The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 20/02/2016

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PUNE, FEBRUARY 20, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

2016

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THE SPOT

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TGS LIFE

Spot the Doppelganger

CITY

CITY

Out on bail, Lady Natwarlal steals necklace P3

Women corporators are still the underdogs in PMC P5

From the war zone to the civilian battlefield At first and cursory glance, a career in the armed forces may seem to be the option that ensures and leads to a secure and stable destiny in life. Look beneath the surface though and what shows up is that some of those who retire from the army mid-life, are faced with a multi-pronged dilemma, of fitting back into civilian life, and more crucially, procuring ways to earn a decent living. And if wielding weapons of war or driving an army truck is all the qualification they have acquired, a rock road is probably what they can expect See Spotlight, p08 & 09

A friend in need for kids with Type 1 diabetes HCJMRI offers ray of hope to parents of children with Type 1 diabetes who are unable to afford the high costs of medical care

VISHAL KALE

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma Chocolate, sweets, ice cream and such are fed to kids all the time, but they have become anathema to a big section of Indian kids. Diabetes, especially the Type 1 variety is on the rise in our

Indrani’s daughter gifts PRIME PROPERTY

to Peter’s son

YOGESH SADHWANI AND BAPU DEEDWANIA @TGSWeekly In January this year, 19-yearold Vidhie Mukerjea walked into Registrar of Assurances office in South Mumbai and gifted a flat in Worli said to be worth Rs 7.50 crore to her step brother Rabin Mukerjea. Th is she did out of ‘natural love and affection’ for her brother. While the transaction was among many other gift deeds executed that day, Vidhie’s was exceptional as she had given away a flat gifted to her by her parents Indrani and Pratim (Peter) Mukerjea. If the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is to be believed, Indrani and others committed Sheena Bora’s murder because she posed a threat to Vidhie’s rights in the family wealth. With the 19-year-old

donating the property to Peter’s elder son Rabin, 36, the saga has come full circle.

Vidhie is Indrani’s daughter from her marriage to Kolkata based Sanjeev Khanna and legally adopted by Peter.

Rabin, on the other hand, is Peter’s son from his marriage to Shabnam Anand Singh. Rabin’s younger brother Rahul was engaged to Sheena when she was murdered in April 2012. CBI, in its chargesheet, has alleged that Indrani felt threatened by Sheena and Rahul’s relationship and that Vidhie might end up losing her rights in family wealth, most of which had been donated to the then 15-year-old (Vidhie) by her parents. “Indrani Mukerjea has a soft corner for Vidhie, her daughter with ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna... After the engagement of Rahul and Sheena Bora, Indrani Mukerjea was afraid that the entire property might go to Sheena Bora and Rahul, as Peter liked his son Rahul.

In this context she planned a conspiracy with Sanjeev Khanna and her driver Shyamwar Pinturam Rai to kill Sheena Bora,” stated the chargesheet fi led by CBI in November 2015.

Contd on p 2

Rabin Mukerjea with actor and producer David Hasselhoff

country, and it has now affl icted 97,700 Indian children. Type 1 is generally hereditary and affects the juvenile population. Known as the fi rst world disease, combating it costs lots of money, which makes it an ordeal for poor people.

Contd on p4

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

PUNE

MUMBAI

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has claimed that the state has signed 2,436 memorandum of agreements. But most of these companies are facing losses while many projects shown today were already announced a year ago.

— Sanjay Nirupam, Mumbai Congress Chief

Teens who obsessively check social media get less sleep: Study P 11

Lakshya Athletes sparkle at South Asian Games P 16

Indrani’s daughter donates prime property to Peter’s son

Contd from p1

Interestingly, the 3,444 sq feet flat on the fourth floor of Marlow building in Worli, has been Pratim and Indrani’s residence for years. The two gifted the property to Vidhie way back in January 2011. Vidhie has now passed on the property to Rabin, who is settled in the United Kingdom, and is founder of Grand Central Entertainment.

Along with the flat, Indrani also gifted her daughter a commercial property spread over 2,756 sq feet in High Street Phoenix at Lower Parel. The property was leased by Indrani in 2003 from the owners for 99 years. This property till date continues to be in the name of Indrani and the lease is yet to be transferred to Vidhie.

The gift deed that was executed by Vidhie does not state any other reason except that it has been made out of natural love and affection for each other. Except for Indrani’s lawyers, all the other parties involved the case were unaware of the transaction. Peter’s lawyer, Advocate Kushal Mor declined to comment. When contacted about this deed, counsel Shreyansh Mithare who is representing Sanjeev Khanna, Vidhie’s biological father, in the case said that he is completely clueless about this. “I am completely taken by surprise by this act of hers. Both me and my client have no idea about this deed. I will inform my client about this as there is no communication between Vidhie and my client,” he said.

Indrani’s lawyer Gunjan Mangla said that she was aware of the gift deed made by Vidhie.

“The property was gifted to Vidhie by Peter and Indrani. It was hers in the first place and it is absolutely her choice as to who she gifts it to.”

Peter’s brother, Gautam Mukerjea, who lives in Goa was a signatory to the gift from Vidhie to Rabin. Terming it as “an internal matter of Peter and his immediate family”, Gautam said that he had no interest in their property matters and was only a witness to the execution of the gift deed. “What I definitely do know and can say is that the three children (if I may call them that!)

- Rabin, Rahul and Vidhie have landed into an unprecedented situation with the current spate of events that has hit their family. It is at a time like this, while it is extremely distressing to see what they have to go through, it also is heartening to see their love and affection for each other on the one side and on the other their resolve to tide the crisis through and bring normalcy back in to all their lives. This resolve of theirs, I pray, grows from strength to strength in the days to come,” he said.

Despite repeated attempts, Vidhie and Rabin could not be contacted.

ALL ABOUT THE SHEENA BORA MURDER CASE If Mumbai police is to be believed, the case came to light after they nabbed Indrani’s driver with a weapon on August 21, 2015 during a routine patrol. They claimed that they nabbed Shyamwar Pinturam Rai and recovered a firearm and live cartridges. He was booked under the Indian Arms Act. During the interrogation,

Vidhie with her parents Peter and Indrani Mukerjea

Rabin Mukerjea

Shyamwar Rai disclosed his involvement along with Indrani Mukerjea and Sanjeev Khanna in the abduction and murder of Sheena Bora. The case of possession of illegal arms was turned into murder. Khar police registered a formal FIR and started investigating, in what is now considered to be one of the most complex murder mysteries.

The case was initially investigated by the Khar police in which Indrani, Sanjeev and Shyamwar were booked and arrested. In September 2015, CBI was asked to take over the investigation.

According to the investigators, Indrani Mukerjea developed intimate relations with her fellow student Siddharth Das, resulting in the birth of a girl, Sheena Bora on February 11, 1987 and later on, a boy Mikhail on September 9, 1988 in Guwahati. Indrani then handed over both the children to her parents legally, as they adopted the kids on March 26, 1992 and shifted to Kolkata. The same year, only three days after the legal adoption of her children by her parents, Indrani married Sanjeev Khanna on March 29, 1993. Their daughter Vidhie was born out of this wedlock four years later, on August 26, 1997.

Meanwhile, Indrani and Sanjeev had formed a company, INX Services which Indrani was keen on expanding. She shifted to Mumbai for the same after Alyque Padamsee, an acquaintance in Kolkata, offered her help. Once in Mumbai, Indrani grew close to Peter Mukerjea and started avoiding her husband Sanjeev Khanna.

Meanwhile, Peter’s divorce proceedings with his ex-wife was pending. Peter had two sons Rabin and Rahul with his ex-wife Shabnam Anand Singh. Indrani shifted to Peter’s residence in 2001 and brought her daughter Vidhie to stay with them. Peter and Indrani got married in the last quarter of 2002, after their respective divorce proceedings were over.

Meanwhile, in 2005, Indrani’s parents had informed her about hindrance in education of Sheena and Mikhail due to financial issues.

Thus, Indrani got both the children with them to Mumbai. She told both the children to address her as sister and not let anyone know that they are her children because it would affect her reputation, if fact was known otherwise. She

assured them that she would take care of their educational and other expenses on condition that they call her sister. Thus, both Sheena and Mikhail were introduced to Indrani’s Mumbai contacts, including her husband Peter, as her siblings.

Sheena meanwhile took admission in St Xavier’s College and started staying as a paying guest in Colaba. She was a regular visitor at Peter and Indrani’s house and Indrani started sutstaining expenses of her education and other things.

All was going well, when in 2008, Peter’s son Rahul also came to Mumbai and started staying with Indrani and Peter. Gradually, Rahul and Sheena started dating. Indrani had an issue with the love affair between Sheena and Rahul from the word go. She started quarrelling with her and even sent her to Guwahati and then to Delhi.

In Delhi, Sheena fell ill and was hospitalised due to excessive sedatives. So, Indrani shifted Sheena to Bangalore. Around the same time, one of Sheena’s friends informed Rahul about her illness. Rahul visited Bangalore and figured that Sheena fell ill due to the sedatives Indrani forced Sheena to take were meant for mental illness. Alarmed, Rahul took Sheena with him to Dehradun where his mother and Peter’s first wife was staying. After she regained her health, the couple moved to Mumbai in 2011 and Sheena joined Reliance Metro. Both of them had stopped talking to Peter and Indrani and in fact Indrani and Sheena had fought over phone calls, messages and emails. The strain between them became worse when Rahul, Sheena and Rahul’s mother Shabnam attended the wedding

Indrani’s daughter Vidhie Mukerjea

of Peter’s brother’s daughter. In October, 2011, Rahul and Sheena finally got engaged. They were supported by Rahul’s mother, Shabnam Singh and Sheena’s grandparents. After this, more fight ensued between Sheena and Indrani over emails and SMSes. The engagement was disturbing for Indrani as she was afraid that entire property might go to them as Peter loved Rahul and Indrani in her will, made earlier, had given property to Sheena.

This left her worried about her daughter, Vidhie.

Thus, allegedly, she planned a conspiracy with her ex-husband and Vidhie’s biological father Sanjeev Khanna to kill Sheena. They took her driver, Shyamawar Pinturam Rai in confidence and allegedly paid him Rs 1.25 lakh through her personal secretary Kajal Sharma.

In April 2012, Indrani invited Sheena Bora for dinner and started gaining her as well as Rahul’s confidence. Indrani then informed her personal secretary and driver about her visit to Mumbai on April 23, 2012 well in advance and instructed them to arrange for a car and to clean her flat, Flat 19 in Marlow Building. Accordingly, on April 22, 2014, her driver Shyamwar brought a car bearing registration no. MH-01-MA2605. The cleaner Pradeep Waghmare was also instructed to clean the house on April 22 and was then restrained from coming to the flat in between April 23 to April 25, 2012.

On April 23, 2012, Indrani reached her flat in Marlow building and then visited Lonavala, Khopoli and Raigad area along with driver Shyamawar. While returning, Shyamawar, allegedly on Indrani’s asking purchased a 20-litre can. Indrani herself purchased two big bags and all these items were kept in the boot of the car.

Indrani then invited Sheena over for her engagement gift and dinner on the evening of April 24, 2012.

On the morning of April 24, 2012, Indrani was seen going out to the chemist’s shop, wine shop and other locations along with her driver.

They bought some items including a bottle of vodka, one McDowell whisky and two small size Bisleri water bottles, six bottles of medicine/ sedatives and a pair of hand gloves. Indrani had also bought three pairs of shoes, two for men and one for women from Bata Shoe Shop and an ordinary sari. Allegedly on Indrani’s instruction, Shyamawar had prepared a mixture of Bisleri water, liquor, medicine/sedatives and kept some

Indrani’s daughter Sheena Bora with Peter Mukerjea’s son Rahul

portion of it on the table and rest in a bottle in the car. One big size bag and a firearm, acquired

by Shyamawar from Kolkata in around April 2012, were also kept in the car.

The same day, Shyamawar and Indrani picked up Sanjeev Khanna from Bandra. Indrani then made several calls to Sheena who took a half day leave and left her office around 03:36 pm. Rahul then dropped her off at about 6.40 pm at the place where Indrani had called her and was already waiting for her. Thereafter, Sheena and Indrani hugged each other and Indrani offered her a mixture from the bottle kept in the car and Sheena drank some portion out of the same. Indrani then took Sheena at Amarsons Sari Show Room and asked her driver to move towards Pali Hill. Meanwhile, Sheena became drowsy and then as per instruction of Indrani, driver Shyamawar stopped the car and Sanjeev Khanna, who was in the front, shifted to the backseat. Then, while Shyamawar covered Sheena’s mouth and Sanjeev pulled her hair, Indrani strangulated Sheena. After Sheena died, Sanjeev Khanna came back on front seat. After some time, Sanjeev Khanna alighted from the car and went away. Indrani directed driver Shyamwar to take the car to Taj Lands End Hotel, Bandra, Mumbai. She then spent some time there in the hotel and at the said time, driver Shyamawar parked the car with the dead body in it outside the hotel. After that, she asked the driver to take her back to Marlow building.

Meanwhile, Rahul was calling on the Sheena’s mobile incessantly and thus Indrani sent some messages to Rahul, using Sheena’s phone, misleading him. Sanjeev Khanna again joined them at the garden located near Marlow building and all three reached the apartment.

Indrani’s son Mekhail

Sheena’s dead body was then kept inside the bag by Indrani and Sanjeev, and was kept in the garage by Sanjeev and Shyamawar. Then Sanjeev went to the hotel and Indrani asked Shyamawar to bring food. Shyamawar was also instructed to bring Sanjeev along. At this point of time, Mikhail was present at Marlow building and had consumed a lot of liquor on Indrani’s behest.

He, however, did not become unconscious like Indrani had foreseen. So, Sanjeev suggested that they should take him later as it would anyway be difficult to carry two dead bodies to two different places.

Next morning, on April 25, 2012, Indrani left early from the building. Sanjeev had left earlier for the hotel to check out and return to the apartment. They then, allegedly, opened the garage and the bag containing Sheena’s dead body was taken out from the garage and kept at the back seat of the car. Thereafter, Indrani and Sanjeev Khanna took out the dead body of Sheena from the bag. The empty can and bag were kept in the boot of the car by driver Shyamawar. Thereupon, Indrani instructed

driver Shyamawar to take the car towards Pen Road. On the highway, they stopped at one petrol pump, where Sanjeev Khanna purchased ten litres of petrol. They then reached the identified place located at Gagode Khind on Pen-Khopoli Road, Raigad in the early morning. There, the trio, disposed off the dead body of Sheena Bora by putting sari, bag, gloves and pouring petrol over it all and setting it on fire. They then came back to Bandra where Indrani then asked driver Shyamawar to clean the car. Thereafter Indrani and Sanjeev Khanna took a taxi to the Airport and left for Kolkata. Indrani returned to Mumbai two days later on April 27, 2012 and left the next day for Goa with her husband Peter and then both of them came back to Mumbai on May 1, 2012 and left for the UK on the same day.

After this, Indrani started spreading information that Sheena had left India with another boy and had broken her relationship with Rahul.

Rahul, meanwhile did not buy this and was distraught at his fiancée going missing. He enquired both Peter and Indrani about Sheena and neither of the them told him about her whereabouts. In order to show that Sheena was still alive, Indrani through her personal secretary Kajal as well as herself sent SMSes as well as emails through mobile of Sheena as well as from her email address. In fact, personal secretary Kajal, on the instruction of Indrani, created a fake email ID in the name of Sheena Bora and then acted according to the instruction of Indrani by sending emails etc. from the said account to show that Sheena Bora is alive. It appears that, thereafter, everything became regular except disturbed Rahul.

However, on August 21, 2015, Indrani’s, driver Shyamawar Pinturam Rai was nabbed by the police in a firearms case. Days later Indrani and Sanjeev were also nabbed. The police filed a chargesheet on November 19, 2015 based on interrogation and investigation, taking assistance of forensic and other experts through their reports, against accused number one Indrani Mukerjea, accused number two Sanjeev Khanna and accused number three driver Shyamawar Pinturam Rai. On the day of filing the chargesheet against Indrani, Sanjeev and Shyamawar, CBI arrested Peter. Early this week, they filed a supplementary chargesheet against him alleging that both Peter and Indrani had been plotting to murder Sheena for three years, as they were unhappy about the relationship between Rahul and Sheena. The supplementary chargesheet states that Peter was against the relationship between his son Rahul and Sheena, his step-daughter. Indrani and Peter spoke about this to one Prithul Sanghvi. The summary of chargesheet mentions that Peter and Indrani during an informal conversation told Prithul Sanghvi that “this relationship is not correct”.

Along with other evidence mentioned in the supplementary chargesheet, the agency officials also mentioned to the court that they have submitted a crucial and important statement of ‘a key witness’ to the court in a sealed envelope.

The supplementary chargesheet mentions the emails between Indrani, Peter, Rahul and Sheena. Excerpts of one of the emails from Peter to Rahul reads, “I maintain my earlier position that Sheena is fine. If anybody asks you (on Sheena) , ask them to speak to Indrani.”

