The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 25/04/2015

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PUNE, APRIL 25, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE

Pune, a rising hub for sports education

TECH

CITY

Now an automatic car cover P6

Watch out for this bhajiwalla!

P3

Raju ban gaya Gentleman Pompous gait, colourful clothes, needless aggression, and even white SUVs loaded with supporters have vanished.

Politicians and industrialists from Pimpri-Chinchwad are taking fancy to formal and informal personality See Spotlight, p8-9 development courses BEFORE

BEFORE

BEFORE

BEFORE Chandrashekhar Shete, MD, Rolex Engineers

Mahesh Landge, MLA, Bhosari Constituency

AFTER

AFTER

Laxman Jagtap, MLA, Chinchwad Constituency

Shriram Handibag, MD, Planet Tools, Bhosari

AFTER

Taj under ED scanner

The hotel chain is being investigated for foreign currency transactions to the tune of around `600 crore. They are accused of setting up bank accounts in Switzerland, Oman, London without RBI’s permission and diverting funds

BY BAPU DEEDWANIA Indian Hotels Company Ltd is under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate for carrying out foreign currency transactions of over Rs 600 crores. The hotel chain, better known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is accused of setting up several bank accounts in Switzerland, Oman, London and among others without the permission of the Reserve Bank of India and diverting funds to other countries.

The Enforcement Directorate, a specialised financial investigation agency under the Department of

Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, started investigating Taj way back in 1999.

As per process they issued summons, collected documents and issued 48 show cause notices between 2000 and 2002. However, beyond that ED has not been able to make much progress as Taj hasn’t come forward and appeared before ED to give an explanation for the show cause notices.

Only after the company gives their explanation – defending or accepting the all allegations made against them – that ED will be able to initiate further action. However, since 2002 when the last set of notices were issued, ED

and Taj have been merely exchanging letters over documents that the hotel chain claims the investigating agency seized and are needed for preparing their defense.

While ED has been all along maintaining that Taj’s representatives have been given access to the documents on several occasions, the hotel chain has been claiming that some important documents have not been returned. For over a decade now, the two sides have been trading allegations through letters, with neither side budging, resulting in the investigations getting derailed.

See p2

AFTER

MUMBAI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

PUNE

“ The state government would focus on developing infrastructure and the 3,000 km long state highways would be developed as national highways” - Sudhir Mungantiwar, Finance Minister

Taj under ED scanner Contd from p1 Recently, the matter reached Bombay High Court. Taj filed a petition against ED for the documents. The HC heard both sides and eventually ordered that Taj group has to file their replies by June 30 to 48 show cause notices (SCNs) issued by ED during 2000-2002.

Why ED started probing Taj The case is against Taj, its subsidiaries and its various former directors in respect of certain exchange control violations including irregularity mainly related to information about fees received and payments made by the Company without obtaining permission of the RBI and failure to repatriate dues within the prescribed time period. All the alleged violations were committed before 1998.

Back in those days, Taj used to operate hotels in other countries and also had sales offices abroad. The group opened several bank accounts, allegedly without the permission of RBI and carried out several transactions.

In a document submitted to Securities and Exchange Board of India last year, Taj declared the notices

by ED. “Notices have been served on Piem Hotels Limited and Taj International (HK) Limited in relation to transactions that were entered into during the aforesaid years the value of which, cumulatively over a period of time, aggregates to Rs 335.92 crores (approximately) for the Company and Rs 107.09 crores (approximately) for the subsidiary companies. This amount also includes conversion of certain foreign currencies into Indian rupees calculated on average rate during the period between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2002. In addition to Rs 549.58 crores indicated above, this matter also includes value of certain transactions which are expressed in foreign currency and includes Nepalese Rupees 1.20 crores (approximately), Riyali Omanis 10.82 lakhs (approximately), Hong Kong Dollars 1.27 lakhs (approximately) and Sri Lankan Rupees 20.30 crores (approximately) for such past periods,” stated the report submitted to SEBI. Backroom drama The Taj Group of Hotels rose to its glory under Ajit Baburao Kerkar, who joined IHCL in January 1962 as assistant

catering manager. Kerkar, became the Managing Director of the hotel by 1970 and was one of the favourites of JRD and was also made a ‘super manager’ who were given full freedom to run the different wings of the family empire in their own way.

Kerkar was given the hotel wing and under him it became India’s largest and most profitable hospitality company.

However, his ways of functioning and making profits for the company led to trouble and on September 2, 1997 in the board meeting of IHCL, Ratan Tata took over as the chairman. Kerkar was made to resign in wake of the alleged Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations that surfaced against him.

Grapevine has it that after Ratan Tata took over the Tata empire is when Kerkar’s troubles began. It is said that it was Nani Palkhiwala, one of the trustees on the board, who drew Ratan Tata’s attention towards the alleged violations. Some say that a letter was sent out to Kerkar before the board meeting in September 1997, which had the finesse of a jurist enlisting the FERA violations done in relation to the overseas operations of the company and he was asked to explain the same.

However, after Kerkar was made to resign, IHCL itself had blown the whistle by providing the RBI with all the documents pertaining to the alleged violations. These violations mainly revolved around non-repatriation of dollar deposits to be made in India by IHCL and issue of Global Depositary Receipts (GDR) by IHCL’s subsidiary.

It was after this that the ED got involved and started to investigating the matter.

Violations under ED scanner According to the investigators, they received information that the erstwhile management of IHCL headed by Kerkar had indulged in various transactions in violations of provisions of FERA and FEMA. The office also received copies of documents of correspondence with RBI, representat ion by way of voluntary disclosure made by the

His innovation has a human angle P6

Cop takes staff to task for letting out violators P4

new management.

Based on information with them ED even conducted searches at the premises of Kerkar, his Executive Assistant and Senior Vice President Prasun Sengupta and other officials of IHCL. Various documents relating to foreign transactions and even currency were seized during these raids.

On scrutiny of these documents the ED issued summons to AP Goel, GM, Finance who told ED that there was a change in the senior management when the Board of Directors at IHCL asked Kerkar to step down as CMD. Some other senior executives also left the company and a chartered accountant firm was appointed by IHCL after certain queries were raised by RBI pertaining to the international operations of the Taj Group.

The investigations culminated into 48 show cause notices to IHCL for serious foreign exchange violations.

In the case made out by ED against Taj Group various offences under FERA and FEMA laws have been made out.

ED has also made a case of Criminal conspiracy against some of the then directors.

IHCL’s defence Replying to one of the show cause notices, Taj through its solicitors Crawford Bayley&Co. – way back in 2002, maintained that at the relevant time Kerkar was the CMD of the company and Sengupta his EA and also the Senior VP operations.

In their reply Taj stated, “Mr Kerkar and Mr Sengupta constituted the operating management of the company,” says IHCL. Throughout their reply IHCL maintained that they were led to believe that Kerkar is conducting the activities of the company within the powers and authority of an MD and the board of directors and company were not aware of the ‘unauthorised activities’ carried out by the operating management.

“The Board of Directors and Company however, became aware that Mr. Kerkar had for a long time been exceeding his powers and authority and authorising activities by the company which were not mandated by the Board nor within the scope of his powers as a Managing Director. Subsequent to this discovery of the unauthorised activities, perpetrated by the operating management, Mr Kerkar resigned from the post of

FERA, FEMA VIOLATIONS The Zurich Account case According to sleuths in ED, IHCL set up a company called Cedar Bay Trading Ltd. (CBTL), which was nothing but a finance vehicle for the purchase of the Global Deposits Receipts (GDRs) of an associated company of the Taj Group. ED has framed criminal charges against IHCL and several others alleging that CBTL was set up so that these GDR’s were not disclosed or reflected in the books of accounts of any of the Taj Group of Companies.

The account of CBTL was opened with Schrodders Bank in Zurich on instructions of Prasun Sengupta (the then Vice President and Executive Assistant of Kerkar). The agency alleges that during March 1997 August 1997 US$ 115,11,529.37 were received and US$ 106,56,419.92 were transferred from the said account and that original documents were destroyed by Prasun Sengupta and a new set of documents was prepared and got signed by Shri K K Chopra another director. All these transactions were done without RBI’s permission.

Al-Ghubra Guest House case In 1976 IHCL started managing and operating Al-Ghubra Guest house in Muscat and continued to run it till December 1997. For this IHCL opened a bank account with the Commercial Bank of Oman.

ED, during the course of investigation found that multiple transactions were carried out from this account without permission from RBI. ED says that within two days of October in 1993 IHCL acquired US$ 1.075 million and transferred payment of US$ 1 million without RBI permission, which is mandatory.

“Amount of US $ 1 million was transferred from the said account to one company by the name Dencar Overseas )which had an) account with Banque Centrade Ormend Durres, Geneva on 4.10.1993 the beneficiary being one Salim Asyabi and it took place without the permis-

Chairman-cum-managing director of the company. The company thereafter also reported the various unauthorised acts committed by the operating management of the company to RBI and other governmental agencies,” IHCL stated through its solicitors.

As regards various violation pertaining to transactions done in foreign bank accounts questioned by ED, IHCL stated that all these activities were done at the instructions of Kerkar without being authorised by the board of directors and was done without their knowledge.

IHCL in its reply has requested the ED to ‘lift the corporate veil’ of the company and see the ‘actual person who has committed the impugned acts. “The company submits that the operating management comprising of Mr Kerkar and Mr Sengupta have used the corporate personality of the company for furthering their own ends,” stated the response to ED. Kerkar’s defence Throughout, Kerkar has maintained silence on the matter. In his statement to ED, he said that he had helped the growth and business of the company during his tenure and had also tried to justify various actions of his management which according to him were undertaken in the normal course of business transactions and was within the scope of permission or approval granted by the board of directors.

sion of RBI,” states the criminal charges framed by ED. Moreover, ED has alleged that payments totalling to Omani Riyals 715293.401 to its associated companies abroad out of the fees accrued by operating this guest house were made from this account. Omani Riyals 46259.082 came in this account out RBI’s permission.

London Sales Office case ED says their investigations show that in 1989 IHCL established a sales office in London UK with RBI’s permission. RBI gave permission to the Taj Group to open one account, preferably with an Indian bank. They opened this account with Natwest Bank, Victoria Street Branch, and opened two other accounts with State Bank of India without RBI’s permission. “They were required to seek permission from RBI to do so. However, no such permissions was sought from RBI,” ED investigation report stated.

Back then RBI too had written to IHCL stating that “parking of funds in these accounts was without their approval and in violation of their instructions.”

ED further has stated that the accounts opened in 1994 with SBI were not used for its sales office transaction but were used for depositing US$ 13 million which was the loan availed from ABN Amro Bank in 1996.

According to investigators, US$ 8.1 million from the loaned amount was transferred to J Henry Schrodders Bank, Geneva without RBI’s permission and that same amount was transferred to another overseas account of IHCL without RBI’s permission.

Similarly, ED during their investigations found that the SBI accounts received Pounds 1,96,346.89 from the associated companies of IHCL during 1989-97. These SBI accounts were also used to make payments of Pounds 3,31,678.05 without permission and against the conditions stipulated by RBI for the operations of their London Sales office.

Ajit Baburao Kerkar

IHCL approaches HC Between May 2002- February 2014 a lot of correspondence happened between Taj and ED. While notices were issued by ED asking the group to come for hearing of the 48 show cause notices and adjudication of proceedings, the group wrote to ED for documents, inspection of fi les, etc. to help them in their replies. However, in February 2014 IHCL fi led a writ petition in the HC saying that ED is acting in an illegal, arbitrary and unjustified manner in this case. Taj wanted all the papers that ED had taken. The hotel chain’s claim was that without the papers they will not be able to justify their stand before ED. ED, which had run out of patience, had warned them that if they do not fi le their replies soon, the adjudicating authority within would issue orders without giving them a hearing.

ED’s response to HC ED in response had told HC that associates of the hotel were given inspection, provided copies as well and all other documents that ED was not using were returned. “It is very surprising that the petitioners do not have copies of their own documents submitted in the course of the investigation and now their own replies to the show cause notices filed by them. Now they have travelled behind their demand for copies of documents not relied upon which is reflective of their conduct and their attitude to the whole proceedings,” said assistant director of the directorate. ED termed the case ‘an apparent bid to derail the ongoing adjudication proceedings’.

HC orders After hearing both the sides, HC decided in ED’s favour. The hotel chain withdrew their petition and agreed to appear before ED. HC recorded that IHCL would file their replies to the show cause notices by June 30, 2015 which If they are filed should be taken on record and duly considered by the adjudicating authority.

When TGS contacted an official from ED who is attached to the case he declined to comment saying the matter is sub-judice. Crawford Bayley&Co. solicitors for Taj also said said that they would not be able to comment on the matter. A detailed mail to Kerkar was sent by TGS regarding queries on the matter. However, no response at his end was received.

After food poisoning, Tuna Loin off Indigo Deli’s menu TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly A popular restaurant in Mumbai has had to take off tuna sandwich off their menu. One of their patrons fell ill after consuming their Grilled Tuna Loin sandwich on Tuesday.

Initially the restaurant did not take the incident too seriously. It is only after the patron’s boyfriend, who happens to be a lawyer, took to social media that the restaurant’s management in a bid to pacify him, took the tuna dish off their menu.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when Hormuz Mehta, a lawyer, had gone to Indigo Delicatessen at Palladium Mall in Lower Parel. In his post on facebook and other websites, Mehta said, “An unfortunate life threatening incident took place at Indigo Deli Palladium and to worsen the situation the Indigo Management have shown the least bit of concerned!”

He explained that he settled down with his girlfriend in the restaurant around 9 pm.

“Amongst other orders, my girlfriend ordered the tuna loin sandwich which came with the rest of the meals. Shortly after consuming the sandwich she began to feel uneasy with severe head pounding. Her entire body turned red

and her tongue swell up. It was a truly scary situation and hence we immediately left and went to the Breach Candy Hospital Emergency Room (sic),” Mehta said in his post. The doctors at the hospital administered her anti-biotics, steroids, pain killers and an IV Drip. Mehta was told that his girlfriend ‘was suffering from a case of severe food poisoning, possibly due to the consumption of tuna’.

The same night Mehta and his girlfriend left the hospital around 2 am. The next day, Mehta, who by now had regained composure, called up Indigo at 10am and spoke to a manager named Kamlesh. “I requested him, for the sake of safety of other guests to kindly check the fish. Kamlesh said he would certainly pass on the information to his head office and make them call me shortly. I shared all my contact details with him, however, I received no call or confi rmation from Indigo head office,” stated Mehta’s post.

Mehta’s only concern was that other patrons should not fall sick after consuming the tuna, which may be dated or not up to the mark. Mehta called the restaurant again at 12.30 pm only to be told that his message had been communicated to the concerned person.

“I regret to state that no one from Indigo has bothered to get in touch with me and

confi rm that the rotten tuna has indeed been disposed off and/or not served to guests. Th is is a real health scare and we expect restaurants who take pride in the quality of food they serve to be more bothered about their guests,” stated Mehta in his post put up on Thursday morning.

Within hours of him putting up the post on his facebook page and other sites, the restaurant swung into action. They convinced him to take down his posts. “Guys the issue with Indigo

Deli has been sorted. They have assured us that the tuna loin sandwich will not be available on their menu until they are certain it is safe for consumption,” stated Mehta in his new post.

When The Golden Sparrow contacted him, he refused to comment.

Indigo on its part confi rmed that the tuna dish has now been taken off their menu across all their restaurants. The chain has restaurants in Colaba, Andheri, Lower Parel, Bandra,

among other places. “The couple had come to dine at our Palladium joint on Tuesday evening, after which the patron complained of discomfort and was taken to a hospital. We are informed that she is fine now. At the time when the couple had ordered the tuna dish on our menu, which is among our popular dishes, there were four other orders for the same dish.

None of the other patrons have complained.

However, we cannot run even the slightest risk and thought of taking immediate preventive measures,” said the official spokesperson of the restaurant chain.

The spokesperson added that the existing batch of tuna from all joints was asked to be discarded. “Immediate orders were sent that all tuna be thrown away and the entire team at Indigo Deli of all chains across the city was instructed to wait for fresh batch of tuna to arrive from the suppliers. We have had the same supplier for years now and have never received any complaint about this dish. But we do understand that in this business one cannot take chances and we value ourselves for excelling in customer care and satisfaction of our guests. We also reached out to the concerned couple and apologised for the trouble,” said the spokesperson. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

“I won’t let uncivilised public use our facilities like they use a public toilet. They have to display a modicum of decency and pride.”

- Ajay Shirke, President, MCA

They inspire young minds to excel P5

Sunil Pate found a unique way to overcome depression and his artistic bend got a creative outlet

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Watch out for this bhajiwalla!

Sunil Pate, one of the many vegetable vendors in Mahatma Phule Mandai, is busy sculpting a miniature temple oblivious to the commotion at the busy marketplace

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka Everybody around is yelling at the top of their voice trying to attract buyers. Potential customers are haggling with vendors. Those who do not have much to do, hover around and indulge in small talk. In the midst of all the chaos, one of the stall owners is busy sculpting a miniature temple. Engrossed, the man sits under his stall, oblivious to the commotion. The only thing that matters to him is the shape that the dental plaster is going to take over the next few hours.

Sunil Pate, 46, is one of the many vegetable vendors in Mahatma Phule Mandai, Pune’s largest vegetable market located in Budhwar Peth.

Unlike others, he spends more time under his stall than on it. Underneath his onion and potato stall, Pate uses the cavity, which most others used to store their wares, as his workshop.

Th is is where he has sculpted a replica of a garden, and two temples over the past three years. Each plaster sculpture costs him around `20,000.

It all started three years ago, when the vegetable vendor went into severe depression. “Th ree years back, I was cheated by a person who was really close to me. I was deeply hurt and went into depression. To come out of

it, my counselor told me to channelise my energies into something that would keep me engrossed and happy,” said Pate. The vegetable vendor for 18 years, chose to concentrate on making the plaster artifacts, something he was very fond of since his childhood days.

On a typical day, Pate opens his shop at 6.45 am sharp. Till 11 am he is busy vending his merchandise. At 11 am, he jumps out of his stall and goes into his workshop underneath. For the next few hours, he does not really care about anything except completing his latest project - a temple. By evening, he is back to his stall vending onions

and potatoes.

