming played the lead role of the famous monk

advance, and second instalment was to be released after completion of certain formalities. The very next year second instalment was also disbursed.

Cut to October 2012 – Kamalapurkar fi led an RTI with chief public information officer (CPIO) of Ministry of Culture seeking information about the fi lm on Tilak.

The CPIO was clueless about the project and sought information from his colleagues in other department in the same ministry. But none of

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

to focus on winning wars while improving warfare capacity and quality.

The agencies should lose no time in adjusting to the new operational command system, actively engage in research, drawing up regulations and training personnel, to ensure a united, effective joint-command system, it said.

Besides the strategic rivalry with US, China is entangled in a maritime dispute in the South China Sea with Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan.

China is also locked up in a dispute with Japan over the uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. Also the India-China border dispute remained unresolved even though both the countries have made efforts to improve relations and

Nepal all set for the new Constitution

BY SHIRISH B PRADHAN

A mega Sino-India historic biopic on the life and times of famous Chinese Buddhist Monk Xuan Zang who brought Buddhism from India to China is ready for release.

The fi lm, made with a USD 22-million budget, has been completed but its release may take some time after clearances

by Chinese offi cial bodies, Prasad Shetty, partner of Strategic Alliance, a Chinese fi rm promoting Indian fi lms told PTI here today.

Earlier, officials said it may be released next month coinciding with the Chinese New Year. But Shetty said it could be released some time in May this year.

The fi lm was made in Chinese and will be released simultaneously in both the countries.

The Hindi dubbed version will be released in India.

Chinese actor Huang Xiaoming played the lead role of the famous monk who brought important Buddhist scriptures from India to China.

The agreement for the co-production of the fi lm was signed during Prime

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

BEIJING: As it embarked on major reforms, the Chinese military said winning wars should be its top responsibility as “antagonist forces” unwilling to see China growing stronger are trying to contain the Communist giant.

“Winning wars should be the top responsibility for the reorganised military agencies under the Central Military Commission (CMC) headed by President Xi Jinping,” a commentary in the official daily of People’s Liberation Army said.

The commentary, the second in a series since four military headquarters had been rearranged into 15 new agencies under the CMC by President Xi on Monday, said China’s security situation faced several risks.

“The national security situation is facing new and profound changes with an increasing number of risks, challenges and interwoven conventional and unconventional security threats,” state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the daily as saying.

Unwilling to see socialist China grow stronger, “antagonist forces” are trying to contain the country, it said.

Underscoring the importance of safeguarding sovereignty, security and development, the PLA Daily article urged the CMC agencies

PUNE, MARCH 21, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

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Hum

of the fi lm. Vishnu Kamalapurkar, Pune-based activist, sought details of the project in 2012 from the Central Government only to be told that they had no records left, the concerned ministry had been wound up, and that fi lm-maker could not be traced.

Essentially, the government acceded that it had been duped of `2.5 crores, the sum that was transferred to the fi lm-maker.

It has taken Kamalapurkar three years since he sought details about the fi lm under Right to Information Act to get the government to launch a fullfledged investigation. Dhumale has

receiving his RTI finally been traced by the government with the help of police and claims that the fi lm will be released in “next two to four months”. He still hasn’t answered several questions raised by the government about the script and the star cast.

It all started in December 2001, when Commemoration Bureau under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture commissioned a fi lm on Lokmanya Tilak. A sum of Rs 1.25 crores was paid to Dhumale immediately as an

Saath Saath

When

HUNGER STRIKES past midnight

A family that prays together stays together. Pune’s joint families on why they agree to disagree

TGS takes a night trail around the city to look for places that will silence a grumbling tummy in the dark of night

The Kamdars

Run for…

yourself

Puneites are running to fight depression, lethargy, even physical disadvantage. Marathoners are taking over the street and making the city fitter than it has ever been

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

“By 2017-18, India will fulfil the demand of local sales with full in-house production, and beginning 2018, will go for exports and become global force in electronics sector.”

— Sanjeev Agarwal, Chief Manufacturing Officer, Lava

Signposts

“The acceleration in GDP growth, easing of FDI norms and rate cuts by the RBI could be partly responsible for the improvement in confidence level of corporate India in the recent period.”

— Arun Singh, Senior Economist, Dun & Bradstreet

‘Eco decline talk is political hot air’ President Barack Obama says America is the strongest and most durable economy

US visa fee hike will hit IT firms

BY LALIT K JHA

RAW to look into FDI transactions With the government expecting rise in FDI inflow, external intelligence agency RAW has been asked to look into suspicious transactions amid reports that black money may be pumped into the market. The move came after the Cabinet Secretariat had proposed a comprehensive database on FDI with an economic intelligence agency.

