The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 29/08/2015

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Beyond Books, Following Their Passion

MUMBAI

CITY

Sheena Bora murder: A case of lies, deceit and greed P2

‘RTI won’t tackle corruption in politics’ P6

Meet the future Collectors and Commissioners

For these youngsters, working at an ATM is a stepping stone to a public service career See Spotlight, p08 & 09

BY SHAILESH A JOSHI @TGSWeekly

The next time you visit an ATM, the guard you pass by could be a police officer or district collector of the future. It is the nature of the mostly sedentary ATM job that has drawn these young hopefuls to it. But they are ones who aspire to serve society through appointments to the revenue department, the police service, district administrations and more.

Their lofty ambitions and dreams are in stark contrast to the seemingly lowly aspect of the ATM

First case VCS get Rs 2 lakh

Family of a murdered man are the first beneficiaries of the Victim Compensation Scheme

Sunita is very particular about her daughter’s studies, and makes sure she does her daily homework

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma On August 26, the Pune Legal Ser-

vice cleared its first case of Victim Compensation Scheme. The scheme was launched in Maharashtra in April 2014, but Pune’s first victim

has got a Rs 2 lakh compensation only this week. Sunita Suryawanshi, a 33-year-old slum dweller from the Railway Phatak Area in Bopodi, is

the first to receive Rs 2 lakh as compensation, along with an additional Rs 2000 for her husband’s funeral expenses. A 3-member committee consisting of District Judge Bhojraj Patil, advocate Atul Gunjal and legal aid Mahesh Jadhav arrived at the decision of compensating the widow for her husband’s murder, on Wednesday.

Sunita Suryawanshi lives in a world of uncertainties. A mother of two, she is unsure of what will transpire from one day to the next.

Things weren’t always like this.

But things have gone awry after her husband Prakash (36) was allegedly murdered by their neighbours over a petty issue on May 18, 2014. “Our neighbour’s son used to get his friends to stay over at night. They would then play songs, sometimes even vulgar movies over the loudspeaker at night. It was during exam times and they had been told a number of times to turn down the volume. That fateful night, my husband was tired, so he went out and yelled at them. Those boys who were drunk stabbed him over and over again,” Sunita said about the incident.

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guard job. And you can be sure that the remuneration is as lowly as you would expect. But what may seem like truly meagre wages, are very precious and nothing less than lifesaving amounts of money to these young men, who display admirable grit, fortitude and resourcefulness in stretching a rupee as far as it can, as they finance their own studies, and restrict their living expenses within the ambit of a proverbial shoestring budget. They probably see silver linings even in the darkest of horizons. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Top cop summoned to High Court HC pulls up Pune police over delay in tracking down trafficking accused

The petition filed on January 27, names the Pune Commissioner of Police as Respondent. Freedom Firm, NGO’s writ petition aims to make the police and the judiciary accountable

TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly The Commissioner of Police, Pune has been summoned by the Bombay High Court, on September 10, regarding the situation on trafficking cases. The court, acting on a writ petition filed by the Pune NGO Freedom Firm, has taken a stern stand on delays observed in the taking up cases of human trafficking.

The latest court hearing on August 20, noted that “despite giving the police enough time, no progress was shown to

be made”. Prioritising the fi rst eight cases in the list of 42, the High Court ordered the Pune Commissioner of Police to be present and show the progress made in the trafficking cases.

“The Court has taken a firm stand and it is a positive step for us that the police is being forced to look for the accused.

I, however, doubt if the Commissioner will actually show up. It is nonetheless an important step and shows that the High Court is very actively listening to our demands,” said Greg Malstead, founder of Freedom Firm.

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MUMBAI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

PUNE

Sebi steps up black money fight P 14

“Onion arrivals have gone up by at least 10 per cent in the last few days. We are definitely expecting to see a fall in prices.”

-Eknath Khadse, State Agricultural Minister

HC makes an exception for ailing Colonel The Army has transferred Anil Kumar Sharma, suffering from neurological ailments and in need of constant medical attention, from Mumbai to West Bengal

BY BAPU DEEDWANIA @TGSWeekly On Wednesday, a division bench of Bombay High Court made an exception for Colonel Anil Kumar Sharma, who was posted in Mumbai and transferred by the armed forces authorities to Sealdah in West Bengal. The Colonel had approached HC seeking a reversal of his transfer on medical grounds.

Though a Supreme Court order makes it amply clear that the ‘Courts should be extremely slow in interfering with an order of transfer’ of armed forces and that no interference should be made unless an exceptionally strong case is made out, the HC has taken a compassionate stand. The division bench of Justice Anoop V Mohta and Justice VL Achliya in a rare judgment has asked the Ministry of Defence to take a fresh look at Sharma’s case.

Sharma was issued a transfer order on February 26, 2015. He made a representation to his superiors on March 11, 2015. When nothing came of it, he fi led a petition in HC, asking that the authorities consider his case and let his last posting be in Mumbai.

Sharma is a permanent commissioned infantry officer serving in the Indian Army since June 8, 1985,

with an unblemished record of over 30 years. Since September 2011 he was posted in Mumbai.

MEDICAL CONDITION AND COMPLICATIONS In January 2014, Sharma was admitted to INHS Asvini at Colaba, owing to a sudden rise in his blood pressure and gastric problems. After a thorough check, the doctors opined that Sharma had multiple abscesses and oedema in the brain. He underwent a craniotomy on January 8, 2014 and a part of his skull was sliced and kept in his abdomen pouch for preservation. He was in the ICU for about 20 days. He was placed on the dangerously ill list.

Th ree months later, on April 1, 2014, Sharma underwent a cranioplasty so that his skull bone could be re-inserted into his skull with titanium plates and screws, at the same hospital.

Doctors treating him said that he would need to be under treatment and observation for the next few years.

REQUEST FOR CONTINUING IN MUMBAI AS LAST LEG POSTING Based on the advice of his doctors, Sharma wrote a letter on April 29, 2014, to the Integrated Head Quarters of MoD, requesting the authority to allow him to continue in Mumbai, on compassionate grounds on account of his serious illness. Even his superior recommended that Sharma could be side-stepped to a local posting so that he could continue his treatment at INHS Asvini. However, this yielded no response from the higher-ups.

Meanwhile, owing to his condition, Sharma was required to appear before the Medial Board.

The Board, in its findings, said that his medical condition could be attributed to service and hence certain employment restrictions were issued to prevent aggravation of his illness.

Sharma was told that he had to be under periodic surveillance by a specialist at MH/Civil Hospital, where such facility was available to monitor his condition. Sharma was also declared unfit for high attitude climates, terrains, extreme exertion and competitive sports. The board opined that he was fit only for a sedentary or desk job.

PETITION IN HC Sharma’s petition also mentioned that his wife, who is also a government servant, had been transferred to Mumbai at the Income-Tax department only this year and even his children were pursuing their studies in the city. It would be unfair to keep him away from his family whose care and support was the utmost valuable thing at this juncture in his life, his petition stated.

REQUEST REJECTED In January this year, a letter was sent to Sharma, rejecting his request to allow him to continue in Mumbai, explaining that the compassionate grounds in his case were considered earlier and as far as the medical facilities were concerned, they were available at other stations as well. Sharma still pleaded that his request for continuing in Mumbai be taken seriously and the doctors at the INS Asvini would be able to treat him better. However, he was posted at Sealdah, West Bengal and ordered to report at the new station on April 13, 2015.

LINE OF DEFENCE The defence authorities argued that Sharma had been posted at Mumbai since 2011 and he had completed his three-year tenure in 2014.

They also argued before the HC that all the medical facilities were available at his place of posting.

T h e d e f e n c e authorities argued that the transfer and posting of Sharma had been absolutely as per the rules. Also, the scope of interference

LAST DITCH EFFORT As a last ditch effort, Sharma made yet another request that the last positing of his choice be granted to him – he retires in July 2017 - via a representation dated March 11, 2015. The Army rules state that an officer can request for a last led posting of his choice and can make an application to that effect. There was no response to this as well, hence Sharma fi led a petition in HC on March 17 this year.

by courts in regard to the members of Armed Forces was limited and therefore the court should be extremely slow in interfering with such an order of transfer and posting.

HC’S REASONING The judges, while considering the case, said that Sha rm a ’ s c a s e could be considered solely on the basis of his ailment and family consideration.

“No other ground exists to claim the retention and posting at Mumbai,” the judges said.

However, going beyond that, the court then said that the concerned authorities while deciding Sharma’s case, had not applied their mind to consider the background, owing to which he had made such a request.

“The fact that the petitioner required to be admitted in the hospital for a long time and still he required to take follow-up treatment has not been taken into consideration while rejecting his representation.

While

dealing with representation made on medical grounds, it is expected that the authority should consider the same sympathetically. The medical facilities to treat the ailment with which the petitioner is suffering may be available at place of his posting. But the availability of such facility at the place of posting cannot be the basis to turn down such request,” the court said.

The court went a step further and said that Sharma’s case was such that he would require constant care and follow-up treatment. “It is expected that someone from his family should be available with him at the place of his posting. So also the family support is also required for person, suffering from neurological problem. The proposed transfer and posting of the petitioner may cause serious problem for petitioner (Col Sharma). The wife of the petitioner who is recently posted in Mumbai, may not be able to stay with the petitioner at place of his proposed transfer and posting. All these aspects deserve consideration by the authority dealing with the representation of the petitioner and more particularly the request of the petitioner for Last Leg Posting,” HC ruled.

The order further stated, “In our view, such request made on personal ground not to be dealt strictly in accordance with the Rule. The authority is expected to consider such request on humanitarian ground so as to redress the genuine problems of their employees/officers,” the court ordered.

The court has asked the defence authorities to decide the representations of the petitioner (Col Sharma) afresh for last leg posting, after giving him the opportunity of personal hearing. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Sheena Bora murder: A case of lies, deceit and greed Even as victim’s brother and cops know the motive, murder remains a mystery

More details are likely to emerge in the Sheena Bora murder mystery on Friday, with her brother Mekhail Bora taken from Guwahati to Mumbai for questioning. Sanjeev Khanna, former husband of accused and Sheena’s mother Indrani Mukerjea, who is the wife of former STAR CEO Peter Mukerjea, is also likely to be produced before a Mumbai court on Friday, police said.

THE CRIME Indrani Mukerjea, wife of former TV honcho Peter Mukerjea, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the murder of her daughter in 2012. Indrani was arrested by Khar Police following questioning over her alleged role in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora.

Maharashtra’s Raigad police had found remains of Bora in a forest following which a murder case was Sanjeev Khanna registered against unidentified persons.

Indrani was produced before the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate court, which remanded her in police custody till August 31, DCP (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni said. Indrani’s driver, a co-accused who was picked by the police few days back in connection with the murder, too was arrested.

During interrogation, the driver claimed that Indrani had killed Bora and that he had helped her in disposing of the body by dumping it in the forests of Raigad district, the officer said.

BROTHER’S TAKE Mekhail had earlier told the media that he has evidence on the murder of Sheena. He also told newsmen outside the house, where he lives with his maternal grandparents in Guwahati, that he feared he would be the next target. A Mumbai Police team had earlier visited the maternal home of Indrani and talked to Sheena’s brother Mekhail.

THE PROBE Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria, after a day-long grilling of Indrani, her driver and step son Rahul Mukerjea at suburban Khar police station, said late Thursday night that police have a ‘fair idea’ about the motive for the murder, but declined to elaborate saying the “third accused” (Sanjeev Khanna) was yet to be interrogated.

“We have a fair idea of the motive of the murder. However, the third accused (Khanna, a former husband of Sheena’s mother Indrani Mukerjea) is yet to reach Mumbai and to be interrogated. Only then, we will be able to tell you about the motive,” Maria said. To a question whether the police had confirmed if Sheena was Indrani’s sister (as the latter had made people believe) or her daughter, Maria said “Sheena is the daughter of the lady accused.”

The Mumbai Police questioning Indrani’s second husband Sanjeev Khanna have told a Kolkata court that he was involved not only in the murder of the media baron’s daughter Sheena Bora on April 24, 2012, but also with its planning.

The submission made by Mumbai police at the Alipore court claimed Indrani had told them how she had recceed Raigad’s Pen area with her driver Shyam Rai on April 23 to “identify the exact spot where to dispose of the body”.

Khanna has claimed that he had climbed into the SUV driven by Shyam along with Indrani, but had dozed off a few minutes later. He claimed that when he woke up he found Sheena dead near him. Alipore city court on Thursday granted Mumbai police Khanna’s fiveday remand after rejecting his bail plea.

THE LIES More murky details emerged in the sensational Sheena Bora murder case as the former STAR CEO Peter Mukerjea went back on his claims admitting that Sheena had told him that she was not his wife Indrani’s sister.

Mukerjea, who had previously claimed that he knew Sheena only as his wife’s sister, on Thursday detracted, saying Sheena had told him some time back that she was Indrani’s daughter.

When he confronted Indrani with what Sheena had told him, she dubbed it as “utter rubbish”, he told a news channel.

He also claimed that Indrani had shown him an e-mail in which Sheena had purportedly stated that she wants to

Indrani opposed Sheena and Peter’s son Rahul’s relationship

It is alleged that Indrani Mukerjea married Peter Mukerjea to climb up the social rung

end love affair with Rahul, Mukerjea’s son from an earlier marriage.

In another twist, Indrani’s father Upendra Kumar Bora disputed his daughter’s claim that murdered Sheena Bora was his daughter. “Sheena is not my daughter. I am her grandfather,” said 80-year-old Bora, whose name was said to have been given by Indrani as the father in the birth certificate of Sheena, who was born in February, 1989.

Khanna, who had divorced Indrani, is believed to have told the Mumbai police in Kolkata that he was in the car in which Sheena was allegedly strangulated but claimed to have slept during the crime. This apparently contradicted the arrested driver’s claim before police that Indrani and Khanna had strangulated Sheena in the car after giving her a spiked drink in a hotel room in Mumbai.

The body was then taken to a village in Pen tehsil of Raigad where it was burnt with petrol. Khanna had reportedly come to Mumbai on April 23, 2012, a day before the murder and took a flight back to Kolkata on April 25, according to police sources.

The Police Commissioner also said the investigators recorded the statement of the accused who signed as Sheena

on the letters prepared by the “lady accused” informing the company in Mumbai where Sheena worked that she was resigning, and also Sheena’s landlord that she was ending her lease and license agreement. Asked if the police will interrogate Indrani’s third husband (media baron Peter Mukerjea), Maria said “we will do a complete investigation.

It is just 48 hours now....let the third accused come, then we will be able to tell you about the motive.”

Mekhail claimed that he knew the ‘exact reason’ for the crime by their mother but will do the needful only if she does not confesses it to the police. “I believe that our mother killed my sister.

I know the exact reason of the murder and it is not the ones that are being told to the media,” Mekhail, who stays with his maternal grandparents here, told reporters.

Asked about the motive behind the murder, he said “I am sorry, I will not tell it to you now. I will wait till she (Indrani Mukerjea) confesses it in front of the police. If she does not, then I will do whatever is necessary.”

Bora said Sheena was his own sister and “it is shocking that our own mother introduced her daughter as her sister.

That means she was telling lies from the beginning.”

VICTIM’S LIFE Indrani had taken Sheena along with her to Mumbai for higher studies and admitted her at St Xavier’s College.

Later, Sheena had joined a corporate house as an employee. “I did not know that my sister was no more till this news came in. When she disappeared in 2012, mother used to tell me that Sheena had gone to USA for higher studies. Even when she (Indrani) visited Guwahati in 2013, she told us that Sheena was fine and is in the US,” Mekhail said.

Indrani left her two children with her parents here and settled outside Assam after her first marriage. Mekhail said they met their mother only around 12 years back when Indrani had visited Guwahati. “After that, she used to send money for us and our grandparents. But she stopped a few years ago,” he added.

Sheena was kidnapped from outside the National College in western suburbs.

She came here from Assam in 1990s along with Indrani and completed BA Economics from St Xavier’s College. In 2011, she got a job with Reliance Mumbai Metro but suddenly stopped coming to

duty, police said. In the same year, her Facebook account was deactivated.

Sheena is stated to be Indrani’s daughter from an earlier marriage with one Siddharth Das. Khanna, a resident of Hastings Road area in Kolkata, was arrested from his friend’s flat in Alipore for his alleged involvement in the murder, Kolkata Police Joint CP (Crime) Pallab Kanti Ghosh said.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria told reporters here that the murder was by strangulation followed by burning of the body by petrol. The murder took place on 24 April 2012 and the body was found by Raigad police on May 23, he said. There were reports that Sheena and Peter’s son Rahul through his earlier marriage had been dating each other and Indrani was opposed to it.

On the arrest of his mother and subsequent turns in the case, Mekhail said, “I want justice, that’s it. Because she is my elder sister. And I know some girl can’t be murdered like that. Without any reason...Asked if he was aware of tussle between her and Indrani, he said, “Many times actually... since a long time actually...

In another development, a local court allowed the application filed by lawyer of Indrani seeking permission to meet her.

Indrani’s lawyer had moved the court saying that police were not allowing her lawyers to meet her. The Bandra court, while allowing the application, directed the police to follow the guidelines framed by the apex court on the rights of the accused.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

“The state government must show will and take action against those who are involved in water theft and corrupt practices. Also the government must consider new water pricing and provide wa ter to crash crops at higher rates.

— Aneeta Gokhale-Benninger, Urban planner

Power production ‘zero’ in Bihar: Power Minister P12

Cops rough up a teenage girl in full public view

Unidentified constables booked for assaulting a 19-year-old on Alandi Road, assuming her to be involved in the sex trade

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke

The victim who did not want to be identified shows her injuries

A teenage girl from Ahmednagar was a victim of police brutality.

The 19-year-old was waiting for a friend at a bus stop near Sai Mandir on Alandi Road, on Monday afternoon.

Suddenly a male and female constable alighted from a police van, and beat her up in full public view, presuming the girl to be involved in the flesh trade.