“Afternoons are strictly reserved for my hobby. Come what may, I never skip spending a few hours,” said Pate.

He is quick to add that he is a self

made artist. “No one taught me this art. I just started off with my imagination. My fi rst model was the replica of Mughal Garden inside Pu La Deshpande Garden, Sinhagad Road,” said Pate. Once the garden was complete, Pate decided to move on to another project. “When I realised that I could make a lot of other sculptures with the plaster, I started working on creating a temple out of it,” narrated Pate. He sits patiently for hours every day, sculpting and putting together every piece.

In his younger days, he applied for a course in a reputed college and even managed to get through it. However, his financials did not permit him to go ahead with the idea of studying art. “I was 16, when I started looking after this vegetable stall. I was the oldest sibling in the house and had to take over to feed the entire family.

I did not have the luxury of going to college to learn more sculpting back then. However, now I am following my dreams and hope that someday would be able to exhibit my works,” said Pate.

For now his art is just something that keeps him busy and helps him fight depression.

But he is clear that once he has ample models, he would like to showcase his works. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

PMC demolition squad razes with vengeance Brings down illegal extensions on footpaths by shopkeepers across the city

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) demolition squad seems to taking their duty seriously.

The staff is clearing shops’ front margins without serving any notice and are taking calls of ‘higher-ups’ only after razing illegal structures.

Major violators have constructed their shops by extending the front portion on footpaths.

Shopkeepers said that the recent attack on a municipal encroachment inspector by citizens has led to this major drive.

Some of the shops that faced PMC hammer were Ice bergs, eatsome and Oriental Kitchen on Gokhale Road in Model Colony. Ice bergs had extended

its kitchen in front of the shop by placing stoves connected to LPG pipes. Some illegal structures were concrete, exposing the civic authorities’ laxity and turning a blind eye towards such activities.

Terming it as a regular exercise, PMC carried out similar drives on Senapati Bapat Road and Law College Road.

Speaking to TGS, a civic official said that 5,000 sq ft area was cleared of encroachment till April 18.

Demolition staffer Abhimanyu Gade was threatened by a shop owner on April 18 while a drive was in progress. The citizen had asked the demolition squad to halt the drive so that he can remove his car parked near the spot.

Azim Virani, partner at Dilli

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) demolition squad clearing shops’ illegal front extensions without serving any prior notice

ROHAN PAWAR

BY RAJIL MENON @RajilMenon

PUNE

Dabha located at Riddhi Enclave Co-operative Housing Society Ltd, Viman Nagar, said that the civic body did not bother to even send a notice before razing his hotel’s front part using a JCB. “They have damaged my fridge and furniture kept outside the hotel,” Suvir Dhanda, Virani’s partner said.

PMC encroachment inspector Raju Sukhdev Londhe attached to Pune Ahmed Nagar Road ward office had to be admitted to Sassoon Hospital after he was attacked by three persons near Ramwadi Jakatnaka on April 18. An FIR was fi led at Yerawada police station.

Investigating officer Inspector

Niyas F Sheikh said that the three have been slapped with section 353, 323, 504, 506 of IPC. “We have arrested the suspects Savita Baban Jadhav, Amol Prahlad Jadhav and Sakur Sarfaraz Khan and released them on bail,” he said.

Speaking to TGS, Assistant Sub Inspector Dilip Shinde said, “PMC invites citizen complaints on encroachment and conducts demolition drives.” Citing an incident of facing political pressure, he said, “Once a shop owner asked me to have a word with a local ‘aamdaar’ (MLA) before razing the illegal structure. I ignored his demand.” rajil.menon@goldensparrow.com

Industrial task force opens to shut down Pimpri Chinchwad Small Industries Association had set up ITF to check industrial thefts

BY ARCHANA DAHIWAL @ArchanaDahiwal Industrial Task Force (ITF) set up by Pimpri Chinchwad Small Industries Association (PCSIA) in 2013 to check the number of thefts in the industrial belt became inoperative within one year.

The body funded by Nitin Bankar industria lists was inaugurated at Quality Circle, Bhosari, MIDC by former Police commissioner of Pune Gulabrao Pol. Rising number of industrial thefts had alarmed industrialists to form a single force to register complaints and solve cases. There are nearly 8,000 industries in Bhosari MIDC. Speaking to TGS, PCSIA president Nitin Bankar said, “Incidents of theft reduced remarkably in Bhosari MIDC within the initial months of ITF’s formation. Lack of funds forced ITF to reduce patrolling as some industrialists were reluctant to pay their monthly contribution. They said that keeping watchmen and installing CCTv facility at their factory were

enough. Fund crunch led to shutdown of force and the area reported rise in thefts again.”

According to a PCSIA member, the association had to visit each unit in the industrial belt every month to collect funds. Each unit had to pay Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,000 for ITF service. The force, including a patrol vehicle, two policemen and an industry representative, used to patrol the area from 8 pm to 8 am. The monthly expenditure was Rs 70,000.

ITF covered sector 7 and sector 10 industrial localities where maximum thefts were reported.

PCSIA established ITF after former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar asked the association to set up its own force on temporary basis.

Pawar’s assurance to take up security issue with state home department failed to take shape.

Bankar said that theft incidents shoot up during summer but many cases go unreported. “Industrial units are spread across different pockets of Pimpri-Chinchwad belt. Apart from Bhosari MIDC, these industries are situated in Nigdi, Talwade, Dehu Road, Somatane Phata, Chinchwad and Moshi. Many owners of units do not know their police jurisdiction. They are made to run from one police chowky to another. Hence, factory owners avoid registering police complaints,” he said. archana.dahiwal@goldensparrow.com

Former CP Gulabrao Pol inaugurated the industrial task force systgem at Bhosari MIDC on August 7, 2013

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

PUNE

“Now besides routine work the depot managers are expected to to take decisions on their fleet as per commuters requirement.”

- Dr Pravin Ashtikar, Joint MD PMPML

Get children hooked to something worthy

DNA barcoding to the rescue of India’s ornamental fish

P10

P12

Traffic cops go easy on big cars, target 2-wheelers Tilak Road-Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalay Chowk, 10 am

BY PRIYANKKA DESHPANDE @journopriyankka Early this week, traffic chief took his juniors to task for not taking action against four wheelers but penalising two wheelers during the drink driving drive.

Seven traffic cops were attached to control room after Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic Department) Sarang Awad asked the team to produce list of errant drivers and found only two wheelers as offenders.

They were allowed to resume duty only after they promised to not ignore four wheelers.

TGS Team visited a few heavy traffic spots to observe action taken against offenders on the ground.

We found that small cars and two wheelers were stopped for breaking rules but owners of lavish cars went scot-free.

Awad claimed that car drivers are more disciplined than two-wheeler riders. “Most of the car drivers follow traffic rules. Action taken against two and four wheelers are proportionate.

There are 33 lakh two-wheelers in the city, while the population of cars is seven lakh. Going by this difference, number of action taken against twowheeler will obviously be more than cars,” he said. priyankka.deshpande@goldensparrow.com

Alka Chowk, 4 pm

PICS BY ANIRUDHA RAJANDEKAR

Seven cops were transferred to Control Room after they were found to have booked only two-wheeler riders

Vehicles coming from Lakdi Bridge halt at traffic signal in Alka Chowk in the evenings. Traffic cops stationed at the spot catch bikers who try to use this stretch and issue challans. Two wheelers are not allowed to access Lakdi Bridge between 9 am and 7 pm.

However, apart from two wheelers, drivers of small cars were also targeted. No car driver broke the rule, but they were asked to documents. Posh cars were not stopped.

A biker coming from Swargate broke signal at Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalay Chowk. Cops issued a challan of Rs 100 against the biker. Soon, a car sped down Tilak Road when the signal was red five cops stationed at the chowk preferred to ignore the incident.

After 15 minutes, a transport car also broke the signal and no traffic cop thought of taking action against the violator.

Simla Office Chowk, 5.30 pm

The junction sees heavy traffic as vehicles approach the chowk from three directions. But action was taken against vehicles coming from Shivaji Maharaj Road and going towards Ganeshkhind Road.

Here also challans were issued to two wheeler violators and cars passed by under the nose of traffic cops breaking traffic rules.

Family of slain techie uses social media to seek justice One year on, cops are yet to solve murder of Abhishekh Roy TGS Quiz Contest

A

No. 45

nswers to the following 10 questions are embedded in the stories featured in this edition. Send us the correct answers at contest. tgs@gmail.com and be one of the two lucky winners to receive gift coupons.

1. Where is Indigo Delicatessen located in Mumbai?

2. Who is Nitin Bankar?

3. What did Siddharth Kadam invent?

4. Which new app helps to reveal mysterious callers?

5. Name the COEP student who has won two Google awards?

6. What is Madhuri Banerjee’s latest book?

7. Who is Prerna Sahane’s guru?

8. Who is Mrunalini Bhosle?

9. What is Shiv Pandit’s latest film?

10. What is Taapsee Pannu’s last released film?

Contest # 44

winner

Rajendra Pandit

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke An elderly father is running from pillar to post to get justice for his son who was killed by unidentified robbers in Wagholi a year ago. Police are yet to crack the case.

Twenty-five-year-old Abhishekh Roy of Bhopal was murdered in his rented apartment on June 3, 2014 in a burglary attempt. Sharat Roy, the victim’s father, has started a Facebook campaign to bring the culprits to book.

“Police have neither arrested anyone nor closed the fi le. I met Pune Rural Police Superintendent Manojkumar Lohiya sahib recently and he told me that investigations are still on,” the father of murdered techie said.

“I think it is a pre-planned coldblooded murder while police are claiming that unidentified thieves have committed the offence. My son was found dead in front of his room, while his roommates were present in the fl at. The other rooms on the floor were bolted from outside when the incident took place while the landlord’s house was open. A lie detector test must be conducted to reveal the truth,” he said.

Sharad said that roommates should undergo the test.

“He had told me about some people in the neighbourhood who had threatened him a few days ago of his murder. It happened late night when my son was returning to his fl at from Pune city. Some youths gheraoed him, took his name and address and went away,” he said.

Denying the claims made by police that it was a burglary attempt that went out of hand, Sharad said that no personal belongings were missing from the room.

The father said that another techie was also selected for the job before the appointment was fi nally given to Abhishekh. “The police should explore this angle also as the disgruntled youth might have taken revenge,” he said.

Lohiya said that police have questioned many people. “Primafacie, it is suspected that some

Apartment where Abhishekh Roy of Bhopal was killed by unidentified robbers in Wagholi a year ago

Elderly parents of Abhishekh Roy demands justice for his son who was killed by unidentified robbers

thieves entered the house and spotted Abhishekh in the veranda. The suspects stabbed him and fled,” he said.

The victim’s fl at is located in an

isolated spot surrounded by farms.

Bharati Ramesh Satav, the rented house’s owner and one of the witnesses in the case, said that Abhishekh shared the second-floor room with

other boys. “They were good friends fields and shouting loudly,” she said. and staying here for almost three “I asked my son to check it out. months,” he said.

The other roommate The main entrance called us upstairs where to the building, Abhishekh was found constructed six years in an injured state. We ago, can be locked. rushed him to a nearby “I generally give a private hospital and duplicate key to the later shifted him to tenants as they come another private hospital in irregular timings,” in Pune,” she added.

Bharati, who gives away Abhishekh was eight rooms on rent, pronounced dead in a said. private hospital located Describing the on the Bund Garden incident, Bharati Road.

- SHARAT ROY said that she and her “Policemen call us family members were once in 15 days and sleeping when one of quiz us but we do not Abhishekh’s roommates screamed know what is happening in the case,” and came running down stairs. “The she said. roommate ran chasing someone in the gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

“I think it is a preplanned coldblooded murder.”

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

“Consumer law has to be dynamic and not static owing to the growth of e-commerce. Real problems of the consumers should be solved in order to curtail crimes against consumers.”

— Justice DK Jain, President, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

Your favourite plant is now just a click away!

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What is high frequency trading and how it affects you?

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They inspire young minds to excel

Suresh Joshi, Vilas Mujumdar and Sourabh Deshpande have been coaching deficient kids at Deccan Gymkhana pool for 30 years

attention on them,” said Joshi.

PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

Above: Vilas Mujumdar coaching physically deficient kids at Tilak tank in Deccan Gymkhana Right: Suresh Joshi instructing and encouraging kids to take up swimming

BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish Coaches of physically deficient kids are always living examples of patience, perseverance and dedication. The classic example is Pune’s swimming trainers Suresh Joshi (58), Vilas Mujumdar (55) and Sourabh Deshpande (30), who have been instructing physically deficient children at Tilak tank in Deccan Gymkhana for the past 30 years for free.

The trio has produced a generation

of swimmers and their wards have achieved success in competitive events.

International swimmer Gouri Gadgil, whose success story became the script of Marathi movie Yellow; Rutvik Joshi, who has qualified for the Special Olympics to be held in the US in 2016 and national swimmer Rucha Chitale are a few names who trained under them at Deccan Gymkhana.

Over 300 swimmers, including mentally, hearing and visually deficient children and those with autism and Down Syndrome are learning the sport

from Joshi, Mujumdar and Deshpande.

When an asthmatic girl met Joshi in 1980 with a wish to become a successful swimmer, he was at a loss for words. The girl’s determination inspired the coach to take up the challenge.

“That was the turning point of my life. I used to coach regular swimmers, but I realised that these kids require more help. They not only need guidance to excel in the sport but also confidence to overcome hurdles that they face in life. From that day, I focussed my

LIFE AROUND PHURSUNGI DUMPING YARD PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

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1. Stray dogs are a menace at the Phursungi dumping yard. They attack ragpickers 2. Uruli Devachi farmer Ananta Bhadale gave up the idea of cultivating his field. He found plastic strewn all over after ploughing, making it difficult for him to sow 3. Leachate from the dumping ground has seeped into his well contaminating it and rendering it useless for drinking and farming 4. Two-year-old Ranvir Bire falls sick every second week and is constantly under medication. Owing to his sickness, he has been asked to relocate from Uruli Devachi village by his doctor 5. Sultan Shah Yakubshah has white spots on his chest that keep recurring as soon as he stops medication

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MAJOR CHALLENGES Joshi said that every child needs individual attention. “A regular swimmer can learn after 5-6 instructions but these kids require at least 20-25 instructions. I have to repeat everything every day for some students,” he said.

He said that a coach must understand the behavioural pattern of these kids to earn their respect, love and trust.

“Sometimes they just ignore you or get violent. I still have marks on my body when a student became hyper and scratched my back till it bleed. But you can’t just shout at them because they don’t understand what they are doing is wrong,” he said.

Joshi learnt Braille to coach two visually deficient kids from Kothrud but soon realised its futility as he can’t use text in pool. “It was a learning process for me as I realised that sound is like vision for them and I used the medium accordingly. Both girls are now doing well in contests,” he said.

EXPERIENCE RULES A SSC pass out, Joshi compensates his lack of theoretical knowledge with years of experience.

“Normally a swimmer alerts us about any medical condition. But these kids can’t express themselves well and I have to keep an eye on them always.

My observation is that their skin becomes bluish when they are down with any medical problem. I don’t know the reason behind the physical change, but I immediately pull the kid out from pool and inform parents who has to always accompany students,” said Joshi.

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is a good example. After her success, parents’ approach towards their kids has changed,” said Deshpande.

M u j u m d a r , who retired from Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology Department, Pune, as a scientist gives credit to Deccan Gymkhana PARENT’S - SURESH JOSHI officials and swimming APPROACH Deshpande, who department secretary has been training kids Sonal Dixit. for 14 years, said that parents should “The club gives free passes to realise their wards’ potential by those who can’t afford tank fees. providing them right training at the Earlier, parents used to carry their right age. kids to the pool. Authorities have now “Most parents fall into depression built a ramp for wheelchairs after they and cut off from society when they accepted our request,” said Mujumdar. find that their kid is deficient. It is “It gives us immense satisfaction a very wrong method. Instead they when we see these kids leading a should take the kid out and socialise confident life. The smile on the faces by taking part in physical activities. I of these kids and parents is the highest have seen improvement in kids when reward for us,” he said. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com they take up swimming. Gouri Gadgil He said that doctors who regularly visit the pool for practice, advice him on the medical conditions that the kids face. “Before enrolling any kid, I ask his/ her medical history and symptoms from parents,” he said.

“I have to repeat everything every day for some students.”

TECH

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

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Of every eight married couples in the US last year met online.

— http://www.thechive.com

A project to turn corpses into compost

Undri suffers from poor infrastructure

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Now an automatic car cover

Upset over a couple fighting over who will put car cover every day, bank clerk Siddharth Kadam develops an automatic version

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke

He faced difficulty to move the cover across the wipers on the front windshield. “I fitted two small aluminium sheets over them from where the pullers system can pass over the wipers,” he said.

The unit of pipes and cover can be fitted beneath the rear bumper of the car and it can be used anywhere. “It weighs around three kgs and can be fitted over the bumper. I am designing it in such a way that it will not compromise with car’s exterior looks,” he said, adding that his product will not cost over Rs 10,000.

The desire to seek a solution to resolve the daily argument between a neighbourhood couple as to who should put the car cover in the evening turned 49-year-old bank clerk Siddharth Yashwant Kadam into an inventor.

The employee of a cooperative bank located in Pimpri has developed an automatic car cover.

His petition seeking patent for intellectual property rights (IPR) has been accepted and will be granted in 2016.

Kadam stays in a modest house located at Nehru Nagar in Pimpri with his wife Kavita and two sons. He put in his savings to make the product.

INITIAL JOURNEY Working on different ideas, managing fi nance and giving ample time reflected Kadam’s dedication to design the product.

“It all started in 2011. One of my neighbourhood family bought a new car. The young couple used to put a car cover made of fibre every evening, but argued a lot over this daily routine. Feeling upset, I thought of developing an automatic car cover to avoid such domestic confrontations in public. My invention would also save time,” he said.

FACING FAILURES With not much of background in science, the commerce graduate started working on various models.