Describing America as the strongest and most durable economy, President Barack Obama rejected as “political hot air” the assessment by many that the world’s largest economy is on decline.

“The talk of America’s economic decline is political hot air. Well, so is all the rhetoric you hear about our enemies getting stronger and America getting weaker. The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth,” Obama said in his eighth and final State of the Union Address to the Congress.

Obama claimed that though “a lot of Americans feel anxious”, the current state of the American economy is not in decline.

“We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined.

Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world. No nation dares to attack us or our allies because they know that’s the path to ruin,” he said.

“Surveys show our standing around the world is higher than when I was elected to this office, and when it comes to every important international issue, people of the world do not look to Beijing or Moscow to lead they call us,” Obama said.

Referring to the record number of new jobs created under his administration, Obama said the US

Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin applaud President Barack Obama during the State of the Union address in Washington

right now has the strongest, most durable economy in the world.

“We’re in the middle of the longest streak of private- sector job creation in history,” he said.

“Anyone claiming that America s economy is in decline is peddling fiction. What is true and the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious is that the economy has been changing in profound ways, changes that started long before the Great Recession hit and haven’t let up,” Obama said.

For the past seven years, he said the goal of his administration has been a growing economy that works better for everybody.

“We’ve made progress. But we need to make more. And despite all the political arguments we’ve had these past few years, there are some areas where

Americans broadly agree,” he argued.

In his speech, Obama tried to reignite the great American spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship to meet the challenges being faced by the country from climate change to terrorism and economy.

“How do we reignite that spirit of innovation to meet our biggest challenges?” Obama said.

“Sixty years ago, when the Russians beat us into space, we didn’t deny Sputnik was up there. We didn’t argue about the science, or shrink our research and development budget. We built a space programme almost overnight, and twelve years later, we were walking on the moon,” Obama reminded his countrymen and members of the Congress.

PTI

In a blow to Indian IT firms, the US has notified an additional fee up to USD 4,000 for certain categories of the popular H-1B and L-1 visas.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) said applicants for certain categories of H-1B visas post December 18, 2015 must submit an additional fee of USD 4,000.

In addition, for those applying for certain L-1A and L-1B must submit an additional USD 4,500.

Referring to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 signed into law by US President Barack Obama on December 18, 2015, USCIS said the additional fees apply to petitioners who employ 50 or more employees in the US, with more than 50 per cent of those employees in H-1B or L (including L-1A and L-1B) nonimmigrant status.

This fee is in addition to the base processing fee, Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee, American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998 fee (when required), as well as the premium processing fee, if applicable.

This will remain effective

Dragon springs high, exports rise 2.3 per cent in Dec

BY KJM VARMA

China’s exports defied expectations and rose 2.3 per cent in December but the overall exports of the global trading giant fell by 1.8 per cent last year, the government said.

The exports which were on decline for the best part of the year due to slowing demand and slump in the commodity prices, rose in December for the first time since June last year aided by its currency depreciation, Chinese customs data said.

Chinese currency continued to get weakened after about 3.6 per cent depreciation of Yuan in August last year which has caused a major upheaval in the world markets. Analysts said the weaker Yuan is helping to boost export revenues.

Exports rose to 1.43 trillion yuan (USD 218 billion) in December while imports dropped to 1.05 trillion yuan,

Consul General Prakash Gupta addressing the India-China Business and Investment Forum organised under the ‘Make in India’ campaign in Shanghai

according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC) data.

Total foreign trade values in December edged down 0.5 per cent year on year to 2.48 trillion yuan while monthly trade surplus widened to 382.1

‘Harsh’ measures must for progress Amidst an economic crisis in China, billionaire investor George Soros warned developing countries that they will have to make “harsh” choices because funds were no longer pouring into them at a time when world markets are showing signs akin to the 2008 financial crash.

“Money is no longer coming to developing countries and harsh choices will have to be made instead of waiting for things to get better,” Soros said, adding that external global environment will be hostile in the future and funds would flow out of developing countries.

He said slowdown of China’s economy and the subsequent devaluation of its currency were undermining global financial stability.

“Unfortunately China has a major adjustment problem and it has a lot of choices and it can actually transfer to the rest of the world its own problems by devaluing its currency -- and that

is what China is doing,” the 85-yearold American business magnate and philanthropist said.

“We are facing a very serious transitional problem which is quite recent and it is, I would say, (something) that amounts to a crisis and we are at the beginning of that,” the Hungarian-born multibillionaire said.