Sheena had written two emails to her friend and in a mail dated August 28, 2009, she refers to her mother Indrani as “bitch and witch “, and claimed that she was not a good mother and had tortured her.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

Journalist, not Tagore bestowed Mahatma title on Bapu: Guj govt P12

PUNE

While there is a separate provision for metro rail, we plan to take up tram service on a 12km route from Bhakti Shakti Sthal to Kokane Chowk. A feasibility report and a detailed project report will be drawn up. A provision of Rs 1 crore has been made for trams.

— Rajeev Jadhav, Municipal commissioner

Out on bail, Lady Natwarlal steals necklace

Kushboo Sharma was arrested last week for stealing a car. After she was let out on bail she was nabbed yet again, this time for stealing a necklace

her bail. Chatuhshrungi Police Sub Inspector (Detection Branch) Ram Singh Chavan said Kushboo hails from Rajasthan. She used to pose as an IAS officer Smruti and said that her father

BY YOGESH WAGH @YogeshWagh1857 Kushboo Omprakash Sharma is committed towards her job. Infamously known as ‘Lady Natwarlal’, 26-year-old Kushboo who was out on bail after stealing a Maruti Swift car, stole a jewellery from a mall. Interestingly, she was summoned to the police station on February 19 and while returning home stopped by at the mall.

Kushboo was arrested on February 13 and let out the next day on bail. She was booked by Chatuhshrungi Police under Section 406 (punishment for criminal breach of trust) of IPC for stealing a car. Soon after being out on bail on February 14, Kushboo was caught stealing a necklace from a shop at Phoenix Mall in Viman Nagar.

Viman Tal Police Station has now filed a fresh FIR booking her under Section 379 (punishment for theft) of IPC. According to the police, Kushboo had befriended a business man Yogesh Wani and absconded after stealing his Maruti Swift (MH 12, LV 4072) on January 23. The police that probed the case were shocked to find that she was a habitual schemer, liar, and fraudster and Rajasthan police have lodged over 150 cases against Kushboo.

Kushboo, with a below-elbow artificial right hand, has committed many frauds in five districts of Rajasthan.Complainant Wani said that Kushboo met her at Koregaon Park in mid-January. She came across as a smart, dynamic and vibrant young woman, who speaks English fluently. Claiming to be a techie at an IT firm in Viman Nagar, Kushboo exchanged phone numbers with Wani.

Kushboo Omprakash Sharma

On a road trip around Pune city with common friends on January 23, Kushboo repeatedly expressed her desire to drive a car.

The friends, including Wani and Kushboo, have dinner at JW Marriott on Senapati Bapat Road. Before leaving the hotel on the intervening night between January 23 and January 24, Kushboo said that she wanted to visit the washroom. When she did not return after a long time, they enquired only to find from the hotel security that Kushboo has left the hotel driving Wani’s Maruti Swift.

“When I called Kushboo, she told me that she has gone to visit her father who has suffered a heart attack and will return the car in a few days. After this conversation, her phone was switched off. I filed a complaint with Chatuhshrungi police after getting no response from her for six days,” Wani said.

Investigating officer and Chatuhshrungi Police Sub Inspector AD Sabale said that probe found that Kushboo was working with IT firm WNS on Ahmednagar Road. She absconded with the stolen car to Mumbai on January 24, put up a fake registration number MH 03 CV 2425 and returned back to Pune. Kushboo told her colleagues that her boyfriend who is based abroad had gifted the car.

Kushboo was arrested and court granted

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1

TEJAS GAIKWAD

At Aundh Hospital, misery continues even after death The Aundh Civil Hospital mortuary’s cold storage facility has been out of order for five months.

This is inconveniencing the families of deceased patients, who have to avail of the cold storage unit at Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCM) in Pimpri, but transporting the mortal remains there and the modate two bodies at a time. storage charges amount to On an average, there are five Rs 4000 or so. patient fatalities After a Post a day at the 280Mortem (PM), a bed state governdeceased person’s ment run hospital body is kept in the on Aundh-Ravet cold storage of a Road. hospital mortuary “The cold storto slow down age here is dysdecomposition. functional for last But owing to a five months. We d y s f u n c t i o n i n g Ramesh Thosar receive four to five air conditioning bodies a day for system, bodies begin to PM. Families of deceased decompose after 20 hours. patients are forced to go to Families of deceased mortuaries of other hospipatients are not always able tals,” said a mortuary worker. to take charge of the dead Pune city Republibody immediately, and at can Party of India (RPI) times unclaimed bodies deputy president Ramesh rema9in in cold storage for Thosar had a bitter expedays together. rience recently. “My sisThe Aundh Hospital ter passed away at Aundh cold storage can only accomHospital and after PM, her

Additional Civil Surgeon (ACS) Dr B N Kakane admitted that the cold storage has not been functioning for months. “It is a minor problem but the company which maintains the cold storage has not responded to our communiqué. We will repair it and get it working within a week.”

body was kept overnight on a cot instead of the cold storage,” he said. “People come to Aundh Hospital from all over Maharashtra, and owing to this state of affairs, they have to shift the bodies of their kin to other hospitals, and pay extra for transportation and cold storage,” he said.

Thosar had written to the Aundh Hospital civil surgeon regarding the mortuary but has not received any response, so he is planning to stage a protest.

The three government hospitals for post mortems are Sassoon General Hospital, with eight cold storages where 32 bodies can be accomodated, YCM and Aundh Hospital.

“A dead body starts decomposing within 48 hours normally but in summer it is after 24 hours,” said Dr S B Punpale, head of the forensic department of Sassoon General Hospital.

“Cold storage averts decomposition as well as swelling. A decomposed body can infect other bodies,” he said. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@ goldensparrow.com

was an IPS officer. People used to fall for her fluent English and get trapped. “She used to visit petrol pumps in Rajasthan and after filling full tank tell the staffer that her orderly will come and

pay the money,” Chavan said, adding that with the Rajasthan police closing in on her, Kushboo moved base to Pune city. yogesh.wagh@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

PUNE

The percentage of skilled people in UK is 70% and Germany 75%.

The figure for India is 2%. We need out of the box ideas to scale this up from 2% to 8%, otherwise how can you build a nation?

— Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Union minister of state for skill development

A friend in need for kids with DIABETES

Veer Kalaskar

HCJMRI offers ray of hope to parents of children with Type 1 diabetes who are unable to afford the high costs of medical care Contd from p1

Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute (HCJMRI), affi liated to Jehangir Hospital, however has taken up the cause

of poor children affl icted by Type 1 diabetes. Run by Dr Anuradha Khadilkar and her team, the centre provides free consultation, tests, medicines and insulin for patients up

Chanchal Agarwal, 17, goes around handing roses to nurses, ward boys, doctors and even the receptionist. The flowers are from her resplendent home garden. She is one of the patients at ward 8, the children’s ward of the diabetes centre. Her mother Poonam said, “Handing over flowers is a little gesture of appreciation for what the staff here are doing for children like Chanchal.”

Chanchal, who passed her higher secondary examination in 2015, is a first year student of a mechanical engineering diploma course. She was diagnosed with Type I diabetes when she was two years old. “It started with persistent high fever and I had a premonition that something was wrong,” said Poonam. A local doctor in Pimpri said not to worry, but Poonam sought a second opinion from

Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.

The blood tests showed extremely high sugar levels and Type 1 diabetes was the prognosis.

Besides tending to Chanchal, Poonam had to deal with the trauma of her husband’s heart attack in December 2012, which left him with severe kidney damage. Overnight Poonam had to take over the running of the household including riding a scooter to shop for groceries. She is optimistic that these hard times would pass. Meanwhile she had to bear the yoke and including

necessary. For diabetic children, growth, mental health and support system are crucial. It is difficult but we do the best we can.”

Team TGS met some diabetic

children at the centre and our conversations with them and their parents throws some light on just what controlling diabetes entails. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com TEJAS GAIKWAD

Chanchal Agarwal

to the age of 18. The doctors work for free and donations enable the centre to function.

Khadilkar said, “For adults with diabetes, restricting sugar levels is

leaving Chanchal and son Yash to school.

Chanchal wants to become a mechanical engineer because she has a flair for painting and sketching. “I have seen my mother’s struggles and when I am through with my education, I will get a job and then my mum can take it easy and be happy,” she said. She does not make much of her affl iction and has learnt to take it in her stride. “I love mangoes but I have to take care that I don’t overdo it because of my diabetes,” she said.

Type 1 diabetes has taken a toll on three-year-old Veer Kalaskar, whose growth has been hampered by the disease. Though just a baby, Veer is familiar with the blood test routine. “Veer, thankfully, never makes a fuss of the injections or medicines,” said his dad Vishal, a driver by profession.

The fi rst signs of the disease were a lack of appetite and seizures.

Vishal’s mother was diabetic and he thus knew that Veer may be one too. He took Veer to Dr Waman Khadilkar who sent them to the HCJMRI for free treatment. “I am worried about Veer’s growth.

Because of the diet restrictions, it’s like walking a tight rope,” he said. All the chocolates that people bring have to be hidden from Veer.

And we have to restrict ourselves too in what we eat, when it comes to sweets, potatoes and rice. If we give him some of that, we increase his dosage of insulin. After all, he is just a child,” he said.

Ganesh Kshirsagar

G

anesh Kshirsagar, 17, speaks in monosyllables.

He was diagnosed with Type I diabetes three years ago after a troubling bout of fever. His father Suresh, a landless labourer, was even more worried when the village doctor couldn’t diagnose the ailment. Suresh brought Ganesh to Jehangir Hospital Pune on the advice of his relatives. On realising Suresh’s impecunious state, Dr Waman Khadilkar referred Ganesh to the HCJMRI, for cost-effective treatment.

Ganesh loves cricket. “I used to play all the time but now I cannot as the high sugar levels have made my bones brittle,” he said. He is to appear for his higher secondary exams this year. What the future holds, he does not know. Cricket remains a source of joy still. “I want to be an all-rounder in the Indian cricket team and I will practice as hard as I can,” he said.

Prathamesh Shinde

Chirag Dattatreya

S

even-year-old Chirag Dattatreya is the son of Lanka and Damodar, who are farmers in a village near Shikrapur. Four years ago Chirag was down with fever and a Shikrapur doctor told them to take Chirag to Pune for treatment. Tests showed high sugar levels in his blood and he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.

The poor couple hitched rides to Pune and when they unable to flag down a vehicle, they walked all the way to Pune, for Chirag’s treatment.

Lanka younger son was then just a few months old. She had to carry Chirag to and from the hospital

twice a month.

Chirag is fidgety and his energy levels are low. “We have to monitor his blood sugar and do bone density scans regularly since he falls in the high risk factor of brittle bone syndrome,” said Dr Khadilkar.

Chirag has to curb his fondness for sweets and chocolates. “I do eat sweets and chocolates but I tell my mother about it,” he said. Lanka said, “He is just a child and sometimes the temptation is too much. The doctors then increase his insulin dose for a day or two. The doctors are so kind and helpful and are always willing to help,” she said.

S

ix-year-old Prathamesh, despite his affl iction, is a bundle of energy, never still for a moment. The injections and the diet restrictions are a real bother and his dad Dadarao is not sure how to handle it all. Prathamesh is a bright student and is well liked by all his teachers.

He is aware of his ailment and at time he reminds his parents when it’s time for his insulin injections.

Prathamesh was diagnosed with Type I diabetes when he was a year and half old. The fi rst signs were a loss of appetite which left him too weak to even stand. The Sindes, who hail from Nanded, where they are farmers. They managed to deal with the financial aspect but with the drought, the parents have fallen on hard times.

“Our yearly income of Rs 70,000 has come down to Rs 20,000. Moreover, I have to repay my debts and pay for Prathamesh’s medicines and treatment,” said Suresh. The HCJMRI is godsent to them. “Without this centre, we would have been unable to treat our son. And who knows what may have transpired. We are just praying that Prathamesh recovers and is able to lead a fruitful life,” said Suresh.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

Start-ups hiring goes beyond tech-based roles: Study

The efforts to develop decentralised garbage processing system have resulted in improving the situation. The citizens have improved the garbage segregation at source. It, in turn, boosted PMC’s overall ranking.

— Suresh Jagtap, senior PMC official, solid waste management department

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @tusharrupanavar The central government brought in a legislation of 50 per cent reservation for women in rural panchayats and urban corporations, in 2009. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), in 2012 had 76 elected women corporators as per the 50 per cent reservation rule.

But the fact of the matter is that women corporators are the victims of unfair practices, as the rule has not brought about decentralisation of power and gender equality. Women corporators accuse their male counterparts of undue domination, and even the administration shows an unfair bias in the allocation of funds to women corporators. The male corporator in a panel is allotted a bigger share of funds that his female counterpart, for development projects in their wards.

First time PMC corporator Rupali Thombare said, “I am the chairman of the PMC city development committee. Despite reminders, the administration does not pay heed to me and remain absent for committee meetings. Our male counterparts claim to be more efficient than women regarding development works. I keep protesting against this gender bias, but other women corporators do not raise their voices as they are afraid of

Woman corporators protest at PMC headquarters

the consequences. Thanks to the 50 per cent reservation, former housewives have been elected as PMC corporators for the first time. They are still getting used to their new status. Therefore, it is the male corporators who raise issues and run the proceeding in general body meetings, while women corporators remain silent.

“Women corporators have informed women’s rights committee chairman Manisha Chaudhari about our concerns regarding gender bias in allocation of funds. Chaudhari said that she will summon the PMC in this regard.”

Women and child welfare committee chairman Archana Kamble said, “The administration sidelines women corporators in fund allocation. The male corporator in a panel handles is-

sues and development works without taking the female counterpart into confidence. Five per cent of total draft budget is reserved for women and child welfare committee, but it was diverted to urban community development and health department without our consent. This breaches the BPMC Act and shows the PMC administration’s gender bias. They did not have the courtesy to inform us about the diversion of funds, because they underestimate women corporators. I have been chairman of the women and child welfare committee for almost a year, but despite notices to the administration, not a single PMC officer has attended our committee meetings. Our complaints to the commissioner and mayor have fallen on deaf ears. Male corporators elected to the PMC multiple times

P13

Parking issue adds to PMPML woes

Parts are regularly stolen from PMPML buses parked along roadsides and isolated spots

seize women corporators’ funds, on the basis of greater experience and efficiency. We feel like rubber stamp corporators because all the decisions are taken by male corporators. Women corporators need to be more aware about their rights.”

Ruling NCP corporator Usha Kalamkar said, “Male corporators think that we have been elected to the PMC only because of the reservation law. The reins of the local body are in the hands of male corporators and we have no option but to listen to them.

They do not take us into confidence even while taking policy decisions.

The state government should scrap this panel election system and revert to the wards election system in which there was just one corporator for a ward who is responsible for the use of funds allocated to his/her ward. In the panel system, the male corporators seize the women corporators’ funds and they can do this as they are in cahoots with the administration.”

PMC Additional Commissioner Rajendra Jagtap said, “We treat corporators as equals without any gender bias. Officers do not attend women and child welfare committee meetings because of staff shortage.

We have decided to appoint a full time officer to women and child welfare committee soon. The decision to divert funds of women and child welfare committee was taken by my superiors and I will not comment on it.” tushar.rupanavar@goldensparrow.com

VISHAL KALE

Accuse their male counterparts of dominating them

Terrorism: Turkey, India on same page

P10

Women corporators are still the underdogs in PMC

PUNE

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan The lack of proper parking lots for Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal (PMPML) buses results in further losses to the public transport services. When buses are parked on roadsides, thefts of parts like horns and lights are common. Eight bus batteries have been stolen from buses parked along roadsides.PMPML Joint Managing Director D P More said that the parking spaces along roadsides or at isolated places pose a security risk. Buses undergo repairs at depots. Maintenance of buses parked outside is not possible.

“When buses are parked along roadsides, anybody can enter them and steal the parts. People can damage unguarded buses. We need land urgently to set up depots to park these buses,” said More.

The PMPML requires 130 acres to park 2,600 buses but currently has only 43 acres, of which 28 has been used for depots in Pune city, and 15 in the PCMC area. The PMPML had asked for land of eight octroi posts, but it may get only five initially.

The PMC has offered land at Shewalwadi

on Pune Solapur Road, Bhekrainagar on Saswad Road, Shindewadi on Satara Road, Bhugaon on Paud Road and Balewadi on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass. The land contract will expire at February end.

PMPML has written a letter to PMC commissioner to reconsider the space.

“It is a yearly contract for 11 months.

We wrote several times to PMC to give us these lands on a permanent basis. We got space from PMC, but Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has not given us land. They are not responding and claiming that they do not have enough space available,” More said.

“We require 87 acres and are falling short by 33 per cent. We require at least 55 acres from PMC and 30 acres in PCMC area,” said a senior PMPML official.

PMPML has 2,100 buses and under JNNURM another 500 will be added, to make it 2,600. Twenty buses can be parked on an acre of land. “With the population rising to 68 lakh, the number of buses should increase to more than 3,000, and will need 155 acres of parking space,” said a senior officer. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

Special panel to groom bureaucrats on etiquette

MLAs, MLCs up in arms against government officials who flout protocols

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PUNE

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Batman, Hulk or Joker, what’s your pick?