“After developing the idea, I bought a second-hand car for Rs 75,000 and started working

Siddharth Yashwant Kadam employee of a cooperative bank has developed an automatic car cover

on it. At fi rst, I thought to put motorised arms on either sides

“It weighs around three kgs and can be fitted over the bumper” SIDDHARTH YASHWANT KADAM

of the car, each one in the centre of the car (beneath the door fitments) but it did not work out.

Even my idea to put hydraulic metal arms failed,” he said.

The bank clerk tried motors and cables to automate the covering movement, but was unsatisfied with the result.

“I have spent more that Rs 60,000 on buying materials, motors and covers in the past four years,” said Kadam, whose monthly salary is Rs 35,000 and liabilities include a house loan.

TASTING SUCCESS “The idea to use plastic pipes

synchronised with bicycle gears and chains worked. One of the pipes holds the car cover, while the other releases it and, while retrieving, the other pipe pulls it back,” he said.

The micro nylon ropes is fitted over the rear windshield, top, front windshield and on the engine compartment. “The nylon ropes have been fitted in small pipes with a cut to release ropes.

As ropes are pushed forward towards the bonnet, the cover is pulled up and forward with the help of a puller system, made with small wheels and aluminium sheets. It worked well,” he said.

PATENT PROGRESS Kadam met Great Mission Group Consultancy founder Ganesh Hingmire after reading a news article about patents and innovations authored by the advocate and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) consultant. “I discussed my idea with him and lots of paper work followed. It was immediately submitted for patent in November 2011 and my product will be patented soon,” he said.

Hingmire said that with the details of patent been published across the world, he can either commercially produce the product or give the rights to private companies. “I have all the rights of the patent except right to fi le a suit for infringement. I can also restrict infringement.

Only one per cent applications for patents is fi led by individuals, rest 99 per cent are submitted by companies, universities, private laboratories and experimenting divisions,” he said. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

New Facebook app will reveal mysterious callers

Use your smartphone, smartly

Facebook has launched a new caller ID-type app for Android users that uses data from Facebook to tell you who is calling and will help you block unwanted calls.

The app called Hello matches phone numbers of incoming and outgoing calls to Facebook profi les to show you who you are talking to.

It also blocks calls from commonly blocked numbers and searches for businesses to call. The feature will only work if the caller has shared his number with Facebook and if you would normally be able to see that information.

For example, if you share your number publicly, people with Hello downloaded will know it is you calling even if they do not have you as a contact.

Available as a free app for Android smartphones from the Google Play Store, Hello is a customized and useful phone experience that taps into your Facebook account to surface relevant information related to making calls. Th is is how it works. Once downloaded, you sign in with Facebook, and give it permissions to sync your contacts with Facebook and interact with calls.

When a user gets a call, the app - built by Facebook’s Messenger team - shows information about who’s calling, even if that number is not saved in that user’s phone.

However, it will only show information that people have already shared with the user (or publicly) on Facebook.

Hello lets you ‘block’ specific numbers which means they get sent directly to voice mail. You’ll be able to search for people and businesses. And when you do the latter, you’ll even be able to look up business hours, make a reservation at a restaurant or get directions.

The app also promotes the use of free calling over WiFi, something that has long been a part of Messenger.

With permission, Hello will add profi le pictures and other information to the contacts in your address book. It can also serve as an enhanced version of your phone book, with extra information about friends and others shown inline as you scroll through contacts. The app is linked to Facebook Messenger, so you can text a person instantly without having to open that app separately.

It’s like Yelp, Open Table and Google Maps rolled into your the phone app. Hello works and looks quite similar to caller ID app TrueCaller.

IANS

Smartphones have been around for years. Yet, there are several users who find it difficult to use the device smartly. Here, we discuss Android-based devices, as these are most popular due to low costs and easy availability.

Are you handling your phone smartly? Some tips to get maximum out of you smartphone

BY YOGESH SAPKALE

How to get 3G data connection all the time?

The majority of the mobile phones have default settings for choosing either GSM or GSM/WCDMA preferred for data connectivity. The difference is when you use GSM network for data connectivity; you will get 2G speed, denoted by ‘E’ (Edge). In case, you are wondering why you are receiving only E when you are paying for 3G speed, the culprit, in most cases, is the selection in data connection/network.

Go to Setting>Data Setting/ More Setting>Mobile Networks> Here, you will fi nd certain settings like enabling data, preferred network type, access point names

(apn) and network operators.

Hope you have the data enabled.

If not, then enable it. Next, open the preferred network type. Here, you need to select 3G or WCDMA Only. After selecting, wait for a few seconds. You will see ‘3G’ or ‘H+’ symbol next to your network signal in the status bar. If it is there, only then you will receive 3G data. If not, then you need to check the APN setting.

(TIP: for some mobiles, you need to put in a code to change preferred network. For example, pressing *#*#4636#*#* in Yureka gives you the option to choose preferred network and check other parameters.)

Every mobile operator has different APN settings for 3G and 2G networks. Check the 3G APN settings for your operator over the Internet. Make sure the fields of proxy, port, username and password are left blank. Save it and you should now get the desired 3G network.

How to improve performance?

One of the issues with Android

devices is low RAM, internal memory and fast draining of battery.

Unfortunately, you cannot replace the RAM, internal memory or add a more power battery. So here are some tips that would give more power to your Android device. . Move apps to SD card: If your device is low on internal memory, moving apps to SD card helps in giving more space. Go to Settings>App Manager. Here, you can check which app is occupying more space. Open the app. Here, you will fi nd the option to move the app to SD card. If it is there, then do it.

If it is not there, the device-maker has not provided this feature and you have to use other app and see if you can do this. . Improve performance: For this, you need to enable the Developer Options. Go to Settings>About Device. Here you will fi nd the ‘Build number’ of the Android.

Touch it for seven times, and voila!

You have the developer options enabled. To improve performance, try reducing the window, transition and animator animation scales to minimum. If allowed, use GPU for screen compositing and force GPU rendering. In addition, in the Apps setting, select the Do Not Keep activities. Th is will kill the apps as soon as you stop using it.

If search is allowed in your device under settings, type performance.

Under System>Processor, set the minimum and maximum frequency.

Importantly, set the CPU governor setting to ‘OnDemand’. Select set on boot and reboot your device. Th is not only helps saving battery, but also keeps the device cool.

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How to protect your device The best way to keep your mobile handset safe and secure is the use a full pouch. Th is not only protects the device from unwarranted scratches, but also provides a cushion in case of accidental fall. @Moneylife.in

APP WORLD

Super-fun battery burners Mortal Kombat X iOS/Android, Free Back in the ‘90s, the stunned world was treated to an unprecedented gorefest in Mortal Kombat, one of the (until then) most violent video games ever produced. Times have change since, and compared to today’s games, where casual carjacking is part of play, it’s almost tame.

The Mortal Kombat franchise petered out over time, with interest in fighting games also waning.

With Mortal Kombat X, the genre and the game are well and truly back.

While the first game was designed for the PCs of the time and was fairly rudimentary by today’s standards, the mobile versions of Mortal Kombat X are a revelation in just how far technology has come. The graphics are 3D-rendered, action is slick and responsive and you still have those all-important “fatalities” or finishing moves.

In terms of sheer gore, the fatalities are at another level altogether, and hard to describe in words. YouTube is a better bet for you to see them yourself. But even without that particularly gratuitous letting of blood, the game is fun to play and surprisingly well adapted for mobile.

Attacks are made with swipe gestures while blocks are executed with two fingers on the screen. Lacking physical controls, the game relies on timing for the element of skill.

It works quite well. While the game is free to download, there’s only so much you can play until you’re faced with a near-impossible enemy team that outclasses yours (you play with a team of three fighters, instead of just one). At this point, you will have to upgrade skills, which, as you may have guessed, costs money in the form of in-app purchases. Mortal Kombat X is very heavy on resources and will burn through battery life faster than anything you’ve encountered. On our test iPhone 6, it was able to chew through 20% of battery within about 20 minutes of play.

With so much choice these days, it’s rare to encounter a game that keeps you coming back for more. Mortal Kombat X is such a game.

Modern Combat 5: Blackout iOS/Android, Free The latest in another long line of successful “Modern Combat” games, the fifth sequel still has what it takes.

If you’ve spent any time on a PC FPS game, you’ll appreciate that the keyboard and mouse are by far the best ways to play these games. Consoles are passable, and mobile devices are fairly unsuited to this sort of play. Modern Combat has managed to make a go of it.

Controls are configurable between on-screen buttons and “halves” of the screen, by which I mean you can designate either side of the screen as a movement are and an aim area. If you haven’t guessed already, the object of the game is to point your gun at the opposing force with enough accuracy to get a clean shot, ultimately eliminating it.

Modern Combat 5 takes the “freemium” route. It’s free to download, but after a few missions, you find yourself unable to advance without buying some upgrades. The single-player campaign mode is where you’re likely to come up against this wall. There’s a multiplayer module as well, so that gives you some replay value regardless. Again, take care of your battery life, as this one’s intense enough to burn through it fairly quickly.

Dark Echo iOS/Android, Rs 120/Rs 100 Dark Echo is a unique game replete with the subtlety that’s totally lacking from the games you read about above. You’re faced with a completely black screen, and have to imagine looking vertically down on your character. Except you can’t see him/her, ever. The only interaction possible is tapping on the screen to move your character forward, which is indicated by the sound of footsteps and a visual indication of your steps that fades over time. Each step echoes through the space you’re in, indicated by lines radiating outward from the step, bouncing off walls and giving you a brief glimpse of the boundaries around you. It’s a bit like the visual version of sonar, and it’s very clever.

There are puzzles to solve. For instance, there are doors that need to be opened by activating certain switches.

Occasionally, you’ll chance upon a bunch of red lines, which you have to imagine is some kind of monster, because when it catches up with you, there’s a scream and the sound of evisceration. There are also other boundaries that show up red as you walk along, so don’t get too close. Dark Echo is a simple, clever game that keeps you occupied and has plenty of replay value. It’s also probably the game you’ll be able to play longest, considering it’s modest requirements from the hardware of your device.

Watch for sales, we got this one free!

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

“We believe over the next few years the biggest opportunity in the personal transportation sector is the build-up of shared economy” — Rajiv Vij, Carzonrent chief executive

“Our expertise in agile, analytics, cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) is making impact. Our customer satisfaction levels are at a record three-year high” — Krishnakumar Natarajan Mindtree chief executive

Winner of two Google awards at 21 21-yr-old COEP student Shashwat Pradhan has launched three start-ups in two years, wins two Google awards

TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly For the College of Engineering Pune (CoEP) fourth year computer engineering student Shashwat Pradhan, launching start-ups runs in the family.

The son of Sanjay Pradhan, who along with his wife Rachna Pradhan founded the state-of-the-art antispyware solutions Max Secure Software in February 2002, became the co-founder of two start-ups when he was 19 years old in 2013.

The young entrepreneur cofounded the teams that launched Decoding and Hack Planet, and ReFocus Labs, a product developer that has many apps. ReFocus Labs had won BlackBerry’s AngelHack Startup Challenge and People’s Choice Award of Blackberry Jam Asia.

Two apps from the 21-year-old’s fi rm Emberify, launched in June 2014 with an initial investment of two lakhs,— Instant and Earn That Bite — have won Google awards.

“Instant, a leading life logging and Quantified Self platform, has won Google Fit Developer Challenge Grand Prize. Instant tracks the user’s device usage, app usage, fitness, travel and places. Earn That Bite bagged the second prize,” Shashwat said.

According to Shashwat, who dons the role of serial entrepreneur, tech evangelist, mobile applications developer and BlackBerry Developer Elite, Instant tracks how much time the user spend on the device/apps every day, how much the user walks, how much the user travels and spends time in places. Instant is developed to promote a balanced lifestyle by providing the user relevant data. His start-up Emberify is building mobile apps leveraging new

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age technologies - Cloud, context and analytics.

Earn That Bite is a fitness app. The user can set their favourite food or drink and walk throughout the day to earn that target. It is developed in collaboration with designer Shreya Chandorkar.

“Getting recognition from Google is inspiring and motivating. It’s great to see smartphone users embracing the Quantified Self movement,” said Shashwat Pradhan, the founder & CEO of Emberify.

Emberify has also partnered with Russian-made dual-screen smartphone YotaPhone to bring Instant to the ‘always on’ YotaPhone EPD (electronic paper display). Instant will also be launching for iOS and the web in May, allowing users on all platforms to life log, bringing in new tracking metrics. The team also works on some creative apps as side projects. Instant is available for all Android devices 4.0 onwards. It is available on Google (PlayTM:https://play. google.com/store/apps/details?id=com. emberify.instant) Speaking to TGS, Shashwat said, “We have created five other apps under Emberify — Cards is a new way to explore Instagram.

With cards, one can quickly swipe through your Instagram feed; Reminder Now is an app that gives the user reminders based on his/ her location and requirements; Split offers iOS users to multitask with split screen for iPad and iPhone; Inbox Zero allows BlackBerry 10

Sooperfly: To empower Asia’s digital video market

users to put off unread emails with reminders for later. It is an email productivity app with a quick snooze options for emails. Users can manage emails through Inbox Zero; Follow Mail offers follow ups, custom notifications and fast read for email.

The new adaptive theme automatically changes the theme according to the environment lighting.”

Shashwat’s parents are from IIT Kanpur. His elder brother works with Switzerland-based multinational fi nancial services Credit Suisse Group in the US and his younger brother is studying in Delhi Public School.

“Smartphone addiction and overuse is a growing health and societal concern. Instant helps in tracking the usage. Similarly, Earn That Bite monitors progress when losing weight, quantifying your habits and leading a healthy life,” he said.

Instant is free on Google Play and paid service on BlackBerry World.

Talking about mentors who guided him in his entrepreneurial pursuit, Shashwat said, “I am grateful to my father and Google’s Gaurav Garg for channelising my thought process and encouraging me.”

Shashwat’s team comprises five members whose mission is to increase user productivity and make an online impact. “Over two lakh people are using our apps. Our future target is more smartphone penetration and facilitating and disciplining users.

We are working towards having our apps on other parameters and Apple watches,” he said. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com GET IN TOUCH C3, Parmar Garden, Wanworie, Pune, http://emberify.com

Mumbai: In a move aimed at redefining the creation and distribution of digital video, India’s The 120 Media Collective and Britain-based Diagonal View announced their Sooperfly joint venture. The companies have come together to create a platform for talent and publishers to enter the world of video creation, distribution and monetisation. As part of this, The 120 Media Collective will package professional content and substantial audiences to drive premium ad sales and brand integrations.

Explaining the concept further, Roopak Saluja, founder and CEO, The 120 Media Collective, said in a statement: “Sooperfly is The 120 Media Collective’s digital video distribution arm that gives us the capability to build content brands direct-to-audiences.”

“Diagonal View as the global leader in audience development and channel management is the ultimate partner to join forces with in taking Sooperfly to a position of leadership in empowering digital video across Asia,” Saluja added.

The company will have a threepronged approach to empowering the entire digital video ecosystem.

Firstly, it will bring new and existing talent into the digital ecosystem by breaking down barriers and providing an entire suite of services including development, production, channel management and audience building.

Secondly, it will tap into large publishers and curate, manage and monetise their existing content; and thirdly, Sooperfly will also empower and enable brands to turn publishers with the creation of video-led properties around the talent pool.

IANS

Use Twitter to woo clients New York: Businesses and organisations can utilise Twitter to increase their engagements with clients and stakeholders by streamlining the flow and content of tweets, says a study.

The researchers from University of Missouri (MU) and Louisiana State University analysed Major League Baseball (MLB) teams’ use of Twitter to engage and increase fan interest.

They found that the more individual teams released original content from their Twitter accounts, such as score updates or player profiles, the more followers they gained and engagements they initiated. The researchers said their findings could provide guidance for

many businesses struggling with how to use social media.

“Business managers know they need to be on social media, yet many do not know how to handle social media metrics to maximise positive outcomes for their businesses,” said Brian Soebbing, coauthor on the study.

For their study, the researchers analysed the Twitter accounts of all 30 MLB teams over 13 consecutive months.

They found that day-to-day increases in content creation and differences in team success on the field caused little change in the number of Twitter followers.

However, larger trends made significant differences in fan engagement

and total followers for each account.

“Trends such as an increased number of total tweets from an account over a long period of time, as well as long winning streaks and overall winning percentage all helped increase the number of followers a team had on its Twitter account,” said co-researcher Grace Yan from MU. “On the other hand, long losing streaks and fewer tweets in general correlated with losses in total numbers of followers,” Yan added. They also found that while higher levels of activity on teams’ Twitter accounts such as original content creation led to more followers.

IANS

THE FASTEST READS ON THE WEB

Fashalot to help retailers with their sales Fashalot is a horizontal technology platform that connects shoppers and retailers to increase foot traffic and engagement at stores. Th rough their unique mobile app shoppers can discover the fi nest labels in apparel, footwear and accessories available at stores at their nearest locations. On the retailer’s front – storeowners can expect foot traffic from Fashalot that will increase sales and the share of wallet from existing customers.

Founded by Amit Koshal, Rishi Batra and Amit Sharma, the team has a good contextual combination of digital business, investment and technology experience. Fashalot has already signed-up with multiple brands and retailers and also many stand alone shops with a cumulative retail sales turnover of Rs 3,000 crores.

UrbanClap builds m-commerce for services

Paytm enters grocery segment After Amazon, Alibaba-backed mobile marketplace Paytm has forayed into the grocery delivery space. The company will initially start with Bengaluru and will roll out in Delhi by May this year. At present, the company is partnering with retailers in Bengaluru and will soon start delivery in some parts of the city.

“We are testing the grocery space as we see an immense potential,” says Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO, Paytm.

Paytm has also partnered with third party logistics partner in Bengaluru.

“We have been working on the grocery vertical for the past four months and the beta run of our separate app for grocery will be out in a few weeks,” adds Vijay. The company plans to reach 10,000 transactions in the grocery space in the fi rst few months.

Batchmates from IIT Kanpur Varun Khaitan and Abhiraj Bhal met Raghav Chandra, an engineer at Twitter and shared ambitions, interests and complementary skills. The company founded by the trio, UrbanClap, is claimed to be one of the largest mobile services marketplace in India today. They have raised Rs 10 crores in funding from SAIF Partners, Accel Partners and the founders of Snapdeal, Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal.