The girl went to the Dighi police station to register a complaint. Initially the policemen in the chowkey paid her no heed, but eventually a senior officer registered the offense against “two unknown police personnel, including a woman”.

Senior Police Inspector Navnath Ghogare of Dighi police station said that a fi rst information report (FIR) has been registered in this regard. “As the constables are posted with the Dighi police station, the case has been transferred to Vishrantwadi police station for a free and fair investigation,” he said.

Ghogare said that the constables have not identified by the victim, and an identification parade will be conducted for the purpose. “We will verify the identities from the duty chart,” he said.

It is mystifying that despite all police vehicles, including two-wheelers, are installed with GPS and GIS kits, whereby the location any vehicle can be ascertained, the police are still clueless about the identities of the concerned cops.

Residents of this area on Alandi Road had staged a protest regarding the presence of prostitutes on the streets, about one and half years ago, even resorting to stone-pelting at police vehicles. The agitators were worried about their children returning from schools and colleges, and who had to encounter the prostitutes on their way.

In the wake of this incident, the police had launched regular patrolling in the area in the afternoon.

The two unidentified constables were on patrol duty when they spotted the girl and beat her up but did not arrest her on prostitution charges. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

Life in the corridors of power Snehal quit her promising private sector job for the internship PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka She has free access to almost all departments under the district collectorate’s jurisdiction. She is present at District Collector Saurabh Rao’s meetings, and the concerned officials seek her views on e-governance, which tops the state government agenda.

Meet 22-year-old Amravati resident Snehal Dande, who has been selected for the internship programme with the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) from 100 shortlisted candidates. The internship is the brainchild of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Snehal is the only intern posted at the Pune district collectorate from August 10, for an 11-month term.

Snehal, who holds an engineering degree, quit her well-paying job at a private IT company to take up the internship at the CMO. “I appeared for the job interview and was selected by a reputed MNC in Pune. But just three months later, I read about the internship programme in a newspaper, applied for it and was selected,” said Snehal.

Snehal aspires to a Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) posting, and the internship is a real boon as it is offering her the opportunity to get hands-on experience of administrative work. Over just a fortnight of internship, Snehal is getting to grips with becoming familiar with all the departments under the district collectorate and divisional commissionerate jurisdiction. She is one of the 32 interns working with the Mantralaya other district administrations.

Snehal had to appear for two tests including an online one, and had to submit articles on certain topics, besides a personal interview. “I was not sure whether I would be selected from among 1391 candidates who had cleared the fi rst stage of the written test. But within a week after the written test, I was informed of my selection,” said Snehal. She is awaiting her turn to personally meet CM Fadnavis, who communicates with interns through video conferencing.

Snehal’s middle class family background means that meeting a dignitary like the district collector

PUNE

Snehal is making the most of the opportunity and her time at the Chief Minister’s Office to gauge the nuances of admninistration

regularly is a most special experience.

“Rao has assigned me three projects on which I will be working for next 11 months,” said Snehal. Her assignments include the Jalyukta Shivar Yojana, Malin rehabilitation and the use of RTI. She has visited Malin with a team of officials to review the rehabilitation work.

Snehal will be appearing for the UPSC exam in 2016. She keeps busy with preparations for her first attempt at the civil services exam, after work. “Rather than a big salary paying private sector job, I wish for a job that will allow me to do what I want to. It is like dream come true when collector Rao asks for my suggestions and opinions regarding the websites of various departments,” Snehal said. priyankka.deshpande@ goldensparrow.com

CMO’s internship programme It is the first-of-its kind programme in the state where youngsters are offered the opportunity to work with the CMO. Graduates from any discipline with first class grades, under the age of 25 are eligible for the CMO internship for 11 months, on a monthly stipend of Rs 20,000. This programme is designed to mentor and groom the interns, improve their understanding of executive office tasks, and prepare them for public service. Certificate will be given to the interns on completion of the 11-month programme.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

PUNE

“Keeping political parties out of the RTI Act was like killing democracy and it will lead to laundering of black money in the form of donations given to the parties.”

— Anna Hazare, Social crusader

Men’s fashion gets a new address P10

Sack some, recruit another FTII administration terminates contracts of 82 workers, even as they place fresh recruitment ads

by Gargi Verma @missgverma The management at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) seems to be confused over the matter of extra or inadequate manpower. Even as they are terminating the contracts of 82 staffers from September 1, they have also put an advertisement in national dailies for the recruitment of an Information Technology Officer.

The advertisement dated August 25, reads, “Applications are invited from the eligible candidates for the post of Information Technology (IT) Manager on short term contract basis. The last date of submission of application complete is all respect is September 10.” The registrar refused to comment, but it can be assumed that there is a need, or else new hiring of staff would not have happened amidst the raging storm.

As the FTII strike is nearing the 80-day mark, the report by the three-member panel who visited the institute last week, is yet to be submitted to the government or made public. The week after the arrest and release fiasco has passed by in relative peace, with the students planning meetings, lectures and events inside the institute.

The strike also garnered support from international celebrities like Sean Baker and

With no end or solution to the students’ strike, a big question mark hangs over the FTII horizon

Tala Hadid. Letters of support from Toronto Film Festival and Arundhati Roy were also received. On August 25, Amol Palekar came to the campus to screen his movie ‘Daayra’, to show solidarity. While he expressed his support and explained the need of autonomy, he didn’t screen his movie, stating that “The timing is not right.”

TMC cancels visit amongst criticism While a similar movement is growing in the West Bengal Jadhavpur University where the Trinamool Congress Supporters’ hooliganism is being protested against by the regular students, TMC had declared their support to the FTII. A 3-member team including Derek O’Brien was supposed

First case VCS get Rs 2 lakh Contd from p4

Prakash was the sole breadwinner of his family of five, including an ailing 73-year-old mother. He had two brothers and a sister, of whom the youngest brother died when he was in his teens. The mother was unwell after her husband’s death two years ago. She has suffered three strokes, has respiratory issues and is on dialysis at YCM. The costs for her treatment was shared by Prakash and his brother.

Under the Victim Compensation Scheme, if a petitioner files an application within six months, provides all legal documents like death certificate, income and relationship proof and co-operates throughout the trial, they are entitled to monetary support from the legal services’ fund without any fee or even a lawyer. Legal aid Mahesh Jadhav of the District Court, Pune, said, “The compensation for death is Rs 2 lakh, for disability is Rs 50,ooo and acid attack is Rs 3 lakh. Under the government scheme, a fund is allotted to the legal offices and is disbursed accordingly. We have been trying to start the scheme, but applications were not forth coming.” A lack of awareness is the biggest hurdle in context of the Victim Compensation scheme. “Most people don’t know that such a scheme exists. Imagine the benefit it would have if people started filing applications. One just needs to file an application, submit the necessary documents and they can get monetary benefit without spending a rupee. The scheme was started keeping in mind the countless victims and their families who are left with no one to fend

for them,” he said.

Sunita had to take over the breadwinner responsibility. “After my husband’s death, some relatives helped us out for a month or so. But one can’t live off charity forever.

So I decided to look for work. Since I am only educated till class 5, I couldn’t find any jobs. So I had to start working as domestic help. I cook at one place and work as a maid in three other households,” she said. For all her labour, she earns just Rs 3000, on which she has to manage schooling and feeding her children, Akshay (15) and Neha (10). “The house is thankfully an ancestral property,” she said. It has two rooms, and the walls are neatly painted.

“The walls were painted by my husband a few days before the incident,” she recalls, as the tears well up in her eyes.

Sunita’s brother-in-law read in the newspaper about the Victim Compensation Scheme and told her to file an application, which she did on November 7, 2014. “I just got to know that they would give us money without us spending anything. For me, at that time, money meant food for my children.

I was ready to do anything,” she said.

Several factors including the lawyer’s strike delayed the compensation. She still hasn’t received the money. “They said that the money will take time. After all it’s a government process,” she said. However, she knows exactly what she will do once the money arrives. “I have to educate my children. I will make sure both of them get higher education, which my husband and I couldn’t dream of. The money will also

Puppies escape MiG-21 crash

to arrive on August 24. A move that was criticised from the start by various students and political organisations, it was cancelled by the TMC members hours before the visit.

Anagha Ghaisas calls students goons, then retracks. One of the five society members the students are protesting against, Anagha Ghaisas on August 25, said during a conversation with a TV channel, “The students are goons. They are hooligans only trying to increase anti-social elements in the society.

We need to crush this strike immediately.”

She however retracted her statement within hours and has maintained a silence after that.

Queer Cinema weekend The FTII students are trying to incorporate into their movement, the movement of acceptance of the LGBTQ community. To celebrate that, the weekend of August 29-30 would be a Queer Cinema weekend. According to Aritra Sen, a student at FTII, “We are trying to give voice to a movement that didn’t really surface much. The issue is again freedom of expression and even freedom of existence. We are scheduling back to back movie screenings in the campus over the weekend. All these movies have a queer connect and talk about the freedom to express.” gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

About the scheme The Victim Compensation Scheme was launched on April 11, 2014. Under the scheme, compensation is granted to the victims or their families from the legal services fund.

The money is awarded only if all documents like the death certificate and identity proof are submitted along with complete co-operation by the victim during trial.

It’s a cashless and hassle-free procedure where even a lawyer is not needed. No court fee is levied and within six months of filing the application, the decision on compensation needs to be passed by a three-member panel.

The money is sent to the victim and family members through the panel. help me in other matters,” she said. As a mother, she is concerned about her children’s education. “My younger daughter is much more interested in studies than my son. He is in standard X, so it’s an important time. I have to force him as he really doesn’t want to study,” she said.

Sunita truly regrets not being able to get a good education. “If I had studied further, I would have been able to earn much more and would be in a better situation. I have taken a vow to ensure that my daughter stands on her own feet,” she said. She helps out her daughter with her homework.

Sunita knows that she is the first to get the compensation and is understandably proud. “Even the judge told me how happy he was for me. Not many people face adversity so bravely, he said,” she said with a broad smile.

“I hope no one has to go through the ordeal we have. But moving on and caring for your loved ones is the only way forward,” she said. gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

P12

Caution, road divider ahead

An unmarked road divider on Satara Road is taking its toll on vehicle users

By Rajil Menon @RajilMenon Vehicle users on the Padmavati stretch of Satara Road, near the Swami Vivekanand statue, are facing an unexpected and almost invisible hazard in the form of a road divider that cordons off the BRTS corridor.

Since it is not marked out to make it clearly visible, and neither are there signs to warn of the same, cases of cars driving over it and being stuck are a regular y affair, be it day or night.

Though the divider has caused many a mishap, they have not been of a fatal or very grievous nature, which is probably the reason the vehicle owners involved in incidents have failed to register complaints with the traffic police.

Citizens who frequent the locality corroborate the frequency of the minor accidents the divider has caused.

Yogesh Pardeshi, 35, is a fish vendor, who sets up shop on the pavement near the Ranka Jewellers outlet in the evenings. Being bang in front of the perilous divider, he has been an eye witness to several accidents. “There are four to five such accidents every week. Rescuing the vehicles like cars that land up on top of the divider involves the use of a crane at times, if manpower is not enough. One Sunday, no less than six four-wheelers dashed into the divider. One of the cars with a Mumbai registration seemed to be driven in a great hurry. Though nobody was injured in the accident spree, most of the vehicles’ occupants wound up blaming the Pune civic administration for not marking out the offending divider clearly,” Pardeshi said.

Bala Choudhari, a pani puri vendor, who is stationed in front of Annabhau Sathe hall, claims to have witnessed the accidents caused by the divider for a long time.

Abhijeet Gore is a sales engineer who saw a Dzire driver follow a Skoda onto and get stranded atop the divider. “They drove for as long as 20 metres on the divider before realizing it,” Gore said.

Srikant Kulkarni, 58, a businessman was driving home to Valwekar Nagar in his Swift, when he unknowingly barged into the divider, which left the front wheels of his car airborne. He called up his family and there were several bystanders around.

Every one around lends a hand to lift a stranded car off the divider

After discussions, a crane was called for, but the crane operator warned that the car’s oil tank could get damaged while lifting it off the divider. Consequently, Kulkarni opted for the option of rescuing the car by manpower alone, and everyone lent a hand to lift the car. A greatly relieved Kulkarni thanked all those who helped profusely before. “This divider in the middle of the road took me by surprise, and I plan to send in a complaint to the concerned authorities,” he said.

Traffic department Police Inspector Pandurang Sahane admitted that the divider has been the cause of frequent mishaps. “We have advised victims of these mishaps to register a complaint, but frankly, none of them have puts it on record at the police station,” he said.

Central Institute of Road Transport, Member of Faculty, Head Training and Consultancy and Head Administrative Service Division, Ashish Mishra said that the solution to the divider issue is simple. “A prominent signboard should be placed just ahead of the divider to warn vehicle users of the separation of lanes,” he said.

Pune Municipal Corporation Chief Engineer Vivek Kharwadkar said that the signboards they had put up had been accidentally brought down by heavy vehicles passing by too close. “We have replaced the signboards several times but even they have been brought down unfortunately,” he said. rajil.menon@goldensparrow.com

Top cop summoned to HC Contd from p4 Freedom Firm works for the rescue and rehabilitation of sex workers, among whom are teenagers who are sold to brothels in Pune.

While some of the girls were rescued as long back as 2007, they still have not been repatriated as their cases are pending and they are the key witnesses. “The accused were captured and then let out on bail. Now they have jumped their warrants and are absconding, holding

up the cases for years on end,” said Malstead.

“This has happened with 42 cases in all. We decided enough was enough and decided to file a petition,” he said.

The petition filed on January 27, names the Pune Commissioner of Police as Respondent.

Malstead said that the writ petition aims to make the police and the judiciary accountable for their lax approach to court cases. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Did you know your Aadhar & ration cards have to be linked?

District administration blames citizens’ apathy for unfinished ration and Aadhar card linkage process

by PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka The district administration has washed its hands of speeding up the ration and Aadhar card linkage process in the district, owing to an apathetic response from citizens.

Since June, the district administration has completed a meagre 11 per cent of the linkage work, rating a lowly sixth among 31 districts that have not completed the process before the August 31 deadline.

Of the 56 lakh population, only 6.47 lakh citizens’ ration and Aadhar card linkage Ranjana Dixit has been completed by

the district administration.

The state coverage also remains much below par, at only 17.14 per cent.

T h e c o n c e r n e d Somnath Marathe officials are blaming the citizens’ apathy for the slow pace of work. The citizens, meanwhile, say that they have not been informed about the linkage process. A large section of the populace, moreover, do not have either ration or Aadhar cards.

Baner resident Somnath Marathe said, “I have both cards, but I have not been informed about the linkage process.” The district administration claims that the linkage process has been advertised in newspapers and

The centre for Aadhar and ration card linkage work does not have any citizens coming in for the same

other media. Marathe says that he has not seen any such advertisement in the newspapers. “Unlike the LPG and Aadhar linkage, I haven’t heard about ration and Aadhar card linkage,” he said.

Sinhagad Road resident Ranjana Dixit does not have a ration card, and therefore the linkage is impossible before the deadline. “People above the poverty line get a white ration card, which is mostly used as

identification proof. I did not feel the need to apply for a ration card,” Dixit said. She also claimed to be unaware of the linkage process in the district.

The ration and Aadhar card linkage is a top priority for the Government of Maharashtra, since it eliminate bogus ration card holders.

The linkage work launched in June and it was to be completed by July 31. But with most districts falling behind, the deadline was extended to

August 31.

District Supply Officer (DSO) Jyoti Kadam said, “Although the constitution bench of the Supreme Court has ruled that Aadhar card is not necessary for fair price foodgrains, the linkage is necessary for kerosene and LPG gas cylinders.” She also blamed the apathetic response of citizens for the incomplete work.

“We are conducting gram sabhas in rural areas of the district, while newspaper advertisements are keeping the urban residents informed,” Kadam said. She said that arrangements have been made to speed up the process. “We have appointed a private agency that has installed 200 machines across the district to get the work done,” Kadam said.

The fact of the matter is that the names of ration card holders have not been updated by the district administration since 2011. Instead of linking the Aadhar and ration card, it is busy updating the ration card list, deleting names of the deceased, changing the names of heads of the family, etc.

The top ten districts in Aadhar and ration linkage work District

Percentage

Nashik

4.92

Wadala

6.24

Palghar

6.76

Bhandara

10.81

Thane

11.30

Pune

11.48

Kandivali

12. 50

Beed

12.88

Ahmednagar

13.14

Solapur

13.23

A DSO source told TGS on conditions of anonymity that the linkage work is so extensive that the district administration will take at least six months to complete it.

Nashik has the dubious honour of the lowest percentage of 4.92, while Latur tops the table with 35.33 per cent work completed. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

“We will take up PCMC through our own smart city initiative and will help create infrastructure there.”

— Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister

PUNE

Pension biz of life insurers plunges 90 per cent to Rs 2k cr

4.1 million Indians living with dementia

P14

P11

They pose danger even behind bars

Building permission plans now on your cell phone

Prison authorities fear that MPDA criminals lodged in Yerwada jail could form new nexus, even as they are visited regularly by accomplices

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke

PMC to integrate online building permissions with geographic information system

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka

Speaking to TGS, SoftTech Engineers Pvt Ltd Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Vijay Gupta said implementation of The interest in enhancing and online building system was one of improving online building the criterion for entering the smart permission system helped Pune city club. “The continuation of the to be shortlisted among the 98 same system will be on the agenda cities picked by the while working on Union Government smart city mission,” for its Smart Cities said Gupta. The mission released on state government August 27. Punehas earlier excluded based SoftTech Pune from its smart Engineers Pvt Ltd city list. and Design Point S of tTe c h Consultant Pvt Engineers is the Ltd will work with only company from Pune Municipal Pune that is already Corporation working on 15 (PMC) on the different municipal online building corporations across - KUNAL KUMAR per m ission the country. “Apart system integrated from PMC, we are with geographic also assisting the information system (GIS). civic administration of Mumbai,

“Puneites have given their ideas about smart city and we will prioritise”

Maha Ten Smart Cities • Navi Mumbai • Thane • Amravati • Nagpur • Aurangabad

• Nashik • Greater Mumbai • Solapur • Kalyan-Dombivali • Pune

Bengaluru and Hyderabad for the smart city mission,” Gupta said. The company will work on a mobile app ‘AutoDCR software building plan’ for the city so that citizens can track information on approved building proposals on cellphone itself.