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“When I try to contact bureaucrats on their mobile phones, they neither pick up the call nor reply to SMSes”

With this issue

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That the administration and legislation never see eye-to-eye is a fact of life in India, where politicians always have the upper hand over government officials.

Now, the Special Power Committee of state council is for the first time conducting a orientation programme for state bureaucrats, as Members of Legislative Assembly and Council have had enough of government officials who f lout protocols brazenly.

After dealing with bureaucrats in Thane, Amravati, Aurangabad and Nashik, the seven-member committee is scheduled for a Pune visit, to make a presentation on ‘How to behave with people’s representatives’, for the benefit of Pune division bureaucrats. Pune division includes the districts of Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur.

Chairperson of the Special Power Committee of state council and Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe said, “Bureaucrats generally are not aware of protocols to be followed while working with MLAs and MLCs. When I try to contact bureaucrats on their mobile phones, they neither pick up the call nor reply to SMSes. We could move a breach of privilege motion in the

legislature, but end the matter with bureaucrat over minor issues. That a rap on the knuckles.” does not mean that the administrator She said that state government’s refuses to co-operate with us,” said circulars regarding special powers Ranpise, who moved breach of and protocols of the people’s privilege motion in the state council representatives do not reach the against the bureaucrats involved in bureaucrats. Most notices of breach the chikki scam. of privileges are related to non-coOfficers of the General Branch operation from bureaucrats. of District Collectorate, which is Gorhe said responsible that bureaucrats for organising were not aware t r a i n i n g of the list of programmes public functions for bureaucrats, where the said that presence of they were not legislators was aware about mandator y. the special “Legislators powers and have no an idea protocols of the that a minister legislators. “I is visiting their am responsible constituency. It for making is the duty of the a r ra ngements protocol officers for the - NEELAM GORHE to inform the committee concer ned members, but MLA about I do not know the programme of the minister in the special powers legislators have,” a particular constituency, which is said Anjali Kulkarni, tehsildar.

Tehsildar Geetanjali Shirke said not followed by the administrators,” that she has read about the powers, Gorhe said. duties and protocols of legislators.

Congress MLC Sharad Ranpise “A booklet regarding these special of Pune, a member of the committee, powers and protocols of legislators said that legislators and bureaucrats should be given to the officers,” she both have to follow the protocols. said.

“I have never brought a notice priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com of breach of privilege against any

FE A

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka

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I want to romance Alia Bhat, on screen

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

PUNE

Pimpri Chinchwad had received the `Best City’ award under the JNNURM scheme in 2013. Now, it has ranked ninth.This actually shows degradation of the civic body in the past two years.

— Vikas Patil, president, Paryavaran Sanvardhan Samiti

Give list of defaulters of over Rs 500 cr loan: SC asks RBI P 14

MNGL’s piped natural gas connection has remained a pipedream for citizens three years after work began

TEJAS GAIKWAD

PMC crushes piped gas dreams

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka Ajay Patni lives in Sankul Society in Erandawane. He has been waiting for a piped natural gas connection for three years.

Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited (MNGL) promised natural pipe gas connections to Sankul Society residents and started digging up roads to install the pipelines in 2012.

Eight months since the work started there is no sign of getting pipe gas connections. Fed up, Patni questioned MGNL about the progress of the work. To his surprise, they told him that they would not be able install the pipelines as the civic authorities had refused permission.

“After digging up the roads for months, the MNGL authorities suddenly stopped the work. To our enquiries, they told us that they did

The resident of Sankul Society in Erandawane, Suresh Gade showing the incomplete work of gas pipeline connection done by MNGL, three years back

The work of installation of natural gas pipeline has been in process since last four months on Sinhagad Road

not have permission from the Pune Municipal Corporation. Why did they give us false promises and dig up the entire road in the first place?”

Patni said. He had helped the MNGL authorities in the design of the project.

“I followed up the case for one year but then gave up when I realised that nothing was going to happen. MNGL is again digging up roads in the city and I am sure this time also they will make fool of

more citizens,” Patni said. MNGL is promoting natural pipe gas connection as a cheaper and convenient alternative to LPG cylinders.

But the citizens are not swallowing the spiel. “I paid the MNGL Rs 6000

PCMC chief predicts happier times for citizens

BY YOGESH WAGH @YogeshWagh1857

BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak

Pavana river will address the water shortage issue. Proliferation of industry and land acquisition issues have stalled the pipeline project from Pavana dam to PCMC area, and the state government and Guardian Minister have been urged to resolve the matter.

As per the High Court directive, the civic body had issued notices to more than 28,000 illegal construction sites. The PCMC has started a grievance redressal forum for the benefit of citizens but unauthorised constructions, illegal hoardings and flexes continue unabated.

“We are awaiting state government guidelines regarding unauthorised constructions. We are following central and state government directives regarding the hawkers issue,” he said.

The 2000 yards no development zone created by the army authorities

between Dehu Road and Dighi is affecting 30,000 households of Nigdi, Dehu Road, Talawade and PCMC. RTI activists state that it should be 270 metres instead of 2000 yards.

Maharashtra Swaraj Abhiyan President Manav Kamble said that the matter was pending for a couple of years. Jadhav refused to comment on the issue.

The civic body had assured in November 2015 to complete the work on the bridge near Empire Estate Colony in Chinchwad by January 2016. But there is still some work pending. “Ninety-five per cent of the work is done and the bridge will be completed by June,” said Jadhav.

“We will maintain and improve on our the cleanliness, complete the 100 km BRT service project and provide 24x7 water supply,” Jadhav said.

– Rajeev Jadhav, PCMC Commissioner “We will maintain and improve on our the cleanliness, complete the 100 km BRT service project and provide 24x7 water supply,”

The Chatushrungi Police has booked former manager of Sky Fitness & Wellness gym Prashant Chopde and gym instructor Abhijeet Patankar, for issuing duplicate and false receipts to their customers. The current manager of the gym, Michael Jacob suspected some underhand dealings, and informed the police, who registered an FIR on February 17.

Chopde and Patankar have been booked under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC. Chopde was the manager of the gym from July 1, 2014 to February

BY SUSHANT RANJAN & VISHAL KALE @TGSWeekly Curbing illegal passenger transport is seemingly beyond the means of the Regional Transport Office (RTO).

Illegal transport is flourishing in and around the city, with permitless buses, jeeps and taxis ferrying

passengers freely on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass, Solapur Road, Wakad, Chandni Chowk and Hinjewadi areas, as well as at the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus pick-up points.

The stringent action and regular checks to curb illegal transportation are conspicuous by their absence.

Pune Regional Transport Officer Jitendra Patil claims that the RTO has seized 165 vehicles involved in illegal passenger transport. “We have initiated strict action against private vehicles, including luxury buses and jeeps carrying passengers illegally, which continues from late night till the next morning,” said Patil.

28, 2015 and Patankar was a gym instructor from August 20, 2012 to May 26, 2015.

In his complaint, Jacob said that he had not received fees from members, who, when he questioned them, said that they had paid the fees to former manager Chopde.

When Jacob contacted them, Chopde and Patankar confessed that they had received Rs 78,500 from customers and used it for personal purposes. Jacob discovered that the duo had also tampered with the gym software to make fake receipts.

The gym has 300 members who pay fees yearly, and the misappropriation could be to the tune of Rs 6,50,955.”

Investigating officer, sub-inspector SM Bobade said, “During preliminary investigations, we found that the accused had cheated the gym of Rs 6,50,955. We are investigating further to trace other frauds they could have done.”

Problems • Unfinished pipeline from Pavana dam to PCMC area • Unauthorised constructions, illegal hoardings and flexes • Lack of transport facilities in internal areas • Incomplete Empire Estate Bridge • Water shortage

There’s nothing the RTO, police can or will do Illegal passenger transport flourishes even as RTO claims to have launched prohibitory action

for starting this project. The officials decided to dig up roads near residential societies with at least 70 members. However, looking back at the history of MNGL’s projects, there are many residential colonies in the city which have gas pipes but no gas supply,” said Shinde.

MNGL Managing Director A M Tambekar admitted that the natural gas connection project failed three years ago. “The erstwhile central government could not provide us the gas at affordable prices even after promising us to do that. But the present government is serious about the project and instructed us to start the project last year,” Tambekar said.

Though it was not compulsory to take a natural gas connection, it would be useful in the near future when the central government removes the subsidy on LPG gas cylinders.

“It is cheaper and safer than LPG therefore more and more people should come forward for natural gas connection,” Tambekar said.

MNGL will need another four years to cover Pune city for natural gas connections. “Till then residents have to cooperate with us instead of making a fuss,” Tambekar said. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

Manager dupes gym by issuing false receipts

PCMC Commissioner upbeat about achieving all targets in the coming year

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Rajeev Jadhav, 55, who took over from Shrikar Pardeshi in 2014, is optimistic about resolving all the issues and finishing incomplete projects in PimpriChinchwad in the coming year.

Ratnagiri native Jadhav’s budget of Rs 3,982 crore for 2016-2017 on February 16, includes allocation for the Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme. He has provided for a Rs 300 crore increase in the outlay to complete existing projects.

“My main focus is to provide citizens with efficient public transport.

I intend to launch air conditioned buses in the BRT service and set up more and better bus stops. All these actions will boost Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mandal Ltd (PMPML) capacity,” he said.

About 25 km of the PCMC’s 100 km BRT route has already been commissioned.

Jadhav is determined about PimpriChinchwad’s smart city prospects.

“PCMC being declared as the ninth cleanest city in India is an honour. We have a year and will do the utmost to make the Smart City list in the second phase,” he said.

Lifting water from Bhama Askhed and Andra dams, and a new bund on

for the piped gas connection which I thought was a cheaper alternative to LPG gas cylinders,” said Sarika Deshmukh of Vitthalwadi. But four months later nothing was happened except that the road near her house has been dug up.

“The pipelines were installed just two feet beneath the road surface, instead of the ten feet. What will happen during the monsoons?” said Deshmukh. Dhayari resident Radhika Nangare said that the gas pipeline work has resulted in traffic snarls on Sinhagad Road-HingneDhayari.

“The work going on for a month has caused traffic snarls. Installation work has been done in a few places but the holes on the road are not filled up properly and are a hazard for road users on Sinhagad Road,” Nangare said.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Protection Organisation has registered a complaint against MNGL with PMC commissioner Kunal Kumar. CPO head Sagar Shinde said that MNGL officials have not learnt any lessons from recent gas pipeline leakage in Model Colony.

“There are no parameters

The Solapur road under the Hadapsar Flyover is jam packed even at 10 in the night

But there are private buses haphazardly parked and obstructing traffic on Solapur Road near the flyover. There are no RTO officials or traffic police in sight.

Cigarette vendor in the vicinity, Ramesh Singh said, “These buses are a daily nuisance. RTO and traffic police launched some action in January and it stopped for a few days, but now it’s back to square one.” The buses are parked after 10 pm.

Patil said, “Illegal transport is common at Nagar Road, Solapur Road, Nashik Road, Swargate, Pune railway station and Sangamwadi areas. RTO squads and the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) per-

sonnel launched a drive and MSRTC also provided alternate services.”

In a RTO scrutiny, 2,451 of 8,591 buses were found to be violating rules and Rs 2.79 crore was recovered in fines from them. The most common violations are absence of permits, fitness certificates, ferrying excess passengers, stage carriers, etc.

MSRTC has identified 1,200 jeeps and 1,300 buses operating within 200 metres of the Swargate bus terminus, involved in illegal transport.

Sidharth Thopte of Latur said, “I travel by private buses but I do not check if it is legal or not. That is the responsibility of the police or RTO.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

Art transcends boundaries of time, region and religions. Artists should use their vocation to spread social messages on issues like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to bring them closer to the masses.

— Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

PUNE

We will never get reservation under OBC quota as we (Patels) do not fall in the criteria. If we insist, then all other communities will stand up against us and a class-conflict will start.

— Lalji Patel, Founder, Sardar Patel Group

to turn plastic A simple man with simpler plan How waste into a road

BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry He was just 14 years old when he had to take up his fi rst job to support his family. Since then he has worked at a medical shop, was an assistant at a clinic, did clerical work in his college and other odd tasks to pay for his education and help his widowed mother. Th is is the story of Kailash Naravde who runs the nongovernmental organisation (NGO) Being Volunteer Foundation and is the owner of Tea Katta at Baner. His desire to help children who are forced to become child labourers because of extreme poverty made him give up a well-paying job as senior executive in Human Resources department at IT fi rm Affinity Express launch the NGO and food joint.

“My wish is that no child is forced to work. It is their age to go to school and have fun. I want no child to face my experience and the way I struggled to survive and complete my education,” 31-year-old Kailash said. And it is this

cause that he promises to work for as long as he lives. With a Master’s degree in social work, his Better Volunteer NGO started in June last year has already organised over 90 events on various social causes.

Kailash is also making efforts to help the underprivileged and disabled lead a respectable life. And café Tea Katta that operates on delivery system is one such initiative. All the staff employed at the food joint comes from underprivileged section of society. The shop ensures that the staff get a certain amount of income every month, learn a sense of responsibility and become independent. The monetary benefit also helps them take care of their families.

Hailing from Ahmednagar, Kailash’s future plans include managing and taking care of the families of his employees through a percentage of the profit that the cafe earns. And to ensure that his venture earns profit, Tea Katta’s USP is 21 different kinds of tea, the fi rst in the city.

Being active in community

TEJAS GAIKWAD

Hailing from Ahmednagar and settled in Pune, Kailash Naravde has made it his mission to change lives of the underprivileged

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @tusharrupanavar

The staff at Tea Katta started by Kailash Naravde (left below) come from underprivileged section of society

programmes since his college days, those working at Tea Katta are people that Kailash has interacted with during his social work. He plans to put in place a screening process that will help the most needy avail this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Not limiting himself to just his café, he is also in talks to get other places be it restaurants, cafes or offices to take on this initiative.

“A job changes life considerably.

I know for a fact that it gives you a sense of satisfaction, responsibility and makes you feel worthy of living.

It is important to ensure that one does not waver down the wrong path,” Kailash face.

His NGO promotes education.

Pune bags Rs 50,000 crore investment through Make in India State gets Rs 8 lakh crore investment pledge

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state has got investment commitments worth over Rs 8 lakh crore spread across regions, including the less-developed Marathwada and Vidarbha, at the just-concluded ‘Make in India’ Week (MIIW). The state has signed 2,594 memoranda of understanding across various sectors such as energy, real estate, textiles, MSMEs, IT and ITeS, tourism, ports, retail, medical and skill development, among others.

While the Pune region attracted investment commitments of about Rs 50,000 crore, around Rs 25,000 crore worth of MoUs were signed for Khandesh in the north-eastern part of the state.

He said the state has received the maximum investment commitment of Rs 3.25 lakh crore for the Konkan region, which also includes the Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). “For the backward Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, the state signed MoUs worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore. This is for the first time we have seen investment interest shifting to these regions,” he added.

While the Pune region attracted investment commitments of about

Actor Aamir Khan, CM Devendra Fadnavis and Governor C Vidhyasagar Rao during the inauguration of Maharashtra Night during the Make In India week in Mumbai

Rs 50,000 crore, around Rs 25,000 crore worth of MoUs were signed for Khandesh in the north-eastern part of the state. The event has showcased the country as “the biggest show of cooperation, competitive and collaborative federalism”.

According to Fadnavis, the investment commitments received showcase the opportunities of more investments in the state. “These MoUs show these regions have the power to attract more investments,” he said.

He added that the state has in fact received many more investment interests, but it has to limit signing of MoUs to 2,594, as each and every agreement has to be vetted by

the Industries Ministry and other departments concerned.

“We have received many offers for MoUs, but we could not accommodate all. All MoUs that are signed have been vetted by various departments. Going by the offers we have received, the numbers could have crossed Rs 12 lakh crore,” he said.

The chief minister claimed that the event has “made a mark in the history of our country and has set a standard which we will now have to match or even better”. Fadnavis was clear that the next job of his government is to ensure these MoUs are translated into actual businesses and create the desired jobs.

PTI

Govt seeks suggestions on regulating IVF centres, surrogacy Maharashtra government has invited suggestions from both government and private In-Vitro Fertility (IVF) centres to strengthen the existing laws and regulate these establishments.

These days anybody can open up Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) IVF centre and there is no regulation on it, state health minister

Deepak Sawant said.

At present, the ART IVF centres are regulated under the Mumbai Nursing Home Act and Clinical Establishment Act. There needs to be regulations in the area of establishments, use of equipment, the IVF procedures they adopt, guidelines to be followed for

NGT okays plan to use plastic waste for road construction

registration, what protocol they need to adopt, para-medical staff, etc, he said.

At present, there are around 525 ART IVF centres in the state, out of which Mumbai has 120, Pune 135, Nagpur 70, Nashik 14, Satara 17, Aurangabad 16, and the remaining in various other districts, Sawant said.

PTI

It children’s fundamental right to an education and a normal childhood.