UrbanClap enables users find any service professional like a plumber, a yoga teacher or interior designer. They have more than 10,000 customers every month and have made connections for more than five crores in business value.

We have more hooning and sliding action on our YouTube channel. Subscribe and comment.

Four cylinders, four doors, all-wheel drive. The CLA 45 AMG and Evo X misbehaving around the hills.

Wet conditions and the Jaguar V8 R Coupe addup to an impossibly fun afternoon spent mostly sideways.

We went to the top of the world in an insane rally Thar and a Suzuki V-Strom 1000. We came back too.

Look our for the alive logo in the magazine to watch the action unfold

Going back to when Toyota’s were cool, we drive a custom Supra with a big turbo and come away scared, and maybe a bit wistful.

w w w. a l iv e a r. c o m

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

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Raju ban gaya gentleman Pompous gait, colourful clothes, needless aggression, and even white SUVs loaded with supporters have vanished. Politicians and industrialists from Pimpri-Chinchwad are taking fancy to formal and informal personality development courses

BY ARCHANA DAHIWAL @ArchanaDahiwal Politicians from Pimpri-Chinchwad are no longer what they used to be. Not so long ago, their success was defi ned by the vehicles they travelled in (mostly white SUVs with dark tinted glasses), their nuisance value, and most importantly the number of people they managed to intimidate just by their mere presence. But all that’s passé.

The pompous gait, colourful clothes, needless aggression, and even white SUVs loaded with supporters have vanished.

They are now replaced by formal clothes (linen continues to

be their favourite), polite conversations, and smaller cars.

‘Haan bol’ while answering their calls - that is if they did pick up phones themselves - is now replaced by a polite ‘hello’. They are no longer unapproachable or intimidating either. They no longer exuberate arrogance.

The change, according to politicians, is largely inspired by changing demographics and the kind of people who have come to settle down in their areas over the last few years.

They now represent the educated middle and upper middle class. And with changing times, a whole lot of politicians from twin towns have taken formal or informal coaching in personality development.

Not stopping at merely changing how they appear to the outside world, politicians in Pimpri-Chinchwad have also raised the level of debates and how they deal with issues in their constituencies. Instead of making allegations or shouting slogans against their opponents and government officers, the men in white, or should we say suit-boot, now believe in sitting across the table and ironing out the problems through dialogue.

Earlier they owned fancy cellphones, but didn’t care much about social media. That has changed too. They are on Facebook, Twitter and even use mobile applications designed to address public grievances. Most importantly, politicians

no longer depend on their intellectual karyakartas to look up on technical or complex issues. Instead they themselves get down to understanding the basics of such issues these days and surprisingly have become more than adept at holding sensible debates with bureaucrats. In short, they are beating the babus at their own game.

Inspired by politicians, industrialists and businessmen from the region too have joined the personality development wagon. Their casual attire, arrogant swagger and conversations in harsh tones are history. The only thing they have retained from the past is shrewd business sense. archana.dahiwal@goldensparrow.com

Laxman Jagtap, MLA,, Chinchwad Constituency The 52-year-old has been an elected representative since 1986. His reputation was that of a go-getter, aggressive and short tempered politician. But that’s history now.

“I am like more like a watchman of modern suburbs with five lakh voters, of which around four lakhs are white collared employees,” said Jagtap, who introduced Sarathi, an online information system for citizens in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Jagtap was known as a street-smart politician who went around getting work done from officers at any cost. His word was final. Now he is a suave politician, who dresses in formals, uses social media extensively and most importantly is open to debates.

NEED FOR CHANGE “I think it may have happened thanks to my new friend circle who convinced me that change is essential. Also, I am inspired by the manner and style in which our new Chief Minister and Prime Minister function,” said Jagtap.

The fi rst and foremost thing he acquired as a part of change programme was his oratory skills. He also took to social media to express himself and hear what others had to say. “I started using social media and did my best to understand technology. They go a long way in resolving issues pertaining to a fast developing area. I also realised that I needed to be a good orator, a skill which I think I lacked earlier,” he said.

Jagtap’s mother used to tell him to emphasise on action than words.

“Earlier, I invested a lot of time and energy in action. Now it’s a mix of both – action and speech. It’s important to communicate and let people know what you believe in,” said Jagtap. He added, “I am happy with this change within me. I realised that sometimes your silence leads to confusion and is often misunderstood.”

Another drastic change in Jagtap is his style of functioning. Better known as Bhau, the people’s representative would earlier issue a diktat and it had to be followed. A problem pertaining to his area was taken up with the authorities and they had to tow the line, or face his wrath. Now, it is all

about understanding the problem extensively, sending representations to officials concerned, and holding debates if necessary. Insiders reveal that the new ‘Bhau’ is a lot more effective. One of his close friends explains that earlier the politician would approach officers directly with problems and asked them to resolve the issues immediately.

“The officers would, out of fear, give assurances, just to get him off their backs. Once he was out of sight they would conveniently forget and only get their act together when he would approach them again with a stern warning. Now that’s changed. Th rough paperwork and representations he gets his work done. He continues to command the same amount of respect as he did earlier, may be even more,” said his friend.

As for attire, he is spotted in formal clothing more often.

At times, he does switch to casual pair of jeans and shirts.

But his choice of colours is far more sober than it used to be.

His love for big and expensive cars hasn’t changed though.

“I am fond of new vehicles. It doesn’t mean that if I use an expensive vehicle, my voters are going to think any differently,” he said.

society has changed and business has also flourished,” he said.

NEED FOR CHANGE “I began my carrier with Tata Motors Ltd and Bajaj Auto Ltd before starting my 1,000 sq ft unit at Chikhali.

I used to only designing parts before recession hit the industry in 2008 and suppliers demanded designing plus manufacturing under one roof. I accepted the challenge

Mahesh Landge, MLA, Bhosari Constituency The personality of this 38-year-old politician has changed drastically. His attire may not have changed much, but his disheveled beard is gone. It has replaced a well maintained trimmed one. His mannerisms have changed completely.

Gone are expensive cars, as so is the case with his brusque tone.

Landge entered politics when he was in college. Th ree term corporator in PCMC, former standing committee chairman and now an independent Member of Legislative Assembly from Bhosari, fi rmly believes that people should not follow their leader, instead the leader should follow his people.

“I am happy that I broke the tradition and is now known for being a people’s neta. I am 24x7 available for citizens in my constituency,” he said.

NEED FOR CHANGE A wrestler from a young age, Landge has changed his style of functioning completely. He is no longer aggressive or demanding. He is assertive but polite now.

People close to him reveal that earlier he would get his work done by hook or crook. He used to be impatient and would not stop at raising his voice against bureaucrats and babus who procrastinated. While he managed to get his way around, he realised that the style of functioning did not suit a public figure, who represented educated middle class. Now, rather than raising his voice and putting his foot down with officers, Landge tends to hold a conversation.

He understands limitations within the system and figures how to get around them.

One of the foremost changes he brought in himself was use of social media. Apart from the social networking sites through which his constituents can reach him, he is accessible on WhatsApp. He receives over 1,000 messages every day, and each one is tracked by his team of professional workers. His constituency has around 3.44 lakh voters, of which over 50 per cent are educated middle class working in IT parks and manufacturing units in the area.

The 38-year-old explains that he started using Orkut in 2008 and over the years has realised the power of social media. He has installed Netaji app on his cellphone through which citizens can reach out to him and lodge complaints. “My constituency has a lot of youth. They are my strength and my guiding force. I am techno-savvy due to them,” said Landge.

On mannerism front, he has changed a lot. He has been taking personality development lessons from his friends.

One of his close friends revealed that these days one hears words like ‘thank you’, ‘welcome’ and ‘sorry’ from Landge.

“He has been making a conscious effort to improve his personality. He never lets a call go unattended. He is suave now and welcomes suggestions. He is approachable and his popularity is on rise due to his newly acquired mannerism,” said his friend.

On appearance front, there hasn’t been any major change. He continues to wear his linen jhabba-kurta. His

big cars are no longer on public display. He avoids using lavish cars when out meeting people. He prefers to travel on small cars and if he does travel in an expensive vehicle, he parks it at a distance before entering a housing society for a citizen meet. He can be seen riding a bike often.

“I am here because of citizens. I have changed for them. Quite a few of my well wishers suggested that I need to change, and I have started implementing some of them,” said Landge, sitting in his office which resembles one of a corporate honcho. His working table has an Apple computer, which he uses extensively for his research work and to connect with citizens. There are no banners or hoardings outside his office. These days he is busy setting up a team of 27 advisors, including retired IAS officers, to work with him. With an in-depth understanding of the area and what people want, he often advises corporate houses about CSR activities they should be taking up.

NEED FOR CHANGE

LESSER KNOWN FACTS The 52-year-old politician is a vegetarian and extremely health conscious. He wakes up at 5 am and goes for a 13-km walk. He prefers home cooked food over eating outside. If it’s turning out to be a long day at work, he calls for his tiffin from home. Not so media savvy earlier, he doesn’t shy away from camera anymore.

Shriram Handibag, MD, Planet Tools, Bhosari

The mechanical engineer who runs an industrial unit at Bhosari MIDC considers himself a businessman of the modern world. And motivational speaker, business coach and corporate trainer Bhupendra Singh Rathore, fondly called BSR, has made the transformation in his personality. His factory designs and manufactures press tools and inspection fistures.

“I have noticed a positive change in my interests, hopes and decision-making power. My outlook towards

PUNE

The managing director of Rolex Engineers, a leading thread and spline rolling, CNC machining and centreless grinding service providing company in the automobile industry for 25 years, joined a motivational training course a few months ago. And Shete regrets of not joining the educational module earlier. Despite belonging to a political family, he established the factory over 11,000 sq ft at Bhosari MIDC. “I was a bit hesitant to join the course,” he said.

Surprising his family for joining the industry rather than entering into politics, Shete for the first time took a 16-day leave to attend the motivational training course in his 15 years of industry carrier.

The Member of Legislative Assembly has been in politics for three decades. Born on February 15, 1963, he was a corporator from 1986 to 2006. He was also Mayor of PCMC in 2002. In 2004, he became a Member of Legislative Council and has been an MLA for two consecutive terms.

on from traditional way of thinking. My public speaking skills, decision power and risk-taking ability has improved.”

Calling himself a visionary, Handibag said that his choice of attire has also changed for better. “I now wear formals while meeting the heads of business houses. I have also taken steps to develop a corporate culture in my unit,” he said.

Handibag’s unit bagged Godrej excellence award for two consecutive years. Not taking the citation seriously,

APRIL 25, 2015

Chandrashekhar Shete, MD, Rolex Engineers

POLITICAL CAREER

and my business expanded. With time, I shifted my unit to Bhosari and set up factory spreading across 10,000 sq ft,” he said.

Lamenting lack of orientation and upgradation programmes for smallscale industries, he said that these vital facilities were available only at major or mother industries.

“I joined BSR course and completed 16 sessions only to fill this gap. And the training has changed my life. I have moved

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

he told a staffer to attend the award giving ceremony. However, when his unit was selected for the second year, Handibag personally received the award and also celebrated the occasion with his unit the next day.

“I also, for the fi rst time, gave a thanksgiving speech to my employees.

Th is change is because of attending the personality development course. Now I inspire my friends also to attend the course of BSR.”

“I experienced a radical change in behaviour. I could take firm and sound decision. My family always gave me the freedom to chose career.

I had at one time decided to enter politics as my father is a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader in Pune district,” he said.

Shete credits the motivational training for bringing out a positive change in him. “The positive energy is reflecting on my personal and professional life. I love big machines and wanted to purchase Fortuner.

Only the course gave me the ability to take a fi nal decision, and I fi nally purchased my dream machine,” he said.

He has also started a programme allowing his staff to attend the course.

“We are achieving the target. We bought new machineries and have been able to strengthen the customer base,” he said.

CHANGE MAKERS

There is no training module for politicians to excel

The bachelor of electronics engineering pursue this field lack guidance. joined politics in 1990. He was the “I did an in depth study of various former state vice president of students methodologies like RTI and BMC Act wing of Shiv Sena since 2006. and my five-year analysis bore fruit,” he Kamtekar also exposed the medical and said. engineering paper scams leading to the Kamtekar is now a guiding force in closure of 31 medical and engineering political fraternity. Women corportors, colleges. A political analyst, Kamtekar aspiring youths joined BJP in 2014 and is considered and big political a close associate of Jagtap. He believes personalities in professional politics where personal seek his disputes among leaders gets least guidance. importance.

“Politicians “Real development happens only have exceptional when parties take part in dialogues and power as they reach a consensus through constructive lead people. criticism. As an opposition party, They need a lot we have carried out several of tolerance to agitations and strikes in the past understand the one decade, but didn’t get any aspirations fruitful result,” he said.

He said that youth join politics to change society but get trapped in violence and a police case spoils Sarang Kamtekar, their career BJP Leader path. Many who

of citizens. I think very few people have the capability and there is no proper training module to help them excel. I found that they realised the importance of ‘professional politics’ after the 2014 election,” he said.

“I advise politicians to initiate dialogue between parties and work towards citizens’ benefit. Constructive politics is the key to success. Many politicians have welcomed his idea,” he said.

Citing an example, Kamtekar said, “Laxman Jagtap was wrongly projected in the media as an arrogant leader. I found that he was disciplined, strict and conscious. We both sat and discussed certain changes that he has to adopt in his professional life. Jagtap accepted the new lifestyle and results are very fruitful.”

The motivational leader also guides women corporators and party persons on how to speak in general body meetings.

And the intense discussions and debates that is seen in PCMC general body house is the positive change that Kamtekar is proud of.

Either we strive for the best, or become irrelevant

Bhupendra Singh Rathore, Motivational Speaker, Business Coach And Corporate Trainer Since February 2007, Bhupendra Singh Rathore or BSR has helped over 200 MNCs and 300+ entrepreneurs bring out the best in them. His teachings and courses have led to increase in profits and customer base.

The 34-year-old trainer chose the profession after a lot of introspection. He said, “In 2002, I graduated in commerce and learnt computers. I worked with various IT fi rms. During my weekly off s on Sundays and Saturdays I read a lot about

corporate leaders and their world. Their lives inspired me to attend related seminars and meet many masters. It became my hobby and passion.”

He followed his heart and realised that true potential has to be found within and everything is possible in this world.

“The thought gave me a new dimension towards life. The self-quest showed me the way and I left my well-paid job to become a motivational speaker, business coach and corporate trainer,” he said.

He started coaching in seminars for free and used various practical methods to boost the students’ leadership quality, effective public speaking, language skills, deep thinking and developing decision making power and confidence level.

“My mission is to help anyone, may be businessman and his team achieve pre-eminence, where you become the benchmark by which all others are judged. It’s where you play at such a level that you set the standard for your industry. It is achievable and necessary. If we’re not defi ning the standard, then someone else is and they are going to enjoy the rewards of being the best.

And by the way, either we become the best, or we become irrelevant. There is no middle ground,” he said.

Rathore said that after businessmen and entrepreneurs, aspirant politicians also became his students.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

PUNE

“I can come out with a full-fledged statement on communal incidents ... so that the country knows under which government maximum attacks have taken place.”

— Rajnath Singh, Home Minister

Get children hooked to something worthy Let kids explore Internet with informative sites during summer vacation

BY ANJALI SHETTY-SHIRSATH @shetty_anjali Imagine your four-year-old son/daughter or even niece or nephew sitting at one place and playing with deep concentration. Witnessing such a sight is quite a rarity. It is not just that.

What if this naughty, restless child refuses to watch television and in turn says he wants to play. We would call it a moment! And we are sure you would agree to it without doubt.

It’s that time of the year again when your kids are going to be Ranu Kawatra around you 24x7. Yes, summer is here and so are vacations.

With schools shut, kids have plenty of time on hand. It is difficult to get them to sit in one place. Not interested in sending them to the same old boring workshops?

Then this is what you may like. Internet has a whole new segment of entrepreneurs with businesses that not only targets the kids segment and make products according to their requirements but also helps them to explore their own creativity, learning new stuff, enhancing their communication skills etc through which they can play as well as learn.

TGS picks three useful sites that will keep little devils occupied.

FOR 3 TO 7YEAROLDS: Flintobox.

A Chennai start-up, Flintobox sells toys conceptualised by educators, prototyped by designers, and manufactured by printers. “The toys, shipped

in a box to customers every month, have something to create, something to read, something to play, something to explore, with a bonus fun activity thrown in,” said cofounder Arunprasad Durairaj, 32.

The site provides a fun discovery box that inspires children to explore and feed their curiosity for new things every month.

Parents will receive, right at their door, a carefully curated and designed set of activities based on fresh themes every month.

Each box contains 4-5 different activities that cover 12 development areas including fine motor, cognitive and gross motor, creativity, exploration, language and social skills through fun activities Children are exposed to 20-25 different concepts over a period of 6+ months. These ideas and concepts make them creative and inquisitive and they tend to use them in a variety of different aspects in their everyday life.

A constant encouragement from parents on such hands on play will create a natural tendency in kids to move Arunprasad Durairaj away from TV and meaningful fun.

FOR ABOVE 7YEAROLDS: Maxx English.in. It is an online platform where kids can involve themselves to learn the right pronunciations of words within two seconds and also enhance their English fluency skills. Ranu Kawatra, CoFounder and CEO, Maxx English said, “There is an economic and social benefit of speaking fluent English and why should that not be available to one and all. For children, the idea is to strengthen their foundation so that they get to build on it as they grow up.

Voice recognition technology from Stanford Research Institute and content contributed

by British Council are the unique things about Maxx English.”

The benefits of Maxx English are that it can be accessed anywhere, anytime. It helps

you unlock the economic and social benefits of what a burgeoning India has to offer.

FOR TEENS: Funology.com. It is one stop for backyard biological experiments and fun DIY recipes. As parents, we have all heard the words ‘I’m bored’ too often to count.

Funology’s goal is to help you come up with a response to that cry, whether it’s an easy recipe or craft project. It is a platform for those looking for interesting activities to divert their teenager’s attention from computers to the real world. anjali.shetty@goldensparrow.com

Rating India in India P14

‘Pune has wealth, people are price conscious Raymond Weil CEO and president Oliver Bernheim is amazed that Indians sit through three hours to watch a Bollywood film

BY ANJALI SHETTYSHIRSATH @shetty_anjali Oliver Bernheim, 61, got his fi rst watch at the age of nine.