“When I look at the financial markets, there I see a serious challenge, which reminds me of actually the crisis we had in 2008,” he said at the Sri Lanka Economic Forum, which is backed by his Open Society Foundation and the Centre for Development at Harvard University.

China’s central bank devalued the yuan, then announced the biggest month-on-month drop in forex reserves.

WB report has highlighted weaknesses in the Chinese economy as the currency slid to its weakest since 2011.

PTI

Soros said economic crisis in China affects developing nations

billion yuan from 343.1 billion yuan in November, customs data showed.

For the whole year of 2015, China’s foreign trade surplus widened to 3.69 trillion yuan, an increase of 56.7 per cent from a year earlier, state-run Xinhua

news agency reported. Exports fell 1.8 per cent year on year to 14.14 trillion yuan in 2015, while imports declined 13.2 per cent to 10.45 trillion yuan.

GAC spokesman Huang Songping attributed the foreign trade decline in 2015 mainly to falling commodity prices and sluggish demand.

Last year, the country’s total export and import values decreased seven per cent year on year to 24.59 trillion yuan as the economy slowed down.

Crude oil imports in 2015 rose 8.8 per cent to 334 million tonnes while that of iron ore climbed 2.2 per cent to 953 million tonnes. Huang warned of upcoming difficulties, saying feeble global economic growth and sluggish external demand would not see evident improvement in 2016. China is the world’s largest trading nation with combined exports and imports worth USD 4,303 billion in 2014.

PTI

Trade deficit with China mounts India’s trade deficit with China touched a whopping USD 44.87 billion last year and its exports shrank to USD 13.38 billion as bilateral trade registered a marginal increase, totalling USD 71.64 billion, missing the USD 100 billion target set by the leaders of the two nations.

The total India-China trade in 2015 amounted to USD 71.64 billion, officials told PTI quoting release by the Chinese customs. The bilateral trade registered a marginal increase compared to USD 70.59 in 2014. This year China’s exports went up to USD 58.25 billion while India’s export to China was pegged at USD 13.38 billion, declining from USD 16.4 billion in 2014.

through September 30, 2025, USCIS said. In a statement, USCIS warned that it will begin rejecting H-1B and L-1 visa petitions received on or after February 11, 2016 that do not carry the information required under the new law. USCIS has also revised the necessary forms in this regard.

During the 30-day period immediately following this web alert, USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) to determine whether the additional fee applies to the petition.

In a study released in September last year, NASSCOM said Indian IT companies have paid between USD 70 to USD 80 million annually for the US Treasury approximately. Given that, the new punitive measure is expected to raise between USD 1.4 billion and USD 1.6 billion every year for the next one decade.

In December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue with Obama when the latter telephoned him to thank for his leadership role on achieving the historic agreement on climate change in Paris on December 12.

Sebi eases delisting norms for small firms To weed out a large number of illiquid stocks, capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has relaxed norms for small companies with thinly traded shares to delist from the stock exchanges.

Now, small listed firms where trading has been less than 10 per cent of the total shares in the last 12 months can get delisted from stock exchanges.

At present, Sebi norms allow only those firms whose shares have not been traded for the preceding one year to get delisted. Sebi notification states “the number of equity shares of the company traded on each such recognised stock exchange during the 12 calendar months immediately preceding the date of board meeting...is less than 10 per cent of the total number of shares of such company,” would be eligible for simplified procedure of delisting.

PTI

India tops 2016 outsourcing index

AT Kearney study attributes relative availability of labour, its lower cost and lower attrition rates for country’s success

BY GURDIP SINGH India is the world’s biggest outsourcing destination in terms of financial attractiveness and business environment, according to a study published today by a London-based global management consulting fi rm.

A T Kearney’s 2016 Global Services Location Index (GSLI) rated India as number one out of the total 55 countries analysed.

China, Malaysia, Brazil, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Mexico, Chile and Poland respectively made up the top 10 list.

Offshoring to India remains a high attractive proposition for many companies, said the study which also takes a deeper dive into optimal cities for offshoring within the ranked countries.

“While India and the Philippines are still top of mind when it comes to offshoring, the hunt for new talent is now taking

companies beyond these countries’ capitals and major cites to tier 3 locations such as Surat, Nagpur, and Lucknow in India and Bacolod and Iloilo City in the Philippines,” said Nikolai Dobberstien, partner with A T Kearney’s Communications, Media and Technology practice.