Being Volunteer Foundation has adopted two Vanvashi Kalyan Ashram schools in two villages in Karjat and takes care of everything from fi xing the infrastructure to making learning a fun exercise to paying for things like book etc. The NGO also regularly organises fund-raising events.

Kailash’s body of work deserves admiration for his courage, dedication to his cause and passion towards giving others a better life. Visiting Tea Katta might just change someone’s life even if your contribution is small. You could also gift a tea to someone needy if you feel like. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Pune city generates 1650 tonnes of garbage everyday, about 15 per cent or 200 to 250 tonnes of which is plastic waste. Plastic does not decompose so it is hard to deal with for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), which just dumps it in open spaces.

The PMC solid waste management department has now devised three uses for plastic waste, for road construction, and as fertiliser and fuel by recycling it.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given the green signal for the use of plastic for road construction. PMC has invited applications from private companies dealing in plastic waste management for this project.

PMC dumps garbage at Uruli and Phursungi dumping depot, which the residents are opposed to. PMC is on the lookout for dumping grounds.

Of the 1650 tonnes, PMC has capacity to treat 750 tonnes of waste and the rest is dumped without being processed. Segregation of dry and wet waste at source is also major concern.

PMC does not have plastic processing plants of its own so plastic waste disposal is another major concern. The solid waste management department has decided to use plastic for road construction, fertiliser by decomposing plastic through using chemical process and making fuel from plastic. But PMC does not have the funds to set up the processing plants, and has invited applications from private parties. PMC will provide the land for the plants.

PMC joint commissioner Suresh

PMC deals with 250 tonnes of plastic waste daily

Jagtap said, “The city produces 200 to 250 tonnes of plastic garbage daily for which we have no mechanism for disposal. As plastic does not decompose easily, it is a danger to the environment.

Plastic waste is used in India for road construction and NGT has given PMC the green signal. Fuel and fertilisers can be obtained from plastic garbage through chemical processes which can be a source of revenue. PMC does not have funds to set up plastic processing plants. We have invited applications from private companies involved in plastic processing. Plastic waste will be segregated, processed and shredded for use in road construction, and to make fuel and fertiliser. PMC will provide land for processing plants.” tushar.rupanavar@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

Ever ready to jump into action when needed grade,” he said.

After serving in the army for 24 years, he returned in his midforties, only to come face-to-face with an acute job shortage. “No one was willing to give me a job.

They said I was too old and not educated enough. My bachelor’s degree from Kolhapur University did not count for much compared to the youngsters’ fancy and highflying qualifications,” he said. His wife Hemlata said, “It was a most taxing time. We needed money for our children’s education, and a permanent roof over our heads, and Satish could not find a proper job.”

Eventually, after eight months, Satish landed a job as a guard at a State Bank of India branch. “Though the pay was less than I expected, and my rank lower, I was forced to take up the job as there was nothing else,” he said.

But in the course of his lowly occupation, there were moments when his innate gallantry showed through. On the way to the bank one morning, he came upon a startling sight near Golibar Maidan. A rabid dog was ferociously attacking a sari-clad nun, who in her struggle to keep the canine at bay, fell down on

the street. A crowd of bystanders had gathered but not one of them made a move to help out and rescue the helpless woman.” I did not think twice, there was no time to. I lashed out at the mad dog with my bag with my tiffin inside, which was enough to scare the dog away. That’s the difference between a civilian and an army man. We don’t need to think before springing into action,” he said. For his brave deed, Satish was awarded by the Maharashtra Ex-Servicemen Corporation in 2013.

After the bank job that he did for two years, Satish got a job in the Indian Railways in 2014. “I am at the lowest pay grade and there’s no scope of promotion as I have just ten years of service. The officers treat me like a new recruit.

No one cares that I have been a fauji for 24 years and am so much older,” Satish said.

The Jagdales’ older son wants to join the army, but not as a recruit. He had done well at studies so he has appeared for the Combined Defence Competition, in the hope of becoming an officer.

Satish approves. “It’s not just about patriotism. It is good to serve in the army where every one gets due respect,” he said.

CIVILIAN BATTLEFIELD

At first and cursory glance, a career in the armed forces may seem to be the option that ensures and leads to a secure and stable destiny in life. Look beneath the surface though and what shows up is that some of those who retire from the army mid-life, are faced with a multipronged dilemma, of fitting back into civilian life, and more crucially, procuring ways to earn a decent living.

And if wielding weapons of war or driving an army truck is all the qualification they have acquired, a rock road is probably what they can expect

A job in the armed forces used to be and probably still is one of the more desirable occupation for Indians. But there are pitfalls to such a career. Those who opt for a career in the services, devote the

U

by a severe drought and my father, who was a farmer, had expended his resources in the marriages of my two elder sisters. There were two unmarried sisters to consider as well. So I quit school and joined the army,” he said. The going was tough, but he made the grade and was selected in the Electronic and Mechanical Engineering corps. “Just a short diploma and we were flung headlong into war,” he said. It was like that for the next 30 years, as he was posted at different location

across the country, separated from his family. “The Kargil conflict was hard on us. A single EME workshop is set up for three or four units, to connect phone lines, and keep the gadgets and machinery in order. But during the Kargil war, we had to handle 32 units, which was beyond hectic,” he said.

After the action-packed army life, retiring and returning to civilian life in 2001 was like an unforeseen dilemma. “I retired as a subhedar and had intrinsic knowledge of electronic

Dodging sucker punches and landing one of his own

Y

ou would never believe that Ajit Singh is 71, if you were to see him feint and slink, and shuffle around as he grooms his students in the art of boxing.

He is one of the oldest boxing teachers from the city.

Born in Machhiwara village in Ludhiana district into a family of army men, Ajit was inexorably drawn to boxing as a child. Little was he to know that boxing would open many doors for him in his future. “My father was a part of the Royal British Force.

He fought in World War II, and was a prisoner of war in Japan for five years. Then my elder brother joined the Indian Army after India’s independence,” he said. Ajit learned wrestling from his father, who was a champion wrestler.

“With my army background and wrestling skills, I was taken into the Indian army in 1960 when I was only 13,” he said. He participated in tournaments and the troop he was with was known as Boys’ Company. By 1966 he was winning gold medals for India at international events. Then there was also fighting in wars. “In the

Ajit Singh

1971 war, we were sent to Kashmir where the battles were fierce and bloody. Surviving there was a real test of strength and grit,” he said.

When he retired from the army for domestic reasons, boxing was something to fall back on.

“The Railway sports team coach was my friends and he told me to apply for a job in the Railways. A few months later, I was working a Chief Ticket Inspector (CTI) on the Pune Lonavala route,” he said. He joined the Central zonal railways in 1973, but the local employees resented him since he was appointed directly. “I was given dual responsibilities of a

CTI and Home Guard. I was also expected to participate in and win every boxing competition,” he said. “I also had my family to look after and that is how I learnt there time management,” he said.

He started teaching children boxing and instill in them a love of the sport. “I have helped many children realise their dreams through boxing,” he said. He has won seven national medals but bureaucracy and international conflicts kept him from participating in the Olympics. “I have participated in the National Games nine times, and have won five gold and two silver medals.

I won a silver medal for India in Germany and have won a gold medal for India in the World Army tournament. All I want now is for my students to win national and international accolades,” he said.

Ajit’s life has not been a struggle, but he has succeeded owing to his own attributes. “I retired as a Naik. I would have worked anywhere on the condition that I’d be allowed to continue boxing. That is my one and only true love,” he said.

SAILING IN THE SAME BOAT

I

t’s not just the Junior Commissioned Officers, even higher ranked officers have their share of troubles in adjusting to civilian life. Retired Deputy Director of Department of Sainik Welfare, Maharashtra, Major Milind Tungar said, “Civilians are well settled by the time they are in their 40s, but for us in the Army, that’s the time we begin to sort out the most basic issues such as finding a way to earn a decent living. We are expected to serve the country, to the point of laying down our lives, but after retiring from service, the country does not exactly lay out a red carpet and welcome us into civilian life with open arms.”

There are no army quotas

prime period of their lives in the service of the nation, and when called for, even have to lay down their lives while protecting the motherland. But after the Junior Commission Officers and Short Service Commission personnel retire from service, and they revert to civilian life, they are faced with the

Never want to work for somebody else ever again do. The map of India tracks Uttam’s travels across the land, Kerala being the lone state he has never been to.

The world map is not about him but it shows where his third daughter is.

“She has gone to the Czech republic for her PhD. She won scholarships and also saved what she earned to finance her studies there,” he said.

“I have managed to feed my family through my meagre income,” he said.

It was out of necessity that Uttam joined the army at the age of 18 in 1971. “Our village was struck

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From the war zone to the

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma

ttam Kale, 63, has seen it all. He joined the Indian Army just before the start of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, he has been involved in the anti-insurgency operations in Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, he was among the peacekeepers dispatched to Sri Lanka during the island nation’s civil war, and he was posted at Kargil during the 1999 conflict. The walls of his living room are plastered with maps of India and the world, which serve the same purpose that medals

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

PICS BY VISHAL KALE AND RAHUL RAUT

Satish Jagdale lives in a one bedroom flat in Shanti Nagar, Wanowrie. The 50-year-old has put in nearly 25 years of service, but he has not been able to put together enough money for his own house. “I started working immediately after graduation in 1987. I joined the army in 1988 and served till 2011,” he said. He is forced to continue working, though it is at a lower rank than the post he retired from in the Indian Army. “It is a necessity for me, otherwise why would I work in a demoted post?” he said.

Satish puts down his service in the armed forces to being from Satara. “Satara district contributes the biggest number of defense personnel compared to other places in Maharashtra.

My small village seems to have been drought-stricken forever.

Even the Krishna river water does not reach our village due to the terrain,” he said. Joining the army was his own decision, but his family supported it. “It was fine except for the age factor,” he said.

Most of his colleagues were a few years younger, and consequently promotions were slow in coming, as that was the time when extensions were approved. “It took me 24 years to make the havildar

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daunting scenario of fitting in, and more importantly, finding a means to earn a decent livelihood.

Some of them are at a stage in life when their children’s education is not complete, and after having all their needs taken care of in the services, they now have to start almost from scratch, even

the most basic of necessities such as a home of their own. With the prices of real estate in the cities, putting together that kind of money presents a formidable challenge. And the job scene is not all that hassle-free as they may not have acquired the skills in the armed forces that are desirable in the modern, urban

context. The most logical jobs then are the lowly security guard type and what they pay puts them in financial hardships which are hard to overcome. And after the respectability while serving in the armed forces, it is hard to adjust to civilian life, where security staff and such are treated with a certain disdain.

Here are the stories of some armed forces veterans, who have reverted to civilian life, and have made a go of it, overcoming the obstacles they have faced, and coming to terms with the kind of circumstances that they never expected. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

One trouble goes and another one appears

and mechanical gadgets. I even had the qualifications. But even with all my experience, no one would give me a job,” he said. “Can you imagine being 48 years old, with four children and no job. After devoting 30 years to the army, I realised that I had nothing,” he said. Whatever dues he received on retirement, went into the family home.

“That was when I decided not to work for anyone else ever again,” he said.

Starting his own business was an inviting option, but he had neither the contacts nor the required investment. “A door-to-door service seemed like the best option,” he said.

So Uttam and his son went from door to door in their neighbourhood, offering to clean up the neighbours’ cars. “I knew well how to clean the vehicles without soiling our uniforms in the army. I also was well versed with quality cleaning products. Before I knew it, I came to be known as the car polish guy,” he said. With his nominal rates, there was no shortage of customers, and the money started coming in. “I also started selling Amway products to supplement my income,” he said.

Uttam is not bothered about the status or the lack of it. “What’s wrong with being known as a car polish guy? I am providing for my family, not stealing, or doing anything wrong,” he said.

His children are grown up now and lend him a hand. But Uttam’s car polish business continues. “I never say no to my customers. And work helps me keep fit. I love my work and do it to the best of my ability, which is what the army has taught me,” he said.

D

adabhau Jagtap, 48, owns a one bedroom apartment on the first floor of a building in Chandan Nagar. He made the down payment for it with the money he got after retiring from the army. “This is the one permanent thing in my life,” he said, and he is immensely proud that he could provide a home for his family.

A man of few words, with his big moustache, he looks every bit of an army man. Until he begins to converse in his soft spoken, gentlemanly style.

Dadabhau served in the Maratha Light Infantry for nearly 25 years. “I joined right after completing school, in 1987, and retired as havildar in 2012,” he said. “I had applied for the post of police constable. But I got a call from the army and just packed my bags and left,” he said. Post firearms training, he was posted in Jammu and Kashmir, and then sent from one state to another. “I was sent to Gujarat and Rajasthan before being posted in Kashmir for a second time. Then I was sent to the North Eastern areas. The fearless and brainless North Eastern insurgents are like the proverbial killing machines,” he said.

Retiring in 2012 and rejoining mainstream civilian life took some adjusting. “The change from the actionoriented army life to a humdrum civilian existence was like entering an alien dimension,” he said. Then there was the rejection as his attempts to procure a job kept hitting a brick wall. “It wasn’t just rejection but it felt like a humiliation to be told that I had failed this or that aspect,” he said. Eventually he was able to land a job in a private firm through a personal connection. “I took up the job as a security supervisor because I really

needed money to pay for this house,” he said.

The Jagtaps are no strangers to financial adversity. “My daughter wanted to get into the Indian Institute of Technology. She is a merit list student

and she missed the IIT cut-off by a couple of marks,” he said. His daughter is now in the second year of an engineering course. “I wish I had the money then,” he said.

Dadabhau’s troubles are not at an end

as he hurt his feet in an accident a year ago. It has affected his job prospects as no one wants a disabled security guard.

Dadabhau has been jobless for a while.

“It’s like another ordeal. How many do I have to face?” he wonders.

for class A or B jobs and while competing for a job with someone half your age, the armed forces experience does not Nalini Jain count for much.

Retired Major Nalini Jain said, “The pension we get is far less than what it takes to survive in a city, and we have no option but to go looking for jobs. The kind of jobs that we are offered, though, are of the security guard type, and it does not matter how qualified we are, and our armed forces experience counts for

nothing.”

Tungar has worked for ex-servicemen’s bodies, but those jobs are just a handful.

The class C and D jobs in government organisations are few and scarce.

Jain thinks that after service in the armed forces, fitting back into civilian life taken a big effort and it is a handicap even in the context of getting a job. “We need a more targeted approach, army-centric schemes and redevelopment options.

The government departments need to think of something, not just for the JCOs but even for the higher ranking officials, and the dependents of martyrs and disabled personnel,” she said.

UBER EXTENDS A HELPING HAND

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ber, the mobile ride hail company, in November 2015 signed a co-operation agreement with the Army Welfare Placement Organisation (AWPO) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), to create entrepreneurial opportunities for ex-servicemen and women. The AWPO assists in the placement of Indian Army ex-servicemen into private sector jobs and provide entrepreneurship opportunities. While

AWPO will provide ex-servicemen who wish to become driver-partners, Uber will ensure that they are inculcated and provided with vehicle financing schemes to make their involvement easier.

While this service has started in Pune, with as many as four driver-partners already being a part of Uber’s initiative, Uber is planning to set this up in more cities.

From army vehicle to tourist cab, life’s a smooth drive

A

run Bangar, 48, is never in one place for too long but keeps travelling to tourist destinations such as Lonavala and Nashik. He is not a tourist, he is a driver.

Arun joined the army in 1985. All he had studied was up to standard IX, and family circumstances had forced him to find an occupation. His first posting was in Jammu and Kashmir, where he kept returning every few years. “I spent 15 years in Kashmir,” he said. He was also involved in the Kargil war.

After retiring in 2011, Arun had no idea of what to do. “I was looking for work at the age when people are well settled,” he said.

He did not want to take up a job as driver, which is what he did in the army. But after being turned down time after time, he knew that a job as driver was his only option unless he wanted to starve. There was his children’s education, home loan and household needs he had to think of.

Fortunately he owned a car, which he turned into a tourist cab. Arun is part of the Uber fleet which he joined when Uber set up shop in Pune. “Uber has been a source of stability for me, providing me with a regular source of income. The nature of the job gives me some freedom as to work

times and it suits me to a ‘T’. I am glad to have found a respectable way to earn a living,” he said.

Arun three children all have

decent jobs and he feels rewarded now that he was able to give them a good education.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

TECH/START-UP

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Many think the first mouse was invented in 1970 at Xerox PARC. However, the first mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart in 1963. It was a wooden shell with two metal wheels —http://kb.soluto.com/

‘US rewarding Pak for bad behaviour by selling F-16s’ P 13

Start-ups hiring goes beyond tech-based roles: Study Unlike popular notion that startups mostly hire programmers or developers, as much as 47 per cent of the entry-level hiring comprised of professionals in non-technical roles, says a survey.

According to the study conducted by employability assessment company Aspiring Minds there is a rising demand for professionals in non-technical roles.

“Entry-level hiring marks an increase in non-technical lead roles,” the survey study said adding “marketing and content writing profiles see demand across sectors”.

Non-technical roles like marketing, digital media executives, content writers and business analysts have increasingly gained relevance recently, while previously the recruitment was led by web and android developer profiles, the study added.