It was a sleek model which would pass off today as a lady’s watch. “It was 1963. There was no brand or label. A watch was a watch. I was way ahead of my schoolmates to wear a watch at that time,” said Raymond Weil CEO and president Bernheim at a function at CT Pundole & Sons in Camp recently.

A 36-year-old brand, Bernheim inherited the company from his father-in-law.

He manages the business along with his sons. The luxurious Swiss Watch brand recently awarded highly acclaimed music brand Gibson and unveiled its new Nabucco collection.

India has a sizeable market for global brands like Raymond Weil where there is tough competition from other Swiss brands. Is it a challenging market? “Well, that is why we are here. India is interesting because it is challenging,” said Bernheim, who gifted a sporty, big dial watch to himself when he was 18.

When in India, Bernheim wears two watches. It helps him keep a tab on the time zone.

While speaking to us his phone rings and by the time he takes the call it gets cut. He narrows his eyes to check the number, “Well, it is my wife. If it’s urgent

Oliver Bernheim inherited luxurious Swiss Watch brand Raymond Weil from his father-in-law

she will call back.”

Music has always been at the centre of the brand’s success and some of the collection names are inspired from famous

“India is interesting because it is challenging.”

- OLIVER BERNHEIM

operas of the world. “I was into music and this was my way of incorporating my passion into family business,” he said.

In the city to felicitate Bollywood actors, has he seen any fi lms in India? He looks at us in amusement and asks, “How do you guys sit for three hours and watch a fi lm? I am okay up to 1.5 hours. Th ree hours gets a little too much!”

Regarding Pune as a potential market for the brand, he said, “Pune is a conservative market. There is wealth but people are price conscious. It is a Tier 2 city. You will not find people spending huge sums on luxury watches.” anjali.shetty@goldensparow.com

Dances of India, rich in breadth and addressing the sublime ANDREA MOHIN/THE NEW YORK TIMES

New York sees excellent examples of Indian dance each year

BY ALASTAIR MACAULAY

American Ballet Theater dancers in ‘La Bayadere’ at Metropolitan Opera House in New York

On Sunday, when William Dalrymple, author of “Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India” and other works about India, lectures on the history and culture of Hyderabad at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, his talk is to be followed by an original dance performed by Preeti Vasudevan and her dance company Thresh. Vasudevan was trained in Bharata Natyam; today she’s one of a number of artists who combine classical Indian dance with contemporary Western forms.

Each of these can only hint at the dance variety of India. Twice in recent years, I’ve made four-week visits there. The biggest lesson of my first trip (February to March 2012) was that dance is more central to Indian culture than to any

other I’ve encountered. Just one small example: On arrival at the airport in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, the poster welcoming arrivals was a vast image of Odissi, the state’s beautiful classical dance form. More crucially, all around the nation, the Hindu gods are seen as dancing; and Shiva’s dance is cosmological.

The chief discovery of my second visit (December 2014 to January 2015) was that dance in India covers a far wider spectrum than in any other culture in the world. To explain this, I single out just eight days, Dec 18-25.

Christmas Day I spent in Mumbai - of course!

- watching a big Bollywood musical, “PK,” an appealingly nutty crazy-quilt in which a chap from

“Dance is more central to Indian culture than to any other I’ve encountered.”

but now receding into history, is the female temple dancer. For ballet people, the bayadère - temple dancer is their central idea of Indian dance: in particular Nikiya, the heroine of Marius Petipa’s 1877 romantic-classical ballet “La Bayadère,” and the corps de ballet of Shades. The historic truth of bayadères, however, arises from the centuries-old Indian tradition of devadasis: women dedicated to the temple from childhood, some as dancers and/or musicians, some as prostitutes, some as all of the above.

They were outlawed in 1984, after decades of reform.

Last month, many were fascinated to read obituary of Sashimani Devi, 92, the last temple dancer at the Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha (the devadasis of that state bore the name maharis); Devi was initiated into temple service at 7 or 8. At a 1994 conference, in her early 70s, she danced a dance that she had been taught at the temple and that had its roots 5,000 years before.

Those of us brought up in the West may be amazed by the profound and pervasive connection between religion

and dance here. To comb the cathedrals of Europe for dance imagery would not be fruitful. In India, however, the opposite is true. At the temple in Konark - along the Odisha coast from the one at Jagannath - the thrilling proliferation of sculpted images adorning the multipillared Hall of Dance are, like those in many other Indian temples, important sources for today’s dancers.

Although there are no longer temple dancers, dancing certainly occurs in temples. On Feb 20, 2012, in Tamil Nadu, I watched a dance festival at the temple at Chidambaram on the day of the year when the great god Shiva was honored as Nataraja, lord of the cosmic dance.

Chidambaram is the temple most associated with Nataraja. Among the implications of his pose are movement within stillness and stillness within movement.

Sacred and profane, motion and stasis, renewal and destruction: Indian culture delights in dualisms, and dance is at their heart. © 2015 New York Times News Service BRIANA BLASKO/THE NEW YORK TIMES

The dance forms of India - although I began to watch them more than 30 years ago in London - became a regular and deepening source of fascination to me only once I began work as chief dance critic of The New York Times in 2007. It’s been a boon, after decades of dancegoing, to investigate them: They’ve extended my idea of dance itself, what it can be and signify.

New York sees excellent examples of Indian dance each year. Soon, three examples of its classical styles will be on view. Two, at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at New York University, are World Music Institute “Dancing the Gods” performances, each exemplifying a different classical idiom.

Bharata Natyam - a genre rich in pure form and expressive acting, deriving from the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu - has a centuries-old matrilineal tradition. On Saturday evening, Rama and Dakshina Vaidyanathan, mother and daughter, perform “Dwita - Duality of Life.”

If “Duality of Life” were the title of a ballet or modern dance work, my heart would probably sink. Yet in Indian dance, philosophical themes are unpretentiously, modestly and affectingly addressed - as if to illustrate, by focusing on the sublime, how much larger existence is than any mere dancer.

(This music, this space, this myth, this god, this art: Although I bring them together, I am just a part.)

On Sunday evening, Parul Shah and Prashant Shah (no relation) perform in the Kathak style. Associated with northern India, Kathak is the form in which dance and music can combine to most playfully exhilarating effect; it can have terrific speed and rhythmic complexity. This programme is called “Kadamb and Beyond: A Tribute to Kumudini Lakhia,” acknowledging the work of Kathak pioneer Lakhia and the Kadamb School she founded in 1967.

outer space ends up breaking into song and dance as he falls in love with the Indian heroine. In “PK,” dance keeps bubbling up at the oddest moments - I especially liked the policemen who burst into dance as they chased after the hero.

I had been in the southwest state of Kerala from Dec 18-22, watching the local forms of Mohiniattam, Kathakali and Theyyem. Mohiniattam (all-female) and Kathakali (all-male) are recognised among India’s classical forms; and although Kathakali and Theyyem are among its strangest, they now feature prominently in tourist imagery, for reasons of their exotically picturesque makeup.

It was not till this trip that Kathakali - Homeric in its epic meter, character-packed drama and variety of intense dramatic color - became a revelatory experience to me; and I would travel back for more. On the evening of Dec 19, as I rushed in a cab from one side of Thrissur (a long and exuberant open-air Kathakali performance) to the other (to catch Kalamandalam students dancing Mohiniattam) and back again, Thrissur’s dance world felt as busy as New York’s.

Theyyem is an example of both trance dance and of divine embodiment.

The dancer doesn’t impersonate but becomes the god. In Dalrymple’s “Nine Lives,” Theyyem artist Hari Das explains what divine possession is like: “When the drums are playing and your makeup is finished, they hand you a mirror and you look at your face, transformed into that of a god. Then it comes. It’s as if there is a sudden explosion of light. A vista of complete brilliance opens up - it blinds the senses.”

Although I had heard of trance dance and divine possession, I had expected them to be different - more physically ample, for one thing. Das also relates how the genre’s performers come from the lowest castes of Keralan society. During the three months of the Theyyem season, they are revered and well paid but then return to menial employment the rest of the year.

Theyyem is just one astonishing example of India’s dance sociology.

A more archetypal image of India,

Theyyem dancers, an example of trance dancing and divine embodiment, in Kerala.

New York will have three examples of India’s varied classical dance forms

ENVIRONMENT

H EALTH

Young women’s hearts at risk

Contrary to popular opinion, heart disease afflicts as many women as it does to men

When you can order everything online, why not plants? Rolling Nature is your one stop access to all things green, delivered to your doorstep with utmost care

BY JANE E BRODY

community for gardening enthusiasts to share their experiences,” he said.

The website has five major categories that include plants that are flowering,

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TGS LIFE

Run for... yourself

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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

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

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

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, RAHUL RAUT

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

DITCH THE

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Michael Hayes, who owns Buddha Body Yoga, leads students in a pose during an intermediate-level yoga class, in New York

Instagramification of perfectly fit people in the King Pigeon pose, so that it feels accessible to all.

“It’s been said that yoga in America is miles wide but only an inch deep,” said Abby Lentz, who owns HeavyWeight Yoga. Instructors of yoga aimed for large people customise the practice for their clientele. In yoga, unlike other workouts like running or Zumba, it is necessary to adapt your practice to your body size - something some teachers don’t know how to do, said Amber Karnes, who teaches Body Positive Yoga in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“They don’t understand why we can’t step the foot forward from a downward dog to a lunge like everyone else,” she said. She incorporates modifications for her students, like placing a bolster at the bottom of the spine for support when lying down with the legs in the air, or putting blocks under the hands while standing and folding forward, so the stomach does not get squished.

Jayvin Jordan-Green, 28, a student at Fat Yoga, found the studio

by Googling ‘fat yoga,’ he said. He wanted a place to practice where the teacher wouldn’t assume he was going through the flow to lose weight.

“I’ve had teachers who said, ‘Th is is going to help you stay thin,’ or ‘Th is is going to get rid of this unwanted roll here if we keep practicing,’ he said. ”It’s like, ‘Maybe I like that roll, maybe the people I date like that roll.’ I had a lot of teachers treat me like I’m their special project.

They’ll say, ‘I’m going to make you the buffest person.’ They see me as the ‘after’ picture, when I don’t want to be the ‘after’ picture.” At his studio, he once refused three tiny women who wanted to take a class. “People who are slender aren’t happy about it. But I’m more interested in working with the large bodies.”

Ipox of Fat Yoga said the point is to welcome people of all sizes. She said “The script is completely fl ipped. A lot of people wouldn’t call themselves fat anywhere but Fat Yoga, where being called fat is a good thing.” © 2015 New York Times News Service

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

to touch them or is condescending and sees them through their own prejudice,” said Ragen Chastain, a writer in Los Angeles who blogs at danceswithfat.org.

She said she applauds the honest labelling of these specialised studios.

“If you sell bubble gum, you want a sign that says you sell bubble gum,” Chastain said. “These names say, ‘fat yoga here.’ If you’re fat and want to do yoga, go here.”

The language is not incidental; it is no mere marketing gimmick meant to set people whispering. “I wanted something that was unapologetically voluptuous, and not as PC as ‘Yoga for people who have pleasing curves,’” said Megan Stancill, who teaches a class called MegaYoga at studios in New York.

Not everyone buys into yoga’s new linguistics. “Words are tricky,” said Tracy Weber, who holds a class called Yoga for Round Bodies at her Seattle studio. “‘Fat’ may be an empowering word to someone, but for me it’s a word that made me feel less. If someone puts that word to me, I feel bad.”

But most of these instructors have a similar intent: to associate yoga with images that transcend the

aggressively, or to provide adequate recommendations for prevention, Andersen and other experts say. “Th is is especially true for young women,” she said. Yet, she added, “among women between the ages of 29 and 45, it looks like the incidence of heart disease is rising.”

There are ample reasons. Stress, for example, is a known, though not often cited, risk factor, “and the youngest women in this country are more stressed than ever,” she said. “They’re always ‘on’ and self-comparing.”

Smoking - marijuana as well as cigarettes - is a coronary risk. Two other major risk factors, obesity and diabetes, are more rampant than ever.

Coronary risk is also greater among women who carry extra weight around the abdomen. © 2015 New York Times News Service

THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY

Yoga reaches out to people who are over-weight. The yoga trainers are now trying to combat in an effort to reclaim the practice for people of all body types The telemarketers and bottled-water vendors who call Anna Ipox’s yoga studio in Portland, Oregon, often ask, “Is this the yoga place?” Ipox does not answer yes. Instead, she said, “I make them say it: Say, ‘Is this Fat Yoga?’”

That’s the proper name of the studio, and one that many people struggle to spit out. One caller, typical of others, refused to respond directly, instead replying, “Well, how do I know you’re fat?”

“People think ‘fat’ means slovenly, uncontrolled, dirty or lazy,” Ipox said.

“It doesn’t.”

In addition to the fact that the word fat feels fraught, it’s not usually paired with yoga. Yoga conjures stringy, bendy, barely clothed bodies - not soft, round ones. But that’s the stereotype that specialised classes and studios, like Fat Yoga, around the country are trying to combat in an effort to reclaim the practice for people of all body types.

In New York, there’s ‘MegaYoga’, ‘Buddha Body Yoga’ and ‘Yoga for Abundant Bodies’. “Many fat people have had terrible experiences at a regular studio, where the teacher assumes they’re a beginner, is unwilling

Young women represent “the leading edge of a brewing storm“ of rising cardiovascular risk factors with potentially fatal consequences

Supriya Bhoite from Chaturshrungi police station.

Contd on p4

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

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

The CPIO was clueless about the project and sought information from

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

and green gifting. Our team shares a common vision which is to create a more sustainable and green world. At the same time, we want to create a

CONTACT www.rollingnature.com Warehouse & Offices: Rolling Nature, Office 203, Elite Premio Building, Adjacent to Core Fitness Club, Mitcon Road, Balewadi Pune, 411045 Call us: +91-8698407574 Email us: care@rollingnature.com

Yoga for the plus size people

BY KAYLEEN SCHAEFER

Attention, women, especially young women: Have you got the heart to save yours?

Although long thought of as a man’s disease, heart disease affect women as well, though women tend to develop and die from it about 10 years later. A 2007 study referred to the rise in cardiovascular risk factors among young women as “the leading edge of a brewing storm.”

While so many women worry about cancer, only slightly more than half realise that heart disease is their No. 1 killer, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

More women in the United States die from cardiovascular causes - heart disease and stroke than from all forms of cancer combined.

“Even if they believe they’re having a heart attack, 36 percent don’t call 911,” said Dr. Holly S. Andersen, director of education at the Perelman Heart Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College. Rather than crushing chest pain, women in the throes of a heart attack experience discomfort in the neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdomen, dizziness, nausea, right arm pain, shortness of breath, and sweating or unusual fatigue. Almost two-thirds of women who die suddenly of a heart attack had no prior symptoms.

Doctors too often fail to take a woman’s risk seriously and treat it

bonsai, climbers and decorative. As all plants have different share of soil, water and sunlight requirement, they need to be handled differently. So, along with the product details, the website also guides customers on how to take care of a particular plant via maintenance tips section on the product detail page, and through its blog.

“After a thorough recce and research, the Rolling Nature team handpicks the best plants from in and around Pune. Around 100 products are listed on the website and we get around 5-10 orders a day,” Kumar said.

The website provides free shipping on orders above Rs1,000. According to the founders, each product is handled, inspected and packed carefully to ensure that there is no damage while shipping. The site also provides pots and mud.

Other features of the website include a ‘plant for a plant’ return policy, and gifting options available for each and every plant on the website. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

From left: Ashay Agarwal, Arpit Gupta and Sajin Kumar, the founders of Rolling Nature, a website from where you can order the best quality plants online

PUNE

“Caring for the environment is an integral part of our ethos. India can truly show the way to the world in mitigating climate change.”

— Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Your favourite plant is now just a click away!

BY ZAINAB KANTAWALA @kantawalazainab At a time when there is an online shopping website for buying anything under the sun, here is another start-up that stands apart because of its green factor.

Rolling Nature is a one-stop web store for nature lovers. It’s a one-of-akind portal that provides information about plants and how to take care of your greens.

Launched by 27-year-old IITians Arpit Gupta (27), Sajin Kumar (27) and Ashay Agarwal (27) with an initial investment of Rs 60,000, the trio was later joined by Saurabh Sameer, Vandana Choudhary and Yash Dwiwedi.

“My friends always took my suggestion whenever they wanted to buy plants. They would call me to know about the suitable soil and pot for the house. Most of the nurseries fail to give information about the amount of sunlight required for each plant.

Following my friends’ advice, we came up with Rolling Nature,” said Kumar.

Modern rushed lifestyle has left people with no time and little knowledge about gardening. They have to depend on a nearby nursery or wait for street vendors selling saplings.

“We have a wide collection of plants which include indoor plants, lucky plants, cactus and succulents, and medicinal herbs. We also cover categories for garden decor, equipment

APRIL 25, 2015

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

“Body contouring is becoming important when things like gymming, dieting fails, more number of women are opting for complete body contouring to achieve a perfect body shape.”

— Mohan Thomas, cosmetic surgeon at Breach Candy Hospital

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

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

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

PUNE

“Why didn’t the AAP leaders stop the farmer from committing suicide?Even as they knew that he (the farmer) committed suicide, the Delhi chief minister continued with his speech” — Sambit Patra,BJP spokesman

DNA barcoding to the rescue of India’s ornamental fish Indian scientists are using genetic labels, that can help monitor and clamp down on trafficking of ornamental fish

BY SAHANA GHOSH Kolkata: Indian scientists are using a new approach to identify animal species based on genetic labels or barcodes, that can help monitor and clamp down on trafficking of ornamental fish from northeast India - a biodiversity hotspot - and aid conservation.

Just as shopkeepers scan the similaryet-different zebra stripes (barcodes) on products to keep track of what they sell and what is in stock, examining certain ubiquitous genetic sequences can differentiate one species from the other with high accuracy.