One advantage of tier 3 cities is the relative affordability of real estate as facilities in Nagpur and Ahmedabad are 25 per cent to 30 per cent cheaper than Kolkata and Delhi, the report said.

Another advantage is the relative availability of labour, its lower cost and lower attrition rates.

Many of these cities have highly developed educational infrastructure, ensuring fresh crops of qualified graduates for the foreseeable future, GSLI said.

“Even though the top six or seven countries are landing in the same order this year as 2014, looking forward, this

India was rated as number one out of the total 55 countries analysed

could all change radically because the very nature of what’s being outsourced is changing,” said Arjun Sethi, global leader of A T Kearney’s strategic IT practice.

“For the fi rst time, we have a trend automation - that could displace the leadership of the likes of India and China in outsourcing. Technology’s relentless progress continues to transform in unanticipated and fundamentally different ways not only where work is moving to, but how and by whom - or by what - it is being done,” Sethi said.

He said the new business model associated with this automation threatens established concepts of offshoring, while expanding the market.

India’s undisputed industry leadership is facing a challenge from China which has become attractive with its recent devaluation of Renminbi and gains in educational skills and cultural adaptability.

“The implications on accessibility of services and employment in these

countries are massive. On the client or receiver end, Business Process as a Service (BPaaS) dramatically lowers the entry barriers to business data management, opening the floodgates to smaller and newer companies,” said Sethi, principal author of the study.

The GSLI, launched in 2004, helps companies make key location decisions for offshoring and industry development projects with objective guidance.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

PUNE

Our voices need to be heard

HINDI NAUTANKI BY CHILDREN

Two weeks later road repair work is still incomplete RAHUL RAHUL

Folk Art is the beauty of India. It is the original and entertaining verbal and musical form. Swatantra Theatre’s Children Actors bring Nautanki Theatre this season. ‘Tamasha’ is folk story embedded in the Nautanki Theatre style which is a combination of two stories set in Rajasthan and Bihar. The beauty of these stories is that they are simple and one can easily relate to them.

When: January 22, 6.30 pm onwards Where: Pt Jawaharlal Nehru Bhavan, Ghole road

VENKY’S PRESENTS DA HIGH COOKOUT

Hip hop vibes this Sunday afternoon with none other than Grizzly Adams and the popular turn tablist DJ Uri. Get your dancing shoes on because this one is going to be a rager.

When: 17th January, 1.30 pm onwards Where: The High Spirits Café, North Main Road, Koregaon Park

ISHANYA PRESENTS THE ART CLASS

In an effort to promote art amongst budding artists and enthusiasts, Tilting Art Gallery at Ishanya presents ‘The Art Class’ with Shri Ramesh Thorat. This initiative is aimed to explore and test your creative spirits with culmination of ideas and inspiration followed by training sessions by some of the renowned artists. It is an opportunity to ideate, interact, practice and learn the nuances of paintings/drawing, hone your skills with creative inputs and guidance from the industry’s best.

When: January 16 onwards, 11 am to 8 pm Where: Tilting Art Gallery, Ishanya, Off Airport Road.

LEARN THE ART OF GRAFFITI

Graffiti is an art-form where it is scribbled, scratched, or painted mostly on wall or any surface. There are different styles of graffiti like wild-style , bubble style , tags, throw-up , stencil and so on. Shirin Shaikh with collaboration with The Rolling Academy are going to conduct a basic two-day workshop where all the necessary material and meals lunch will be provided.

When: January 23 and Januray 24, 9 am to 5 pm Where: The rolling academy, Pune

PUNE KITE FESTIVAL

MTDC and White Orchid Resort are organising the Annual Pune Kite Festival 2016. The festival will take place behind the backwaters of Khadakwasla Dam surrounded by lush green tropical vegetation. The distinctive location and a vast range of services make the resort an excellent peaceful and relaxing getaway option.

When: Till January 17 Where: The White Orchid Resort, near Sinhagad fort

This Saturday, enjoy an unparalleled beering experience with a performance by the popular commercial rock band The Peppermint Phenomenon. The band consists of Neha Gorde, a passionate singer and musician, Adrian D’Souza, a professional musician and song writer and Craig Fernandes on guitars.

Liven up your weekend with great music and the largest collection of beers under one roof.

When: January 16, 9 pm onwards Where: The Beer Cafe, Kapila Matrix, Koregaon Park

DOUBLE UP YOUR MUSIC DOSE

This weekend, groove to popular music numbers with Mellomartinee and Rudraksha who will perform Live at Phoenix Marketcity.

Music lovers can enjoy the bands perform from Classical to Sufi to Hindi Rock and many more.