“It will not only bring transparency in the system which is the first step towards a smart city but will also reduce the number of RTI queries, as common people will get to see approved building permission proposals on their mobiles,” he said.

Pune Municipal Commissioner

Kunal Kumar said that other development initiatives will also be carried out on priority basis apart from online building permission system.

“Puneites have given their ideas about smart city and we will prioritise the plans after getting feedback from citizens,” Kumar said.

SMART CITY MISSION Smart City Mission’s objective is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of smart solutions.

The smart city mission will be operated as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) and the Central Government proposes to give financial support to the Mission to the extent of Rs 48,000 crores over five years on an average of Rs 100 crore per city per year. priyankka.deshpande@ goldensparrow.com

Build a school on our homes, but rehabilitate us first

PMC issues eviction notices to residents of settlement who have lived there for 80 years

The outstation criminals arrested under the provisions of the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act (MPDA), who are lodged in Yerwada Central Prison, have become a source of concern for the prison authorities.

The prison authorities on Wednesday wrote a letter to the city police commissioner, requesting him to shift the incarcerated local criminals to other prisons.

According to prison authorities, the culprits arrested by the city police under the MPDA have easy access to their gang members outside of jail. These members visit the prison regularly to meet with their jailed accomplices.

“Their activities have not been hampered by being behind bars. These criminals meet their gang members regularly after securing ‘mulaqat’. We suspect that they pass on instruction to the gang members on the outside, even while they are confined to prison,” the prison authorities said.

Fifteen criminals arrested under MPDA at Mumbai,

With this issue

Nagpur, Thane, and Pune are lodged in the prison. It is possible that they will form new alliances, the authorities fear.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) C H Wakade said that the police have received the letter from the prison authorities. “Their concerns are genuine and there is no reason these criminals should not be shifted to other prisons in the state,” he said.

In last eight months, Pune city police have arrested nine goons under stringent

provisions of MPDA and all have been lodged in the prison.

If criminals from Pune are shifted to prisons at Vidarbha or North Maharashtra, their accomplices will not be able to visit them as frequently.

“We will provide escort in the next few days and the criminals arrested by the city police under MPDA will be shifted to other prisons,” Wakade said, adding that city police have fi led eight cases under MPDA. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

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The PMC plans to construct a school building on the property

The residents have approached the SRA office with their fi le, but the matter is still pending with the office.

“In 2013, we also wrote to the PMC to give us homes,” Rakesh said.

Over the last two days, the PMC and revenue authorities have put up notices of eviction on the residences.

All the 32 houses are pucca houses.

“We are not opposing the move to take over the land, but we want rehabilitation,” the residents said.

The plot is surrounded by upmarket residential societies. Some residents from the buildings moved court, fi ling a petition in 2008, stating that the PMC must take over the land as it has been reserved for the school.

Recently, the court issued orders to the district collector to take over.

Local PMC corporator Dhananjay Jadhav and residents moved Bombay High Court on Thursday, seeking a stay on the orders of the lower court. Jadhav said that rehabilitation was a major aspect, and without rehabilitating the residents, how could the PMC take over the land. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

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About 150 residents of a small settlement in Navi Sadashiv Peth on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road, have endured three sleepless nights, after the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) issued eviction notices to them.

The PMC has reserved the 17,000 square feet plot near the PMC school number 15, for the construction of an educational institute.

The residents, including erstwhile owners of the land, are not opposing the PMC plan to construct a school on the property, but are demanding homes, if evicted.

“We have all the proof that we have been living here for 80 years. The land belongs to the Nimbalkars, who also stay here,” said Rakesh Bhilare.

On Thursday, Bhilare and other residents of Nimbalkar wada approached Bombay High Court, against the eviction orders of a Pune court.

Another resident, Mahesh Bhilare, said that the PMC brought the land under School Reservation in 1987. “However, the residents came to know about the reservation only in 2008, when PMC issued notices of eviction,” Mahesh said.

The residents said that they have been paying rent without fail until the reservation came into force in 1987, when the owners stopped accepting the rent.

“The problem is that the hutments are not notified as slums. We are ready to vacate the land but we want resettlement under the scheme of Slum Rehabilitation Area (SRA) Scheme.

Some land can be allotted to the SRA scheme while the major portion can be taken over for the school project.

Our children go to the existing school,” he said.

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BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

PUNE

Between a metro and small town

“During the Lok Sabha election, I had promised that all efforts will be taken to make Pune better. We will ensure that Pune is one of the best smart cities in India.”

— Anil Shirole, Member of Parliament

P 15

‘RTI won’t tackle corruption in politics’ Former state chief minister Prithviraj Chavan insists on the gamut of laws to make political parties accountable

BY MEGHANA AGASHE @TGSWeekly At a time when a battle is raging in the Supreme Court of India on whether political parties should be brought under the ambit of Right to Information Act, former chief minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan said that doing so will create more problems than solve existing ones. Chavan, who was speaking at a law convention held at ILS College Pune on Wednesday, said that there are several laws in existence to make political parties accountable and that they should be enforced stringently instead of enforcing yet another one.

“During my work with the Ministry of Personnel, I was closely involved with the RTI Act. I feel that it is impractical to bring political parties under the RTI because it will create more problems than solving the existing ones. Instead the fi nancing and funding for the parties can be brought under the public scrutiny,” Chavan said.

He elaborated that existing rules to make political parties are not enforced properly.

“If nobody gets punished then people stop fearing the laws.

So implementation of the rules is more important than forming new laws,” Chavan added.

T h e 69-yea r-old suave politician, who was chief minister of Maharashtra from 2010 to 2014, said that bringing in more laws will not ensure a fair election. “I feel that all the political parties should come together to clean the system.

It is my personal

view that more authority and power should be given to the Election Commission. The EC should also be given a permanent staff ,” said Chavan, a mechanical engineer from University of California.

Former Chief of Election Commission Dr SY Quraishi, however disagreed with Chavan over the issue of bringing political parties under RTI. “In my opinion, election funding is a euphemism for corruption. One solution for this can be legalising funding of political parties by the government.

For every vote you get, take a fi xed amount from the government instead of illicitly extorting money from the public. RTI, which is a very crucial Act in curbing corruption, has been sadly misused for personal vendetta. It does more harm than good. If collateral damage is controlled, then transparency brought in by RTI would be wonderful,” said Dr Quaraishi, who was the chief election commissioner from 2010 to 2012.

He explained that the elections in India are very complex due to t h e huge popul at ion a n d v a s t g e o graphical d i v e r s it y.

“Often the Election Commission is blamed for the goof ups

Battle in SC

Speakers at the law convention held at ILS College on Wednesday suggested ways for fair and transparent Indian politics

during elections. What people don’t know is that the EC has no power.

They don’t make laws. EC can only recommend. The government has to approve the recommendations so that it will become a law. The EC tries to ensure transparency by making all the information public,” added Dr Quraishi. The former chief election commissioner who now teaches at the Cluster Innovation Centre, University of Delhi, emphasised, “You cannot love democracy and hate politicians. Transparency in the election procedure is a must.”

Chavan suggested that another way to curb the problem in the country would be to bring down the number of political parties. During his speech he explained how there are several parties, and the EC is just not able to monitor all of them due to sheer numbers involved. “Such a large number of political parties cannot be monitored by the EC. So

the number of political parties should also be reduced,” concluded Chavan.

The law convention titled POLITUCKS organised

by Th ink India Forum and students of ILS College had several other speakers in other sessions. RTI activist Vivek Velankar questioned the political party representatives as to why no party had initiated any legal procedure against the verdict of Central Information Commission of 2013 which declared that the political parties are public authorities and are answerable to citizens under the RTI. Obviously no one had an answer to his query.

Indian National Congress Spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi pointed out that RTI wasn’t the only answer to the problems plaguing our political system. “Is RTI the only

Chavan suggested reducing number of political parties to curb graft

Disability is not a barrier for them Deaf and mute entrepreneurs script their own success story

THE BEGINNING As a schoolboy, Vinit had to struggle to get his grades. He had to reappear for two subjects to clear his secondary school education from Laxman Rao Apte Prashala. He pursued computer courses like Tally, Photoshop, Web design and 2D, 3D animation while completing his higher secondary school examination. And he is an expert swimmer and actor. However, for his mother, teaching him was not an easy task.

“Vinit was a hyperactive child. As he cannot stay still or concentrate for long, we taught him swimming and other ground sports. To

CIC Order In 2013, the Central Information Commission (CIC), consisting of Satyanand Mishra, ML Sharma and Annapurna Dixit held that political parties are public authorities and are answerable to citizens under the RTI Act. The CIC, a quasijudicial body, said that six national parties - Congress, BJP, NCP, CPI(M), CPI and BSP and BJD - have been substantially funded indirectly by the Central Government and have the character of public authorities under the RTI Act as they perform public functions.

Belly dancing their way to setting a record 65 belly dancers will pay tribute to Bollywood through several performances at city malls

BY AJAY RUPANAVAR @TGSWeekly Vinit Kulkarni, 25, is deaf and mute by birth.

And he earns Rs 14,000 per month as a staffer at Zapak, the fi rm that he joined four years back. We often hear about problems young people with disabilities face — physical obstacles, social rejection, academic failure and medical crises. Yet some people overcome significant challenges and lead successful lives. They build personal strengths to overcome the challenges they face.

Like his many friends who work in various firms, Vinit also makes and sells seasonal items on part-time basis. Their success inspired Vinit to launch the organisation ‘Busy Brain Idea New Referrals (BBINR)’. The group makes variety of handmade products like nameplates, key holders, wall paintings, photo frames and colour sketches. They are presently making rakhis to tap the Raksha Bandhan demand.

Each BBINR member expects to earn Rs 2,000 from the sale. Their next target making Akash Kandil (lantern) and Panati (earthen lamp) for Diwali. Two of this 10-member organisation manage the finances.

solution for a fair and transparent system?

Has RTI really m a n a g e d to solve any problems?

Enforcement of existing framework is more important than bringing in Former CEC new laws,” said Dr SY Quraishi Chatur vedi.

D i s t r i c t secretary of Communist Party of India-Marxist Ajit Abhyankar too supported Chaturvedi’s views. “The internal functioning of a political party is like a person’s head and what goes on inside a person’s head is never made public. If our discussions become public, how will political parties function? Though I agree with the fact that transparency is a must, I do not agree that RTI is the way to ensure a fair and transparent system,” said Abhyankar. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal has fi led a petition in the Supreme Court to declare all the national and regional political parties as “public authorities” and bring them within the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The plea fi led through advocate Prashant Bhushan, also urged the court to direct all such parties to disclose details regarding their income and expenditure.

The government, however is not in favour of bringing political parties under the ambit of RTI. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) fi led an affidavit in SC recently stating that the Central Information Commission (CIC) erroneously ruled in June 2013 that political parties are public authorities under the RTI Act and, hence, are accountable under the transparency law.“During the enactment of the RTI Act, it was never visualised or considered to bring the political parties within the ambit of the said (RTI) Act. Political parties are not established or constituted by or under the constitution or any other law made by the parliament,” the government said in its affidavit.

(From left) Tushar Jadhav, Akshaunsh Ghadge, Chinmay Lele, Sagar Yadav, Vinit Kulkarni and Sorabha Birajdar are members of Busy Brain Idea New Referrals

give him education I learnt lip reading, mouth movements and other hearing-related courses.

He needed five notebooks to learn writing a letter,” she said.

CAREER PATH Before getting his job at Zapak, Vinit faced 25 interviews. With firms asking him to clear a written format, he failed. The three-member interview panel at Zapak gave him the offer letter after seeing his practical work. Getting a job did not stop him from doing something for others like him.

Using sign language, Vinit expressed his desire to change the lives of those he met in his childhood days, his friends and other who took part in various rallies for people with disabilities.

He used to get irritated when people looked down on him and teased him. He would not do any work for fear of rejection. Later, inspired by the half glass full theory, Vinit never looked back and became determined to face any situation in a positive way. Having a strong dislike towards those who extend monetary assistance out of sympathy, he wants to help more people who aspire to become entrepreneurs and achieve selfsustainability and self-reliance.

HIS COMPANIONS Chinmay Lele (22) of Dhankavdi completed his degree in arts from Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya. He could not concentrate on theory but was good in practicals. Apart from working in a firm, he makes nameplates and wall paintings and earns around Rs 4,000.

Kothrud resident Tushar Jadhav (29) completed his SSC from MES Boys School. He faced ten interviews before getting the job of a data entry operator and earns Rs 9,500 per month.

He makes rakhis and expects to earn Rs 1,0002,000. Sangramsiha Patil (25) completed his HSC before joining Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Training Centre (BATC) as accountant. At BATC, he earns Rs 9,500 per month and manages the finances at the organisation. Sagar Yadav (26) completed his BCom and works as an auditor. Sorabha Birajdar (20) lives at Bharati University and is pursuing BCA. A studious student, he helps in making rakhis. Akshaunsh Ghadge (24) completed his high school from YMCA and joined an insurance company as an assistant agent. Pratik Pawar (20) of Guruwar Peth is an Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya graduate and helps BBINR as a painter. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

T

BY ZAINAB KANTAWALA @kantawalazainab

his weekend, get ready to be spell bound by a record breaking performance by 65 belly dancers coming together on a single platform. The dancers, in the age group of six year to 45 years, will perform together to make their way to the Limca Book of Records.

The event, called Bellysma, is organised by Aziza Degwekar, founder of Stepz dance studio that teaches the middle-eastern dance form to many aspiring dancers. “I want to promote more women in entertainment through such record breaking events. We will pay a tribute to all actresses, who have set a benchmark for themselves, from yesteryear heroine Vyjayantimala to present-day actress Kangana Ranaut. Th is will be the largest belly dance flash mob in the country,” she says.

Aziza’s journey with dance started as an aerobics instructor. She was impressed by belly dance and decided to explore the dance form further. “I was always inclined towards dance.

I quit my job as a software engineer to pursue my passion for belly dancing. I started teaching

a few kids initially and decided to start a school for dance,” adds Aziza. She loves to fuse the dance with other styles. “It’s fun to experiment with different dance styles. I have earlier mixed belly dance with Bharatnatyam, and garba,” she points out.

Last year, Aziza and her troupe had paid a tribute to Michael Jackson with 40 women performing on his numbers. Th is year, the performance is inspired by Bollywood.

“Bellysma is all about bringing belly dance and charisma together. Our main aim is to create awareness about the dance form. The dance consists of hip movements and requires strong abdominal muscles. It helps develop a sense of empowerment. But many people consider belly dancing as a reason to wear skimpy clothes. I believe the dance is not about attire, it’s all about the grace. My girls will wear the costume that they are comfortable in, and won’t have any regrets when their videos are uploaded on YouTube,” says Aziza.

When: August 29 Where: Kumar Pacific Mall, 5 pm; Seasons Mall, 6.30 pm; Inorbit Mall, 8 pm zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

“I sincerely appeal to all communities in Gujarat to maintain peace.

Only then can we progress as a community. I also appeal once again to work together and co-operate for peace in the state.”

— Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

“Devendra Fadnavis had said the first decision his government would take after coming to power would be to grant reservations for Dhangar community.”

— Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Leader of Opposition

Doing their bit for society Nine women from city have joined hands to help NGOs and Punekars connect

Bridge Team members (from left) Pooja Kapoor, Moushmi Kuvawal, Sheetal Kotkar and Shweta Dakhane discussing their next drive. The rest of members are Pooja Singhal, Asha Jaitha, Jacqui Lobo, Reshma Sajanani and Vasundhara Ruia

BY SALONEE MISTRY @Sal0412 The common desire to serve society brought nine women from different walks of life to launch a platform for generous benefactors and grateful beneficiaries. The Bridge Pune forum started by them allows one to connect with NGOs across the city. They provide details of NGOs to sponsors for the latter to contact them directly.

A PLATFORM TO CONNECT When Shweta Dakhane (39) and Moushmi Kuvawala (43) met at a social gathering a few months back they got talking about the social work they both were involved in. It is through this conversation that they realised the need of a platform that would highlight the needs of NGOs. Their idea took shape in the form of Bridge six months back. Shweta a mother of two is an entrepreneur. She runs a furniture export company Shenai, besides being a marathoner and social worker. Moushmi is

a physiotherapist and Pilates instructor for a few fitness centres across the city. She devotes her spare time to help the underprivileged.

Talking about the mission to start Bridge, Moushmi said, “Many people very often want to contribute but generally lack the knowledge on how to go about it. Bridge helps in giving this thought a direction. It connects them to NGOs and their activities giving them a clearer idea on where to contribute.”

THE TEAM Soon seven more women joined the Bridge community. These women working in varied fields hold monthly donation drives in their localities and forward the contribution to various NGOs. “Donors feel at ease when they see a familiar face. They are reassured that their contributions will reach the correct place,” Moushmi said.

BECOMING THE CONNECT The Bridge members affi rm that till date no

fund has been raised to manage the fi rm. They self-fund the transportation charges needed to carry the collected goods to NGOs. “The experience of running Bridge has been a good one and response overwhelming. Our only challenge is getting the people to connect directly with NGOs,” Shweta said.

Bridge members organise monthly collection drives and ensure that it reaches beneficiaries.

“We would love if people get connected directly.

Everyone has the right intention and some even resources but the effort to get in touch on their own is missing. Intention with which Bridge was built was to merely inform people of what the need was and create awareness. The team believes that this might be achieved in the coming months and people will contact NGOs directly,” she said.

NGOS AND DRIVES Since they started operating in March, Bridge has held several drives throughout the city. A newspaper collection drive to pass on the old newspapers to a group of women in a village near Pune who make paper bags has been one of their bigger drives. The most recent drive was a shoe collection drive for the disaster affected victims in Nepal. More than 100 shoes in usable condition were collected.