The upshot, says biotechnologist Sankar Kumar Ghosh, is that DNA barcoding can be applied even when traditional methods fail.

“Combined with traditional methods of identification, barcoding can pinpoint threatened fish species being sold under nicknames or popular trade names by exporters in northeast India, to mislead and avoid detection,” Ghosh, professor, department of biotechnology at Assam University, Silchar, said.

To lure hobbyists and enthusiasts, dealers in the northeastern states also adopt other unfair practices like use of synthetic dyes to impart colours to fishes to make them attractive.

The northeastern region is home to around 267 species of fish and about 250 are known for their ornamental value colourful, bizarre shapes with patterns that look good in an aquarium display or recreational ponds, said Ghosh.

Kerala scientist develops emergency exit Th iruvananthapuram: An amateur Kerala scientist M.C. David has developed an innovative escape system for high-rise buildings in case of fi re or other emergencies.

David, 59, based in Kayamkulam, said that he had applied for the patent for his escape system after several round of clarifications in 2009 and got it cleared last week. “What I have patented is a simple spiral sliding chute that facilitates a quick and safe escape for the occupants,” David said.

“Th is can be made of fibre glass material or concrete, which is fi re resistant and can be erected by the side of the existing staircases of buildings.”

He said that in case of fi re in a high-rise building, the residents just need to sit in the sliding chute and they can come down to the ground floor four times faster than stairs. The sliding chute is one metre wide and 80 cm thick. As soon as the people sit, it starts sliding and water is sprayed from the side, in case of a fi re,” David said.

“The speed of the descent is automatically controlled depending on the number of people in the chute at a time and is done using a motor that is kept in each floor,” he added. He said erecting a glass fibre chute would cost around Rs.50,000 for every floor and the concrete version would cost more.

IANS

The barcoding of fish can pinpoint the threatened fish species

According to a Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute report, the region is the contributor to 80 per cent of Indian ornamental fish trade.

From small varieties like snakeheads (murrells) to bigger catfish and other unusual looking species, most fetch a good price in the domestic as well as international markets in neighbouring countries like Nepal and Singapore, said Ghosh.

“Although there exists several regulatory enactments in India, aquarium fish are traded largely without endowment to the government and mostly from wild capture. This poses a threat of endangering the species,” he said.

This has necessitated cataloguing the ornamental fish reserve and its diversity in the region.

“So we collected over 100 samples of ornamental fish from river beds (the Brahmaputra, the Barak in Assam and rivers from Manipur and Tripura) and traders in northeastern states and used DNA barcoding to correctly identify 51 ornamental fish species which are exported from northeast India.

“Of these, around 30 percent were found to belong to the threatened category. Our study has established that the technique can monitor and regulate trafficking of fish species and help conserve wildlife,” Ghosh said. Of the identified species, as many as 14 are sold under multiple trade names, the study said.

Carried out by research scholar Bishal Dhar under Ghosh’s supervision, the study was published in the Gene

journal in February this year.

Apart from creation of a DNA barcode library (or catalogue), the aim of the research is to generate awareness on bringing in new regulations that would resist the use of trade names while exporting a biological resource, said Ghosh.

“We also recommend the use of proper zoological names of the species along with DNA barcode tag as an identifier while exporting,” he said.

The global annual turnover of ornamental fish trade is estimated at about $10 billion with a growth rate of six percent per annum.

Although India’s contribution to the global ornamental fish trade is meagre at present, the country has a great potential to increase the present level of export to about Rs.150 crore annually, said S.P. Biswas, a specialist in fish biology and ecology, citing a recent report.

“It is a very serious issue in the northeastern states.

Ornamental fish have a very high demand in the international market and habitat destruction is also a major issue. Genetic methods should be quick enough to identify the species.

“Priority should be given to updating the list of ornamental fish fauna of the region. Also, modern techniques should be adopted for identification of fish species in order to get rid of taxonomic discrepancies,” Biswas, professor, Department of Life Sciences, Dibrugarh University, Assam said.

IANS

The city with an attitude P 15

Smart maps to help realise smart cities

New report finds that smart maps, an intercative mapping system are crucial for India’s smart city plans Smart maps - an interactive mapping system that generates immersive images could contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s smart cities project, saving 13,000 lives and reduce one million metric tonnes of carbon emissions a year, according to a new study.

‘Smart Maps for Smart Cities: India’s $8 Billion+ Opportunity’, published by Dalberg Global Development Advisors in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry, quantified the value of smart maps to Indian citizens, businesses and government within the context of the country’s urban development.

The report details how smart maps can facilitate the development of smart cities in ways that add up to economic benefits for citizens, businesses, and government, said a statement by Dalberg.

“The report shows that by liberalising policy to enable the best technology to be applied to

Himachal told to stop sterilising monkeys

Himachal told to stop sterilising monkeys after confirmed report of cruelty, abuse, and inhuman treatment Shimla: The Animal Welfare Board of India has asked Himachal Pradesh to stop its monkey sterilisation programme till it ensures humane treatment of the primitives, an animal rights activist said.

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), which operates under the Ministry of Environment and Forests, has recommended to the state government that the monkey sterilization centres be shut down until the state forest department followed protocol, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India said. “Sterilisation is the most humane way to control the monkey population, but not if it’s being done in a cruel way,” the statement quoting PETA director of veterinary affairs Manilal Valliyate said.

“PETA is calling on the forest department to impose strict protocols that will protect monkeys from injuries, pain, distress, starvation and suffering before, during and after sterilisation,” Valliyate said.

As per the state wildlife wing, a total of 94,334 monkeys have been sterilised since 2007. It has set up seven sterilisation centres, each with an annual capacity of 5,000 surgeries.

Two more centres are in the pipeline.

A team comprising functionaries

of the Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Hisar in Haryana, the AWBI, the People For Animals (PFA) and PETA inspected the monkey sterilisation facility in Shimla on February 27 and 28 and found that no written standard operating procedures were in place.

The team in its report said the captured monkey often suffered injuries, starvation, prolonged captivity and other abuses. AWBI assistant secretary S. Vinodkumaar has urged the central and the state governments to take immediate action to comply with the requirements.

The monkeys at the monkey sterilisation centres are captured by untrained individuals who hand the animals over to the facility for a monetary reward and many animals were seen suffering from traumatic tail and face injuries, for which they did not receive any veterinary treatment before their release, said the report.

The facility also operates on pregnant monkeys in the absence of an ultrasound machine to detect pregnancy and does not have a weighing machine to measure out anaesthetics properly, it said.

PFA national trustee Gauri

Maulekhi informed that 29,038 monkeys were captured and 24,751 were sterilised between 2007 and 2014 at Shimla centre.

She said 4,557 (or 16 percent) out of the total sterilised monkeys were unfit as they were found to be either pregnant or already sterilised. “There is a noticeable change in behaviour of the sterilised monkeys due to opting unscientific techniques.”

Maulekhi, who was also part of team that visited the monkey sterilisation centre in Shimla, also expressed doubts over the funds allocated for the programme. “There seems to be massive misappropriation of funds in the name of sterilisation. A thorough audit of the funds should be done by a central agency,” she added.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh informed the house, “Over the past few months, we have regularly urged the central government to allow export of monkeys and to declare them as vermin.” Despite the high court order in January 2011 putting on hold the state’s decision to allow farmers to shoot monkeys, he admitted “culling is the most effective method to control monkey population Sterilisation is the second best solution. We are seeking advice from experts how to meet this challenge,” he added.

IANS

the mapping sector, we can spur innovation in this industry and equip society with a critical tool for driving positive social and economic impact,” said Gaurav Gupta, the managing director of Dalberg Asia.

Built on detailed analyses of nine high-potential uses of maps, the study highlights that such maps can help India gain upwards of $8 billion in savings and value, save 13,000 lives and reduce one million metric tons of carbon emissions a year in cities alone, the statement said.

Fewer than half of India’s five million km of roads are mapped today, while only 10 to 20 percent of the country’s businesses are listed on online maps.

To this effect, by providing realtime updates and accurate traffic information, smart maps have the potential to save $1.6 billion in productive time and fuel as well as help improve emergency service responses, the statement said.

IANS

Acid sale data to soon be online New Delhi: With the country witnessing 310 cases of acid attack in 2014, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government is contemplating to make available online data on the sale of acid. To curb incidents of acid attacks on women, the government would soon make data available online on the sale of acids.

Rajnath Singh informed the Lok Sabha that the government has also made nodal groups to monitor sale of acids in each state.

“We are also developing a software for online regularisation of sale of acid. It is under process,” Singh said during question hour. Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary said each state government has been asked to ensure that acid is sold to a person above 18 years of age, the buyer has a photo identity card and a register is maintained to track the use of acids.

“Besides this, refusal of treatment for an acid attack victim has been made punishable by imprisonment of up to one year,” he said.

He said that though the government as of now does not have any plans of providing a monthly pension for acid attack victims, it is contemplating enhancing the compensation given to them from the Nirbhaya fund. A total of 208 people were arrested across India for their alleged involvement in acid attack cases in 2014.

IANS

Insulted before friend, husband kills wife

Vol-1* lssue No.: 45 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.

A businessman was arrested on charges of strangling his wife, after she allegedly refused to serve him food Hyderabad: Hyderabad Police arrested businessman Sachin Uppal and his friend Rakesh, who allegedly did nothing to prevent the crime.

Sachin, who was being questioned for last three days, finally confessed that he strangled Ritu Sarin, 28, to death with a pillow at their flat in in Ramanthapur on Sunday night.

The couple, who married in 2013, has a five-month-old child. According to police, Sachin and Rakesh had

consumed liquor and came to house with a packet of ‘biryani’.

Ritu, who was watching television, refused to serve the food. Sachin snatched the TV remote from her and changed the channel. The couple had a heated argument in the presence of Rakesh.

Feeling insulted in front of his friend, Sachin slapped his wife. He then asked Rakesh to leave. After bolting the door from inside, he

allegedly strangled her to death.

Rakesh, who was standing outside the flat, did not alert anybody. Sachin then called Ritu’s relatives to say she had fallen unconscious. They shifted her to a hospital where doctors declared her dead. Mystery shrouded the death as Sachin initially told police that he had only slapped her. He also said Ritu might have committed suicide.

Forensic experts conducted a second autopsy as the fi rst one did not

provide any clue about the possible cause of death.

Ritu’s parents, who are from Jharkhand, alleged that their daughter was murdered for dowry. “He brutally killed her in front of the child. He should be severely punished,” said Ritu’s mother Ujala Sarin.

They said Sachin had been harassing her for dowry and forcing her to demand a share in the family property in Jamshedpur.

IANS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

PUNE

“We have immigration laws that are unique in a sense because the way we handle refugees is not by creating camps, but by integrating them into society” — Jacob Zuma, South African President

Now it’s Maha Kabaddi league P 16

A project to turn corpses into compost Mike Belleme/The New York Times

Many find the idea repulsive, a contravention of cultural and religious norms

BY CATRIN EINHORN

“Our bodies have nutrients.

What if we could grow new life after we’ve died.”

of death in America. “Embalming stuck.”

Death rites can go from repugnant to normal in a surprisingly short time, said James Olson, a funeral director in Wisconsin and chairman of the green burial work group of the National Funeral Directors Association.

Cremation, for instance.

“If I had told you 50 years ago that we were going to burn your loved one at 2,000 degrees and pulverize their skeleton in a machine and give you back the crushed bone,” he said, measuring degrees in Fahrenheit, “you would have said, ‘Eww.’ ” He called Spade’s concept “wonderful.” First, though, she and her supporters at the Urban Death Project will have to navigate an array of obstacles. Not least is the yuck factor.

Many Americans find the very idea of composting human bodies repulsive, a contravention of cultural and religious norms. One critic on the Urban Death website commented: “This MUST be a joke. If not, there’s only one word which could possibly describe your activities: SICK.” Another commenter wrote: “A pile of bodies is usually called a ‘mass grave.’

Please stop what you’re doing.”

Then there are legal barriers. State laws vary: In the past few years, several

Mike Belleme/The New York Times

North Carolina: The body of the tiny 78-year-old woman, gray hair falling over stiffened shoulders, was brought to a hillside at Western Carolina University still clad in a blue hospital gown and chartreuse socks.

She was laid on a bed of wood chips, and then more were heaped atop her. If all goes as hoped, the body will turn into compost.

It is a startling next step in the natural burial movement. Even as more A skeleton in the forensic anthropology lab at Western Carolina University people opt for interment in simple shrouds or biodegradable caskets, urban “I’m absolutely sure that it can cemeteries continue to fill up. For the human composting that aims to marry work,” said Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, environmentally conscious, cremation the efficiency of this biological process a soil scientist at Washington State is a problematic option, as the process with the ritual and symbolism that University who serves on the advisory releases greenhouse gases. mourners crave. Each Urban Death board of the Urban Death Project, a Armed with a prestigious facility would be centered on a threenonprofit that Spade founded. environmental fellowship, Katrina story vault that she calls “the core.”

The process is surprisingly simple: Spade, a 37-year-old Seattle resident Loved ones would carry their deceased, Place nitrogen-rich material, like dead with a degree in architecture, has wrapped in a shroud, up a circular ramp animals, inside a mound of carbonproposed an alternative: a facility for to the top. rich material, like wood human composting.

There, during a “laying in” ceremochips and sawdust, The idea is ny, mourners would place the body inadding moisture or extra attracting interest from side the core, which could hold perhaps nitrogen and making environmental advocates 30 corpses at a time. Over the next sevother adjustments as and scientists.

The eral weeks, each body would move down needed.

Microbial woman laid to rest in the core until the first stage of compostactivity will start the pile wood chips is a first step ing was complete. In a second stage, cooking. in testing how it would material would be screened, along with Bacteria release work. any remaining bones, and the compost enzymes that break down “Composting makes would be cured. tissue into component people think of banana Spade estimates that each body, parts like amino acids, peels and coffee grounds,” combined with the necessary materials and eventually, the Spade said. But “our such as wood chips and sawdust, would nitrogen-rich molecules bodies have nutrients. yield enough compost to fill a cube 90 bind with the carbonWhat if we could grow centimeters by 90 centimetres.

- KATRINA SPADE rich ones, creating a soilnew life after we’ve died?”

Weeks or months later, survivors like substance.

Scientists agree that could collect some of the compost to use Temperatures reach around 60 human beings can be composted. Alas they saw fit, perhaps in their garden degrees Celsius, often higher, and the ready countless farms across the counor to plant a tree. Spade foresees the rest heat kills common pathogens. Done try, including at least a third of Washgoing to nearby parks or conservation correctly, there should be no smell. ington state’s dairy farms, compost the lands. Each human composting would Bones also compost, though they take bodies of dead livestock. In some states, cost about $2,500, a fraction of the price longer than tissue. transportation departments compost of conventional burial, Spade estimates.

Spade has designed a building for roadkill.

She hopes to build the first facility in

Seattle, then to develop a template that other communities can use for locally designed facilities. “Like libraries,” she said.

Spade, who smiles a lot, is the opposite of funereal; she buzzes with energy and sometimes has to remind herself to talk slower. She studied sustainable agriculture before going to architecture school. The composting idea was inspired by the “nurse log,” a fallen tree in a forest that grows new life as it decays. Beyond the environmental benefits to composting humans, she believes there is a spiritual one: connecting death to the cycle of nature will help people face their own mortality and bring comfort to the bereaved.

Conventional burial is anything but natural. Cadavers are preserved with embalming fluid containing formaldehyde, a carcinogen. They are buried in caskets made of metal or wood, and placed inside a concrete or metal burial vault.

Burial traditions, though commonplace in the United States, are relatively new, beginning in the Civil War when northern families needed to get their dead men home from the South.

“American ingenuity,” said Gary Laderman, a professor at Emory University who specializes in the history

Katrina Spade, the founder and director of the Urban Death Project, monitoring the temperature of a mound of wood chips that contains a human body

have legalised alkaline hydrolysis, sometimes known as water cremation, in which bodies are dissolved in a heated mix of water and lye. But in many other states, bodies must be buried, entombed, cremated or donated to science.

Questions remain about how human compost should be used. Certain pathogens, like the prions related to mad cow disease, can survive composting, and livestock that have died from certain diseases are banned from composting.

Some experts recommend that livestock compost not be spread on fields where fruits and vegetables are grown for human consumption. As with cremation, heavy metal contamination could be a concern; perhaps dental fillings would have to be removed from bodies. “There are many discussions to be had with the medical community and the health department,” CarpenterBoggs said.

Spade, though, is forging ahead.

Recently, she and Cheryl Johnston, a forensic anthropologist at Western Carolina, returned to the university’s hillside research station. Twelve bodies lay decomposing in the open air, practice cadavers for forensic science students learning to analyse remains. Off to one side was the body of the 78-year-old woman, which had been donated by her family and had lain in wood chips for about three weeks.

After raking, scooping and brushing the chips away, they exposed part of the woman’s jaw and chest. The temperature of the mound was a cool 10 degrees Celsius. “Nothing much has happened,” Johnston said.

Spade tried not to look glum.

“I’m not surprised,” she said.

On a conference call the next morning, Carpenter-Boggs, the soil scientist, suggested adding nitrogenrich material to jump-start composting.

For livestock, manure would be ideal, she said, but that was not appropriate for humans. Instead, she recommended alfalfa hay or pellets.

Spade beamed. “Who doesn’t want to be laid to rest in alfalfa?” she asked. © 2015 New York Times News Service

Casualties of the battle of ‘the two ladies’ The giant rats that save lives Turmoil between Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina has threatened Bangladesh’s garment industry and people

Garment workers at a factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The battle of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia has led to over 100 deaths and hurt the crucial garment industry

A recent World Bank report showed that Bangladesh’s economy lost $2.2 billion, or around 1 per cent of gross domestic product, as a result of 62 days of political unrest this year. The report said the country’s economic growth rate would be 5.6 per cent this fiscal year compared with 6.6 per cent the bank had predicted before the strikes began.

“How long can you remain resilient if day after day, year after year, you keep hurting industry?” Zahid Hussain, lead economist in the World Bank’s Dhaka office, said in an interview.

“Eventually the ability to recoup is affected.”

The violence can be traced to nationwide elections in January 2014, which set off a battle of wills between the two ladies.