When: January 16 & January 17, 6 pm onwards Where: Phoenix Marketcity Mall, Nagar Road

RAHUL RAUT

WEEK THAT WAS THREE ARRESTED BY YERAWADA POLICE FOR ATTACK ON PMC SQUAD

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) anti-encroachment department deputy municipal commissioner Madhav Jagtap and his squad were attacked with stones and bricks when they went to demolish an illegal structure in Yerawada on Tuesday. Madhav Jagtap The officials were allegedly assaulted by the owner and staff of Sidhha Chinese eatery illegally constructed on the PMC land reserved for a police station. Restaurant owner Lalu Hasan Shaikh, and Maula Hasan Shaikh and Irfan Maula Shaikh were later arrested. Jagtap, who sustained injuries near to his left eye and a hairline fracture crack in his shoulder, was admitted to Ruby Hall Hospital.

PIC

THE

LETTERS TO THE

EDITOR

BLOCKADE: The Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Pune decided to put their promotional stall at the main gate itself, giving shade to the watchman and apparent embarrassment to the premier farm

Stop throwing your weight around

There are hoardings and banners at every corner and intersection in the city, be it in honour of some politician’s birthday, or some function or the other. The sycophants who are always seeking to be in some bigwig’s good books find putting up banners and hoardings an easy means to achieve their goal. Congress leader Vishwajeet Kadam is the latest example, where on the occasion of his birthday, his security staff diverted traffic from BMCC Road to Bhandarkar Road, and caused untold to hardships to commuters who use these roads. It is high time that bigwigs and politicians stop throwing their weight around and inconvenience the common man for whatever reason.

— Vishal Ambedgar

Selfie mania The selfie craze has reached absurd proportions. The girl who lost her life at Bandra while clicking a selfie is a case in point.

A year ago two boys lost their lives at Khadakwasla dam while clicking selfies. One expects the youngsters to be impetuous and spontaneous, but being reckless is not what they should be doing. Being carried away by the new gizmos and gadgets is all very fine as long as it does not result in the loss of life.

These youngsters are yet to delve into the complexities of life and selfies and such things are just little amusements.

— Priya Salvi

Dug up road at Mangalwadi near Gokhalenagar puts commuters and nearby residents in jeopardy

I

live in a co-operative housing society at Prabhat Road. The entire stretch of the road has been dug up two weeks ago for repair work and maintenance. We have been told to park our vehicles two kilometres away from our residence. We agreed, thinking that it would be done in a day or two, but it’s been two weeks and the end is nowhere in sight. My grandfather has been confined in the house, as he is not able walk the long stretch.

Elderly people and children in the area have Rashmi Mavle been facing a lot of problems. The dug up road is also causing a hold-up of traffic. The least the people who dug up the road could do was complete their work as soon as possible and avoid creating obstacles for the countless number of people who use the road daily.

This kind of irresponsible working by civic workers is common around the city, and it just shows a lack of consideration for the citizens.

As we move towards a smart city status, I hope that the civic workers also mend their ways and make sure that they do not inconvenience the common man.

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Letters to the Editor may be emailed to editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com, yogesh.sadhwani@goldensparrow.com or mail it to The Editor, Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt Ltd, 1641 Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411030.

YOUTH ACCUSED OF CYBER CRIME ATTEMPTS SUICIDE

Sujit Pradhan, 19, of SNBP College, Pimpri, attempted to commit suicide by jumping from the fourth flour of Pune Police Commissioner’s office at around 4:30 pm on Tuesday. Sujit had been summoned by the police as he was accused of creating a fake Facebook account in the name of her female classmate on December 1, 2015. Sujit, his brother Ranjit, and the Sujit Pradhan survived suicide attempt complainant were summoned by Cyber Branch for questioning.

Just after confessing to the crime, Suijt jumped off the terrace. Fortunately, the fall was broken as Sujit had hit the cable wires. He was admitted to Sassoon Hospital.

PUNE ATS CHIEF BARGE GETS DEATH THREAT FROM ISIS

Maharashtra ATS has been on a mission to dissuade misguided youth from being taken in by the ISIS propaganda and joining the terror outfit. The Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office has received a letter, in which the ISIS has issued a death threat to Pune ATS chief ACP Bhanupratap Barge and his family. The special branch of Pune police has taken cognisance of the threat and has beefed up the security at the Pune ATS premises. Pune police special branch DCP Shrikant Pathak said that the letter was written in English. Barge has refused special security for him and his family.