Interestingly, though hiring volume and budgets have grown manifold for start-ups to be able to successfully scale and build an

PTI

Analysis found Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai continue to remain the hub of entrepreneurial activity

Narendra Modi government has announced a series of initiatives focusing on ease of doing business in India that will benefit start-ups

efficient workforce. However, only 3 per cent of the hired manpower has been able to cross an annual compensation of more than Rs 7 lakhs per annum, the study added.

A city-wise analysis says that while Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai continue to remain the hub

of entrepreneurial activity, tier-II cities like Jaipur, Indore, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh also witnessed an increase in start-up activity.

Meanwhile, tax experts say the government should consider extending tax benefits available

to foreign portfolio investors to other investors such as Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), venture capital and PE funds to boost funding for start-ups.

The tax benefits enjoyed by FPIs with regard to transfer of securities should be extended to “fund entities such as AIFs, venture capital, and private equity investors, given that the investment made by these entities is long term in nature and is in similar nature compared to FPIs”, said KPMG (India) Head, PE Tax, Saumil Shah.

The government should consider changes in the tax laws in the forthcoming Budget as these would encourage the PE sector and give momentum to the Start up India action plan, he suggested.

In order to resolve the problem being faced by foreign investors, the government in 2014 Budget decided to treat income arising from transfer of securities by FPIs as capital gains.

Earlier, it was not clear whether income from sale of securities

Postal dept has overtaken SBI on digital connectivity: Prasad Department is all set to launch a payments bank by March 2017 The postal department has surpassed the country’s largest lender, SBI, in terms of digital connectivity even before its payments bank launch, Union IT and Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

“The core banking solution (CBS) or digital connectivity of the postal department has surpassed the State Bank of India’s digital connectivity,” Prasad said at a special session on the third day of the ongoing Make in India week.

There are over 1.50 lakh post offices across the country, of Ravi Shankar Prasad which 1.25 lakh are in rural areas, and the department had embarked on CBS connectivity a few years ago.

The department is all set to launch a payments bank by March 2017.

SBI Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya had in the past expressed reservations about the entry of payments banks.

The postal department has got in-principle nod to start a payments bank, along with 10 other players, including corporate houses like the

There are over 1.50 lakh post offices across the country, of which 1.25 lakh are in rural areas

Mahindras, the Birlas, Reliance Industries and telecom firms with a deeper distribution network such as Bharti Airtel.

The successful applicants have been given 18 months to start operations. They are required to present a final plan of operation to the Reserve Bank of India before final nod.

Speaking at the special session on IT and electronics, Prasad appealed all to invest more in the country, saying India will be a USD 1 trillion opportunity for digital companies in five years.

He elaborated that electronics will be a USD 350 billion industry while IT, IT-enabled services and e-commerce would bring in USD 350 billion and USD 250 billion for the

communication sector.

The minister said electronics and IT manufacturing are also crucial for the success of flagship programmes such as Start-up India and Digital India.

He listed consumer, defence, automobile and medical electronics as the sub-sectors full with opportunities.

Prasad sees the target of having 500 million Internet users advancing by one year to 2016-end instead of 2017.

In the same vein, the minister said he is sensitive to the demand on the skilling front and added that over 1,200 doctoral candidates in 80 select universities will be benefiting under a special scheme.

PTI

would be business income or capital income.

“The government had announced a series of initiatives focusing on ease of doing business in India. The proposed Start up India Action Plan just adds to the momentum,” Shah said.

Experts suggested that provisions relating to 10 per cent withholding tax on income distributed by AIFs should be rationalised as it’s creating unnecessary hardships for foreign investors.

Currently, the provision of the withholding tax applies on payments made to tax-exempt entities.

“The 10 per cent withholding tax on all incomes distributed by AIF to all kinds of investors is quite unfair and unreasonable, considering the fact that such distributions may be tax-exempt receipts such as dividends from portfolio companies,” Shah said.

PTI

‘Fund-of-funds’ launched to aid start-ups from electronics, IT The Centre has launched a ‘fund-of-funds’ aimed at helping start-ups from the electronics and IT sector to create intellectual property, expressing willingness to invest up to Rs 2,200 crore in the initiative.

The Electronic Development Fund (EDF) floated by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology will invest in professional venture capital funds which will in-turn invest the money in start-ups, Minister for IT and Communication Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

A senior ministry official said the government has put a cap of investing up to Rs 2,200 crore in the EDF and the scheme will be operational till March 2017 as of now.

However, he was quick to point out that this is not an explicit commitment by the government to invest the sum, making it clear that the investments will be done in a staggered manner. He also hinted that if the Rs 2,200 crore cap is not breached by March 2017, the government can extend the scheme as well.

After launching the EDF, which will be managed by state-run lender Canara Bank’s venture investment arm Canbank Venture Capital Fund, Prasad handed over letters of commitment to four VC funds totalling Rs 169 crore in commitments. He said the EDF is separate from the Rs 10,000-crore fund for start-ups announced by the government earlier, but will help in the flow of similar quantum of money into the start-up ecosystem. “Typically, we will be taking a 20-25 per cent stake in daughter fund.

This means that the start-ups will get Rs 10,000 crore in commitments as a result of this,” the official explained.

Meanwhile, flagging cyber security as an area of concern for which the world needs solutions, Prasad exhorted Indian start-ups to develop solutions on this front so that we can emerge as a leader at the world stage on this.

The minister also pointed out chip designing, rather than manufacturing, as another area where the Indian start-ups can play a leading role. On the controversial issue of call drops, Prasad said telcos have installed 34,000 mobile towers across the country in the recent past but underscored the need for them to do more on it so that the services are better.

PTI

Swachh city solutions app for garbage free India Urban Development Ministry announced it would launch a mobile App for citizens to post their complaints about garbage pile-up in their areas and seek timely redress of their grievance.

Named ‘Swachh City Solutions’, the proposed mobile and webbased application will be developed in partnership with an NGO ‘Janaagraha’ Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, to ensure timely and effective implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission objectives in 4041 statutory

towns in the country.

A Memorandum of Understanding to the effect was signed between the Ministry and the NGO ‘Janaagraha’. The application is likely to become operational

by April and will give citizens access to the latest technology to lodge their complaint and actively participate in keeping their cities clean.

Speaking on the occasion, UD Ministry Joint Secretary Praveen Prakash said, “Through this App, the government is providing the

The application is likely to become operational

by April

The app is developed by the Centre in partnership with NGO ‘Janaagraha’ Centre for Citizenship and Democracy

citizens with a platform to express their concerns regarding their areas and build community participation and consensus towards maintaining the cleanliness in their cities.”

Prakash, who is also the Mission Director for Swachh Bharat said “The App will also enable municipal officials/field engineers to see each complaint and update the status of

the resolution along with photos, hence building accountability in the system by ensuring timely grievance redressal.”

Citizens will have features that will allow them to view complaints posted nearby, and show support by ‘Voting up’ on various complaints.

The App, in addition to enabling the creation of a community around complaints, leading to community participation and faster complaint resolution, will also enable the Ministry to rate and rank the 4041 urban local bodies (ULBs) in India, based on their efficiency of redressing citizen grievances. The application aims at realising the vision of Swachh Bharat Mission towards a clean and garbage free India by 2019.

PTI

APP WORLD

Become an adventure junkie Trails of India IOS/Android: Free An exclusive platform for bikers to get to know all about the biking world and share their journeys and stories too, Trails of India is a collection of the most wonderful bike journeys, saved for posterity. Biking is a purposeful passion, which makes you creative and interesting as a person.

Every journey that a biker goes out on, teaches him something that (s) he might want to share with fellow bikers. Trails of India is that platform, where bikers can connect with others in the brotherhood, share details of journeys, discuss interesting places found on the way, advise on precautions to take while traveling on a particular route and exchange notes on gadgets, gizmos and technology related to biking. Trails of India brings together riders from across the country and gives them the opportunity to share their biking experiences – pictures, videos, routes and biker stories; and even plan an event or a trip together.

Adventure Travel IOS/Android: Free Adventure Travel offers 1000’s of adventure tours throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the America’s.

All tours show live availability so you can book and pay from your android device anywhere in the world. We have over 30 years experience in operating and selling adventure tours to worldwide destinations with offices in Australia, Asia and Europe. Whether you want a day tour around Sydney, a safari in Africa, a walking tour in Europe, a cycling tour in America, a sailing adventure in Asia, they offer a full range of activities and holidays in all destinations.

Handy GPS IOS/Android/Windows: Free This app is a perfect companion for your next outdoor adventure. Seek, find, record and return home with Handy GPS. This app is a real navigation tool designed for outdoors sports like hiking, bushwalking, mountain biking, kayaking and trail riding. Its simple to use and works even in the remotest back country since it doesn’t need network connectivity. It allows you to work in UTM or lat/lon coordinates so you can use it with your paper topographic maps. Waypoints and track logs recorded in the field can be be viewed later in Google Earth. The app shows your speed, direction of travel, and total distance travelled in either metric or imperial/US units, and can even store your current location as a waypoint, and a track log to show where you’ve been.

We Travel Solo IOS/Android: Free This app is the version 10.0 of Solo Travelling. A ten times bigger door to enter the unexplored world. There are more people to meet than places to see or there are more places to see than people to meet. The app offers you limitless options to travel and meet like-minded people. It brings to you expert advice, guidance and company of people who have traveled the world far and long, as your Trip Crafters. It lets you take trips, explore the world, connect with people you never knew existed and share your travel stories with the whole wide world. With this app, you not merely travel solo but you travel solo, together.

Explore!

IOS/Android: Free Welcome to Explore’s brochure app, a digital collection of inspiring, pioneering and unique adventures, journeying to some of the most fascinating and far-flung locations on the planet – not to mention a few closer to home. The pages of these brochures are your gateway to some of the planet’s most rewarding experiences. Wherever your passions lie, we have something that will satisfy your travel appetite.

Spend time with gorillas in Uganda, feast your eyes upon Burma’s temples on the plains of Bagan, travel into the Sahara Desert or experience the noise and colour of the Pushkar camel festival in India. Wherever you decide to go, we’ll take you far beyond the tourist spots into the heart of the country you’re visiting.

ENVIRONMENT

India and France encouraged their industrial companies to conclude techno-commercial negotiations by the end of the year for the construction of six, instead of two, nuclear power reactor units at Jaitapur. French President Francois Hollande reassured reliable, uninterrupted and continued access to nuclear fuel supply throughout the entire lifetime of the plants.

Human cell could lead to new cures Scientists developed a system that predicts how to transform any human cell type to another directly, a breakthrough that may lead to new treatments for ailments. “The barrier to progress in this field is the very limited types of cells scientists are able to produce. Our system, Mogrify, is a bioinformatics resource that will allow experimental biologists to bypass the need to create stem cells,” said Julian Gough from the University of Bristol.

e-cigarette vapour can kill lung cells e-cigaratte vapour is not benign and inhaling high doses daily can kill lung cells, causing inflammatory diseases.

“This study shows that e-cigarette vapour is not benign - at high doses it can directly kill lung cells, which is frightening,” said senior author Laura E Crotty Alexander, from the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System.

X-rays, CT scans do not cause cancer Researchers say there is no conclusive proof to estimate cancer risks from low-dose radiation

The widespread belief that radiation from X-rays, CT scans and other medical imaging can cause cancer is based on an unproven, decades-old theoretical model and has never been conclusively proven, scientists say.

The model, known as linear nothreshold (LNT), is used to estimate cancer risks from low-dose radiation such as medical imaging, the researchers said. However, risk estimates based on this model are only theoretical and, as yet, have never been conclusively demonstrated by empirical evidence, they said.

Use of the LNT model drives unfounded fears and excessive expenditures on putative but unneeded and wasteful safety measures, according to James Welsh, a professor at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine in US. The LNT model dissuades many physicians from using appropriate imaging techniques and “discourages many in the public from getting proper and needed imaging, all in the name of avoiding any radiation exposure,” Welsh and colleagues wrote in the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The researchers reexamined the original studies, dating back more than 70 years, which led to adoption of the LNT model. This reappraisal found that the data reported in those studies do not

Undetectable in blood, HIV still grows

Cellulose part may power medical implants

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GRANDCHILDREN SUE THE COMPLETE MAN

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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

DITCH THE

AUTO,

HAIL A

CAB

GAUTAM SINGHANIA

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

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

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,

said director of the school, who

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 and the parents and found that 22 girls in allstudents 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 saying is true. But what they are not telling us or willing to talent, planners have finally woken up to the plight of citizens. concede is that their enemy lies within. Their enemy number one They have now planned five alternative roads. But the authorities is not private cabs but members of their own ilk – many of whom are in no hurry to complete them. See spotlight on p8 & 9 are rude, refuse to ply short

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

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

CITY

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.

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.’

PICS ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

The questionnaires asked about the 11 most popular social media platforms at the time Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Vine, and LinkedIn. On average, the participants used social media a total of 61 minutes a day and visited various social media ac-

“Older dogs required more trials than younger ones before they were able to solve the task correctly. The test also showed that older dogs are less flexible in their way of thinking than younger ones,” said Lisa Wallis of the Messerli Research Institute.

“As in people, older dogs find it more difficult to change old habits or what they have learned,” Wallis aid. After the Border Collies reached a learning criterion they were again shown two pictures on the touchscreen. This time, one of the pictures was new for the animals. The second one was familiar from the previous test where it had a negative association. The dogs had to identify it as the “wrong” one. The novel picture would therefore be the “correct” one. Hence, the dogs had to choose through inference by exclusion. “The older the dog, the better it performed, while younger dogs were unable to master this task.

This is probably due to the fact that older dogs more stubbornly insist on what they have learned before and are less flexible than younger animals,” said Range.

PTI

RAHUL RAUT

Questionnaires asked about popular social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Google Plus

counts 30 times a week.

The assessment showed that nearly 30 per cent of the participants had high levels of sleep disturbance, the research said.

The participants who reported most frequently checking social media throughout the week had three times the likelihood of sleep disturbances, compared with those who checked least frequently.

“This may indicate that frequency of social media visits is a better predictor of sleep difficulty than overall time spent on social media,” Levenson said.

“If this is the case, then interventions that counter obsessive ‘checking’ behaviour may be most effective.” The findings are published in the journal Preventive Medicine, indicate that doctors should consider asking young adult patients about these media habits when assessing sleep issues.

PTI

Tests showed differences in cognitive ability depending on age of dogs

THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Indian scientists have developed a flexible nanogenerator out of cellulose that could power future implanted biomedical devices by harvesting energy from the human body.

Implantable electronics can deliver drugs, monitor vital signs and perform other health-related roles. But finding a way to power them remains a challenge.

Scientists at Jadavpur University in Kolkata have built a flexible nanogenerator out of cellulose, an abundant natural material, that could potentially harvest energy from the body its heartbeats, blood flow and other almost imperceptible but constant movements. Efforts to convert the energy of motion - from footsteps, ocean waves, wind and other movement sources - are well underway, researchers wrote in American Chemical Society’s journal Applied Materials and Interfaces.

“Cellulose is natural materials, purified form of wood, where few compounds such as hemicellulose and lignin are removed,” Dipankar Mandal, Assistant Professor of Department of Physics Organic Nano-Piezoelectric Device Laboratory told PTI.

Teens who obsessively check social media get less sleep: Study Teenage social media addicts beware!

According to new research, teenagers who spend a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter during the day damage their sleep at night than their peers who use social media less.

“This is one of the first pieces of evidence that social media use really can impact your sleep,” says lead author Jessica C Levenson, a postdoctoral researcher in the psychiatry department at the University of Pittsburgh.

“And it uniquely examines the association between social media use and sleep among young adults who are, arguably, the first generation to grow up with social media.”

For the study, researchers sampled 1,788 US adults ages 19 through 32, using questionnaires to determine social media use and an established measurement system to assess sleep disturbances.

been done at truly low doses. A study exposing fruit flies to low-dose radiation was not conducted until 2009, and this study did not support the LNT model.

Studies of atomic bomb survivors and other epidemiological studies of human populations have never conclusively demonstrated that low-dose radiation exposure can cause cancer, the researchers said.

Any claim that low-dose radiation from medical imaging procedures is known to cause cancer “should be vigorously challenged, because it serves to alarm and perhaps harm, rather than educate,” they said. The researchers suggested that the LNT model “should finally and decisively be abandoned.”

PTI

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

maintain these viral reservoirs. The team examined viral sequences in serial samples of cells from lymph nodes and blood from three HIV-infected patients from the University of Minnesota who had no detectable virus in their blood.

Scientists found that the viral reservoir was, in fact, constantly replenished by low-level virus replication in lymphoid tissue with infected cells then moving from these protected sanctuaries into the blood.

Since infected cells in drugsanctuaries within lymphoid tissue can still produce new viruses, infect new target cells and replenish the viral reservoir, it has not been possible to purge the body of latently infected cells and eradicate the virus. The findings provide a new perspective on how HIV persists in the body despite potent antiretroviral therapy. The study also explains why the development of drug resistance is not inevitable when virus growth occurs in a place where drug concentrations are very low.