Zia, a former

prime minister whose Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, leads a 20-party opposition alliance, threatened to boycott the polls, suggesting that they would be rigged in the government’s favour.

Hasina called her bluff and held an election that excluded the alliance, issuing vague promises of repeat elections in the coming months. This January, after a year of waiting, Zia declared an indefinite protest campaign.

More than 100 Bangladeshis have died, and many more have been horribly injured, in roadside bombings.

The campaign hurt the entire country: students whose schools shut down before examinations; farmers who watched their crops rot; tourist resorts

“They are killing ordinary people.

They are killing their own brothers”

reporting near-total vacancy.

But no sector matters as much as the garment industry, which accounts for 80 per cent of Bangladesh’s exports and faces stiff competition from factories in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Shabbir Mahmood, who has two plants that employ 820 workers, felt the damage immediately.

Of the four companies that regularly give him orders, two canceled their January buying visits out of security concerns. Yet he did not have the heart to order terrified drivers to haul goods to the nearest port in Chittagong, a 260-kilometre journey that takes six hours under normal circumstances.

“They came to me and said, ‘Sir, how will we drive? How will we go across the road if they try throwing bombs?’”

Mahmood said, and he shrugged. “I can give them money, but I cannot give them their lives back.”

In the end, he paid out of pocket to send two or three shipments by air.

Mahmood has delayed the planned fall opening of a third factory.

“Who will care? The government will not care,” Mahmood said. “Textile people always tell them this, but they do not care.”

Government officials, and some economists, say the economy is resilient enough to weather moderate political strife, and note that the biggest garment businesses managed to move their cargo to port in a timely fashion through the worst violence, in January and February.

If the turmoil resumes in the second quarter, forecasters with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association say, exports could fall 25-30 per cent starting in May. “We have no ethnic, linguistic or sectarian problems in Bangladesh, especially compared to Pakistan or India,” Siddique said. “I don’t understand why this issue can’t be solved over a cup of tea.” © 2015 New York Times News Service

BY NICHOLAS KRISTOF Angola: I’m walking in a minefield here in rural Angola, tailing a monster rat.

This is a Gambian pouched rat, a breed almost 1 metre from nose to tail, the kind of rat that gives cats nightmares. Yet this rat is a genius as well as a giant, for it has learned how to detect landmines by scent - and it’s doing its best to save humans like me from blowing up.

These rodent mine detectors have been dubbed HeroRats, and when you’re in a minefield with one that seems about right. You’re very respectful, and you just hope this HeroRat doesn’t have a stuffed nose.

I’m here because five years ago, my kids gave me a HeroRat for a Father’s Day present through GlobalGiving.org. I didn’t actually take physical possession (fortunately!) but the gift helped pay to train the rat to sniff out explosives. And now I’ve come to minefields of rural Angola to hunt for my rat.

There are 39 HeroRats here, and

they underscore the way the aid world is increasingly embracing innovative approaches to old challenges.

At a minefield, which is full of metal objects, a human with a metal detector can clear only about 20 square metres a day. A rat can clear 20 times as much.

The rats are paid in bananas, peanuts, avocados and apples, and they don’t need body armour - partly because they’re too light to set off land mines.

To me, HeroRats are an example of an explosion of innovation taking place in the philanthropic world - and seeing large gains in productivity as a result.

We see this with cellphone apps in poor countries for savings and health, with microsaving and microinsurance, with impact investing and, yes, with animals. The handlers grow attached to the rats and recognise each of them by face. Francisco Pedro, a 38-year-old Angolan who has worked in demining for many years, initially with a metal detector and the last three years with HeroRats, says that his affection for the rats has led to marital challenges. © 2015 New York Times News Service Nicholas Kristof/The New York Times

Bangladesh: The quickest way to grasp the nastiness of Bangladesh’s season of political turmoil is to visit the high dependency unit at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

This is the ward for burn victims from roadside firebomb attacks, collateral damage from the long battle between Bangladesh’s “two ladies,” as the country’s two most important political leaders are known. On a recent morning, Mohammad Nazmul Mollah looked down the row of beds at three men who had been riding beside him in a truck, after unloading a shipment of sand, when a Molotov cocktail thrown by a protester smashed through the windshield.

Mollah, 25, was the lucky one, having jumped out the passenger-side window so quickly that his worst injuries were fractures to bones and kneecaps.

The eight men to his right were unlucky: five died, and others came out with seared tracheas, faces stripped of skin, eyelids swollen to slits. Asked what he would say to the country’s political leaders, he spoke dully.

“They are killing ordinary people,” he said. “They are killing their own brothers.”

There are a few in Bangladesh who do not sound exhausted this spring.

The country was thrust into disarray in January, when opposition leader Khaleda Zia declared an indefinite campaign of strikes and transport blockades, hoping to pressure her rival, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, into holding new national elections. Yet if Zia was expecting compromise, none came.

Political tension relaxed in recent weeks, and life has largely returned to normal on Dhaka’s streets, but there is no long-term solution in sight.

Among those watching closely were the country’s leaders of industry.

Allison Joyce/The New York Times

BY ELLEN BARRY

A Gambain pouched rat — dubbed ‘HeroRats’ by their handlers, searches a minefield near Malanje, Angola. Landmine detection can be a dreadfully slow and inefficient task, and the rats, trained to detect the scent of explosives, are a radical innovation

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

“The name change from Sesa Sterlite to Vedanta Ltd. promises an aligned identity. Vedanta positions us to create greater value for our domestic and global stakeholders.”

— Tom Albanese, Vedanta Group chief executive

Signpost Government to launch two insurance schemes The central government is expected to launch in May or June the two insurance schemes announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, said a senior official in Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).

The two schemes, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (life insurance policy) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (personal accident policy) which are not government-subsidised programmes are expected to increase the insurance penetration in the country.

Under the life insurance policy, a person will be covered for Rs.200,000 for an annual premium of Rs 330.

The personal accident insurance provides cover for Rs.200,000 for accidental death and full disability and Rs.100,000 for partial disability for an annual premium of Rs.12.

Nestle-India launches 145 new water, sanitation projects Global food, nutrition and wellness giant Nestle will launch 145 new projects for better water and sanitation across various locations in the country this year. “The current fiscal will witness almost a 50 percent increase in new projects compared to last year. In 2014, Nestle India added 100 new projects,” Sanjay Khajuria, senior vice president-corporate affairs, said.

Nestle’s clean drinking water projects (223 projects since 1999) have benefitted nearly 95,000 people.

The water awareness programme has reached out to nearly 52,000 students since 1999, while its sanitation projects (106), launched in 2007, have reached out to over 36,500 girl students.

IANS

“SpiceJet has seen excellent demand from Kochi. The Maldives is an increasingly popular destination that we want to provide more connection options through Kochi.”

— Sanjiv Kapoor, chief operating officer of SpiceJet Ltd.

Rating India in India

India’s credit-worthiness, comparative position in several other indicators and ability to protect against environmental hazards are all decided by outside agencies, which have no independent means to judge us other than data fed by our own agencies within the country. If existing organisations are irreparably incompetent, new ones should replace them fast MG WARRIER Last week rating agency Moody’s raised India’s outlook to ‘positive’ from ‘stable’ without altering the country’s investment grade, which remains at the last rung at Baa3. The rating agency said that, “India has grown faster than similarly rated peers over the last decade due to favourable demographics, economic diversity, as well as high savings and investment rates. Moody’s expects these structural advantages, supported by relatively benign global commodity prices and liquidity conditions, will keep India’s growth higher than that of its peers over the rating horizon”. Th is gave comfort to India’s Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian who said ‘the upgrade validated the direction of Centre’s (Indian government’s) reform programme’ and expressed hope for a bump up in India’s rating. According to him, “It confi rms something that we have been saying for some time now that the growth prospects and the macro-economic prospects for the economy are improving.”

India is a victim of foreign domination even today when it comes to assessment of the country’s selfesteem. It is comforting to see that a change in approach in Delhi through various initiatives including the effort to promote slogans like ‘Make in India’ acceptance of the need for infusing professionalism in governance and better financial sector management have started yielding results.

Successive governors at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have expressed their concern about reliable current data to base their policy decisions. These are areas where perceptible improvements can be made without ‘huge’ financial investment.

Now that National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has

relatively less responsibilities, it could be entrusted with the task of making existing organisations responsible for compilation of statistics and rating the country in relation to other countries with reference to different parameters factoring in purchase power parity and aggregate resources availability and institutions like banks using internationally acceptable standards. If existing organisations are irreparably incompetent, new ones should replace them fast.

Global rating agencies have a habit of running with the hare and chasing with the hound! Moody’s capsuled its own positive note with a warning that India’s rating can be upgraded only if evidence emerge in the coming months that efforts to enhance growth and stabilise economic and institutional reforms are succeeding. There will be a downgrade, if economic, fiscal and institutional strengthening appears unlikely, or banking system metrics

remain weak or balance of payments risks rises, it said. Such stances, which are regular ingredients in ‘global’ rating agencies, prompted me to make the following averments a couple of years back: “Time is opportune for India to think in terms of setting up a rating agency of international standard, which will understand the country and advice stakeholders about the health of domestic financial institutions and provide crucial input to the financial institutions and governments abroad with which India has dealings.

Agencies like Standard and Poor’s (S&P) and Moody’s are doing their work within their limitation and even they would be benefited if an internationally acceptable rating agency comes into being in India.”

IMF view In response to a recent observation by the chief of International Monetary

“Data is doctored or edited, while presenting poverty figures”

Fund (IMF) while in India, to the effect that ‘when adjusting for differences in purchasing prices between economies, India’s GDP will exceed that of Japan and Germany combined. Indian output will also exceed the combined output of the three next largest emerging market economies-Russia, Brazil and Indonesia’, I had commented that ‘India’s toiling masses, entrepreneurs and the availability of resources within the country have not changed overnight and what forced some ‘celebrities’ and international rating agencies turn positive on India was the prevailing confidence of Indian people, infused by the political and financial sector leadership provided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RBI Governor Dr Raghuram Rajan.

I had recalled a stanza from Gita, which says “One should lift oneself by one’s own efforts and should not degrade oneself; for one’s own self is one’s friend, and one’s own self is one’s enemy.” - Bhagavadgita, 6.5 Aid and poverty alleviation Misleading comparisons are not a unique feature of releases from rating agencies. Data usually is doctored, edited, or misquoted while presenting poverty figures or while preparing documents to make presentations on social responsibility initiatives.

Just to give one example, the Gates Foundation 2014 Annual Letter mentioned the names of 11 countries, which were former recipients of foreign aid that have grown so much that they receive little aid today.

A cross check showed that the 11 countries listed as former recipients of aid together had a population of just 51 crore and about 25% of this population under poverty line.

Back in India, (a country with a population of 125 crore of which 30%

What is high frequency trading and how it affects you?

What is it about high frequency trading that makes one rich overnight?

Is it legal? If so, why is everyone not doing it?

SREE IYER I was always fascinated with Michael Lewis’s writings. His Liar’s Poker was truly a path breaker, giving fantastic insights into what happened in Wall Street in the 80s. On one of my TV channel surfing experiences, I stumbled on to an interview of Brad Katsuyama by Maria Bartiromo in Fox Business Channel on his new IEX exchange. In the course of this chat, I learnt that Michael Lewis had written about Brad and his company IEX in his new book titled ‘Flash Boys’ and that got me interested. If there is anyone who can explain a complex topic in simple, easy-to-understand terms, it is Michael Lewis.

I left for India shortly thereafter and while in Bangalore, picked up Flash Boys. I had intended to read it but got caught up with other stuff and could not get to it. On my fl ight from Bangalore to Mumbai, I came across an article of how two friends moved back from Wall Street to a tiny office in Bandra-Kurla complex and are generating business worth Rs 4,000 crore a day using high frequency trading strategies. The numbers were truly mind boggling, even if they were generating 1 per cent profit, that works out to Rs 40 crores a day or assuming 200 trading days in a year, Rs 8,000 crore! It was one of those moments, when you start asking yourself if you were in the right profession. I fi led away this information for future reference as I flew back to the US. I finally got time to pick up Flash Boys and got hooked right away.

Despite being a work of non-fiction, I could not stop turning the pages. When I put the book down, I started thinking

as to how many other countries are now having high frequency trading (HFT) and I suddenly remembered the article about RKSV and their amazing turnover as a discount broker in Mumbai. What is it about high frequency trading that makes one rich overnight? Is it legal? If so, why is not everyone doing it? But fi rst, let us take a step back and understand the evolution of high frequency trading...

On 19 October 1987, the Dow Jones Industrial Average crashed by 22.6%, the single largest one-day stock market decline in history. Many reasons were given for the loss, one of which was how globalisation was affecting financial markets across the world. In those days, a stock was bought or sold using a broker whom

you called up (or he called you!) and agreed on the stock, its price and how many. As the market crash was playing out, it was rumoured that

many brokers stopped answering their phones! The US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) addressed this and several other structural flaws and one of the remedies suggested was to have computerised trading. Th is set off a huge wave of modernisation and computerisation in Wall Street, which continues till date.

NASDAQ (and then NYSE) went public in 2000 and had their own profit targets and started finding ways to increase revenues. To increase competition, the US government also allowed setting up of more stock exchanges and by 2010, there were 13 stock exchanges. Some of these, were setup by brokers and high frequency trading companies, which should have raised red flags (after all these are intermediaries and ideally stock exchanges should be run by those for whom they exist, i. e. investors) as Michael Lewis observes in this inteview, on how these 13 Public Stock Exchange have become an unfriendly place for the investor.

However, as technology advanced, faster computers and networks enabled some fi rms to start trading between computers based purely on algorithms (an algorithm can be thoughts of as a series of steps to solve a problem). At fi rst, it seemed like all was well. In 2006, approximately 26% of all trades in the US were done by HFT fi rms and by 2010, this had reached 52 per cent.

What boggled the investors’ minds was how HFTs could have 4000 days of trading with no losses!

By 2008, many institutional investors, such as Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) started observing that even simple trades were costing them more than before. They started digging into this and uncovered a remarkable truth. It was as if HFT traders were lurking, waiting for them to put out an order and then act on it immediately, almost in a predatory fashion! What was even more frustrating was that they could do nothing about it. Brad Katsuyama, who headed the RBC trading desk at its New York office was determined to get to the bottom of this and with the help of other specialists, narrowed down the cause as being due to HFT companies. Th is led to his formulation of a process, which would make it fair for everyone and that is how IEX came about.

However, more on HFT. For those of you who are interested in knowing the state of US Stock markets today, there is an ongoing investigation

by New York State Attorney General’s office and by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission in Washington DC on high frequency trading practices. Ben Bernanke, the former chairman of Federal Reserve, announced last week that he is joining the Citadel Group, one of the biggest HFT companies, in an advisory capacity. If an HFT is willing to buy all the orders from TD Ameritrade, there must be a very good reason. Today, in the US, HFT traders are essentially driving the market.

HFT companies pay stock exchanges huge sums of money to colocate at the stock exchange in order to minimise the delay in monitoring orders. Stock exchanges (since they

need to generate profits) pay banks and institutional investors to direct orders their way. Sometimes, it happens the other way too!

Where is the investor in this picture? Was the stock exchange not established so capital could be directed to the company that needs it the most? So why are HFT companies paying brokers and stock exchanges?

The answers to these questions can be found in Michael Lewis’s book. The number of Americans trading in stocks and derivatives has fallen to 52 per cent from 63 per cent about six years ago. The average investor is losing confidence in the market.

Now let us see how all this applies to Indian markets.

• An HFT, co-located at NSE, picks up this order at Rs 2,150 and then tries to gauge the upper limit of the II. It may try selling to the II at Rs 2,250 and the II computer will reject it (because it can go only as high as Rs 2,200).

The HFT computer lowers the price to Rs 2,225 and gets rejected again. Then it tries Rs 2,200 and II buys the order!

• Now the HFT knows the upper bound of the II and will out run the buy request of the II to all the other exchanges and buy up INFY stock and then sell it back to the II, all at Rs 2,200, which the II accepts since it does not fi nd any other lower priced shares.

All this happens in a matter of milliseconds because the speed at which data runs between exchanges is slower than that of the HF traders.

• The profit margin may not be big but if you can do this on each and every sale, the numbers do add up and that is what HFTs do.

Moneylife.in

“Today, in the US, HFT traders are essentially driving the market.”

still remain below the poverty line), NITI Aayog has taken a stand not to estimate its own poverty line. Still, poverty elimination (as has been achieved only in Singapore with a population of 56 lakhs on this part of the globe) there is a need to have a nationally accepted method to arrive at poverty line- even if the line for different geographical regions within India may vary- and that method having the sanction of NITI Aayog and GOI. Th is is because several government schemes for poverty alleviation (now poverty elimination) relate the eligibility criteria to poverty line.

International comparisons, fear of loss of image, if the number of those below poverty line goes up during a particular period, total disconnect of poverty line or comparable indicator for different countries with purchasing power parity and several other constraints make poverty estimation highly subjective and sometimes prejudiced in India. Economists and consultants help policy makers in such situations by creating confusion with figures. There cannot be a better method than the one based on spending capacity and purchasing power of the rupee.

Once NITI Aayog decides on the poverty line for the purpose of extending benefits under central schemes, some agency should estimate and publish information about Indians living below poverty line and proportion of the population with (a) capacity to spend double the expenditure ceiling for poverty line (b) capacity to spend four times the ceiling (c) capacity to spend eight times the ceiling and (d) others. Such estimation will help policy makers to revisit some of the concepts on which poverty alleviation and financial inclusion efforts are based.

(MG Warrier is former general manager, RBI, Mumbai and author of the 2014 book “Banking, Reforms & Corruption: Development Issues in 21st Century India”.)

Moneylife.in

India’s investment climate is better New Delhi: Though India has a better investment climate among BRICS nations, its regulatory and tax systemrelated challenges are impacting immediate investment plans, over 90 corporate leaders of German high-tech companies have said in a survey.

The survey, conducted by global accounting consultancy fi rm EY and research agency Delphi, timed with the recently concluded Hanover Messe 2015 industrial fair where India was partner country.