The next drive scheduled for September 12 at Tertullia restaurant in Koregaon Park is on recycling. Punekars can attend the event, contribute recyclable objects and connect with the NGO directly. It will also be a learning opportunity to understand the application of products that can and should be recycled. The forum in the past have collaborated with Sarva Seva Sangh and a travel company with their initiative Save Our Soles to collect shoes for disaster victims.

‘For us the journey has just begun but it feels good to know that we are helping in bringing smiles on the faces of needy people,” Shweta said. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Imparting values through art Cartoonist and graphic designers use their skills to brighten up dull school walls

school. Along with conducting art workshops on murals and illustrations in these schools, sometimes even these children are allowed to paint the walls.

The creations on the wall are all about good values and habits,” he said.

The workshops that Vikram and his team conduct are not only at low-income schools but also in popular schools like Mercedes Benz International School at Hinjewadi.

USING FUNDS While bigger corporate projects like that of designing the 2015 calendar for Volkswagen generate funds, painting the walls of municipal schools are funded by Verry India itself. They make it a point to allocate 30 per cent of their income for initiatives of this kind. “No matter what the strength of the team is and irrespective of the amount of work we get in, a 30 per cent share of everything earned is kept aside,” said Vikram.

The students of People’s Education Society’s English Medium High School at Jai Jawan Nagar in Yerawada excited over the wall illustrations done by Verry India group

TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly All through his school, college and even engineering days, drawing was always more than just a hobby for Vikram Nandwani (38). After having lived the corporate IT life for a few years, Vikram decided to shift his profession to where his heart was: drawing. From sketching political illustrations and caricatures for his blog (www.pointblankcartoons.com) to custom-made products, the journey has been a long and satisfying one for Vikram. After founding ‘Verry India’, irrespective of what his studio earns, Vikram uses 30 per cent of it to illustrate and bring to life the walls of low-income schools across the city.

ADDING COLOUR “A satisfying way to incorporate what we do and social work was to illustrate and design walls of schools

whose management cannot afford to do it themselves. It feels great to see schoolchildren happy when the walls have been redone,” said Vikram.

Along with his team of eight people including graphic designers and business developers, Vikram has illustrated the walls of about two schools and some community centres, where slum children get together to read, learn and have fun, have also been redone by the group. Their fi rst project was painting the walls of People’s Education Society’s English Medium High School at Jai Jawan Nagar in Yerawada.

“It is not only about illustrating the walls. Th is initiative is also a learning experience for the students of that

CELEBRATING INDIA Being an avid traveller and political cartoonist, Vikram was disappointed with the negativity surrounding his cartoon characters. Being political in nature, positivity was absent almost always. “There were so many things in India that were so beautiful and had been going unnoticed. India has so much to offer other than poverty, corruption and politics. I wanted my illustrations and drawings to talk of these beautiful things.

I wanted them to show the better side of India,” Vikram said.

His team includes four cartoonists, two graphic designers and two business developers.

Vikram believes that the biggest challenge he faces is that of sustaining Verry India as a business venture. He is taking one day at a time and positively embracing the steady growth of this two-year-old endeavour. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Group has illustrated the walls of two schools and some community centres

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Focus, click and capture Photography enthusiast Ashutosh Joshi opens up his restaurant ‘The Little Door’ to showcase work of promising shutterbugs TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly To promote the art of photography and encourage amateur photographers, Ashutosh Joshi (36) launched ‘Click for Cause’ campaign in August.

Best clicks will adorn the walls of his restaurant ‘The Little Door’ at Kalyani Nagar FROM LENS TO WALL Falling in love with photography when he was just 10, Ashutosh has always been a lover of this art form. Being an avid traveller he explored all opportunities to capture memories and the hobby just grew by the minute. An entrepreneur, hotelier by profession and a social worker at heart, he wanted to create a platform for enthusiastic and budding photographers. It was also a chance for him to do something for society that he lives in and his favourite hobby.

“Every picture tells a story and everyone has a story to tell. All these stories are different and expose us to perspectives and ideologies we might not be aware that it exists. These days, everyone’s a photographer, toting pricey cameras and capturing almost everything. Nowadays even a smartphone can click a cute face. The concept of photography has changed. A lot more people are taking pictures, and they’re interested in photography and doing it better,” said Ashutosh.

Giving an opportunity to photographers from Pune who need a platform to showcase their work, Ashutosh came up with a simple plan.

“Click for Cause is a simple way to do something good. The photographer gets a good exposure as well as do something good in return. For the fi rst time in Pune, the theme is ‘Anything on Two Wheels’,” he said, adding that he had organised similar campaigns in Mumbai in the past.

Promising photographers send in their entries, Ashutosh prints them, frames them and hangs them on the wall in his restaurant.

Each photograph is set at a certain price. Funds collected from the campaign will be given to an NGO.

Ashutosh prints the works of budding photographers, frames them and hangs them on the wall in his restaurant

THE CAUSE Every campaign that Ashutosh undertakes, he contributes the collected fund to a different NGO. For August, the associated with Deep Griha Society located at Sangamwadi. The NGO works in rural areas surrounding Pune and its main focus is education, health and welfare of kids and women. They are also operating in slums.

Everything collected from this campaign shall directly be forwarded to Deep Griha Society.

THE TALENT “It’s not really about the tool or camera. It’s about the eye and how you see things. What makes a good photograph is one that engages your viewer, that makes you want to keep looking at it . . . and find these little ‘ah-ha’ moments. Because simply owning a camera doesn’t make you a class photographer. It takes a certain amount of discipline to get up before the sun rises and get where the light’s going to be good. Then you have to work and work and work and work at it,” Ashutosh advices budding shutterbugs. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

The kindness of strangers

S

achin Haribhau Lahudkar, 22, of Dejon in Akola district, has had to battle misfortune all along the way. After the death of his father ten years ago, his mother had to struggle to make ends meet, working on a farm to pay for the bare necessities. Sachin and his brother used to help their

mother out.

They all coped with the trauma and lack of money, and Sachin completed school, and also a course at the ITI. Dejon village being extremely limited in terms of opportunity and facilities, Sachin then had to take the hard decision of leaving home.

Sachin came to Pune, and thanks to his ITI training Sachin first got a job at an Indian automobile company, and then moved to a German automobile giant. He, however, quit the job when the company wanted to send him to Germany.

But his decision to leave a

lucrative job with a foreign firm has not gone down well with his family. “They are very unhappy.

They also do not like the idea of me working as a security guard. But I have a dream. I want to be an IAS officer, and I will do everything I can to achieve my ambition, even if it means displeasing my family for the time being,” he said.

Sachin is currently in the third year of the BA (History) course at HV Desai College in Pune.

Alongside, he is also preparing for the public services exam.

The price to pay for living away from home is that now Sachin had to find a job. He surveyed the prospects, applied for some, to settle eventually for the job of security guard at a State Bank ATM at Narpatgiri chowk.

While fending for himself, finding the cheapest lodgings and the most affordable food outlet, Sachin has met with unexpected kindnesses in Pune. He has to cycle from where he stays at Parvati, to the private coaching class at Warje, where he goes for his public services exam training.

The considerate class owners have absolved him of fees, when they came to know of his circumstances.

The IAS job ideal is the beacon of light that is lighting up Sachin’s way in the meantime.

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

Meet the future Collectors and Commissioners For these youngsters, working at an ATM is a stepping stone to a public service career

Farm lad wants to be deputy collector

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hanaji Dudhbhate has seen his share of trials and tribulations over the course of 25 years of life, at Chhota Omarga village near Tuljapur in Osmanabad district. Dhanaji has not asked for or expected much more than food and shelter from his parents, who eke out a hand-tomouth living by working on farm.

While going through thick and thin in a decade of school education at Ashramshala, Dhanaji did not

let his parents’ financial hardships limit his aspirations. After getting through school, he juggled around with whatever little money his father could provide, to study further, and acquired a Bachelor in Arts (History) degree from Yashwantrao Chavan Open University.

Armed with the status of graduate, Dhanaji knew that he would have to a place with greater scope and opportunity if he was to turn his dream of a career in

the public service to reality. With not much more than the bare necessities, a little money to see him through until he landed a job, Dhanaji arrived in Pune a year and a half ago.

After settling into a place to stay, which was a hostel on a cot basis, Dhanaji looked around for a job. He did not have the luxury of waiting for a job befitting his college graduate qualification, so he jumped at the first opportunity

Engineering is a distinctive career

that came his way, in the form of a job with a private security agency.

He was promptly posted on guard duty at a Narayan Peth ATM of a private bank. It may not be seen as a plum job by any means, but Dhanaji realised immediately how wellsuited to his goals this graveyard shift appointment was.

“I prefer night shifts as it is peaceful at most times, and it allows me ample time to devote to my studies. The ATM is brightly lit, there is air-conditioning as well, so it is quite comfortable.

Of course, the job is important to me, so I am always watchful for anything out of the way, and keep a close eye on all those who use this ATM,” he said.

Living in Pune, and away from home, brings along its own challenges, and Dhanaji has to be as frugal as a canny housewife in fitting in all his expenses within his Rs 5000 a month salary. His only extravagance in the Rs 1500 he spends on books and newspapers that are essentials in the context of his studies, job information and other prospects. His personal expenses include the money for the hostel lodgings and food, and Dhanaji has been able to acquire the basic stove and utensils to cook his own meals.

The expensive private coaching that could make the path to clearing the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) examination, is out of the question. So he is putting in all the time and effort he can muster by studying and preparing for the exam on his own.

Dhanaji sees himself as a deputy collector of the future, with a little bit of luck allied to burning the midnight oil as regard the studies.

“I want to join the revenue services and serve the common man to the best of my ability,” he said.

S

PUNE

uraj Tanaji Nagane, 23, hails from Bondle village in Malshiraj taluka of Solapur district.

His father is a farmer in the drought prone region, and his mother works as a casual labourer.

Suraj acquired a polytechnic diploma at Akluj.

Suraj knew that he would have to leave home for higher education. He chose Pune as his new home. For his studies, he got admission to second year of the BE (Civil) course at Vidya Prasarni Sabha College of Engineering, Lonavala.

Owing to his family’s circumstances, paying his own way was not a luxury but a necessity.

Accordingly, Suraj started looking for a job, and settled for a job as security guard at an ATM at Shaniwar Peth.

Suraj earns Rs 7500 per month. Working the night shift at the ATM suits him as it gives him the time for his studies. He takes along books from the college library to the ATM. To manage on his limited income, Suraj has had to make compromises. He lives in a hostel and has his meals at a mess. “The money I earn goes towards buying the necessary books, paying my hostel rent and other expenses,” he said.

Suraj has his heart set on a job as engineer in the construction industry. But he also has an eye on public service, and is working hard to prepare for the examination.

The security of a government job

G

unwant Dhengade, 28, is no stranger to grief and hardship. He had to cope with the death of his mother ten years ago, when he was just a teen.

His father, who earns his living through farming, hasn’t had an easy time after the death of his spouse, and neither has fortune smiled on his occupation, being struck by drought and difficulty. Gunwant, though has shrugged off the blows of cruel fate or borne them with equanimity, not just to complete his school education at his home town of Bhadravati in Chandrapur district, but also went on to acquire a Bachelor in Arts (Marathi literature) degree.

Aiming to give the course of his life a nudge into a higher trajectory, specifically a career in public service, Gunwant zeroed in on Pune as his destination. He came here two years ago with the intention of enrolling in a private coaching class that groomed students for the MPSC and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams.

But his plan vanished into thin air owing to the lack of money to pay the fees. The financial crunch also made Gunwant think of getting a job to pay for his stay in Pune, and spend whatever he could on his studies. A few applications and interviews later, he found a job as a security guard at the ATM of a co-operative bank on Kelkar Road.

Five months into his new-found profession, Gunwant has settled in, and he too has realized the benefits of working the night shift at the ATM centre. “The absence of traffic or other disturbances, and the sparse number of customers makes it possible for me to make time for my studies,” he said. Comparing

the ATM assignment to other kind of jobs, he emphasised the pressure that other jobs entail. “In contrast, the ATM job is not very demanding.

Of course, I have to be alert at all times, but I can concentrate on my studies for the most part,” he said.

But that’s only part of Gunwant’s story as he has a tightrope to walk in

terms of his budget. The job fetches Rs 5000 monthly, and Gunwant’s major expenses aside from lodging and boarding are on account of library fees and buying books. He stays in a hostel and his expense on food is kept to the minimum..

Between the night shift and daily routines, Gunwant is preparing

for and is quite determined about clearing the MPSC exam. “All I want is a decent job. A government job has the benefit of being secure,” he said. He even has a back-up plan in case he fails the MPSC exam, “I will help my father in his farming. I will never take up a job in a private firm, however,” he said.

from studying at a library, the extra time of study at the ATM at night goes a long way in Rahul’s preparations for the public service exam.

Living on his own has taught Rahul how to manage his affairs on the Rs 5000 he earns monthly. He lives in a hostel and has his meals at a mess, which are economically

viable options.

If he gets through the public service exam, Rahul wants to become a police officer. “I want to be a deputy superintendent of police or an IPS officer,” he said. Until such time though, he is content to safeguard the ATM, where he also puts in long hours studying for the crucial public service exam.

The long arm of the law

R

Walking in the 50s hero’s footsteps

D

evanand Parihar, 24, has had to deal with the trauma of losing his father, who was killed over a land dispute two years ago, in the remote village called Yelegaon in Hingoli district. Thereafter, his mother has had to put aside her own grief, and toil in a farm, to keep the home fires burning, and paying for Devanand and his younger siblings’ education.

Named after the chocolate hero of the 50s, Devanand has also had a heroic path to trod in the face of overwhelming odds. He has not let tragedy dim the flame of ambition, aiming for a public service career. Post school, Devanand completed his Bachelor in Arts (Social Sciences) from Nanded.

The village was no place then, as he wanted to prepare for the public service examinations. With that goal in mind, Devanand pulled himself away from the family fold, to arrive in Pune eight months ago. But he hardly could have imagined the hardships he had to go through initially.

Unable to pay for even the cheapest of accommodation, he actually lived for a month on a footpath near Maharana Pratap

Udyan on Bajirao Road. “My shoes and cellphone were stolen when I was asleep on the footpath,” he said, underlining the difficult times.

There was light at the end of the tunnel, when he found a job with a private security agency. Considering his goal, he opted for night duty at an ATM centre, as it seemed the most convenient in context of his studies for the public service exam.

“I take along books from the library to the ATM where I have the time to make notes. The nights are quiet enough and it is possible to concentrate,” he said.

The Rs 5000 salary is enough for Devanand to manage his living. He shares a room with his friends, and they also share the costs of the meals.

Devanand wants to become a police officer, and sees himself as a future deputy superintendent of police. “With a job like that, my family’s poverty will be a thing of the past,” he said. Until then, the company of his room-mates and the intense study at the ATM keep him going, in the right direction.

ahul Deshmane has lived most of his 24 years in Chikhali village in Buldhana district. His father and mother are occupied with their farm, but they have yet to see real prosperity, and consequently Rahul and his younger siblings have learned to make do with little or nothing. Despite the unfavourable circumstances, Rahul has persevered with his studies, going on to get a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Amravati University.

Rahul was keen on the sport of weightlifting, but was unable to raise the required finances to make much headway.

Harbouring the urge to transform his and his family’s circumstances, Rahul set his sights on a career in public service. But that was not possible in his village, so he gave the matter some thought and decided on Pune as the right place.

When he came here two and half years ago, his father was able to send him money to pay for his living expenses. Everything seemed be working out favourably, including the preparations for the public services exams until his parents fell on hard times at their farm, and as a result, they were unable to provide Rahul with the sustenance..

That left him with no option but to look for a job to pay for the studies as well as bear his living expenses. Scouting around, Rahul

The long and winding road

landed a job with a private security agency.

So far the work at the ATM centre has turned out to be an ideal option. “It is convenient for me. It is peaceful and the environment is very useful for studies, with airconditioning and proper lighting.

The ATM has back-up in case of power outages too,” he said. Aside

T

wenty-one-year old Chadrakant Shamrao Patil has had to come to grips with life’s difficulties at a very young age, when his father died years ago. His mother though, did her best to feed and educate him while she eked out a living by working on other people’s farms.

After getting through school at his home village of Mahud in Solapur district, Chandrakant convinced his mother to allow him to pursue higher education at Pune.

It has been four years that Chadrakant has settled down in Pune.

Without any real help from home, Chandrakant knew that he would have to fend for himself. The immediate need was for a job. His first and feasible offer was working as security guard at the ATM centre at Narayan Peth. The Rs 6000 salary has been a life-saver. He found lodgings near his place of work, and an affordable mess for daily meals.

Not just that, but the ambitious Chandrakant has enrolled in Fergusson

College, where he is currently in the second year of Bachelor of Science stream. As a NCC cadet, he also in line for the naval officer examinations.

The job of his dreams is joining public service, and he is devoting all the time he can to study on his own, as he currently cannot afford to pay for private coaching.

The ATM job offers him a peaceful environment where he has time for his college studies as well as prepare for the public services exam. “This is the right job for me right now, as it is relatively hassle-free. The night hours are also quiet enough so that I do not have much to do in terms of responsibility, except for staying awake and alert at all times,” said Chandrakant.

It is also a place where Chandrakant has visions of a life and career that may seem out of reach at this time, but he has the incentive of changing his own and his family’s fortunes, and that is enough for him to keep working towards his goal, no matter what time of day or night.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

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TECH/START-UP

Google handles about 1 billion search queries per day, releasing some 200 tons of CO2 per day.

— http://crazyfacts.com/

A Turkey buzzard for peace or prey?

P 13

Men’s fashion gets a new address Pranav Pratap Bhagwat’s Blanco is a made-to-order clothing brand as he finds that there are few choices in this segment

BY JAMES MATHEW @mathewthejames Finding himself lost and run out of choices while out for dress shopping made Pranav Pratap Bhagwat, 26, to seek a solution to fi ll this gap in men’s clothing.