PTI

Older dogs may be slower at learning new tricks, but they are better than younger canines at making logical inferences, a new study has found.

Using a series of touchscreen tests, researchers at University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, studied the effect of ageing on cognitive processes such as learning, memory and logical reasoning in pet dogs of varying ages.

The study was conducted with 95 Border Collies ranging in age from five months to 13 years. The dogs were made to take the tests on a touchsensitive monitor. “Border Collies have a reputation for being fast learners,” said Friederike Range of the Messerli Research Institute at University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.

“In recent years they have become a popular breed of pet dog, probably because they are so easy to train. This is why we had access to enough test animals from this breed,” said Range. The dogs were divided into five age groups and tested in four tasks. These were designed to test three cognitive abilities learning, logical reasoning and memory.

The tests showed differences in cognitive ability depending on the age of the dogs. The first part required the animals to learn to correctly select four from a total of eight abstract pictures on a touchscreen. The dogs were shown two pictures on the screen at a time. One picture had a positive association - the dogs were rewarded with a food treat for touching this picture - while the second picture had a negative association - touching this picture did not result in a treat but in a time-out. The four “positive” pictures were presented in different combinations with the “negative” pictures.

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

HIV may still be replicating in lymphoid tissue, even when it is undetectable in the blood of patients on antiretroviral drugs, scientists have found, paving the way for a new “path to a cure”.

The findings provide a critical new perspective on how HIV persists in the body despite potent antiretroviral therapy, researchers said.

“We now have a path to a cure,” said Dr Steven Wolinsky, from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“The challenge is to deliver drugs at clinically effective concentrations to where the virus continues to replicate within the patient,” said Wolinsky.

Combinations of potent antiretroviral drugs quickly suppress HIV to undetectable levels in the bloodstream of most patients, but HIV persists in a viral reservoir within lymphoid tissue in the body. The virus rapidly rebounds in the blood if patients stop their drugs. This suggests that long-lived latently infected cells and/or ongoing low levels of HIV replication

Older dogs have better reasoning

The model assumes there is no safe dose of radiation, no matter how small. However, the human body has evolved the ability to repair damage from low dose radiation that naturally occurs in the environment

actually support the LNT model. In the LNT model, the well-established cancer causing effects of high doses of radiation are extended downwards in a straight line to very low doses. The LNT model assumes there is no safe dose of radiation, no matter how small. However, the human body has evolved the ability to repair damage from low dose radiation that naturally occurs in the environment.

The LNT model dates to studies, conducted in the 1940s, of fruit flies exposed to various doses of radiation.

The scientists who conducted those studies concluded there is no safe level of radiation, thus giving rise to the LNT model that is used to this day. However, their conclusion was unwarranted because their experiments had not

PUNE

Supriya Bhoite from Chaturshrungi police station.

Contd on p4

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

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

India-France to build six nuke reactor units

FEBRUARY 20, 2016

Car makers are making some crazy statements... I never thought of a car, not emitting carbon emission, but is a cleaning machine. I never thought about it. If somebody is going crazy I can’t help it.

—Prakash Javadekar, Environment Minister

COURTESY: LOYOLAMEDICINE.ORG

Signposts

H EALTH

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Air pollution is the fourth-highest risk factor for death globally and by far the leading environmental risk factor for stroke, lung cancer, bronchitis, emphysema and acute infections.

—Michael Brauer, Researcher, University of British Columbia

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

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Hum

Fourteen years later, there is no sign 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 FEBRUARY 20, 2016

PUNE

We owe to the Kashmiri Pandits, their rehabilitation, to get them back in Kashmir. While a budget of Rs 500 crore has been allotted for their rehabilitation, I feel the central government is hesitant in getting them back to Kashmir.

—Saugata Roy, Trinamool Congress MP

Unfinished civic works put citizens through daily ordeal P 15

AHMEDABAD: History books say that the title of Mahatma was bestowed on Gandhi by Rabindranath Tagore, but the Gujarat government thinks otherwise, insisting that an “unknown journalist” from Saurashtra actually gave the title.

The matter has now landed before the Gujarat High Court.

Rajkot District Panchayat Sikshan Samiti, which conducted an exam for the post of Talathi in the Revenue department, has cited the work of Narayan Desai, son of Gandhi’s secretary Mahadev Desai, to claim that the title was given to Gandhi by the anonymous scribe from Jetpur town.

Sandhya Maru, one of the candidates who appeared for the exam,

Farmer wants case against hen, takes it to police station JAMSHEDPUR: Irate over the loss of his farm produce, a farmer took his hen to a police station holding it responsible for an incident of fire that reduced his recently-harvested crop to ashes at Deoli village here.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Musaboni) Ajit Kumar Vimal said the 50-year-old farmer, Simon Sardar, was “not ready to be convinced despite our best effort to make him understand that a complaint cannot be lodged against a hen.”

A cat had suddenly pounced on the hen moving around near Sardar’s house but it managed to escape running towards a verandah where food was being cooked, the DSP said.

In the melee, one of the wings of the hen caught fire and as it ran towards a heap of crop kept for processing, the heap immediately caught fire and was reduced to ashes within minutes, he said.

When the farmer arrived at the police station with the hen, the officer in charge of the police station, Satnarayan Sharma, convinced him that a complaint cannot be lodged against a hen.

The officer in charge has asked Sardar to instead to file an application with the block circle officer requesting compensation for the damage, Vimal said.

In the melee, one of the wings of the hen caught fire and as it ran towards a heap of crop kept for processing, the heap immediately caught fire and was reduced to ashes within minutes, he said.

When the farmer arrived at the police station with the hen, the officer in charge of the police station, Satnarayan Sharma, convinced him that a complaint cannot be lodged against a hen.

PTI

answer to the question on ‘who first named Gandhi as Mahatma’ was Tagore, but in the final answer key the answer got changed to ‘unknown journalist’,” the petition stated.

Hemant Munshaw, the lawyer representing the Rajkot District Panchayat Sikshan Samiti, told the court that papers for the exam were set by an outside agency based on the autobiography of Narayan Desai and not by officials of the district panchayat.

“Narayan Desai, who had spent around 20 years of his early life with Mahatma Gandhi, had said in his autobiography that he (Gandhi) was first called ‘Mahatma’ by a journalist from Jetpur town in Saurashtra when he was in South Africa in 1916 and after that Tagore called him ‘Mahatma’ (sic),”

Munshaw told the court.

During the hearing of the petition, Justice JB Pardiwala asked the government to conduct such exams with care and dedication, and posted the next hearing for February 26.

In her petition, Maru also challenged the answer key to the question: “Which is the longest river in India?... ‘The answer got changed from the Ganges to Brahmaputra. Though Brahmaputra is the longest river, it is spread in three countries, while Ganga is the longest (river) in India.” She also contested the correct usage of article in the answer key to the question “which article comes before Mt Everest.”

“The correct answer ‘the’ was changed to ‘a’ (in the answer key),” the petition contended.

PTI

Court ask govt to conduct exams with care and dedication

The organisation that conducted the exam cited the work of Narayan Desai, son of Gandhi’s secretary Mahadev Desai, to claim that the title was given to Gandhi by the anonymous scribe from Jetpur town

has challenged this “right answer key” besides two other answer keys which were part of the question paper before the high court as the exam had negative

marking system for wrong answers.

The exam was conducted in six other districts as well.

“In the provisional answer key, the

Rat bite: Rlys told to pay passenger

SALEM: Capping her legal battle, transgender K Prithika Yashini along with 21 other members of the community received appointment orders as Sub-Inspectors of police.

Yashini, hailing from the city, and 21 other transgenders received the appointment orders from City Police Commisioner Smith Saran after undergoing medical check-up.

The candidates will undergo SI training in Chennai, police said.

Yashini had moved the Madras High Court last year after her application for the post of SI was rejected by the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB).

The court in November last had directed the TNUSRB to appoint her as SI as she is entitled to get the job and also asked it to include transgenders as third category.

The court had appreciated the cause canvassed by Yashini.

Yashini told PTI today that her ambition was to become an IPS officer.

She said she will help transgenders like her get education and employment.

“I will take action against those involved in child abuse and sexual harassment,” she said.

PTI

NEW BEGINNINGS PTI

Rajkot District Panchayat Sikshan Samiti’s exam for post of talathi declares this ‘new’ answer

PTI

Journalist, not Tagore bestowed Mahatma title on Bapu: Guj govt

22 transgenders get SI appointment orders in TN

Court directs railways to pay Rs 13,000 as compensation to a man who was bitten by a rat while travelling from Mumbai to Ernakulam in an AC coach of Duronto Exp

KOTTAYAM: A consumer court here has ordered the Railways to pay Rs 13,000 as compensation to a man who was bitten by a rat while travelling from Mumbai to Ernakulam in an AC coach of Duronto Express in 2012.

In his petition, Bush CJ, a native of Vazhoor near here, alleged that railway officials at Ernakulam and Kottayam railway stations did not provide treatment when he approached them for medical aid for the rat bite he sustained in the third A/C compartment of the train.

He said the incident occurred March 11, 2012 at about 4 am while he was sleeping. He said he woke up in pain as he felt that something had bitten him.

“I found that a rat had bitten my left fore finger and sustained deep wound and it started bleeding,” he said in his petition. He said he had informed the TTE about the incident and it was recorded.

He alleged that there was deficiency in service on the part of the railway with respect to the “rat bite” he suffered during his train journey.

Bush said he availed treatment

from a private hospital here after station masters of Ernakulam and Kottayam expressed their unwillingness to provide him treatment at railway hospitals.

The Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, here, dismissed the arguments by railway authorities that Bush had not reported the incident to them and the injury was not sustained from the train.

The Court said it was convinced with the documents including hospital bills, submitted by the petitioner.

“So in our view the case of the complainant that during journey in the train he had sustained injury by rat bite is true and opposite parties failed to provide the proper treatment to the complainant.”

“So in our view the act of opposite parties in not providing proper treatment, amounts to deficiency in service.

Due to the said act of the opposite parties, complainant had suffered much mental pain, loss and suffering.

So he is to be compensated,” it said.

“The railways are ordered to pay Rs 10,000 as compensation including the treatment expenses and Rs 3,000 as the litigation cost to Bush.”

Bush alleged that though the order was issued on October 30 last year, railways have not given him the compensation.

The respondents included railway station master, Kottayam, General Manager, Southern Railway, Chennai and General Manager, Central railway, Bombay.

The copy of the order was made available to the media.

Students take part in a Kalash procession during centenary year celebrations of BHU at the university campus in Varanasi

Indian fishermen ‘plundering’ Lanka’s fishing resources COLOMBO: Indian fishermen are “plundering” Sri Lanka’s natural fishing resources and violating its sovereignty by poaching into the country’s waters, the Marxist JVP has alleged.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the continuous poaching by Indian fishermen was a violation of Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.

“When we speak of sovereignty we only speak about the land. Our seas are being violated and our fishing resources are being plundered day in

and day out by Indian fishermen,” Dissanayake said during an address to a fisheries conference in the southern Dondra village.

He claimed poaching by Indian fishermen have now gone up to the extent that only three days of fishing was available to Sri Lankans, while Indians indulge in illegal fishing rest of the week.

Not only Sri Lankan fishermen are being denied their livelihoods, Indian fishermen were plundering a natural resource belonging to Sri Lanka, Dissanayake said.

Dissanayake’s comments came as trade unions and professionals have stepped up their opposition to the proposed Indo-Lanka Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement(ETCA).

There were street demonstrations last week against the proposed pact, which the government says will replace the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

The government says the pact is yet to be formalised and it will only be done after proper consultations.

PTI

After e-books, cell-phone novels now Vol-II* lssue No.: 36 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.

NEW DELHI: In today’s digital age books are begun to be read on Kindle and desktop computers, but another installment to it could be the cell phone novel, where books can be delivered on cell phones on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

On the final day of the Delhi Gymkhana Literature Festival, writers brainstormed on the future of books and debated how the traditional books continue to be cherished in the age of e-books.

Sunil Sethi, journalist and columnist, revealed big publishers like Chiki Sarkar, the former head of

Penguin India who has launched a new publishing venture Juggernaut, are onto something new.

“Chiki’s idea is even more interesting, she says you can break a novel into installments. Why can’t you make an appointment, for instance on Friday night on your cellphones and that chapter will be delivered to you.”

Earlier, authors like Charles Dickens or Premchand wrote series of stories in newspaper which kept on appearing for years, he pointed out.

Vikas Swarup, the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, and author

of the novel “Q & A” which was adapted into multiple Oscar winning film “Slumdog Millionaire” said the experiment could be feasible.

Swarup said cell-phone novel can come handy for travellers citing the example of Japan where he had a stint as an IFS officer. “In Japan, everybody travels for 35-40 minutes in Metro trains, you read it on the go,” he said.

However, this newly-conceived idea of releasing books in parts on the web didn’t go down well with some in the audience who cited a number of drawbacks.

“Downloading a content on the cell phone is ok but there are certain books like Jeffrey Archer’s and Dan Brown’s, you have to wait for it chapter after chapter. It may be good for younger generation who get on to the cellphone and computer and read books. For us, we want a substantive part in our hands,” he said. Another audience member who favoured the traditional books over the digital version said, “I got the copy of this book and have got it autographed by the author, but if I download the same book, I can’t get it autographed,” he remarked.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

UBA league will promote basketball in India: Mehta P 16

I continue to believe Mr Trump will not be president. And the reason is that I have a lot of faith in the American people. Being president is a serious job. It’s not hosting a talk show, or a reality show.

It’s not promotion, it’s not marketing. It’s hard.

—Barack Obama, President, US

BY LALIT K JHA WASHINGTON: The United States’ decision to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan will only amount to rewarding the country for its “bad behaviour”, a USbased Hindu advocacy group has said.

“The Obama administration announced the move, despite its own assessment that the Pakistani government, directly and by proxy, supports Islamist terror groups that target its neighbours, India and Afghanistan,” Hindu American Foundation (HAF) said in a statement.

“We vociferously oppose the Obama Administration’s decision to sell these sophisticated fighter jets to Pakistan,” said Samir Kalra, HAF senior director and Human Rights Fellow. The outfit

President Barack Obama, left, pulls a chair out for Brunei’s sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, center, at the plenary session meeting of ASEAN at California. Standing behind are US Secretary of State John Kerry and National Security Adviser Susan Rice.

called upon the US Congress “to stand with the innumerable victims of terrorism” in the region and longsuffering religious minorities in Pakistan by opposing the deal.

“When Pakistani citizens continue to suffer rampant persecution and Pakistan’s military leadership refuses to abandon its use of terrorism as an instrument of state policy, the sale of

Terrorism: Turkey, India on same page

Diplomat terms IS as a national security threat for Turkey PTI

PTI

‘US rewarding Pak for bad behaviour by selling F-16s’ US-based Hindu advocacy group asks US Congress ‘to stand with the innumerable victims of terrorism’

F-16s will only reward Pakistan for its bad behaviour,” Kalra said.

“American aid to Pakistan should focus on civilian assistance, democratisation, and human rights, and any military assistance must be conditioned on that country relinquishing its obsession with obtaining strategic depth against its neighbours,” said Jay Kansara, HAF director of government relations.

The Obama Administration said on February 13 it had decided to sell eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets worth nearly USD 700 million to Pakistan despite mounting opposition from influential lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties.

India summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its “displeasure and disappointment” over the decision.

India disagreed with the US’ rationale that such arms transfers help Pakistan in combating terrorism and believes the US military aid to Pakistan goes into anti-India activities.

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INDIA DISAGREES, BUT SAYS IT ISN’T A SINGLE ISSUE RELATIONSHIP External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said the US’ decision to sell eight F-16 jets “will create negative sentiment” in the India-US relationship.

“We have our concerns and we do not agree with their rationale.

They said F16 will be used for combating terrorism. It will be to fight against terrorists. We do not agree with that rationale,” Swarup said.

He was asked about US’ reaction on India’s opposition to

MELBOURNE: Married for nearly 81 years, an Indian-origin couple, both aged 99 who have taken part in India’s freedom struggle, have been awarded New Zealand’s longest-married couple by a group, media reports said.

Auckland couple Jeram Ravji and Ganga Ravji, who will turn 100 in May and June respectively, will be celebrating their 81st wedding anniversary in two months. Jeram and Ganga were born in India on May 4, 1916 and June 6, 1916 respectively.

The couple, whose family includes six children, 15 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren all living in Auckland, were betrothed at the age of six in India and married at the age of 19.

They were felicitated by Family First NZ, a Christian lobby group.

Ganga said her husband was imprisoned for 10 months after joining Mahatma Gandhi’s freedom struggle and fighting against the rule of the British government, NZ Herald

FAMILY FIRST

Indian-origin couple in NZ awarded longest-married pair

Jeram Ravji and Ganga Jeram Ravji

reported. She was often beaten up by police during her husband’s time as a freedom fighter to try to get information from her about her husband, she said.

Ganga said that the key to a good marriage was to learn to make sacrifices and to take the good with the bad. “(The advice) we would give to our children if they had difficulties with their marriage would be you have to

work hard, you have to have tolerance - that’s the most important part, tolerance,” Ganga said while speaking to the Herald through her daughter Bhanu Daji.