OF

E WE K

THE PEPPERMINT PHENOMENON

The beautiful game The growing popularity of football in the city is welcome news. Though not everything is perfect and ideal, it is a step in the right direction. Having one’s own team to support and cheer for is the right foundation to build a culture of football here in Pune. The standards of football in Europe and elsewhere are far ahead of us here in India. But we must begin somewhere and the premier league and the influx of players from foreign countries should serve to raise the calibre of football here in India. Youngsters must be groomed from an early age if they are to attain to the standards they have abroad.

— Animesh Godhe

ACP Bhanupratap Barge

They have hearts of gold

In a world where dogs are ill-treated, hit and pelted with stones, those who do something for animals that are not their own, are a great source of inspiration. These Puneites are not only setting an example by feeding stray dogs around the city, but are also displaying the kindness that human beings must show for dumb animals. While a lot of us claim to be dog or animal lovers, we only care for the animals which are in our homes, and we do not go out of our way to feed or show some kindness to stray animals on the street. These citizens who spend loads of their own money to feed the dogs on the streets are a shining example.

-— Rakhi Prahel

We should learn to be tolerant Revenge is the primary motive behind the recent spurt in crime. It shows that people today do not think twice about taking the law into their own hands, to teach the person who has offended them a lesson. Civilised existence means that one must restrain oneself and take proper recourse to the law if one has a grievance or grudge against someone. If all of us choose to do as we please, there will be anarchy and life will become impossible.

Tolerance and respect for the law are necessary in the urban context as without some kind of order, we will revert to barbaric times.

— Sonal Fendar

SPORTS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JANUARY 16, 2016

PUNE

“There are big tournaments and you can’t ignore because financially they make a huge difference to our lives. But international cricket comes first .”

— AB de Villiers , South African Captain

“India are the ones that don’t want Decision Review System, They can scream as much as they want. But they’ve got to live with these decisions.”

— Brad Haddin , Former Australian Wicketkeeper

Can star power help Paltan break the jinx?

The team which finished at the bottom in the last two seasons, has roped in celebrity players for a better showing this season

FITNESS MANTRA In the second season, Paltan’s performances were marred by injuries. To rectify the mistake, the team has focused on players’ fitness, injury rehabilitation and diet. To provide peerless training to their players, they tied up with ProSport, The Fitness Hub, founded by former international cricketer Zaheer Khan. ProSport has designed specific workouts for the Puneri Paltan team.

“Zaheer Khan has played at the international level and he knows what it takes to be fit in the long run. He shares that knowledge with us and I am happy with the feedback from the players,” said the coach.

BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish The Puneri Paltan owners sure have a neversay-die attitude. The Pro Kabaddi league team owned by Mumbai-based Insurekot Sports, had brought in top Indian coach Ramphal Kaushik, but failed miserably, finishing last.

Then they sacked the coach and brought in Arjuna awardee Ashok Shinde in his place. Th is time around the team was well prepared with quality support staff, bolstered by a number of talented players from all over country. They even sourced talent from Raigad, Sindhudurg and Marathwada, through a talent hunt.

But none of these measures seem to have worked and the team again faced the ignominy of a bottom finish. However, without losing hope, the team again pulled themselves together and have decided to rope in star power to their array.

Before the third season, Pune Paltan bagged last year’s most valuable player of the tournament, Manjit Chhillar along with his team-mate Ajay Thakur from Bengaluru Bulls. Other top players like Deepak Hooda from Telugu Titans and Prashant Chavan from Jaipur Pink Panthers will also represent Paltan. While retaining key players like Yogesh Hooda, Tushar Patil and Ravi Kumar, the team has roped in young and talented players such

Signposts OCL to clash with ONGC Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) will clash with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in the final of the 21st PSPB veterans cricket tournament being organised by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) at the Deccan Gymkhana. In the semi-finals, an unbeaten 76 runs off 64 balls by Fazi Rehman helped IOCL register a six-wicket win over HPCL. Batting first, HPCL set a target of 129 runs. In reply, IOCL made 132 runs for loss of four wickets in a nail biting match. In the second semi-final, ONGC upset holders BPCL by eight runs. Batting first ONGC put up 160 runs for loss of five wickets in 20 over. BPCL managed to score 152 runs.