“One is spoilt for choice when it comes to women fashion. Women and fashion cannot be separated, and women are always considered as one of the most beautiful creation that God created. Women are always expected to maintain this beauty and hence stay in fashion. A woman should always be good looking, presentable and always in fashion. But what about men?” said Pranav, adding that even men love to look presentable and wear the right style dresses.

After completing his MBA in international business from Singapore University in 2010, Pranav joined his family realty estate business. His parents Pratap and Supriya Bhagwat, who manage Bhama Constructions and Janaki Constructions, were concerned when Pranav told them his desire to join fashion industry after assisting them for four years.

With loads of confidence, Pranav launched ‘Blanco’ at Bibvewadi in March 2015.

“We design made to order men’s wear and footwear. Our range includes casuals,

Self-healing material to plug holes in spacecraft Scientists have developed a new material that can quickly repair itself and could save astronauts’ lives in case debris penetrates a spacecraft.

The International Space Station, equipped with “bumpers” that vaporise debris before it can hit the station walls, is the most heavily-shielded spacecraft ever flown, according to NASA. But should the bumpers fail, a wall breach would allow life-sustaining air to gush out of astronauts’ living quarters.

In the journal ACS Macro Letters, researchers from the University of Michigan and NASA Langley Research Center, described that they wanted to develop a backup defense.

The researchers developed a new material that heals itself within seconds and could prevent structural penetration from being catastrophic.

The new kind of self-healing material was made by sandwiching a reactive liquid in between two layers of a solid polymer.

When researchers shot a bullet through it, the liquid quickly reacted with oxygen from the air to form a solid plug in under a second.

T h e researchers said the technology could also apply to other more earthly structures i n c l u d i n g automobiles.

PTI

Pranav Pratap Bhagwat says that the market has widely accepted his product

ethnic and tuxedo wear besides shoes. Our prices are affordable as compared to known brands. Our clothing range starts from Rs 1,200 onwards. We procure raw materials from many cities, including Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai,” he said.

Later, Ritesh Asudani from Bhopal also joined Pranav as partner. “Every client has an individual taste of design that reflects his persona. Many go for sleek and

slim tuxedos with a polished, fitted look.

Some stress on comfort and feel while others want to stand out and get noticed.

We have a wide range of men’s clothing to offer which allows you to find the perfect outfit for every occasion. A wide range of suits with a collection of great shirts with different cuts and colours to choose from.

Whether you are dressing up or dressing down, we design an outfit for you. From

haute couture to individualistic street styles, we do it all,” Pranav said underlining the fashion sensibilities that permeate the city.

Pointing out that men clothing, including smart casuals and formal wear, in fashion category is an unexplored area in India, Pranav said that many customers try to blend traditional elements in contemporary form.

Talking about his professional career, Pranav said, “I have over 180 customers, besides designing 500 shirts, 370 trousers and 60 suits. I have a seven-member team of clothing designers.”

On reaching out to the market in a big way, Pranav admitted to financial crunch and said that presently publicity is done only through word of mouth and social media. “I plan to do out-of-home advertising once we reach the break-even point,” he said.

Ruling out any bad experience since he launched the brand, he said that the market has widely accepted his product. “My advice for future entrepreneurs is to just follow your dream.” Pranav said, adding that supplementary outlet ‘The Muscle Store’ and biomedical and public health research centre QUA|BLU Consultancy Pvt Ltd are two of his other ventures. james.mathew@goldensparrow.com

Smartphones may disrupt sleep Even an hour of night-time light exposure from tablets or smartphones can significantly disrupt sleep in teenagers, a new study has warned. The research found that the sleep biology of boys and girls aged 9 to 15 who were in the earlier stages of puberty were especially sensitive to light at night compared to older teens.

In lab experiments, an hour of nighttime light exposure suppressed their production of the sleep-timing hormone melatonin significantly more than the same light exposure did for teens aged 11 to 16 who were farther into puberty.

The brighter the light in the experiments, the more melatonin was suppressed. Among 38 children in early to middle puberty an hour of 15 lux of light (dim “mood” lighting) suppressed melatonin by 9.2 per cent, 150 lux (normal room light) reduced it by 26 per cent, and 500 lux (as bright as in a supermarket)

reduced it by 36.9 per cent.

The 29 teens in the late or post-puberty stage were also affected, but not as much.

Exposure to 15 lux did not suppress melatonin at all, 150 lux reduced it 12.5 per cent, and 500 lux reduced it by 23.9 per cent.

The effects were the same for boys and girls, researchers said.

“Small amounts of light at night, such as light from screens, can be enough to affect sleep patterns,” said study senior author

Mary Carskadon, professor of psychiatry and human behaviour in the Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

“Students who have tablets or TVs or computers ? even an ‘old-school’ flashlight under the covers to read ? are pushing their circadian clocks to a later timing. Th is makes it harder to go to sleep and wake up at times early the next morning for school,” said Carskadon.

Carskadon, lead author Stephanie Crowley of Rush University Medical Centre, and their co-authors said children and their parents should limit use of screens at bedtime, even though it has become pervasive.

One study found that 96 per cent of teens use at least one form of technology in the hour before going to bed.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

PTI

IT leaders to set up start-up fund IT industry leaders like Mohandas Pai, BV Naidu and JA Chowdary have come together to set up a seed funding company ‘StartupXseed Ventures’, to invest in startups working in areas like security, semi conductors and embedded devices.

StartupXseed Ventures has launched a Rs 30 crore Aaruha Technology Fund (ATF) that will provide end-to-end support to seedlevel companies.

“Startups often face challenges like low key infrastructure, loosely coupled mentorship, lower investment from angels and lack of exposure to international partnerships and VC partners. It is necessary

to build a stronger and holistic system at the seed level which is missing,” StartupXseed Managing Partner B V Naidu told PTI. He added that through ATF, StartupXseed aims to build a more holistic support system for aspiring entrepreneurs.

There is a lot of interest among IT industry leaders to be a part of startups. Many professionals like Google’s Rajan Anandan and Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy have invested in such ventures in their personal capacities.

Former Infosys Director T V Mohandas Pai has also invested in startups, including GetActive (a wearable technology start-up)

and TheBetterIndia.

Naidu said the ATF will invest anywhere between a few lakh to a crore in a venture.

“The total fund size is about Rs 30 crore and this will be invested over the next 18-24 months,” he added.

StartupXseed has also partnered with VC players like Aarin Capital and Exfinity Ventures to provide future funding to these startups after they grow to a certain size.

“The model of incubation and seed investment coupled with strategic support differentiates Startupxseed from any other current seed fund companies,” he said.

PTI

From black hole to another universe...

Celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking may have solved the 40-year-old information paradox - which continues to puzzle scientists - saying one could simply pop up in another universe after being sucked into a black hole, in a new theory about where lost information ends up.

“If you feel you are in a black hole, don’t give up. There’s a way out,” Hawking, director of research at Cambridge University’s department of applied mathematics and theoretical physics, said in a public lecture in Stockholm, Sweden.

He said he had discovered a mechanism “by which information is returned out of the black hole”, a place where gravity compresses matter to a point where the usual laws of physics break down.

He was speaking at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, where the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics is hosting the Hawking Radiation Conference dedicated to examining the mystery of the “information paradox”, a conundrum concerning what happens to things swallowed by black holes.

Information about the physical state of something

Celebrated physicist Stephen Hawking may have solved ‘information paradox’ that puzzled scientists for four decades

disappearing into a black hole appears to be completely lost, but according to the way the universe works, this should be impossible. Even information falling into a black hole ought to end up somewhere, The Guardian reported.

According to Hawking, it does in one of two ways.

Either it is translated into a kind of “hologram” on the edge of the black hole, or it breaks out into an alternative universe. “The existence of alternative histories with black holes suggests this might be possible. The hole would need to be large and if it was rotating it might have a passage to another universe. But you couldn’t come back to our universe. “So although I’m keen on space fl ight, I’m not going to try that,” he said.

However it is unlikely to be in the same state in which it entered. “The information about ingoing particles is returned, but in a chaotic and useless form,” he said, adding “Th is information paradox. For all practical purposes, the information is lost.”

“The message of this lecture is that black holes ain’t as black as they are painted. They are not the eternal prisons they were once thought. Th ings can get out of a black hole both on the outside and possibly come out in another universe,” the famed physicist added.

The theory solves the ‘information paradox’ which has puzzled scientists for around four decades.

PTI

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ENVIRONMENT “I think the attitude has changed after the establishment of tribunal benches.

Earlier when environment protection laws were violated, authorities would merely issue notices. NGT tells authorities to register offences.”

— Asim Sarode, city-based lawyer

Almost 47 million people are living with dementia around the world today, with 4.1 million of them in India, according to a new report which also found that nearly half of all people with dementia globally will live in Asia by 2050.

The World Alzheimer Report 2015 led by King’s College London found that there are currently around 46.8 million people living with dementia around the world, with numbers projected to nearly double every 20 years, increasing to 74.7 million by 2030 and 131.5 million by 2050.

Researchers also found that there are more than 9.9 million new cases of dementia each year worldwide, implying one new case every 3.2 seconds.

The report showed that in 2015, East Asia is the world region with the most people living with dementia (9.8 million), followed by Western Europe (7.4 million).

These regions are closely followed

by South Asia with 5.1 million and North America with 4.8 million.

At the country level, ten countries are home to over a million people with dementia in 2015: China (9.5 million), US (4.2 million), India (4.1 million), Japan (3.1 million), Brazil (1.6 million), Germany (1.6 million), Russia (1.3 million), Italy (1.2 million),

The new findings take into account both the growing numbers of older people (population ageing), and new and better evidence on the number of people living

Indonesia (1.2 million) and France (1.2 million).

The estimates are based on new research led by Professor Martin Prince from King’s College London’s Global Observatory for Ageing and Dementia Care.

The new findings take into account both the growing numbers of older people (population ageing), and new and better evidence on the number of people living with dementia, and costs incurred. “We now believe that we underestimated the current and future

Slow thinkers more heart attack prone Assessment of cognitive function should be part of the evaluation of future cardiovascular risk

and developed on the earth,” he said.

“The development of tree fern is very slow. It attains a height of 8-10 feet in 200-300 years. The grown ferns found in Bailadila hills are nearly 500 years old,” he claimed.

As per studies, fern species plants belong to the ‘Jurassic period’ when dinosaurs existed on earth. Hence, the plant is very important from research point of view as well, he said.

Earlier, the plant was found in most part of the Bailadila hills, but now it has been confined only to reserve forests (under Bacheli Range) on the hills along Gali Nullah (rivulet), he said. “The excavation has not only destroyed the endangered plants in the area, but has also disturbed the atmosphere ideal for its survival,” the zoologist said.

PTI

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TGS LIFE

Run for... yourself

NATION

CITY

Get your voice heard on NetaG P6

No damaged goods please P3

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

The investigation was carried out by statements.”

DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL

ALANDI

AKURDI

RAVET

Sab golmal hai...

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

RITU GOYAL HARISH

CHIKHALI

KIWALENIGDI

~ Suit filed by the siblings

Precious man hours are lost every day at Hinjewadi just because planners forgot to make more entry and exit points. Over a decade after Hinjewadi was planned to house country’s best IT firms and 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

fast flowing air currents at around 10 km above sea-level.

The research group carefully analysed annual rainfall and associated SSTs in each monsoon season from 1960 to 2013. They found that the 2013 monsoon season shared similar data parameters with that of the year 1961. Both these years witnessed a higher than normal rainfall and also had a weak El Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) influence.

When equatorial SSTs associated with the ENSO mode were weak, the SST anomalies over the north Pacific and north Atlantic provided an additional reference point for predicting the south Asian monsoon.

PTI

Tree fern is found in reserve forests lying between iron ore deposits number 5 and 11 in Bailadila range

RAHUL RAUT

Traditionally, seasonal rainfall in the tropics have been predicted based on extended periods of warm-cold cycles of sea surface temperatures of the tropical central and eastern Pacific ocean. Th is is referred to as the slow coupled ocean–atmosphere mode called the El Nino and Southern Oscillation or ENSO. The cycles develop off the western coast of South America and cause a broad range of climatic changes across the tropics and subtropics, through a process dubbed as ‘teleconnection’.

The extra-tropical SSTs affect the north-south tropospheric temperature gradients in the Asian monsoon region via their effects on local jet streams --

‘Tree Fern’, a rare plant species found in Bailadila hills of Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, is facing the threat of extinction owing to mining activities in the area, environment experts have warned. Bailadila hills, the famous mountain range in the southern tip of Chhattisgarh, is known for its rich high grade iron ore reserves at a height of 1,260 m above sea level.

It is also home to number of medicinal and endangered plant species.

However, experts feel that the mining activities by a public enterprise in the hills have become a curse for the rare and endangered plant species in the periphery, including the tree fern.

“I have witnessed the disappearance of Lycopodium and Selaginella plant species from Bailadila mountain range due to excavation. Now tree fern also faces the threat of extinction,” Dr H K S Gajendra, Zoologist at Kirandul Government College, told PTI. Presently, tree fern is found in reserve forests lying between iron ore deposits number 5 and 11 in Bailadila range.

Tree fern looks just like a palm tree as it has a trunk and leaf fronds on shoot tip. It has spores on the underside of leaves that are used for reproduction.

It is mostly found in the downhill area as cool climate and moisture are ideal for its growth, Gajendra said.

“Not much study has been done here on tree fern, therefore people hardly know about its importance. It is a very important plant in life sciences as it helps to study how plants evolved

THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY

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

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

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

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

Sea helps in rainfall forecast

In a different approach for rainfall forecast, scientists of Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) have used variations in sea temperatures to predict monsoon in the subcontinent.

A team from the Seasonal Prediction Group of IITM and IISER, Pune used historical meteorological data and modern modelling techniques to predict monsoon pattern.

They have investigated how variations (anomalies) of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from the extratropical, i.e. temperate, latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, affected the Asian monsoon rainfall.

Mining activities by a public enterprise in the hills have become a curse for the rare and endangered plant species

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Those with low scores may be at higher risk of heart attack or stroke

With an aim to connect chemists and druggists with consumers, technology visionary and former iGATE CEO Phaneesh Murthy announced the creation of a website that serves as a patient-controlled electronic health record system.

According to Murthy, zigy.com health exchange uses technology to efficiently connect Indians needing health products and services with doctors, clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, diagnostic labs, and providers of wellness products and services, insurance, home-care services and alternative medicines.

“Zigy, the health exchange website, is committed to improving the quality of healthcare, affordability and accessibility for a large segment of the Indian population.

Th is is our fi rst step towards realising our dream of a Swastha (healthy) Bharat,” Murthy, who is the co-founder and executive chairman of PM Health and Life Care (PMHLC), said while launching the website.

He said that this online market place of chemists and druggists will initially serve customers in five metropolitan cities?Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.

“The product portfolio on the market place will include Allopathic, Homoeopathic, Ayurvedic and other wellness products and services. The operations will be extended to 50 cities within 18 months. Over a period of time, Zigy.com will be servicing rural India as well,” he said.

PMHLC’s CEO, MD and co?founder Hemant Bhardwaj said that their business model is a win-win for each stakeholder in the ecosystem.

PTI

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

of heart attacks or strokes. All of the people involved had either a history of heart disease or an increased risk of heart disease from high blood pressure, diabetes or smoking.

The people were also free of dementia.

Four tests were used to evaluate the participants’ high-level thinking skills at the beginning of the study.

The participants were then placed in groups of “low,” “medium” and “high” based on the results. The participants were then followed for an average of three years to see who developed heart attacks or strokes.

During that time, there were 375 heart attacks and 155 strokes, which is a rate of 31 heart attacks per 1,000 person-years and 12 strokes per 1,000 person-years. People in the lowest group were 85 per cent more likely to have a heart attack.

PTI

‘Tree Fern’ faces extinction threat

Health exchange website comes up online

78 per cent buildings prone to quake Buildings in 78 per cent of the total human habitat area in India are prone to earthquake because they are not constructed as per proper code, an eminent geo-scientist said here.

“78 per cent people of the country live in seismic zone three, four and five and there is no vulnerability and land use mapping. The buildings in those areas are made according to the building code of 1968 which was not updated by the government keeping in mind the vulnerability of earthquake,” Director of IIT-Jodhpur and eminent geo-scientist, CVR Murty told a seminar here.

He said, most of the structural engineers are not well aware about the updated knowledge of geo-engineering and the instances of sharing of ideas are very less.

“Following the earthquake in Bhuj in 2002, 36 institutes in GujArat have started gathering information and researching about constructing buildings in earthquake prone areas,” he told the seminar organised by a local TV channel, ‘Vanguard News’.

Murty said the heritage buildings are mostly affected by earthquake.

Infrastructure Planning Adviser, Ministry of Health and Population Nepal, Sunil Khadka said, Nepal was now trying to make a building code which could save the buildings from earthquake.

PTI

PUNE

“Air pollution in Delhi can be tackled ‘unitedly’ through science, technology, political will and preparing indoor air quality protocol.”

— Prakash Javadekar, Environment Minister

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

People with poor thinking skills who have difficulty in reasoning and problem solving may be at higher risk for heart attack or stroke, a new study on older adults has warned. Those with low scores on a test of executive function, the higher-level thinking skills used to reason, problem solve and plan, may be at higher risk of heart attack or stroke, researchers said.

“These results show that heart and brain function are more closely related than appearances would suggest,” said study author Behnam Sabayan, of Leiden University Medical Centre in Leiden, the Netherlands.

“While these results might not have immediate clinical translation, they emphasise that assessment of cognitive function should be part of the evaluation of future cardiovascular risk,” he said.

The study involved 3,926 people with an average age of 75 and without a history

scale of the epidemic by 12-13 per cent in the 2009 World Alzheimer Report, with costs growing more rapidly than the numbers of people affected,” said Prince. According to the report, the current annual societal and economic cost of dementia is USD 818 billion, and it is expected to become a trillion dollar disease in just three years’ time.

The findings show that the cost of dementia has increased by 35 per cent since the 2010 World Alzheimer Report estimate of USD 604 billion.