The Ravjis said they love each other just as much now as they always have.

He moved to New Zealand in 1928 when he was 11, five years after the pair became betrothed at age six in 1922. They married at 19 and lived as a family in New Zealand from 1953, first in Whanganui before moving to Auckland in 1981.

“Although we can only go on the nominations made, we are pretty sure that the Ravjis are New Zealand’s longest-married couple. As part of their award from Family First NZ, they will have a professional photo sitting with their extended family which includes 6 children, 15 grandchildren and 25 great- grandchildren all living in Auckland.

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the decision. India had summoned US Ambassador Richard Verma to convey its “displeasure and disappointment” over the decision.

However, Swarup added that the relationship with the US “is not a single issue relationship”.

Members of Turkish forces gather around a bus that was destroyed in an explosion on the road linking the cities of Diyarbakir and Bingol, in southeastern Turkey on February 18. Six soldiers were killed after PKK rebels detonated a bomb on the road as their vehicle was passing by, according to Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency.

NEW DELHI: Turkey and India see “eye to eye” in the fight against terrorism, a threat which both countries are grappling with, a top Turkish diplomat said.

Asserting that like India, his country is determined to combat the menace all the way to its elimination, Turkish Ambassador Burak Akcapar said terrorism is a “crime against humanity”. Turkey has witnessed many terror attacks in recent times.

At least 28 people were killed and several others injured in a bomb blast in its capital Ankara recently.

Asked about cooperation with India to combat terror, the ambassador said the two countries’ joint working group on counter-terrorism had held a meeting recently.

“We see eye-to-eye in terms of the need for global solidarity in fighting the scourge of terrorism. We regard terrorism as a crime against humanity.

“We are as much a victim as anybody. Just like India, we are also threatened by terrorism. Like India, we are determined to combat it all the way to its elimination,” he said on the sidelines of an event here.

Terming IS as a national security threat for Turkey, he said his country is at the forefront of the fight against that group.

“We also know that India is quite serious in fighting terrorism and all these and other issues can be part of the established dialogue, that is, the group on counter terrorism,” he said.

PTI

IN SAFE HANDS PTI

Sticking to its position, India said it disagreed with the US’ rationale that supply of F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan will help combat terrorism but at the same time noted that its ties with Washington were not a single-issue relationship.

PUNE

Female Pakistani commandos stand guard outside a hostel for girls at the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda, Pakistan. Islamic militants gunned down 21 students and teachers after attacking the university in January

North Korea goes ballistic with its nuclear weapon power UNSC says the latest rocket launch by the North was in violation of its previous resolutions

BY SUBHASHIS MITTRA A month after it claimed a successful hydrogen bomb test, North Korea announced it has successfully put a satellite into orbit, “legitimately exercising the right to use space for independent and peaceful purposes”.

The launch, which violated multiple UN resolutions, amounted to the North doubling down against an international community already struggling to punish Pyongyang for its nuclear test a month ago. There was no immediate external confirmation that the final stage of the satellite-bearing rocket had successfully achieved orbit, although a US defence official said the launch vehicle “appears to have reached space.”

While stressing that the launch, personally ordered by leader 33-year-old

Kim Jong-Un, represented the legitimate exercise of North Korea’s right to the “peaceful and independent” use of space, a special state TV broadcast noted that it marked a “breakthrough in boosting our national defence capability.” The North’s scientists would work towards further satellite launches in the future, the broadcast said.

The development was hailed by Pyongyang as an “epochal event” but the rocket launch was widely condemned as a ballistic missile test for a weapons delivery system to strike the US mainland. The launch of the long-range rocket triggered angry reactions from across the globe. There were immediate calls for a “tough” response to its latest provocation with arch-rival South Korea saying it will begin talks on possible deployment of a US missile defence system.

The US strongly condemned the launch, describing the move by the hermit nation as “destabilising and provocative”. “The United States strongly condemns missile launch by the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic

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Smoke bombs explode near a South Korean army K-2 tank during a drill at a fire training field in Yangpyeong, South Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un recently ordered preparations for launching “terror” attacks on South Koreans, a top Seoul official said as worries about the North grow after its recent nuclear test and rocket launch

of Korea) — a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolutions related to its use of ballistic missile technology,” USSecretary of State John Kerry said.

“This is the second time in just over a month that the DPRK has chosen to conduct a major provocation, threatening not only the security of

the Korean peninsula, but that of the region and the United States as well,” he said. On January 6, Pyongyang claimed to have successfully detonated a powerful hydrogen bomb, prompting South Korea and Japan to demand fresh round of punitive sanctions on the country. Kerry said the US will stand

with its allies including South Korea and Japan, and will hold the DPRK to account. UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon denounced North Korea’s rocket launch while asking the country to halt its “provocative actions” and return to compliance with its international obligations.

The UNSC said the latest rocket launch by the North was in violation of its previous resolutions. Following a meeting at the UN headquarters in New York, Security Council members “strongly condemned” the launch by North Korea using ballistic missile technology.

The Security Council underscored that the launch, even if characterised as a satellite launch or space launch vehicle, contributes to North Korea’s development of nuclear weapon delivery systems.

It was North Korea’s fourth nuclear test. Ever since Kim became North Korea’s leader after his father’s death in 2011, he has flexed the country’s military muscle and caused provocations without hinting at any tangible foreign

policy goal.

Whatever Kim’s real intentions, his moves come at the cost of regional stability, and pose dangerous portents for the world. The only country that could reason with North Korea and persuade it to join back talks is China.

Kim had called the explosion “a selfdefensive step” meant to protect the region “from the danger of nuclear war caused by the US-led imperialists”. His comments provide insight into North Korea’s long-running argument that it is the presence of tens of thousands of US troops in South Korea and Japan and a “hostile” US policy that justify its pursuit of nuclear weapons and longrange missiles.

Even for Beijing, despite its historical ties with Pyongyang, it is a daunting task as Kim does not seem to be particularly interested in the “Chinaally” tag. Experts say China has the historical responsibility to lead the efforts to solve the crisis on the Korean peninsula, much like what the Russians did in securing the Iran deal.

PTI Feature

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

The Indian traveller is evolving rapidly. Our partnership with Airbnb for outbound Indian travellers aims to address this viable and yet untapped market need.

—Madhavan Menon, Chairman, Thomas Cook India

Signpost Simplified one page pension claim form Government unveiled a new simplified one-page pension claim form to enable simplified processing and easier withdrawal. The single-page Pension Payment Order (PPO) format would form an important ‘stepping stone and fulcrum’ for further improvements in pension processes and procedures, Labour and Employment Ministry said in a release. The single-page PPO replaces the current eight-page format.

The simplified pension claim Form 10 D (UAN-Universal Account Number) is another step taken by EPFO towards rationalisation and simplification of forms. At present, on-line nomination facility is available.

Bad loan are there, but banks are equipped to deal with the issues.

The government is committed to protect the banks and give them the capital requirements. The RBI is also giving guidance.

— Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister

Give list of defaulters of over Rs 500 cr loan: SC asks RBI Court made RBI party to a PIL filed by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation

The Supreme Court has directed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to provide a list of companies which are defaulters of bank loans of over Rs 500 crore while expressing serious concern over the rise in bad loans.

The apex court also asked the RBI to provide within six weeks the list of companies whose loans have been restructured under corporate debt restructuring schemes.

A bench headed by Chief Justice TS Th akur asked for the list of loan defaulters to be placed before it in a sealed cover.

The bench, also comprising Justices UU Lalit and R Banumathi, wanted to know how the state-owned banks and fi nancial institutions were advancing large-scale loans without proper guidelines and whether there was adequate mechanism to recover them.

The court made RBI party to a PIL fi led in 2005 by an NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) in which it has raised the issue of loans advanced to some companies by state-owned Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO).

Advocate Prashant Bhushan,

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appearing for CPIL, submitted that about Rs 40,000 crore of corporate debt was written off in 2015.

His submission evoked response from the bench which said that bad debts were plaguing the public sector banks. The bench expressed surprise that no concrete steps were taken for the recovery of loan from the defaulters.

“You have a list of major defaulters who run empires and yet default,” the bench asked during the hearing. While passing the order, the court took note of a report in a national daily about bad loans or non-performing assets (NPA) and the inability of the banks to recover them.

PTI

Black money: Agencies told to keep FIU identity secret Tightening confidentiality rules governing exchange of secret data on black money cases, government has directed probe agencies to stop identifying the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) by name except when sought by a court during legal proceedings.

Official sources said the decision was notified after a high-level inter-ministerial meeting was held recently on the subject of black money and it was decided that FIU, an intelligence gathering and dissemination agency under the Union Finance Ministry, should be provided appropriate “secrecy in identity” on the lines of central security agencies like Intelligence Bureau and Research and Analysis Wing.

They said certain foreign countries have also sought a similar secrecy cover while sharing information with their Indian counterparts in connection with sensitive domestic

‘India’s decision to auction air-traffic rights disappointing’

BY GURDIP SINGH Disappointed at India’s decision to auction air-traffic rights, Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al-Baker said it was against the country’s interest to “restrict” foreign carriers from operating freely in its air space.

“It is not in the interest of India to restrict foreign airlines from operating freely in the Indian air space,” he said at a press conference held at the Singapore Airshow 2016.

Al-Baker said he was very disappointed at India’s decision to auction air traffic rights called bilaterals.

“I am very disappointed to note that the aviation policy in India... the Indian authority wants to auction traffic rights into India,” he said.

The chief executive of the Dohabased premier Gulf airline stressed that the air traffic rights were a sovereign property and should not be auctioned, pointing out the risks in auctioning

Akbar Al-Baker

such rights, for it could be given to an entity in which India might not have a strategic interest. In a submission to the government, the International Air Transport Association has earlier said such a policy could lead to distortions among carriers and lead to higher fares.

Al-Baker said foreign airlines should be given freedom to operate in India as it will boost the country’s trade and tourism and also generate millions

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan with Axis Bank MD & CEO Shikha Sharma and Chief Executive of Indian Banks’ Association MV Tanksale during the CII’s 1st Banking Summit in Mumbai

of jobs for Indians.

Opening the tourism sector would create millions of jobs for Indians, he said. “India has one of the highest number of tourism spots anywhere in the world... full of history.”

He called on authorities not to lose the opportunity to develop India’s aviation and tourism markets, saying there is a huge demand from tourists and the Indian diaspora to have a seamless travel to India.

Earlier, the Qatar flag carrier had evinced interest in picking up stake in budget carrier IndiGo airlines but AlBaker in December had said it has “no intention” to invest in any Indian airline.

Al-Baker highlighted the business growth of Qatar Airways, saying the airline recorded a compounded average growth rate of about 30 per cent for nearly two decades.

Qatar Airways currently operates from 13 Indian cities.

PTI

investigations into instances of money laundering, tax evasion and certain corruption cases.

The FIU, apart from the Central Board of Direct Taxes, is the vital agency which is legally empowered to have liaisons in the country with banks and financial intermediaries and with overseas FIUs and probe bodies to seek information against Indians and others who are being probed by various Indian investigative agencies.

Similar secrecy clauses of confidentiality ride the exchange of information treaties like the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) and the Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEAs) that India has with several countries and they stipulate that data obtained by one particular agency cannot be shared with the other mutually without a competent court’s consent.

BoB aftereffects: CBI to engage with IBA In the backdrop of the Bank of Baroda Rs 6,000 crore illegal remittances case, CBI will be engaging with Indian Banks Association to have a “deep” look into economic and banking offences being reported from large number of banks and come up with preventive measures.

CBI Director Anil Sinha will be meeting heads of banks in the country at a seminar in the first week of March in Mumbai where issues related to banking frauds will be discussed.

The meeting comes in the backdrop of recent case in Bank of Baroda from where over Rs 6,000 crore were allegedly remitted to Dubai and Hong Kong under the nose of regulatory authorities by taking advantage of loopholes in the system.

During its probe, CBI found serious procedural lapses which were allegedly exploited by operators and banking officials to allow these remittances without coming into the notice of regulatory authorities. Sinha said the conference will be to develop “preventive measures” to check these crimes.

PTI

BY KR SUDHAMAN Mandatory 20 per cent procurement by public enterprises from Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) came into being on April 1, 2015 and but it seems to be not working so far as most of the PSUs have faltered on this provision putting into hardship several MSMEs, which account for nearly 40 per cent of manufacturing in the country.

Following the callous attitude of public enterprise, several MSME associations have complained to the government as result the MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra has issued a stern warning to public enterprises to fall in line as otherwise drastic action could contemplated. In the face of growing complaints from MSMEs, Prime Minister took a review meeting

Following complaints from MSME associations, MSME Minister Kalraj Mishra has issued a stern warning to public enterprises to fall in line or strict action could be contemplated

recently to deal with this problem, which was followed by a review meeting

by MSME minister with his senior bureaucrats including the new MSME secretary KK Jalan, whose first task now appears to be set right this anomaly.

A detailed analysis made by the MSME ministry revealed that less than 100 of the 220 central public enterprises procured from MSMEs this financial

year. Even these enterprises did not touch 10 per cent of their procurement from MSMEs, which put them in poor light, senior officials in the ministry said.

Government notified public procurement policy for Micro, Small enterprises order in 2012 under The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act of 2006. But the mandatory 20 per cent procurement

from MSMEs came into being from April 1, 2015. Under this 20 per cent mandatory procurement target, there is a sub target of 4 per cent out of the 20 per cent earmarked for procurement from MSEs owned by Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The procurement policy of 2012 had provided 3 years time for achieving this 20 per cent so that it could be made mandatory from 2015. The order also provided PSUs giving valid reasons if they were unable to comply with this mandatory procurement.

The order also ensures that there is virtually no price preference to MSMEs so that PSUs are not put any disadvantage by procuring from MSMEs. The idea of the order is to basically help boosting production from micro and small enterprises without putting adding to the overall coast of public enterprises because of this procurement.

Under The MSMED Act large companies are have to mandatorily make the payment for procurement from MSMEs within 45 days, failing which they have to provide penal

BY LALIT K JHA Noting that the biggest banks continue to pose a significant risk to the US economy, Indian-American top federal bank official Neel Kashkari has called for breaking them into smaller ones.

“I believe the biggest banks are still too big to fail and continue to pose a significant, Neel Kashkari ongoing risk to our economy,” Neel Kashkari, 42, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, said in his first major public appearance after occupying the top fed position recently.

Kashkari, who served in the Bush administration as a top Treasury official during the 2008 financial crisis, said enough time has passed to understand causes of the crisis.

“Now is the right time for Congress to consider going further than DoddFrank with bold, transformational solutions to solve this problem once and for all,” Kashkari, the former US Treasury official who led the 2008 bailout programme for the nation’s biggest banks, said in his remarks at the Brookings Institute, a top US think-tank.

Kashkari suggested turning large banks into public utilities by forcing them to hold so much capital that they virtually can not fail and taxing leverage throughout the financial system to reduce systemic risks wherever they lie.

PTI

‘Growth over 7 per cent despite export ordeal’ The country’s economy is growing at over 7 per cent despite the weakness in exports sector, Commerce and Industries Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

“India is the bright spot. Nobody is denying the (fall in) exports. Export is suffering, but the fact remains that the Indian economy is growing at over 7 per cent,” she told reporters after delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore.

Exports dipped for the 14th month in a row in January, falling 13.6 per cent to USD 21 billion, due to fall in shipments of petroleum and engineering goods.

Giving reasons for the weakness in exports, Sitharaman said, “The contraction in demand that is happening all over the globe is the reason currency values are falling and markets to which we have been traditionally exporting are facing devaluation of their currencies.”

However, the brighter side of the India economy lies in the fact that the country continues to attract investments,

MSME 20 per cent procurement not working

Ministry reveals only 100 of 220 central public enterprises procured from MSMEs this fiscal

Indian-American Fed official suggests breaking up of big banks

interest as well. Despite this stringent provision, many large companies including public enterprises default in payments to MSMEs resulting in severe working capital crunch, several MSME associations rued.

The MSME ministry, which is serious about pushing public enterprises to fulfill their mandatory obligation towards MSMEs will hold series of meetings with PSU CMDs. Defence PSUs are exempt from fulfilling this order.

Government has also constituted a committee under MSME Secretary to review the list of 358 items reserved for exclusive purchase from Micro and Small enterprises on a continuous basis.

The committee will monitor on a regular basis to ensure effective implementation of public procurement policy. This review of PSU procurement from MSMEs assumes significance as this came ahead of the budget, which is expected to come out several more initiatives for MSMEs as well as start-ups in view of their huge job creation potential especially in rural areas.

- PTI Feature

she said.

“Investments are coming in, manufacturing is happening here... so, these are the brighter sides of the story,” she said.

Sitharaman said many investors from countries like China, the US, France, Germany and Japan are shifting to India due to conducive investment and manufacturing environment.

“We are actually saying that trust is being placed on the Indian investment and manufacturing environment... countries are now clearly shifting manufacturing out of let us say China where cost of production is going up, inventories are really bothering companies, and they don’t see a possibility of better production or better ecosystem for continuing,” she said.