Pooja sparkles at senior national table tennis Pune’s International paddler, Pooja Sahasrabudhe–Koparkar bagged two gold medals and one silver medal at the recently concluded 77th Senior National Table Tennis Championship. Manika Batra, the top seed from Delhi, battled it out against Pooja Sahasrabudhe (seeded 6th) in the finals of this table tennis national championship that was organised in Hyderabad. Pooja who was representing the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board’s (PSPB) strong contingent partnered with her fellow PSPB mate Harmeet Desai and went on to win the finals. They beat the duo of Ahyika Mukherjee and Rohit Banja from West Bengal in the finals 3-1. Pooja also won the gold Medal as a part of the strong PSPB women’s team that beat West Bengal in the Women’s Team Event Final 3-0.

as Ravinder Kumar, Ramkumar and Nilesh Salunkhe. On the other hand, coach Shinde has also taken a bold decision to release their captain Wazir Singh and key player Pravin Newale.

“They (Wazir and Pravin) were doing exceptionally well, but kabaddi is a very demanding game and after a certain age, you just can’t perform to the required level. So it was a natural decision to bring in fresh legs for the new season,” said Shinde.

Luckily, the coach was given a free hand for the selection

and he picked up the cream of the tournament.

Hooda has won the Man of the Match award several times last year, while Chhillar and Thakur were able to turn the tables on their opponents single-handedly.

“It was not possible to get all top players in one team, as other team owners were also trying their best. But, I am quite happy with the selection as we have plenty of options,” said the coach.

Normally players who attain star status become difficult to handle them. But it shouldn’t be a problem for Shinde as he knows these players well. Most of them like Manjeet have trained under Shinde at Air India and he

knows how to handle them.

NO PUNE FACE Though the Paltan is raring to go, they are clearly missing a local flavour. There is not a single Pune player in the team.

Shinde said, “There are some talented Pune players but this time we weren’t allowed to bring in new faces as per the contract with Pro Kabaddi League. Among Pune players, Pravin Newale was the only option, whom we ruled out.

So there won’t be any Pune representative this season. But next season we will have a proper auction and we can add a few Pune players.”

‘Pune’s coaching level is dropping’ Says Arjuna awardee tennis player Gaurav Natekar; ties up with Rafa Nadal Academy, Spain TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Pune has a profusion of tremendous talent but there are hardly any players from the city who have made it to the international arena in the last 15 years,. The decline in coaching quality may be one of the reasons, says former international player Gaurav Natekar.

The Arjuna awardee is CEO of Mahesh Bhupathi Tennis Academies (MBTA) and recently he announced a formal association with the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar to identify tennis talent from India and offer them the opportunity to receive expert coaching in Spain.

Selected players will have the opportunity to join the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar training program for periods depending on the player’s game and requirements. The Academy is slated to start in May this year.

Natekar is also running a branch of MBTA in Baner, but is displeased with the performance of Pune players.

“Pune has the benefits of good facilities, training and nice weather. As a result several players like Ankita Raina come from outside to train here. But our players don’t realise this. After my playing days, there are no players from Pune who have gone international, except Radhika Tulpule and Arjun Kadhe,” he said.

He also critisised coaches. saying that the quality of coaching has dropped.

“I personally feel that coaching has

been compromised. Of course, you just can’t blame the coaches. It’s somehow restricted due to venues. We had plans to have at least 4-5 branches of MBTA in Pune, but could run only one so far,” he added.

Being a Pune-based player, Natekar said that he has a dream to start a high performance centre in Pune but ground reality doesn’t allow them to do so.

“We have a high performance centre

in Kochi, where several top national players are training. We would have loved to start a similar centre in Pune, as it’s more central than Kochi. But, we don’t get any place where we can have everything under one roof. Balewadi can be a suitable venue, but they have their own set of rules. Even Olympians like Gagan Narang and Nikhil Kanetkar who are running academies in Balewadi are facing problems. However, in near future we will sort that issue out,” added Natekar, the double Asian Games Gold Medallist.

Since its inception, MBTA has trained, mentored and churned out 120 state players, 65 national players and seven players who have represented India.

MBTA today has over 25 academies across India and the Middle East with over 12,000 children under training and has been voted by FICCI as one of the top 25 sports start ups in India.

After a successful debut event in Delhi NCR, MBTA’s Inter-school Tennis Challenge is going forward with their plans for promoting young tennis talent in schools across various cities of India. The tournament will be held in Chennai in February.

“I would have liked to have such a tournament in Pune too. But I found that lot of things that should have been done, in terms of courts are not done.

But, we are committed to have such a tournament in Maharashtra and might choose Mumbai as venue,” he said. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Leaders Pune FC maintained focus, fought with purpose and didn’t let the opportunity to seal the title at home pass as they overcame arch-rivals Mumbai FC 2-1 after coming from a goal down to emerge outright winners of the Maharashtra Zone Under-15 Youth League.