PTI

AUGUST 29, 2015

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Numbers are projected to nearly double every 20 years, increasing to 74.7 million by 2030 and 131.5 million by 2050

H EALTH

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

4.1 million Indians living with dementia

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PUNE

“The UPA government had brought Jammu and Kashmir back on the rails. But the present ruling alliance here is an opportunistic coalition that does not want to help the people or bring back peace.”

— Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader

Power production ‘zero’ in Bihar: Power Minister

The Centre has been providing 2800 MW electricity to illuminate the state on day-to-day basis, of which 484 MW is not even the allocated share of Bihar

Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal (R) has trashed Nitish Kumar’s success stories

Raising questions about transmission infrastructure of the state, the Union minister reminded Kumar about his promise in 2012 to people that if he failed to improve electricity condition he would not come to seek vote in 2015 election.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism of power scenario in Bihar, Kumar said on last Sunday that all villages would be electrified within a year and it should not be confused with electrifying every household.

The transmission infrastructure comprising 628 power stations and 98 grid power sub-stations was not enough to provide electricity to all villages of Bihar, Goyal said.

628 power stations and 98 grid power sub stations were not enough

Puppies escape MiG-21 crash BUDGAM: Six one-month-old puppies have become the talk of the Soibugh village in this central Kashmir Budgam district as they miraculously escaped a MiG-21 crash over them.

The polka-dotted puppies must have seen the MiG-21 slide, after the crash, over the small crevice in the ground where they were born few weeks ago.

However, the thud of the crashing MiG and the subsequent in the aircraft had left the canines visibly in a shock as they continued to stay in a huddle, even several hours after the accident.

Hundreds of curious villagers

Despite the state government’s claim about improved power scenario, the per capita electricity consumption in Bihar is only one-fifth of national ratio at 200 units against 1000 units at the national level, he said.

He also expressed concern at the ‘unacceptably high’ transmission loss rate of 46 per cent.

Hinting at corruption in the power department, Goyal said a staggering 46,000 transformers had to be changed in the state over the past five years due to their poor quality.

Goyal also contested state government’s claim of electrifying 26,500 villages so far, saying 19,251 villages were electrified before 2004, much before Nitish Kumar became the

9 years on, campus democracy eludes Jamia Millia

including a sizable number of school children thronged village, 32 km from summer capital Srinagar, after the aircraft crashed while on a routine training sortie around 11 am.

The pilot of the MiG-21 Bison of IAF managed to eject safely and was subsequently helped by the villagers before being rescued by the search parties.

Not just the puppies, even some of the residents of Dhaharmuna locality were lucky that the aircraft crashed into the thick vegetation of Poplar trees, which stopped its slide towards the residential houses.

PTI PTI

NEW DELHI: At a time when the poll process for electing new student representatives is gaining momentum at Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University, students of Jamia Millia Islamia are still fighting for their demand for reinstating the students union, scrapped nine years ago.

Jamia Millia Islamia students have written to the Vice-Chancellor and the University Grants Commission repeatedly since elections were “banned” in the university in 2006 after the students’ union allegedly “started interfering with the administrative matters of the institution”. Challenging the university directive, three students had moved the Delhi High Court in 2011 and the matter is still pending.

PTI

Chief Minister.

During Kumar’s tenure, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 2990 crore for intensive electrification of 12,828 villages to supply power to 30 lakh households during the 11th Plan (2007-2012), but the state government could carry out intensive electrification in only 3300 villages benefiting only 3.38 lakh households, he said.

“You (Nitish Kumar) owe an explanation to the people of Bihar as to why the intensive electrification target could not be met despite availability of funds?” he asked.

Pulling out more data, Goyal said that the Centre had given Rs 5200 crore to Bihar for electrification of 2927 villages during 12th plan (201217), but three years down the line only 590 villages have been electrified.

The state government has also failed in implementing intensive electrification of 21,800 villages during the 12th Plan as it has attained only two per cent target so far at 380 villages, the minister said.

As against the target of extending power supply to 54 lakh households under intensive electrification programme, only 32,000 households have been electrified.

The Union Power Minister slammed Kumar for claiming installation of 949 solar pumps under the Chief Minister New and Renewable Energy scheme saying it was the Centre which has sanctioned Rs 873 crore for installation of 1000 solar pumps.

PTI

DRDO ties up with Ramdev’s Patanjali Plan to identify spin-off technologies for commercial markets within India and abroad LEH (JK): India’s premier defence research organisation DRDO has now roped in yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurveda Limited to manufacture and market in the country and abroad some herbal supplements and food products developed by it.

DRDO entered into licensing agreements with Ramdev’s company for transfer of Seabuckthorn technology based products developed

by Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR).

The technology has been transferred under the DRDO FICCI ATAC (Accelerated Technology Assessment & Commercialisation) programme that has been established to identify spin-off technologies for commercial markets within India and abroad, with a special focus on social benefit technologies, an official statement said.

DIHAR, a frontier laboratory of DRDO which is located in Leh with detachments in the strategic Siachen sector has pioneered cold arid-agro animal technologies for augmenting local availability of fresh food in the region.

The laboratory, through its translational laboratory to land approach, develops technologies for fresh food cultivation, poultry, goat and dairy farming and green house cultivation which are disseminated to the local farmers.

Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said seabuckthorn is a unique product.

“Apart from what has been commercialised, there are many more applications which Patanjali Ayurveda could explore to exploit the full potential of Seabuckthorn,” he said.

Parrikar wanted Patanjali Ayurveda to bring many more health products to exploit the full potential of the technologies beyond what DIHAR has found out.

He added that DRDO in collaboration with FICCI under DRDO FICCI ATAC programme is striving to commercialise more and more spin-off technologies for the benefit of society at large.

DRDO Chief S Cristopher mentioned that DIHAR has been relentlessly working for development of products which in addition to their usefulness for Armed Forces has tremendous commercial potential in India and abroad. “The benefits of the research done by DIHAR will help the local population to derive the economic benefits,” he said.

While giving an overview, Bhuvnesh Kumar, Director, DIHAR said that the farmers adopt the technologies developed by his scientists and sell their produce to the army.

“This unique approach not only results in local availability of fresh food but also results in socio-economic development of Ladakh.”

PTI

waterworld PTI

PATNA: Even as Nitish Kumar government claimed improvement in power scenario in Bihar through full page advertisements in newspapers, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal trashed it saying the poll-bound state’s power production is nothing but “zero”.

“Not a single MW or unit of electricity is generated by Bihar government owned power plants. The entire power supply to Bihar is being met by the Centre,” Goyal said.

“The Centre has been providing 2800 MW electricity to illuminate the state on day-to-day basis. Of which, 484 MW is not even the allocated share of Bihar,” he said.

“The ground reality belies all those claims being made by the Nitish Kumar government about improvement in power situation in Bihar,” the Union Minister of State for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy told reporters here.

Throwing a gauntlet to Kumar to speak out about the ground reality of power scenario in Bihar, Goyal asked him for how long the production will remain zero in the state.

On the state government’s claim that it has identified 2500-acre land for construction of an Ultra Mega Power Project in Banka district, he said identification of land was not enough and it has to be acquired by the state government.

The Centre has allotted a dedicated coal mine for the said project, but construction work was delayed as the state government has not acquired land, Goyal said.

Between a metro and small town P 15

Morigaon: A youth taking his sheeps to a safer place in a Banana raft after their houses were submerged in flood water at Bura Bure in Morigaon district of Assam on Sunday

From peddling drugs to penning poetry Budgam : A combo picture of the crashed Mig-21 aircraft and polka-dotted puppies who had a miraculaous escape as the plane skid over the crevice that serves as their ‘home’, at Soibugh in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday

Vol-II* lssue No.: 11 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: 020-2432 4332/33.

NEW DELHI: Five long and lonely years behind bars in a women’s jail in Kannur district of Kerala transformed a middle-aged drug peddling convict into an author, a poet and a story teller.

Lissi, 40, who hails from the highrange district of Wayanadu in Kerala was arrested in 2010, for smuggling drugs which she claims she did to meet hospital expenses for her sister who was hospitalised for deadly burn injuries.

“They can imprison my body, but not my mind nor my freedom to think,” says Lissi, who has till date penned eight short stories and numerous poems on topics ranging from rain, faces, love and loneliness to death, torture, lunacy and repentance.

A narrative account of Lissi’s journey with letters including 14 poems and eight stories along with the tragic moments in her life is set to come out in a form of book titled ‘From convict to writer,’ by a journalist turned public relations professional Subin Manantawadi.

PTI

Lissi, 40, who hails from the high-range district of Wayanadu in Kerala was arrested in 2010, for smuggling drugs

Kannur: Lissy, a convicted prisoner in Kerala whose book of poems and short stories written in jail has been compiled by author-journalist Subin Manantawadi

Lissi, who was an excellent student during childhood, as her teachers certify, had to drop out of school after matriculation because of her family’s adverse economic conditions.

“I used to write small plays during my school days.

Whenever there was a dance programme in school, my friends used to approach me to write songs. But after matriculation, I could not even touch my pen till I landed up in this jail in October 6, 2011,” says the poet. .

Lissi says, when she started

writing, everyone in jail used to come to her cell to request her to write for them.

Some asked her to write to their children back home, others wanted her to pen small poems in letters to their husbands.

Still others wanted Lissi to write for birthdays of their beloveds.

Subin Manantawadi says he met the prisoner poet while he was undertaking a research on the ‘changing faces of Kerala prisons’ two years ago. “When I read her poems for the first time, they literally surprised me. Their quality and depth were far above than my expectation from a 10th class dropout,” says Subin.

Lissi, the second child of five children of Chulliyod George and Rosakutty lost her father during Christmas celebration in 1998.

Lissi was convicted in two cases and sentenced to 25 years of rigorous imprisonment in the year 2010.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

PUNE

“Our strong traditional support to the Palestinian cause remains unwavering even as we pursue good relations with Israel.”

— Sushma Swaraj, Foreign Minister

‘Making a comeback is not that easy’ P 16

US assessment of Modi government means that red carpet welcome and red tapism are running parallel to each other

BY Lalit K Jha WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made “remarkable” progress in his first 15 months in office by rolling out a red carpet for foreign companies, but the infamous red tapism of Indian bureaucracy continues to pose hurdles to investments, the White House has said.

“You can say that,” Peter R Lavoy, Special Assistant to US President and Senior Director for South Asian Affairs at the National Security Council said when asked if his assessment of the Modi government means that both red carpet welcome and red tapism are running parallel to each other.

“I have never seen any Indian government made such quick progress on so many issues, in such a short time. So it is truly remarkable,” Lavoy told PTI. “That said your bureaucracy has a certain worldwide reputation. I think, it has its own standards that are really unparallelled worldwide.

Even though India continues to make this progress, we are confident that as the entirety the whole of government recognises their opportunities to move much more quickly to achieve the potential and the vision of the Prime Minister,” he said replying to questions on new government’s policies.

India-US relationship now - after May 2014 when Modi assumed the

post of the Prime Minister is in an excellent position, he said.

“This is by far the strongest the relationship has ever been. Not only that, it’s how our leaders President (Barack) Obama and everyone else, Prime Minister Modi and his cabinet look at the future. Both sides here see a very very bright future where we see a deep opening and expansion of bilateral co-operation and working together to solve regional problems and international problems. We think the relationship is excellent,” he said.

Lavoy, who joined the National Security Council early this year, is the White House’s point person for entire of South Asia, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The wide ranging interview, on various issues of India-US ties, policies of the NDA Government and India’s role in the region and the world was held in the historic War Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House.

During the interview, Lavoy praised Modi Government’s outreach to its neighbours to resolve outstanding bilateral and border issues and in particular mentioned the recent resolution of the border dispute with Bangladesh. “We still have a situation where we have unresolved border disputes between India and few of its neighbours.

Fortunately India has resolved

Obama has set an ambitious agenda for expanding partnership with India

AP/PTI

Red tapism of Indian bureaucracy decried

President Barack Obama rides a bike in West Tisbury, Mass, on Martha’s Vineyard

its dispute with Bangladesh that was a very positive and a very sudden development. But it still has tensions with China. It still has tensions with Pakistan. So if you look at the overall regional situation. I think there are a lot of positive trends, but there are still some challenges that need to be worked out,” he said.

Lavoy said a significant majority of the 70 deliverables announced during Obama’s historic trip to New Delhi has been achieved.

“I think, the great majority (of the 70 deliverables announced in January) have been concluded. Some of these issues that were addressed and came out in the joint communique are ongoing issues. In many of these cases, we see significant progress, but more work needs to be done,” he said in response to a question.

US and India are boosting counter-terrorism strategy WELLINGTON: The US has said it is working with India to improve counter-terrorism co-operation as it stressed on the need for joint and concerted efforts to disrupt and degrade entities such as LeT, Jaishe-Mohammad (JeM), ‘D-Company’ and the Haqqani Network.

Noting that US and India have committed to making counterterrorism cooperation a key component of bilateral ties, US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said that in recent years his country has led a global coalition to “degrade, disrupt and dismantle” terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL. “President Obama and Prime Minister Modi have also called for eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing, and stopping their cross-border movement,” he said, speaking at the Defence Services Staff College here.

At the Defence Staff Service College, Verma held an interaction with faculty and students on ‘Emerging Indo-US Strategic Ties’.

Accompanied by US Counsul General in Chennai Phillip Minh and US Air Attache Robert Capozella, the Ambassador also met two student officers from US Army and Navy who are undergoing the staff course at DSSC. “Our leaders have also affirmed the need for joint and concerted efforts to disrupt and degrade entities such as LeT, Jaish-eMohammad (JeM), D Company and the Haqqani Network, and agreed to continue ongoing efforts through the Homeland Security Dialogue and the US-India Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism,” he said.

His comments came just two days after Pakistan called off NSA-

level talks with India.

India had prepared an extensive dossier on underworld don Dawood Ibrahim who is believed to be based in Richard Verma Karachi under the patronage of ISI. Talking on the subject ‘Growing US-India defence co-operation’, he said both countries are also working on efforts to improve cooperation on UN terrorist designations and expand the sharing of information on known or suspected terrorists “no matter where they may be located”.

“Our counter-terrorism cooperation can become a model for the region and potentially for the world, and it is another factor that makes me genuinely optimistic about our future defence and security partnership together,” he said.

Verma stressed that US and India face a formidable set of international challenges, from the freedom of access to shared maritime and air routes, humanitarian crises in an increasingly interconnected world, and the continuing threat from non-state actors and extremist groups.

He made it clear that bilateral defence cooperation is not based on a limited set of strategic priorities, nor is it directed toward a particular country.

Rather, it is rooted in our shared values.

He said that in today’s dynamic and globally connected world, a deeper understanding of the maritime domain and the readiness to protect critical trade routes has never been

US and India face a large number of global isues and challenges

more important. .

Verma said that through the Joint Working Group for Aircraft Carrier Technology, both countries have also forged a path that seeks to cooperatively improve India’s burgeoning aircraft carrier development programme and develop its carrier aviation expertise.

“This programme is one of the success stories borne of our Defence Technology and Trade Initiative, and is also symbolic of how far US?India defence cooperation has advanced as it wasn’t too long ago that the American aircraft carrier was a symbol that divided the US from India,” he said.

“Today it is a topic of cooperation that has brought us closer together,” the US envoy underlined.

He said that both countries are also working to enhance cooperation and security of the skies.

“We recently did an exchange on air defence where our two Air Forces brought together their experts to share best practices and ideas on defending critical areas like the skies over our national capitals,” he said, adding that it is through training and exercising together that one can practice these and other shared tactics, to hone skills.

The Indian Air Force will be participating in Red Flag air exercise next April, an event that Indian Air Force is taking part in after a six-year hiatus.

“However, it is not just well trained pilots and well- executed tactics and procedures that will ensure the security of the skies.

To both our Air Forces advanced technology is a critical component, which is why under the DTTI we have set up the Jet Engine Technology Joint Working Group, where we will jointly be exploring and sharing the latest technology on jet engines and exploring possible co-production and co-development opportunities together,” he said.

PTI

“In many of the areas there has been successful achievements of the actions or the tasks that were designated by the heads of states. And that is creating more opportunities for further deeper cooperation. So that as a critical historic event of the President to India and his meetings with the Prime Minister and the action plan that they agreed upon is historic,” he said.

“The successful conclusions of all these actions further deepen and expand our relationship. But that’s not enough.

We and the Indian Government have great ambition for partnership to go even further. So as we complete these actions, we are constantly looking at new things to do together,” Lavoy said.

Refraining from making announcement on a possible ModiObama meeting in September when the Prime Minister travels to the

Nepal reopens Everest, Japanese first to climb

BY Shirish B Pradhan A Japanese KATHMANDU: climber, who lost nine of his fingers to frostbite, will be the first to scale the Mount Everest as Nepal reopened the peak for climbing after the April 25 deadly earthquake which triggered an avalanche killing 18 climbers.

Nobokazu Kuriki, 33, of Tokyo will be climbing the world’s highest peak on August 25 from Nepal’s side via regular route.

The Department of Tourism under Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) has given the permission to climb Mount Everest for the first time after the devastating earthquake of April 25, myrepublica. com reported.

Kuriki will be accompanied by a Japanese photographer Masaru Kadotani till Camp II and four other support staff till Base Camp.

He will make a solo attempt on the 8,850-metre Everest summit along the normal Southeast Ridge route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

“We are very proud to give the permission to the Japanese team of two who will be climbing the Everest after quake and promoting the message that Everest is open for expedition,” said Tourism Minister Kripasur Sherpa.

“I feel very happy to give this permit for the autumn season at a time when the earthquake has caused such loss to our tourism industry,” Sherpa said. The Minister said this will give a positive message about Nepal internationally and I believe it will encourage other visitors to come. This is the fifth attempt of Kuruki to climb Everest. He had tried twice from Tibet side and twice from Nepal’s side.

“I lost my nine fingers in 2012 while attempting to climb Everest but this has not lost my hope. I hope I will be successful this time,” he said.