On investments pouring into India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to different countries, Sitharaman said the US is keen on investing USD 5 billion for different projects.

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Sector critical for the Indian economy: Rajan Medium and Small Enterprises (MSME) are critical to economic development and a ‘level playing field’ should be ensured for them, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said.

“We need to create many more jobs and that is one of the most important things in the country in the coming years. MSMEs are very important source of job creation,” he said at a India MSME Summit here.

Job creation really takes off not when they are small, but when they grow, he said, adding that it is important to create conditions for the growth of MSMEs, not just for startups, but also to grow in effective ways. Kerala is well placed for a revolution in MSME sector, he said, adding that the state should leverage its high level of education and capabilities.

Stressing upon the need for competition from MSMEs, he said that it was the way to progress.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

Our voices need to be heard

HOURGLASS INVERSION LIVE

Unfinished civic works put citizens through daily ordeal RAHUL RAHUL

WORKSHOP ON MAYURBHANJ CHHAU DANCE

As part of its continuous endeavor to propagate and preserve the Indian Classical Dance, city based not for profit organisation Nrityayatri will be organising a special workshop on Mayurbhanj Chhau Dance by none other than the most talented Chhau dancer of the country, Rakesh Sai Babu. Chhau Dance is a genre of Indian Tribal Martial dance which is very popular in states of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Mainly performed during regional festivals, this dance was inscribed in the UNESCO’s representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

When: Till February 21 Where: Manohar Mangal Hall, Erandwane

Enjoy an unparalleled beering experience with a performance by the popular commercial rock band Hourglass Inversion. The Band consists of Rohit Vasudevan (Voice & Strings) Saket Rao (Beat and Rhythm) Amit Khadikar (6 String) Hemant Aligi (Bass & Groove). With influences ranging from Adele to Alter Bridge and Breaking Benjamin and the experience of the band members from sufi to metal, the music that the band creates is unique and distinct.

When: February 20, 9 pm onwards Where: Kapila Matrix, Koregaon Park

PUNE

CROSS+ROADS AT W YNKK THE LOUNGE

BAZAAR, BOOZE, BUSTLE

When the dream is about eating a double choco chip cookie dipped in Nutella but instead the only available option is nankhatai. Abish Mathew, Naveen Richard and Tushar Abhichandani take you on a guided comic tour on how to live your life by lowering your expectations.

A stand-up comedy act featuring Tushar Abhichandani, Naveen Richard and Abish Mathew.

When: February 20, 9 pm onwards Where: Classic Rock Coffee Co, Kalyani Nagar

HE WANTED TO SEE HIS DAUGHTER WHO TURNS ONE ON FEB 19

EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE

HOSHNAR KAIKOBAD ARTIST EXHIBITION

Hoshnar Kaikobad is a talented Pune-based artist who has been having solo exhibitions for years. He looks forward to welcoming you at his latest offering of works inspired by nature.

Mediums include oil on canvas, charcoal and more.

When: February 26, 10 am onwards Where: Hotel Sun n Sands, Bund Garden Road

Write to Us

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.

IT IS EASY TO SKIM OFF THE CREAM AT MILITARY FARMS

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case of cheating against Colonel P K Bahugana, Lt Colonel J K Joseph and Lt Colonel Ajit Singh Bhaduria.

These officers who served as heads of Military Farms, Pimpri and Pune between 2009 and 2012, have been booked for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 2.12 crore to the exchequer, involving the supply of milk by a private dairy in Pune.

The officers allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy and made fraudulent payments to one Asha Associates. They had floated the spurious Asha Associates Milk Agency in the name of a former Military Farms staffer. The fictitious company was named as agent between Military Farms and Katraj co-operative dairy, which army rules do not permit.

ORDEAL OF BHOSALE CLAN ENDS AFTER 80-HOUR WAIT

The Bhosales’ agonising wait ended after 80 hours when the mortal remains of Karishma reached her home at Lakshmi Nagar, MHADA Colony at Parvati at 8.15 pm on Wednesday. “Our darling Karishma is no more, no words can bring her back,” the Bhosale clan said. Karishma’s parents and brother were unable to withhold their grief when the ambulance reached their doorstep and the red coffin with her remains was carried into the home.

Karishma, 20, and Pooja Kallur, 22, died in the fire at their hostel dorm in the Smolensk State Medical University, near Moscow, on Sunday, February 14. The autopsies, permissions from the Indian embassy and other legal formalities took two days. The bodies arrived at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai on an Emirates flight on Wednesday at 1.50 pm.

Fencing is coming of age in India Sale of tobacco products to minors The crackdown on those who sell tobacco products to minors is a step in the right direction, which has been ignored for far too long. The use of tobacco leads to serious and even lifethreatening hazards, and it is best if those blow the age of 18 are prohibited from indulging in the same. In India no one bothers about such matters, and it is common for a father to send his kid to the corner cigarette shop to fetch his beedis or cigarettes. When someone is been booked for selling tobacco products to a minor, it may curb others from doing the same.

Today there is a huge spurt in smoking around the country, and it is common to see even girls smoking in public place without inhibition. Cigarette smoking is a habit that takes its toll on the health and every step to curb it must be lauded.

— Sangeeta Mohite

A trip down memory lane

The story about child actors who have grown up to become stars in the film industry is enthralling. I am a fan of Priya Bapat but I did not know that she had played the role of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s daughter in the national award winning film by Jabbar Patel. I also was not aware that Pushkar Jog had played the young boy in the TV series Tu Tu Main Main, though I had followed all the episodes of the serial.

— Rahul Bhasin

PIC

OF

One’s life is not really one’s own, in the armed forces. Sunil Suryavanshi, 24, a sepoy/nursing assistant of the Army Medical Corps was among those who made the supreme sacrifice as an unforeseen avalanche caught them unawares at Siachen on February 3. They were trapped under 30 feet snow.

Suryawanshi and his unit were trapped in five feet of snow earlier, but they had dug their way out of it.

Born in Maskarwadi, District Satara of Maharashtra, Suryawanshi completed his education from Dahiwadi College, and enrolled in the armed services, and was posted as a Nursing Assistant in the Army Medical Corps on September 30, 2010. A few days before the tragedy, he spoke to his wife Rekha saying that he missed his daughter Tanya whose first was to be celebrated today.

Soft spoken and amicable, Suryavanshi was liked by all his comrades. On Monday, his wreath laying ceremony was held at the National War Memorial as the mortal remains of Suryavanshi came by a special aircraft.

This Saturday, blueFROG has a super line-up of brilliant artists performing at the city’s premier clubbing destination. They will host DJ SA, India’s premier Hip Hop/Trap DJ. Voted India’s best Hip-Hop DJ at the inaugural VH1 MyFav Awards in the past, Sa has taken hip-hop music to a whole new level in the country.

He has promoted the genre with artists like 50 cent, Snoop Dogg, Black Eyed Peas,Ludacris, Pharrell among others. So, get ready to get high on energy, with pulsating hip hop and trap beats, and is sure to have you heating up the dance floor to his heavy beats.

When: February 20, 9 pm onwards Where: blueFROG, Ishanya Mall, Yerwada

All the party animals get ready this weekend to swing on to some classic beats of Retro Music Feat. DJ Abhishek Mantri. Create some memories with your dear ones at town’s premium Retro themed and an up market hangout place with some scrumptious food and varied cuisines and a craziest range of alcohol mixes.

When: February 20, 8 pm onwards Where: Local Gastro Bar, 6th floor, Kapila Matrix, Koregaon Park Annexe

I

live in Kasba Peth and I must say that the state of the roads in my area is a real bother which residents of this place have to deal and cope with every day. The civic staff dig up the roads and when their work is done, they do not bother to even out the dug up part, and the result is that there are potholes and uneven stretches which road users have to be always aware of. And no matter who we complain to, the situation remains the same. One road was dug up six months ago to repair the pipelines, and it has been like that ever Udrula Jagtap since. The dug up area had been covered with mud, and now most of it has gone and it is like a mud track. The road is not lit up properly and you can imagine how careful one has to be when driving or riding a vehicle over here.

Another consequence of the state of the roads is that the movement of traffic slows down to a crawl and this affects every one. The apathy of the civic workers is quite deplorable as they do not care what hardships citizens have to undergo because of their attitude towards their work.

All the talk of smart city means nothing when we have to face such basic issues as roads every day of our lives.

VISHAL KALE

WEEK THAT WAS

GEAR UP FOR AN UNCENSORED SATURDAY

RETRO BEATS AT LOCAL GASTRO BAR

E WE K

LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Live Blues is a rare luxury. Presenting you an opportunity to get the most luxurious night ever. Pune’s own Blues and Rock artists from Cross+roads - the Blues and Rock band are here to add to your Saturday night that smooth music it so needed.

When: February 20, 8 pm onwards Where: WYNKK The Lounge, Range Hills Road, Shivaji Nagar

THE

Indulge yourself with the best of desserts and refreshments by NIM’s and Serena Washington.

Checkout some of the coolest personal accessories, beautifully sculpted jewellery by Manifest Design, minimalistic leather bags by Twenty Seven ‘Art-Music-Fashion’ inspired urban gypsy clothing by It’s a Trip. Sing your best tunes with Prateek Bhaduri and his Interactive Solo sets and rock your evening with live funk-jazz band RSS (Rashtriya Swing Sena). Find all this and much more at the Feb Flea.

When: February 20, noon to midnight Where: The Little Door, Kalyani Nagar

The feature on the sport of fencing was timely as it cast some light on a rather unknown sport that has had little media attention. I had no idea that fencing had such a following here in the city and in the country, and it has come as a big surprise to know that so many youngsters are so interested in excelling in it. I did not know about the Pune Fencing Association either. The pioneers who have nurtured the sport of fencing are due a vote of thanks from the sporting fraternity.

And the youngsters like Sachin Bharadwaj, Priyanka Lodha and Triguni Bendre should be given all the support and encouragement they need to make it big in the international arena.

— Manjiri Gosavi

BODY OF CONCENTRATION: A student group performs ‘Malkhamb’ at a rally at Shivajinagar on the occasion of Shiv Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Innovative India

The National Chemical Laboratory in Pune is developing material to make bullet-proof jackets. This is an innovative project and a matter of pride that the city-based institution is involved with projects that is of crucial importance to the armed forces and such.

Indian institutes are capable of world class innovations and the NCL is one such shining example. As mankind harnesses technology in the creation of inventions that will benefit us all, it is good to know that India does not need take a backseat to any one.

— Rajas Dhere

Do pet cats need to be licensed?

The story about the rising cases of cat bites in the city is startling. Few people are aware about the vaccination to ensure that domestic pet cats are immune to rabies.

Cats as pets are largely unaccounted for and I wonder of a license as for pet dogs will resolve the issue. Cat bites though are a serious matter and it is good that the consequences of ignoring them has been highlighted.

Like stray dogs, stray cats are also a menace. Cats though are a common sight in every locality and though the incidence of cat bites is much lower than dog bites, one would do well to remember that if unattended, a cat bite can be a painful matter.

— Shailar Mande

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2016

PUNE

SPORTS

“I am always playing for the nation. People mistake that we don’t play for the nation just because we don’t play as a team. We are always representing India and it doesn’t matter if it’s at Wimbledon or Olympics.”

— Sania Mirza, Indian Tennis Ace

Signposts Swimming tourney for differently-abled Lions Club of Pune, Sahakarnagar will be organising the 23rd edition of a swimming competition for differently-abled competitors at NG Nande Tank, Balgandharva Rangmandir premises, JM Road on February 21. Schools like Balkalyan Sanstha, Poona Blind School, Queen Mary Technical Institute, Paraplegic Home, Kamayani School, Dilasa, Ruiaa Muk Badhir School, JivanJyot Mandal, Adhar MukBadhir School and CR Ranganathan School will be participating in the event. For entries and further information, contact Lion Sanjay Kale (9822032987), Lion CM Sonawale (9850811718), Abhijet Tambe at BalKalyan Sanstha (020-25655953/25665953).

Maharashtra men win national title Maharashtra men rose to the occasion and beat Tamil Nadu to win the National Inter-State title at the 45th National and Inter-State Carrom Championship in Pune. The home women were, however, forced to settle for a silver finish as Chandigarh crushed them 0-3. In the men’s final, Prakash Gaikwad gave Maharashtra the crucial lead by beating R Dharanikumar. The second singles saw Vasant Vairal lose to Bharati Dasan to even the match scores.

The crucial doubles match saw Ganesh Taware and Sandeep Dive beat S Ganeshan and K Sagaya Bharati 25-16, 14-25, 25-18 to seal the title.

“Ajinkya Rahane, at the end of the day, is a fantastic player but if you look at the team we have got for the Twenty20 World Cup, you find it difficult to find a place for him.”

— MS Dhoni, India Captain

UBA league will promote basketball in India: Mehta The Pune Peshwas player believes that the team will clinch the title this season

ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish The fi rst edition of the UBA Pro Basketball League held in Hyderabad last year was a low-key affair. Except for the die-hard followers of the sport, other sports enthusiasts ignored the league for the most part. And despite reaching the final in the inaugural edition, the Pune Peshwas team hardly got any media coverage.

But this time around, United Basketball Alliance India (P) Ltd, the organisers, have adopted a professional approach. The league is being telecast live on Ten Sports, Ten Action and Ten HD. The league matches that began at Shiv Chhatrapati sports complex, Balewadi from Thursday, have evoked a good response.

On the sidelines, Pune Peshwas key player Aditya Mehta spoke to TGS about the team’s performance and the effect of the league on the city’s basketball scene.

“We had a great tournament last year, but being the inaugural one, it wasn’t promoted in a big way. Everyone is excited about the television coverage this time,” said Mehta.

The Pro Basketball League features eight professional teams from eight

Indian cities, who will do battle with each other for two months, at the end of which will emerge the champions of Season 2. The teams are divided into the north and south divisions, with four teams in each. Punjab Steelers, Mumbai Challengers, Delhi Capitals and the Haryana Gold represent the north division, while Hyderabad Sky, Chennai Slam, Bengaluru Beast and Pune Peshwas represent the south division.

Chennai Slam are the defending champions of the league after winning the final against a strong Pune Peshwas side last year, with a score of 81-49.

For the second season, the players

were put into a common pool and the teams were asked to build a new squad.

However, the winning and runnerup teams were allowed to retain a few players, and thus Pune Peshwas retained all their local players.

“Ajinkya Mehta, Karna Mehta, Deepak Pawar, Yogesh Bahirame and I have been playing as a team for Deccan Gymkhana for several years. We have good co-ordination and that turned out to be crucial in the fi rst season.

Naturally the team management decided to keep our group intact and added a few outside players,” said Mehta.

Narender Grewal, who represents

India, is well-known among the newcomers. Known for his signature, one-handed style of shooting. The 26-year-old Air Force officer is expected to play a pivotal role in the side, along with Siddhant Shinde (senior India) and Gaurav Ohlan (Junior India).

“We lacked tall players. With the inclusion of India players, and Ravi Kumar from the South, we have good chances of clinching the title this time,” said Mehta.

About the promotional aspect, he said, “Just like television coverage boosted kabaddi promotion, basketball too will gain in popularity this season.

Pune has a big pool of basketball talent and the league will attract more youngsters to the sport. Th is will be a real boost for Pune basketball. The league session and cheering home crowd in Balewadi will be a major factor for us,” he said.

United Basketball Alliance India (P) Ltd Managing Director Todd Mack said, “Pro Basketball League is much needed platform for Indian basketball players who aspire to make it big. UBA provides these young players an opportunity to test their skills at a professional level. Additionally, the best players from the League get an opportunity to train outside India, and rub shoulders with some of the big names of the sport from around the world.” ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

Lakshya Athletes sparkle at South Asian Games TGS NEWS SERVICES @TGSWeekly Lakshya-supported players Anjum Moudgil , Pooja Rani and Prarthana Thombare won four golds and a silver medal at the recently concluded 12th South Asian Federation Games at Guwahati and Shillong.

Moudgil of Chandigarh who is supported by the Ajmera Group, won the gold in the individual and team events in the 50m rifle 3 position women’s event, scoring 452.2 points.

The 22-year-old shooter shot her way to her first gold medal in the senior category in an international event with a score of 452.2 in the final in the 50 M 3P event, edging out Elizabeth Koshy, who shot a score of 451.9 “The conditions were windy in Guwahati, but I managed a good score in the qualification round. Elizabeth is a good shooter and we train together in the national camp. And to win a medal under the new format means a lot to me,” said Moudgil.

Olympic probable Prarthana from Barshi, who is supported by Bharat Forge, won one gold and one silver.

Arguably the most successful player after Sania Mirza in doubles currently, though at a much lower level, Prarthana teamed up with Sharrmadaa Balu to thwart off the stiff challenge from second seeds Natasha Palha and Rishika Sunkara 7-5, 2-6, 10-4. Thombare won a silver in the mixed doubles category.

She and Sanam Singh went down to former Lakshya-supported player Ankita Raina and Divij Sharan. Another Bharat Forge supported athlete, Pooja Rani won gold in the 69-75 kg category. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com