Needing a point to emerge champions,

Pune FC, despite falling into arrears via a Clivert Demers’ (16th minute) goal, dominated the second half and won the game through a brace by Mozaff ar Ali ( 61st & 74th minutes).

While fi nishing the zonal phase undefeated, Pune FC also completed a unique double winning both the U18 I-League and U15 Youth League Zonal Phase, being the fi rst team in India to achieve the feat.

After ten rounds, Pune FC took their tally to 28 points securing their ninth win of the campaign and fi fth in a row to fi nish six points clear of second placed Mumbai FC (22 pts).

The game began with both sides battling hard in the opening quarter. While Pune FC had a few close chances through Aakash

Banerjee and Ishan Dey early on, visitors Mumbai FC capitalised on a defensive error to take the lead in the 16th minute.

On a breakaway move, Mumbai FC’s Clivert Demers managed to get into the clear after the Pune FC backline failed to clear the danger and slotted home from close range.

Having fallen behind, Pune FC began pushing up with the intent to score and had a couple of chances but Aryan Th ite and Mozaff ar lacked the fi nish in the fi nal third.

In the 30th minute, Pune FC almost pulled level after a quick counter saw Aakash run into the clear. The lanky striker timed his run well to control Hendry’s through ball and beat the advanced Mumbai FC custodian.

However, he was denied by a defender as he tried to fi nish from the left fl ank. Pune

BIG AIMS Paltan training has already started at Badminton hall in Balewadi and players are spending 4-6 hours daily on the mat. Coach Shinde is aware that with big names come big expectations.

Getting into the semi-finals is a must.

“Last year we gave a good fight but lost on minor differences. Th is time, we will rectify those errors and with big names we can surely aim high,” said the coach. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

Tennikoit will become popular in the few years TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Tennikoit, otherwise known as ring tennis, is gaining in popularity all over the world.

But it is still to catch people’s fancy in India and especially Maharashtra.

Tennkoit players of Maharashtra are doing well at the national level and Renuka Vyavahare was even part of the Indian team, but there’s little media coverage the sport is getting.

“Tennikoit has a huge following in the south and there are quite a large number of players in Maharashtra.

But that’s not enough as our aim is to take the sport to every district and taluka,” said Mohan Joshi, Pune District Tennikoit Association (PDTA) president.

PDTA is organising the 34th National Junior Tennikoit Championships in the city from January 18, at Shiv Chhatrapati sports complex, Balewadi, under the auspices of the Tennikoit Federation of India and the Maharashtra Tennikoit Association.

Over 350 players from 22 states and Union territories have confi rmed their participation in this under-18 event, supported

Pune FC achieve unique double feat in leagues After winning U-18 league, the U-15 team also emerges winner in Youth Zonal Phase; becomes first team in India to do so

TWO LEAGUES ARE WELCOME The decision of having two leagues in a year evoked mixed reactions from the team, but coach Shinde is optimistic and welcomed the decision.

“I believe having two leagues is a necessity.

It will be beneficial for the players. Players like Ajay Thakur and Manjeet get television coverage once a year. The rest of the time they remain out of the limelight. If we want our players to be familiar with the spotlight, like cricketers we must showcase them frequently,” he said.

FC went into the breather trailing by a goal to nil.

The second half was a different story as Pune FC came out all guns blazing. Pushing up from both fl anks and the middle, they put massive pressure on the Mumbai FC defense. As the intensity increased, Pune FC were denied an equaliser when Aakash’s header on Aryan Irani’s cross hit the crossbar bounced inside the line and came out in the 54th minute.

Pune FC’s constant pressure fi nally paid off as they pulled level a minute past the hour mark. An intelligent through ball from Aryan Th ite saw Mozaff ar run free on the right. The winger controlled and fi nished past the Mumbai FC custodian to make it 1-1. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

by Jhelum Chaubal of Kesari Tour Travels, Ram Jogdand of Ramlex India, and Naim Sundke of Indo Electricals.

Joshi, who is the patron of the All India Tennikoit Federation, said that the organization is striving to take the game all across the state and Pune district, and that the staging of junior championships will help bring in an audience for the sport.

“The sport is affordable and is also a viable recreational activity. We need to focus on and groom quality youngsters and provide them better infrastructure,” said Joshi.

ABOUT TENNIKOIT The game is played on a court measuring 40 x 16 and played in singles, doubles, mixed doubles categories in the open category and Davis Cup format in team event.

Maharashtra has fared well and is ranked in the top fi ve after Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Pondicherry. Tennikoit is played in 20 countries with the International federation based in Germany. South Africa are the current world champions, while India fi nished third in the last World Cup. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com