“Everest has seen tragedies in the last two years, and I want to help Nepal revive its tourism,” he said, adding that he intends to summit in mid-September. Mountaineering is a major revenue-earner for Nepal.

PTI

United States to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly, Lavoy said the US is very excited about the Prime Minister’s forthcoming trip to New York and California.

“We love when Prime Minister Modi comes to the United States. I know that both the Indian Diaspora and the rest of the community out there is looking forward to this visit.

I can’t tell you, what meetings Prime Minister Modi would have with US Government officials. They have not yet been formally announced. But I am sure Prime Minister Modi would be received in a very appropriate way when it comes to New York,” he said.

According to Lavoy, President Obama has set an ambitious agenda for deepening and expanding his partnership with India.

“If you look at what our partnership

with India was at the outset of his administration and where it is now, six and half years later, the progress is really remarkable in every sector,” he said.

“I expect, what the President would say, that he wants to see this progress continue, wants to see this as a very quick pace, rapid trajectory of deepening and expanding cooperation to continue so that we and India can work together to improve our bilateral coordination and collaboration, to help deal with regional problems in South Asia and advance global issues,” the top White House official said.

Climate change is one area of such co-operation, he said.

“Each leader has agreed to work together to seek a very strong conclusion to the Paris conference to take place later this year. This is one example of the many examples that they have come together, where our cooperation can produce tangible results for dealing with important world issues,” he noted.

Citing Modi’s travel to a record number of countries after coming to power and his recent trip to the United Arab Emirates, Lavoy appeared to have endorsed the foreign policy of the Prime Minister. “What you have in India today under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership is a country, a government and a leader that are really committed to advancing India’s interest worldwide,” Lavoy said.

“So when we look at India, we see it as a country, which is looking and acting east, looking and acting west, south and north. I think Prime Minister Modi has taken more foreign trips than any Prime Minister have had and he has build relationship with not only with the United States, deepened our partnership, but has also expanded partnership with a whole range of countries over the world,” he said.

PTI

A Turkey buzzard for peace or prey?

Turkish air force carried out bombings on IS positions and also allowed US aircraft on two of its bases

Turkey had for long looked the other way when jihadists wanting to topple the Syrian government of Bashar Assad

By Pallab Bhattacharya Turkey’s joining the war against the Islamic State terror group’s locations near the border with Syria has drawn mixed reactions across the world and complicated the Middle East geopolitics involving competition among some of the countriesthere to vie for regional supremacy.

Turkish air force not only carried out bombings on IS positions but also allowed US aircraft to two of its bases to operate against the IS. This is a far cry from Turkey’s looking the other way when IS had been making steady progress in Syria and the known stand of the government of President Recep Tayyib Erdogan not to allow the Americans use of Turkish territory as bases even after the IS had declared its intention to set u a caliphate in a territory comprising parts of Syria and Iraq.

Besides, Turkey had for long looked the other way when jihadists wanting

to topple the Syrian government of Bashar Assad had used Turkish territory freely to access Syria until not too long ago since the start of the civil war in Syria. At that time, Turkey had wanted—and its still wants—the fall of Assad regime.

Why was Erdogan government apprehensive that the IS would target Turkey if it had joined the US and its NATO allies?

But that fear should have been dispelled when more than 30 people were killed in a suicide bomb attack in Turkey’s Suruc town on the border with Syria on July 20. The incident prodded Turkey to allow the US to use its base in the fight against the IS and Turkish planes targeted the terror group.

Erdogan has not shed the ambivalence about his role in the anti-IS battle.

But he seems to have further muddied the scene in the region by bombing not only the IS but also attacking the Kurdish forces who by all accounts are the most valiant fighters against the IS.

PTI Feature

Erdogan has further muddied the scene in the region

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

“Most of the venture capital funding coming into the country is currently going into e-commerce business instead of into start-ups in areas like biotechnology and solar power.”

— Jayant Sinha, Union Minister

Signpost

“The Indian economy can double in three years and has the potential of becoming a $20-trillion economy.”

— Suresh Prabhu, Railways Minister

Sebi steps up black money fight

Market regulator has also busted an ‘innovative’ scheme wherein high networth individuals were incurring ‘bogus losses’ to offset tax liabilities

First set of tax sop phase-out soon KOLKATA: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said a discussion paper on first set of tax exemptions to be phased out would be put in the public domain shortly. “The government, as I told in the budget, will bring down the corporate tax level from 30 per cent to 25 per cent gradually,” Jaitley said at an ICC session here. He said that the effective rate of taxation is 22 per cent plus because there are a large number of exemptions. So, the first set of exemptions phaseout would be put in the public domain for discussion, he said. He also said that the government is working on schemes like agri-insurance and health schemes for senior citizens.

“These are in active stages of consideration,” he said.

PTI

PVR plans to open 150 low cost screens to expand footprint

BY SHRUTI VERMA KHARE Seeing opportunity in the smaller towns, movie theatre chain PVR Ltd, known to operate in the premium segment, plans to open 150 low cost screens under its ‘PVR Talkies’ brand in 2-3 years to expand its footprint across the country.

The company, which recently tiedup with Dolby Laboratories for its new technology ‘Dolby Atmos’, is banking on organic expansion with plans to open up to 70 screens ever year as it does not foresee acquisitions in the fi lm exhibition industry in the near future.

“We are seeing good growth in low cost cinemas. We are opening low cost cinemas in tier II and tier III cities. We are following three pronged strategy for growth across different price points and we plan to open 150 such low cost screens in the next 2-3 years,” said PVR Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Bijli.

At present, PVR operates 80 screens under ‘PVR Talkies’ brand.

The company has three brands across different price points - PVR Talkies, PVR Cinemas and PVR Premium.

Overall, it has 474 screens in 43 cities in India.

On expansion, Bijli said: “I don’t see any more consolidation. Only serious players are left now. We will open 60-70 screens every year.”

PTI Feature

As it steps up its crackdown on tax evasion and laundering of black money through stock markets, regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has busted an ‘innovative’ scheme wherein high networth individuals (HNIs) were incurring ‘bogus losses’ to offset tax liabilities.

The probe, which has resulted in an interim ban on 59 entities, including HNIs and their shell companies, found that more than half of these individuals and firms showed notional losses totalling Rs 338.3 crore through trading in illiquid stock options.

At the same time, the remaining entities generated ‘bogus profits’ to the tune of Rs 406.9 crore, which were largely done to show artificial increase in the networth of a private company or individuals, the probe found.

The ‘bogus losses’ were also shown for the purpose of tax evasion by offsetting the capital gains tax on business profits.

While a total of 34 entities showed having generated losses, the other 25 were found to be generating profits.

Further probe is continuing in the matter and the case has also been referred to the Income Tax Department for necessary action at their end.

Sebi identified top entities making huge loss or profit by buying and selling equal units of stock options of a scrip

Sebi has also referred the matter to the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Enforcement Directorate for necessary action on their parts.

Under its stepped-up surveillance mechanism, Sebi has come across several instances and internal alerts wherein a set of entities were consistently making loss by their trading in options on individual stocks.

Trading of these entities appeared abnormal because they were consistently seen making significant loss by their

trades which were reversed with the same counterparties either on the same day or the next day.

In its interim order in the latest case, Sebi said its analysis of the stock options segment of BSE for the fiscal 2014-15 showed that there were several entities who consistently made significant loss and others who consistently made significant profit by executing reversal trades in stock options on the exchange.

In its probe, Sebi first identified the top entities making significant loss or profit by buying and selling equal units of stock options of a scrip.

It then checked whether trades happened at unreasonably low or high price or they were out of sync with the underlying price. Sebi also examined contribution of trades of the entities to total traded volume in the contract on those days and identified the quantum of such reversal transactions. The entities which made a loss or profit of more than Rs 5 crore in the stock option segment on account of reversal transactions were shortlisted. The lossmaking entities were trading mainly in options on individual stocks which were thinly traded. The trades contributed to 70-100 per cent of total traded volume.

PTI

Pension biz of life insurers plunges 90 per cent to Rs 2k cr The life insurance industry is bearing the brunt of a 90 per cent fall in pension business due to a special tax treatment for the New Pension System and a regulatory clause that makes it mandatory for life insurers to offer guaranteed returns to subscribers.

The pension business of life insurance players is down to a meagre Rs 2,000 crore in 2014-15, from Rs 20,000 crore in 2009-10.

Pushed to the wall, the industry has called for a level-playing field.

The plunge has been more

pronounced since the introduction of the clause in 2009-10 which made it compulsory for life insurers to offer guaranteed returns on pension products.

The Budget provision of Rs 50,000 worth of additional tax-free incentive to NPS investment over and above the existing Rs 1.5 lakh has only made their life harder.

“The regulator has asked insurers to offer guaranteed pension which they find it difficult, given volatile market conditions. Second, by introducing

specific exemption of Rs 50,000, NPS has hijacked the pension business from life insurers,” Life Insurance Council Secretary General V Manickam told PTI. “Life insurers’ pension business is not growing because the government didn’t allow life insurers with pension products to be treated at par with NPS in which one can invest Rs 50,000 in addition to the already existing limit of Rs 1.5 lakh which will be tax-free,” IRDAI Member (Life) Nilesh Sathe said.

PTI

FINANCIAL CORNER

Keep a cool head in volatile market

BY SARANSH DEY @Casaransh

Every investor has now shifted concern to the falling share market.

Every mutual fund, SIP or equity investor is bearing the brunt of the downturn.

There are many investors who started booking losses in falling markets due to the wide stricken panic. During such testing times, investors forget their investment objective and start withdrawing funds from the stock market thinking that they will reinvest when the market stabilises.

In principle this is all good to do but in reality it’s the worst mistake an investor can make.

Statistics show that whenever the Indian Market has fallen, it bounces back with much more strength.

The article this week will tell you the strategy to tackle a falling market.

It would be a great surprise to hear that you can make profits even in a bottomridden market. The fi rst step is not to panic. What’s happening right now happened frequently in the past and will happen again in the future.

We are small investors with negligible investment in market compared to the big picture. The FII selling their shares in huge numbers has caused this drop in current market. Panicking and selling all shares as a retail investor causes loss in the short run. If your objective is to earn money in the long run, hold the shares.

The stop loss marked in your initial investment target is ignored in such markets. Stay calm and look at the fundamentals of the company you are invested in. If that company will continue doing good business

Healthy banking sector must for growth

BY KALPANA MANDAL Healthy banking sector is imperative for India’s economic growth and the Reserve Bank is pro-actively working towards developing a strong and efficient banking system, RBI Deputy Governor S S Mundra said recently.

Addressing keynote address at the ICAI International Conference recently, Mundra said RBI is engaged in making inroads for globally agreed regulatory reforms as well as in making macro- prudential measures.

“Being a bank dominated economy, a healthy banking sector is imperative for India’s economic growth. RBI has been pro-actively working towards development of a strong and efficient banking system through its regulations,” Mundra said in his note on ‘Strong

Financial Services Sector: Imperative for Sustainable Growth’.

He said, being a member of the inter nat iona l Standard Setting SS Mundra Bodies, RBI is “implementing the globally agreed regulatory reforms now, but have also been proactive in introducing macro- prudential measures like higher risk weights for real estate exposures of banks.”

Also, it is working on measures for dealing with risks emanating from derivatives and securitisation transactions and spiraling unhedged forex exposure

of corporates, much before the global attention was drawn to such risks.

“At RBI, we have always been conscious of the need for the regulation to evolve quickly for addressing incipient risks and it is in this spirit that many of the recent reform measures have been set in motion,” he said.

Mundra said a strong financial sector is necessary as it facilitates risksharing by reducing information and transactions costs. A strong financial sector is characterised by strong financial intermediaries and wider and deeper financial markets, he said.

“In a strong financial sector, the liquidity and maturity transformation amongst the borrowers and savers happens in the most efficient manner.

“In such a market, savers are confident in handing over their surplus

funds to the financial intermediaries which can then be borrowed and invested for creation of productive assets at the least cost,” he added.

This can create multiplier effect and generate wealth and prosperity for both savers and borrowers and for the economy as a whole, he added further.

Particularly in case of Emerging Market Economies (EMEs), where credit market is typically bank-led, an efficient resource allocation framework is central to governments’ efforts towards employment generation and poverty eradication, he added.

“A weak financial sector consisting of weaker intermediaries and shallow financial markets would invariably be prone to crisis resulting from inefficient resource allocation and disproportionate risk-taking behaviour.”

PTI

for the next year then there is no reason to sell its shares and book your losses.

The next step in a falling market is to become an intraday trader. If you see the markets falling rapidly and can predict it to fall further, start putting sell orders. Purchase the shares in the same day or the next when they are lower. The price difference is your profit. Only retail investors can make money in such falling markets and this opportunity should not be ignored.

Predict your profit for the year.

If it is anywhere below 9 per cent then you should immediately book losses and put all your money in a fi xed deposit. You should maintain a minimum balance in your demat account to monitor progress regularly but move your funds to a more productive investment avenue.

Th is strategy is only short term and should not continue for more than three quarters. Sometimes booking a loss is also a profit because the loss can be set off against profit made earlier and tax liability can be reduced.

Mea nwh i le, same can be w ithdraw n a n d employed in productive avenues.

Investors s h o u l d know that during times of volatility many fi rms decrease exposure to extraordinary market risk. Investors need to be aware of the potential risks during times of volatility.

Choosing to stay invested can be a great option.

Use this time to re-evaluate your current asset allocation – what per cent of your money is invested in stocks, bonds, and cash – against the asset allocation you deemed appropriate when you created your investment policy statement.

Share markets is always a good investment. Don’t panic in slumped market but start making money through tips given above.

Keep investing. saransh@goldensparrow.com

NIIF to become operational by end-2015

BY JOYEETA DEY The government proposes to operationalise by end of this year the Rs 20,000 crore National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), which will function as a sovereign wealth fund like Singapore’s Temasek.

The NIIF, which will operate at “arm’s length” from the government, will primarily focus on fund infusion in infrastructure projects -- greenfield, brownfield and the stalled ones.

Government’s equity in the project will be capped at 49 per cent, and the remaining portion will held by large business groups as well as provident fund, endowment and sovereign wealth funds.

PTI

Indians top list of most experimental travellers in Asia-Pacific Indians have topped the list of most experimental travellers in Asia-Pacific and have searched for 231 different destinations around the world in the fi rst half of this year, according to a survey.

“Indian travellers are the most experimental travellers in AsiaPacific. Sharing its throne with Australia, Indonesia and Japan, Indians have searched for 231 different destinations around the world in the

fi rst half of 2015,” according to a recent survey by global travel search engine Skyscanner.

The Skyscanner survey was on the basis of online searches by customers on its websites from January to July.

It revealed that Indians have been opting for upcoming yet picturesque destinations like Ireland, Sweden, Greece, Switzerland and Japan, which has a sense of place, history and authenticity.

“The Indian travel landscape is evolving and is witnessing a change in travel sentiments in a robust manner.

In the spirit of exploration, Indians are looking for more unfrequented destinations. The diversification in destinations indicates a greater sense of adventurism, and should be heartening for the India tourism industry as a whole,” Skyscanner India Senior Marketing Manager Kavitha Gnanamurthy said.

Skyscanner’s data suggests that Indian travellers are heading to countries that offer an array of tourist attractions, unexplored terrains, vast landscapes, cultures, and rich heritage.

Ireland, a rugged and romantic island with landscapes steeped in geological richness, has witnessed a 110 per cent annual growth in searches and is one of the emerging destinations for Indian travellers this year.

With snow-capped peaks,

wandering reindeer’s in deep green forests and the 24-hour daylight of the midnight sun, Sweden has witnessed a 106 per cent increase in searches.

Greece (77 per cent), Switzerland (15 per cent) and Japan (12 per cent) are some of the other countries that have piqued travellers’ curiosity this year.

The report said while Indians, Australians, Indonesians and Japanese are searching for the most

destinations, travel enthusiasts of other nations in the Asia-Pacific region are not far behind.

With 230 searches, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea share the second spot in the list of experimental travellers in the AsiaPacific region.

Taiwan ranks third with 229 searches, followed by the Philippines and Vietnam with 228 and 227 searches, respectively.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

“ Pavana dam, which is the lifeline of Pimpri Chinchwad city, is filled to below 80 per cent of its capacity. Steps need to be taken to conserve the available water in the dam.”

— Rajeev Jadhav, Municipal Commissioner

PUNE

“We want to develop Pune region as a major international investment destination. This region should be on top of the foreign investors’ list.”

— Mahesh Zagade, CEO, PMRDA

Power outages are common in Bavdhan Living without electricity is not an option when our homes are filled with gadgets that run on it

I live in Zinnea Society at Bavdhan, and I must say that I have had enough and more than my share of living without electricity Leena Rawke for the last few months.

Given our dependence on fans, refrigerators, TV, washing machines etc, it is now quite impossible to live without power even for a few hours, let alone days on end. I am not sure about the reason for the power outages, but all our complaints to the power supply department have not

made much of a difference.

The general response from the MSEB personnel is to wait for some time while they repair the damage caused by a tree branch falling down on a power line. But surely trees cannot be falling for months together.

Power outages are common during the monsoons, which makes me wonder why the MSEB staff can’t service all the power lines before the monsoons so that the lights do not go out at the start of the fi rst monsoon shower. And it is downright irritating when the complaint centre keeps the phone off the hook for hours together, so that we have no option but to go to the complaint centre ourselves.

Spending a night without electricity is sheer torture. Without rains, the weather has turned hot and humid, so the fans and cooling are necessary. Add to that the invasion of mosquitoes, and then it becomes

the ordeal of a sleepless night. But that does not absolve us from going to work or school/college the next day.

Imagine what we have been going through.

In a big city like Pune, electricity supply is a basic human need. There is no excuse for the MSEB to switch off power without prior intimation. If they work and manage their systems efficiently, I am sure that citizens will not have to suffer such inconveniences time after time.

I happen to do a lot of office work online.

The power cuts have lasted long enough so that my battery back-up also ran out. Th is has interfered with my office work seriously, to the point where it is now a major issue.

The roads in the vicinity of our society are quite poorly lit. Th is makes it a problem for us to move around after sunset, especially for the womenfolk.

CITIZEN JOURNALIST

Between a metro and small town Pune is far more progressive than my hometown in UP, but there is also lots of scope for improvement

I moved to Pune from Lucknow three years ago for my education.

I love my home town and I was not sure how I was going to fare in this unknown place. It turned out to be far more pleasant that what I expected.

Ranaita Shahani Not only was I able to settle down quickly, both at my institute and in the neighbourhood where I live, I was also able to connect with many people quickly, quite a few of whom are now my friends.

It is purely because Pune is a town that has been used to providing a temporary home to people from all over the country and overseas. That is the reason the areas like Koregaon Park, Kalyaninagar, Camp, Baner and such have such a world city kind of air. It is what happens when the local population mingles with outsiders, and there is a mutual exchange and accommodation of ideas, lifestyles and perspective on life.

Over my relatively short period of stay, I have come to think of Pune as a city that offers wide spectrum of opportunities and experiences. It is not a mega city like Mumbai or Delhi, but amidst all the hustle and bustle, it has space for an environment and relaxed pace of a small town. As it develops on a constant scale, there are bound

LETTERS TO THE

EDITOR

It was not until when I met a friend recently that I realised how easy my life was. The article about all the difficulties the disabled face in their day-to-day life was disturbing. It is truly a shame that they have not been given any thought or consideration by the authorities at public places such as banks, ATMs, movie theatres or even the streets and pavements. Those who are unfortunate to be restricted to a wheelchair face obstacles every step of the way. India must care for the needs of those who need it the most.

— Medha Jagole

No one should go hungry

The Robin Hood Army is doing

A decade of big transformation

Winter is when Pune is at its best and the festivities make it a big tourist destination as well

to be adverse fallouts, such as pollution, crime and overcrowding. I can see that here and it is somewhat disturbing. But on the other hand, I am also thankful for the pleasant climate almost all year round and I know enough spots in the city that are clean and peaceful.

Most of the population seems to be pretty easy-going, which allows me to be myself and do the things that I like to do in relative freedom.

As it has grown, Pune has opened up and it is now home to all the global brands, with reputed coffees shops, five-star hotels and restaurants. The city is also a great place for live music and events. I really enjoy the vintage nights at High Spirits, and Flying Saucer is another favourite of mine.

I have had some weird experiences

though. I was once stopped on my way back from college and told by a group of locals that my attire was not becoming for a woman. What I wear is my concern and why should anyone other than my parents or friends comment about it. These kind of parochial people are quite in contrast to the generally open outlook of most people.

There are other things that bother me, such as the non-stop traffic congestion in most parts of the city at all hours of the day and night. There seems to be no solution to the overcrowding unless the civic authorities apply the international formula.

The positives far outweigh the disadvantages though, and I am making the most of my stay here, while I am also getting a quality education.

NON-NATIVE

PAROLE

I have lived in Pune long enough to be qualified to comment about both its positive and negative aspects. When I fi rst came here ten years ago, Pune was already developing rapidly, and in the decade gone by, it has transformed remarkably.

The city has always been an educational hub with its proliferation of schools and colleges. In fact, it is the student population that has given it a global, cosmopolitan outlook. That said, the origins of its culture are also very much in evidence, in the language, cuisine and the way of life in the peth areas, and heritage architecture of Shaniwarwada.

Along with the growth and change, there are of course the problems of overcrowding, especially in the number of vehicles on the streets. Commuting now is a major issue, especially during peak rush hours. And the unruly behavior of the road users only aggravates the problem. The condition of some of the roads leaves a lot to be desired, with all the potholes and unexpected obstacles, which pose a regular hazard to citizens. More people means more waste, and the heaps of garbage piled up along roadsides is a real eyesore, and so unhygienic too.

Economically this is a very big centre, with all the foreign brands, and the global automotive companies have turned Pune into an important destination. The shopping aspect has evolved so much that it is possible to find any brand that one wants, at all the malls and swanky shops.

The hospitality sector is booming, with a sprinkling of top hotel chains. And the restaurants

Marrion Eva

and cafes and stalls have made Pune a kind of gourmet paradise. I use my free time to take in all the entertainment I can, and the live music and event scene gives me a lot to look forward to every weekend.

Winter is when Pune is at its best, though it is rather short and does not last beyond January.

That is when there is the largest tourist influx, and with the festivities and all, this is a great place to be in.

I think Pune now qualifies to be called a vibrant city, and I look forward to living here and absorbing all that I can of the cultural life, and I am waiting for the festivals to begin, starting with the Ganeshotsav.

FROM FOREIGN

SHORES

Give a thought to the needs of the disabled

something very meaningful and humane. They have found an amazing solution to two problems, of food wastage and of hunger. It is one of the simplest and most effective solutions.

Why waste food when there are so many hungry mouths to be fed? That is why these young people’s work is so commendable. Take from the rich to feed the poor, is what anyone with a conscience could and should do.

— Sushma Kuraj

Crossing the language barrier It is a paradox that the language of teaching has become an issue in the Oxford of the East. If Pune is a

temporary home to students from all over the world, it should also be considerate, and the university teachers should cater to their needs as well as the local students. Sure, Marathi is the dominant language and therefore its use must be convenient.

But if this is leaving those who do not understand the language in difficulty, it is not the right approach. If English is supposed to be the designated language of instruction, the faculty should adhere to this norm, and if need be, explain to those who do not understand English, separately. Not just foreigners, but even students from

outside of Maharashtra may be fi nding it difficult to comprehend Marathi.

Let wisdom and sanity prevail and not let language become a barrier.

— Sunny Pethe

Axe attack on Pune streets!

The daylight attack on a young girl on Mhatre bridge is a chilling reminder of how unsafe the city has become.

Crime and such kinds of assaults are an everyday affair. With the growing population, there are not enough policemen around at all times to ensure the welfare of the decent and law-abiding citizens. Unfortunately, there are no clues to the unknown attacker nor his motives. The police however, should do their best to trace him and bring him to book. An attack on a female with an axe sounds like a tale from prehistoric barbaric age.

That it can happen in Pune is scary, and I am sure parents of young men and women are going to fear for the well-being of their wards if such atrocities continue.

— Sooraj Jhaaveri

The FTII imbroglio

There seems no end to the FTII students’ strike. Over 70 days later, we are no closer to fi nding a solution. All the visits by politicians, fi lm industry bigwigs, well-wishers and such have failed to produce any feasible solution or compromise. The government has out itself in a bind by posting a person who really has not much of a track record in the fi lm industry, and who seems a pale shadow in the backdrop of all the greats of Indian cinema who have graced that post.

On their behalf, the students should also exercise restraint and show proper respect to the authorities and not take the law into their own hands, which requires the intervention of the police.

As it is, the fiasco has gone on long enough, and it has come to a point where the common man has begun to lose interest in the matter. The FTII is India’s premier institute and this prolonged crisis is putting it in a bad light, not to mention all the harm this has done to the students’ academic year and their careers. Hope it all ends well though.

— Sonali Shankar

Caring for stray dogs It is a very humane and caring of the Motopaws mission to show such concern for stray dogs. Pune has not adequate private or governmental animal welfare organisations to address the problem of strays. Th at is the reason city streets are home to a huge population of stray dogs, who survive on their own or thanks to the mercy of the animal lovers, whoever they may be. The Touch Heart crew are a shining example of young people who have their hearts ion the right place, and they are showing us the way.

— Ramesh Ralkhi

Write to Us Letters to the Editor may be emailed to editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com, editor_tgs@gmail.com or mailed to The Editor, Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt Ltd, 1641 Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411030.

SPORTS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY AUGUST 29, 2015

PUNE

“In this team, no one owns a batting position. We will play horses for courses and see what the situation and the opposition demands.”

— Ravi Shastri, Indian Cricket Team Director

Signposts Cricket umpires examination Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) will be conducting an umpires’ examination for the MCA Panel on Sunday. Those who wish to appear for exam should be between 21 and 40 years of age, and residing in jurisdictions of the Maharashtra Cricket Association.

Interested candidates should contact the MCA office, Bund Garden Road, Pune.

PRBM run-walk marathon on Sunday Pune Running will conduct ‘Pune Running Beyond Myself 2015’ a special charity walk and run marathon at the BMCC ground, on Sunday. Participants can choose to run a half marathon or walk in four different categories, between 3km, 5km, 10km and 21km. Those interested can visit www.punerunning.com.

Prutha, Rushil win district TT titles Prutha Vartikar continued her winning spree and bagged another district ranking title at Sharada Centre. In the under-12 category, she defeated Aneeha D’Souza 111, 9-11, 13-11, 11-4. Meanwhile, in the cadet boys’ segment, Rushil Pandhare won his fifth title of the season beating Archan Apte.

“The AIFF, the ISL and the I-League should sit down together and work out a solution. We can then have a cup competition like England has the FA Cup.” —Sunil Chhetri, Indian Footballer

Ironman title is not enough Pune’s Hiren Patel becomes only Indian to f inish Ironman and Paris-Brest-Paris event within a month TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly An Ironman triathlon event is considered the most physically and mentally gruelling endurance race in the world. It takes huge amounts of dedicated training, extreme physical fitness and mental toughness to finish the race. Naturally, the title becomes a lifetime achievement for some, but for few dedicated athletes like Pune’s Hiren Patel, an Ironman title is just not enough.

The 26-year-old has achieved the rare feat of finishing the Ironman race, immediately after the Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP), another tough endurance cycling event.

“There are few athletes who have done backto-back Ironman events, but I don’t think anybody has tried PBP immediately after Ironman. These two events are totally different in nature and it requires different training and mental preparation to finish. Ironman is more challenging but I would say PBP is more difficult,” says Patel, who has also finished the 1400km London-EdinburghLondon in 2013, and 1000km Pune-BelgaumPune, with the best timings amongst the Pune team, clocking 85 hours and 37 minutes.

In July, he completed Ironman along with 11time winner of Ironman title, Pune’s Dr Kaustubh Radkar, actor Milind Soman and Prithviraj Patil, another participant from Pune. Patel completed the event in 15 hours and 14 minutes.

“The extreme hot weather was the toughest part to cope with during Ironman. Even the cycling course included three major climbs, which was real torture. I even had an issue with swimming. I wasn’t accustomed to freestyle, so I completed the distance with breast stroke,” said Patel.

A software engineer by profession, Patel shifted to Pune a few years ago and soon got

involved in fitness activities like cycling and running. Soon his hobby changed to passion and he participated in the PBP event in 2011.

“It was a disappointing result, as I had to quit the event after 600km. But I was determined to come back and finish the race. I am glad that I have fulfi lled my dream,” he said.

Of course, it wasn’t easy this time too, as the sleepless nights, extreme cold weather and rolling terrain were major obstacles the riders faced.

“Sleep deprivation was the most difficult part.

We were riding constantly for four days, with just two hours of sleep every day. Secondly, the weather was quite harsh, and riding in the cold nights was tough. I even suffered pain in my right knee after 450km. I was worried and didn’t want to quit the event like the last time. So I immediately took a break, slept for two hours, which recharged me and it helped me throughout the route later on. It was a timely decision,” he said.

For the fi rst time, 11 cyclists along with 20 other Indians participated in PBB, and four Puneites including Patel, Apurv Verma, Baban Dolas and Prakash Dube Patil were among the finishers.

The ride started in the evening of August 16 and by the middle of next morning, eight riders

FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwel says that maintaining traditional football clubs and restriction on foreign players could be obstacles TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly

Feels Pune’s ace paddler Sanmay Paranjape, who eyes a place in top 20 in India at the end of the season

Sanmay Paranjape, Pune’s leading table tennis player, who had vanished from the competitive circuit for awhile, has now bounced back into action.

The paddler, who was considered a potential top rank player in India, was in hibernation for almost a year, he is back in the arena.

Sanmay has used the sabbatical constructively, by looking at his overall game, his place among his rivals and fellow players, besides analysing his game and his thought processes in minute detail. Th is has helped him gain the requisite maturity.

“It wasn’t easy. I was almost on the verge of quitting the sport when I stopped playing. It was intensely painful initially, until it dawned on me to use the layoff to bring about a positive change. My family members were a constant source of help and encouragement, and that has enabled to return to the game with a clean slate and feeling completely refreshed. I even took help from a sports psycologist,” said Sanmay.

Cyclist gather at the starting point of PBP event; (above) Hiren Patel in a jubilious mood

‘Road map crucial for I-League, ISL merger’

‘Making a comeback is not that easy’

BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish

quit for various reasons, ranging from mechanical failures to health issues, including cold, fatigue and the challenging terrain.

“I couldn’t get proper sleep or even food, so I was literally riding on an empty stomach.

Secondly, I had an issue with my pedal and it resulted in knee pain, and I had no other option but to quit. However, I have started planning for the 2019 edition of the event and I aim to finish it,” said Laxmikant Kale of Pune.

As the others continued, they faced even colder nights between Loudeac at 440km and Brest on the coastline. The lack of familiar food was another big challenge for the riders. After three nights on the road, fatigue and the lack of sleep were taking a toll on the riders, and the last day saw many more riders give up the goal of reaching Paris in time.

Asked about what he had in mind, Patel said that he was planning to reduce the timing of Ironman next time.

“I took too much time in this edition. I am planning to participate in a couple of more Ironman events. I am also thinking about participating in Race Across America, the world’s toughest endurance cycling event,” he said.. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Explaining the Immediately afterwards, in the circumstances, he said, “After next tournament, I faced Indian paddler Aman Balgu. I was full winning a double crown in the of confidence and I defeated him state championship at Dhule last even after trailing 3-8 in the year, I felt drained and jaded. In decider. It was a true moralefact, I thought I had hit a dead boosting experience and I fi nished end, and that there was nothing runner-up in that tournament. beyond it, nor was there anything Later during team events of interleft to achieve. The feeling was institutional events I defeated so overwhelming that taking India no 6 Raj a break from table Mondal twice. tennis was the only Th is is something option.

I stuck to cheer about,” to my fitness and said Sanmay. practice schedule, but decided against GERMAN participating in any FLAVOUR competitive event.

Sanmay has All of it was a gradual been training in process, which Germany for over was very crucial in - Sanmay Paranjape five years and transforming my his stints with thought process.”

European players Sanil Shetty, a have helped him to succeed in the Mumbai player, who convinced Indian arena.

Sanmay to reverse his decision, “I have been playing in and get back to competitive table Germany for a few years, but tennis. since last year, they have changed “Sanil is my practice partner their league format, and now I and is knows my game inside will be part of Bundesliga-3. The out. He badgered me non-stop competition in this league is fierce to register for the state ranking and it really helps to polish your tournament in July. I reached skills and mental toughness,” said quarterfi nals and as luck may have Sanmay. it, I lost to Sanil in the quarters.

“I was almost on the verge of quitting”

Moreover, in Germany, Sanmay got used to the new table tennis balls much before his Indian opponents.

“We have started using those balls six months before they were introduced in India. Fortunately, they suit my style and I am quite comfortable with them now,” he said.

Sanmay is now aiming at a place in the top 20 by the end of the season. “Right now I am in the top 32. Th is year I will focus on state and national tournaments, so by next season I will get a good draw,” he said.

Sanmay who currently trains with India no 5 Sanil Shetty at Khar Gymkhana, feels the level of players, ample match practice and infrastructure in Mumbai is very good for the development of the players.

“Their Mumbai Super League is becoming popular and representing any team in that league is a great experience for any player. I have seen players benefitted from that league during the state ranking and I feel Pune district should also start similar league to provide a showcase for its players,” said Sanmay. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

With Pune FC and Bharat FC, the two local clubs, likely to pull out of the I-League, there is speculation that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) may merge the league with the newly introduced Indian Super League (ISL), so that there will be only premier league in the country.

Gaurav Modwel, chief executive officer of Pune FC, however, feels that it will not be an easy process.

“To achieve the merger, brain-storming and a proper road map are necessary. It could be done in a few days, but the AIFF may face two obstacles. Firstly, we will need to keep the oldest traditional clubs like East Bengal and Mohun Bagan intact. These clubs are the pioneers of Indian football and we just can’t discard them by merging the leagues,” said Modwel.

“Secondly, only four foreign players including one Asian are allowed to participate in the I-league. Though the motive behind this was to promote Indian players to showcase their talent at the premier event, the AIFF must fi nd a solution. It will take a few years for Indian players to come up to the level of foreign players. Until then we can feature foreign players, whose popularity will help in cultivating a football culture in India,” he said.

About the prospects for a joint league, Modwel said that the ISL will be more effective if its duration was extended from four to eight months.

“It will help club owners and managements. Inking contracts with foreign players for eight months will not cost much and will help in team building. It will also help television crews give time to prepare,” said Modwel.

NEW SIGNING FC Pune City has fortified its defense by signing former Espanyol and Deportivo La Coruna central defender Diego Colotto. The 34-year-old played an stellar role in Cardiff City fi nishing runners-up in the 2008 edition of the FA Cup. Modwel said, “Diego was one of the best centre backs in the world available on

FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwel during a promotional event of the club

free transfer. He has been performing at the highest level in La Liga for the last three years at Espanyol and prior to that at Deportivo La Coruna. The signing of Diego, in addition to Roger Johnson, Nickey Shorey and five other domestic players, has given me confidence in our defense.”

About signing Pune FC or Bharat FC players if the clubs withdraw from the I-league, Modwel said, “Yes, we would definitely like to have some players in our squad. But, we can’t say anything about it right now.”

The club has signed former Fiorentina and Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu as the marquee player, with Didier Zokora, Yendrick Ruiz, Nicky Shorey, Steve Simonsen, Diego Colottoand Roger Johnson as the other overseas players. The squad consists of India’s midfield maestro Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Gouramangi Singh, Jackiechand Singh, Lenny Rodrigues, Manish Maithani, Israil Gurung, Pritam Kotal, Dharmaraj Ravanan, Arindham Bhattacharya, Lalit Thapa, Gurjinder Kumar, Fanai Lalrempuia, Bikash Jairu, Susanth Mathew and Govin Singh. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com