“The 94 percent of surveyed CEOs and CFOs from leading German high-tech companies stated that India currently offers a better investment climate than other BRICS countries,” said the survey of more than 90 chief executives and chief financial officers from leading German high-tech companies.

“India currently offers a better investment climate than other BRICS countries,” the report said, referring to the emerging economies of four of the five BRICS nations, Brazil, Russia, India and China. South Africa is the fi fth member of the grouping.

According to the study, several perceived challenges have been identified across all high-tech manufacturing sectors and investor groups, including companies starting a business, already operating in India and potential investors which operate in other BRICS countries. They would require, among others, “improvement in infrastructure, simplification of regulatory procedures, liberalisation of FDI and simplification of the tax system”.

The report also said that IndoGerman collaborations in hightech manufacturing can become an important part of the ‘Make in India’ initiative. “Out of 13 high-tech manufacturing sectors analysed, seven offer greatest convergence for IndoGerman collaboration,” it said.

IANS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

“Under the feeder franchise policy, feeders which face maximum load shedding will get a retired engineer authorised as an adminstrator. This will ensure proper metre reading” — Chandrashekhar Bawankule, State Energy Minsiter

PUNE

“There should not be any excuse in ensuring total cleanliness in all civic hospitals. Civic body will provide all possible help for the purpose” — Shankar Kemse, leader of House PMC

Undri suffers from poor infrastructure

Undri has been witnessing rapid growth in realty sector. However, they are forced to put up with deplorable infrastructure

RAHUL RAUT

In the last couple of years, Undri has witnessed rapid development.

The demand from the city’s IT and manufacturing sectors encouraged developers to concentrate more in the area. The area is now considered ideal for offering residential options to these segments.

The area has the advantage of being well connected to various key localities like NIBM, Wanowarie and M.G Road. Another added advantage is Undri’s closeness to the IT hubs.

It is just a few kilometres away from Hadapsar, Magarpatta and Kharadi. So the demand for good housing is always on the rise.

There are various local and interstate highways and expressways while retaining its serenity. It has dense green cover which is well protected by the Government authorities.

Schools like Delhi Public School (DPS) and Bishop School have set their bases in that area.

Being a developing area, there

Aliasgar Mukhtiar, Resident

are still some issues which need to be tackled. With so many real estate projects coming up, the infrastructure needs to be upgraded in the area. For instance, the internal roads should be improved.

Undri is also within corporation limits and recently the developers have come together for construction of roads.

CITIZEN JOURNALIST

The area also needs better roads.

The roads which are being constructed at present are narrower than what was

Proud to be a Punekar Mukesh Bararia says Pune is a foodie’s paradise

The city has been my home since my school days. I am born in Kolkata and brought up here. I did my schooling from St. Vincent’s, and my graduation from BMCC and Symbiosis. I think I can call myself an ‘assal punekar’- in thought spirit, conviction and attitude!

I have made great friends in the city.

The city has really got it all. The city cannot be compared to any other!

From the quaint old world charm of the old wadas to sleek high rise apartments and the modern commercial complexes with their top notch amenities, Pune’s skyline is truly eclectic.

Pune is the city that has great climate, great food and great people.

The vada pav, pav bhaji, misal pav and

NON-NATIVE

PAROLE

the Maharastrian thali are a gourmet’s delight, but for me everything goes!

I am the quintessential foodie- right from the road side cane juice and pani puri to fi ne dining at the best joints in the city.

I rate Pune as the best educational destinations in the country. I have studied here and as such I know the academic life of Pune from very close quarters. I can safely vouch that studying in the city is one of the most rewarding experiences a student can hope for. Eminent educationists have

Mukesh Bararia

put Pune on a global map. Medicine, IT, Engineering, Management, Fine arts- you name it and the city is home to leading institutions in that field.

Pune is home to some of the best corporate houses- both national and international. The booming IT and

LETTERS TO THE THe GOLden APRIL 18, 2015

PUNE

mUmBAI

SATURDAY

EDITOR

SpaRROw ON

n identity and assert my Maharashtria “I refuse to constantly me and I don’t have to wear it on my to I know what it means y” sleeves to convince anybod ist column - Shobha De, Writer,

Hadapsar Society’s illegal sheds razed P4

Device converts diesel to domestic fuel P6

ose Dog killer on the lo

BPO offices have not only changed just the profi le of the industry, but also the attitude and the lifestyle of the ordinary Punekar. As a business hub, I think Pune is still one of the few cities where people do business with all their heart, emotions, trust and loyalty. And that what makes the city so special, a small city with a big warm heart.

Th is is a city where once you decide to set up home, you realise that’s where you belong- a realisation that is unique and indescribable- something very few cities in India can provide. A city that I will never be able to trade place with for whatever money can buy. Irrespective of its infrastructure problems and potholes, I still believe that Pune is one of the best cities of the country.

witness. We have the right to be concerned with law enforcement given to the dog killer. He should be caught and severely punished. Even if was a stray dog, a crime is a crime. We should all launch a campaign calling for tougher punishment against a now want man accused. and n the p’ shi g kin d ‘sin andone‘Dog mint money Abon — Prabodh Javdekar Dr Singhania This is how schools The storyto ext ort a pound of flesh: killer on the loose’ was appalling.

It surprised me to know that the The monkey menace cop turned a blind eye to the entire The article on the man that won’t open incident. He didn’t even care to act. The his shop because of the monkey menace preservation of life is should be our top was shocking. If this is the case with a priority and this includes the lives of hairdresser, I can only imagine the plight animals too. Having two puppies as a of other residents in that area. It is really part of my family, it saddens me that a dangerous for the man, for he can end up man ran over a dog and didn’t even care getting seriously injured. The cops and to stop, this is inhumane. The police have the authorities should really help him enough evidences against the culprit, to get out of this situation. The wildlife they have the CCTv footage, and a that has the of the complex a family. The block The stray collapsed car after visiting the driver to go. culprit drove the Shinde allowing from where the and constable l complex in Bandra wheel of the car gate of the residentia that got stuck under the rear stray top left) The front the lift footage of the (Clockwise from dog killer near driver visited. CCTv footage of the minutes. CCTv flat where the car gate after a few went near Shinde never dog near the buildings the that the

The family that the to get him arrested. is also tight-lipped killer was visiting about his identity. who refused Constable Shinde, name, on his part to give out his full have done couldn’t he claimed that the one on duty at much. Shinde was

that night and Chimbai police chowky episode. “The dog witnessed the entire to me, it was going was coming after r the driver just sped bite me. Moreove I have done?” said away. What could Shinde. clearly shows footage the , However

over. Moreover, after being run for few seconds, driver also halted to nab him or note enough for Shinde down his vehicle number. yogesh.sadhwani om @goldensparrow.c

a palatial mansion situated in an elite e locality in Singapor ania by bapu deedw at 10, Ewart Park and from and own a yacht his grandchildren he Two months after expensive cars,” a suit filed in-law daughtera estranged son and said.

Dr Vijaypat Singhani Singhania Dr with in Bombay High Court, filed the case has been told the court that has further stated, malign more monies and to e this a motive to extract “The Ps (siblings) TGS newS SeRViC at large. In January for (20) his image in society are only fronts @TGSWeekly Rasaalika (26), Tarini ti ati year Ananya (29), D1 D2 (Madhup Dr Vijaypat Singhania children of Madhupa to to any extent and Raivathari (18), and Anuradha) Trust with Trustee institutes would go a filed a case against deficient Students at Bharatiya Manav Vikas Some educational of flesh. I state and Singhania and Anuradher Dr Singhania, and school for mentally ly extort a pound dishonest more to mint money. A guilty of Nandkumar Jadhav grandfath found parents, been their proceedings are no has submit that the present pressurising tactics by to make children in Panvel Raymond Ltd. trick in the book ng ‘Family bid and challengi extortion an are that report. than adopting almost every e headed by retired Justice e part committe The siblings with their parents er that a substantial helpless,” stated the Singhania siblings that when they parents and grandfath D1 D2.” He adds a fast buck. A committe e also pointed out a report on Bharatiya Settlement’ that their r 30, 1998. Back then, under the FS and hence committe D2 compiled apThe D1 has to r by g was retained RG Sindhaka workshop the trustees pertainin of the existence of entered into on Decembeof his family home in special school and d, complied with the dealings, sought papers from out the Ps claiming ignorance Manav Vikas Trust’s d children, New Panvel, “I have duly performe making payments and other financial Madhupati moved e with in 2005 pointment of teachers including down in Singapor the FS is just false. for mentally challenge last thing terms of the said FS they had been destroyed under to Mumbai and settled While education was the not have they were told that consideration there a and four children. stating that imparting a they used the papers which would of fair and proper and to t his wife Anuradh My coMpa ny trustees and that surprisati and Anuradha) floods. “However some couple signed an agreemen they called on the minds of dating back to 2002 were D1 and D2 (Madhup parting ways, the back then make money. would landed them in trouble virtue of which they giving up their share father sinking ship institution only to “in view the documents which the Ps (siblings) by with Singhania senior stopping at that, the came to light after affidavit stated that the execution thereof, ingly cropped up. Only claimed to be destroyed in The entire matter Dr Singhania his to immediately upon wealth. Not iscord , D1 and able school approached were them family the them by tensions/d in minor from their family exposed have e as desired flood is being the share of thrown of the increasing of one of the students migrate to Singapor a) decided and is obvious that 2005 the couple also gave up ent life of their GJ Karade’s son was the 2005 floods. It be conducted (Madhupati and Anuradh best interest to years later, now that filed enjoying an independ should D2 Bombay High Court. test been Karade Seventeen high have narco a A others. children. share with two it was in their of living and used as an excuse. to get to the up, they want their funds informed me that out of school along choice in high standards affidavit stated.

Nandkumar Jadhav, children have grown what they then called that school misused parents e.” on the chief trustee, and claim that their ties abandon (the company) a case in HC alleging did not focus on children’s the report stated. quality life in Singapor in ancestral wealth that the siblings of and severe all economic D2 nt and bottom of this mess,” up their stake as well. the ‘sinking ship’ e headed from the governme Dr Singhania stated recommended recovery him filed had no right to give submit that the D1 appointed a committe The committee relationship between the frauds 17), Dr Singhania with me. I state and education. The HC of the and from the school for were aware that the On Friday (April r and sought a detailed Justice the financial troubles several lakhs of rupees was less than cordial which were s room no 37 before carefully appraised by retired Justice Sindhaka s. and their parents recovery of funds harmony a reply in HC court and its group companie allegation school committed. “Mere of preserving the his lawyers. Calling the D4 (Raymond Ltd) report regarding the nt is not enough. The D1 for the necessity time in financial in the petition that Gautam S Patel through children replete with ways. “For 17 years taken from the governme crimes like committing all at the relevant part it were to four Karade had alleged when the which by decided share any they heinous have not the case filed ght Dr from disabled students not inclined to is guilty of several ati and Anuradha) papers, bogus s and an afterthou stress and were school collected fees from.” nt and that and D2 (Madhup creation of false separate malafide intention from the governme impact resultant there financial frauds, or their decision to affidavit said that the reached obligation adverse received grant in aid misguiding this inquiry questioned the FS Singhania in his 46-pagean ulterior motive. He for students never appointment of teachers, Criminal cases should in Singapore,” he stated. the scholarships meant that trustees shifted the filed with settle and been others. has suit among which e, committe and state various reasons on conni vance them. He also alleged rent from finds it trustees of the school has detailed out the the suit mentions that he location and claimed Misled be filed against the mess. This continue hearing Dr. Singhania also school to a remote The school suppressed Facts, responsible for the the court must not children have appointed another building. government officials oF process others,” the outset. but yet hard to believe that l, the government for maternal Ltd message to several court, abuse their and dismiss it at the have qualified teachers, Aggarwa would send out a clear that since the Raymond a in a Devkumar also allegedly did not nt showing Dr Singhania said in constituted attorney from the governme report stated.

Madhupati and Anuradh instance and grandfather as their claimed their salaries He has pointed out that Bharatiya is now flourishing, Filed at the their own parents. records.

The committee also to reopen and question about the l and collusion case against him and bogus names on their is far from serious have used their children be allowed by HC. e bore out most of digest that Aggarwa conni vance Manav Vikas Trust and physically that it is difficult to should not The Sindhakar committe ts recently, stated which mentally to file a HC FS the to the paren to disclose attorney d and with report submitted have failed to imparting education that the filed with the blessings ati teachers goes “would act as a constitute allegations. In their “The Ps (siblings) have recommended quality “The suit is actually daughter. This only that several qualified challenged. They from them grandeur lifestyle, 1 and Def 2 (Madhup case against his own the committee found school forged their to court their school be taken away at the instance of Def between the Ps (siblings) advantages faculty and yet the class facilities at management of the from to show the collusion and Anuradha),” stated were not part of the a) to derive undue education and world FS. To the best of my another trust.

Anuradh to of and claimed their salaries over price ati even and handed and market s the and of in the and the Ds (Madhup their signature of Justice VM Kanade nt disposal by reason arising out of increase me in the said Family Department.

Ds (Madhupati A division bench state governme affidavit. d to e the Ps live with the the the state Social Welfare department has not been asked in transferre now knowledg has assets staying the alone e. appear to be Justice AR Joshi suit on this ground d on “The social welfare of the Shindakar committe and Anuradha) who Settlement (FS). The whether teachers mentionenot… to respond to findings April 28. . paying attention to there or on ought to be dismissed are really working The case will be heard nsparrow.com roles of the school claiming to tgs.feedback@golde how an institution the This is a fit case of is openly exploiting be a pioneer in education

by retired A committee headed for mentally Justice found that school d every deficient children deployea fast buck trick in the book to make

The city with an attitude

Right from its pleasant climate to its rich cultural heritage, the city has a lot to offer Pune is well-known for the warmth and affection that the people of the city have for everyone, whether they live locally or just visitors. It is a wonderful place to be in, even in the short term.

It has evolved greatly, since I started living here 12 years ago. The city is now a major commercial destination, apart from its age-old reputation as an educational hub with some fi ne colleges and schools. It has also become far more diverse, culturally speaking, and absorbing new influences all the time, even though it retains its essential Maharastrian fl avour.

But, when it comes to growth and change there are some things that are not so good about the city today.

One of the main issue the city faces is the traffic. There are more vehicles on the road every year and this causes commuting problems. Along with bad roads, the traffic management is poor too. It is an issue, which people have been discussing for ages now- so there doesn’t seem to be much point of me

Flora Ma, Professional

conducive environment. There are many recreation options as well. The city host some of the best culture festivals, be it theatre or music. And I expect this to

get better in the next couple of years.

For me, personally since I am busy with work most of the time, it is defi nitely a welcome change to take off for an evening and leave behind the stress of the day. I do eat out quite often with family and friends- and an occasional date.

During winter, Pune is transformed into a whole new kind of city, becoming amazingly beautiful and romantic. It is a respite from the dreadful heat of the summer! But even the hot season, is sort of nice, because it makes you look forward to the cooler season. I think all of us who lives in this colourful and vibrant city can work to make it progress and prosper further.

RAHUL RAUT

FROM FOREIGN

SHORES

going about it! And like they say, there’s a fl ip side to every coin, so I guess when everything else works out for the city, some things just come with the package.

Even business wise, the city has emerged as a city with a scope. It is not just work, for which the city provides a

implemented, one can avoid the hassles of remembering so many passwords and carrying the cards everywhere. I tend to forget the passwords, this would make it easy for me, as I will have to remember just one pin number. It would make the job simple for us as well as the bank department too. I congratulate the team for coming up with such an innovation.

— Swapnaja Pandhare

ani by yOGeSH SadHw @yogeshsadhwani

to book as well,” that he be brought said Charania. have made no While Bandra cops case, Charania and headway in the the image of the Shaikh have circulated CCTv footage) killer (captured from acquaintances and among their friends

not be sufficient to cater to the growing population.

Many parts of the area have

The dog killer should be punished

have captured a building in Bandra there not CCTv cameras of a a dog and cops posted driver running over him doing anything to nab

this juncture, a cop applied brakes. At ed chowky approach from the police him to move the driver, gestured did as told and ahead. The driver termed as yet dog got out, while braked again. The It would have been The driver halted of a stray dog being the cop moved away. another incident cases, left. The most then and Like seconds vehicle. for few more run over by a that the cop did would have been footage clearly shows the animal’s body driver, when he had and eventually taken not care to nab the disposed in a bin to do so, neither did ample opportunity on vehicle’s registrati he take down the number. the stray circled Few seconds later, and collapsed. The around for a bit dog’s motionless cop approached the dead check if it was body, kicked it to It was only the next and moved away. an animal lover, day when Shaikh, body outside his spotted the dog’s around. He got building that he asked Salim Charania decided to check Arbaaz Shaikh dodgy answers and the footages. After seeing CCTv the Charania, who to rot. But thanks footage he contacted took the dog’s to dumping ground more alert even and lover, Bandra rushed to to an animal SPCA veterinar y CCTv footage, a body to Bombay animal activist and camera. on caught hospital. dog killer has been conducted Verna car ran Doctors at BSPCA the animal The killer in his Hyundai the gate of said that outside dog’s post mortem over dog sleeping blood veins on Carter Road, died due to internal Beach View building fracture and shock for a brief moment rupture, multiple Bandra. He halted over it. Next, Surprisingly, cops caused by the car runningBandra police and then drove away.

Chimbai police ed Charania approach and registered posted at the adjoining entire episode the station on Monday 279 (rash and chowky witnessed nab the killer, note section to care under not FIR did an but nor did they 429 (mischief by negligent driving), down his vehicle number, Indian Penal of killing an animal) file an FIR. that 23-year11A (cruelty to It was only a day later Code and section n of Cruelty Shaikh, a resident animals) of The Preventio were yet to old Arbaaz Bashir got to know Police to Animals Act. of the same building ugh in the case. checked the CCTv make any breakthro about the incident, Salim part was contacted shocking then most “The footages and activist, who place in front of that the crime took Charania, an animal Welfare the entire Animals the cops. They witnessed heads Peace for a not do anything to footages shows incident and yet did Association. The of flat no 602 and helpless animal. This get justice for the visitor getting out Police towards his car parked Mumbai towards of ity insensitiv then heading a sad picture at around 11.30 pm animals clearly gives in the compound in 11). While driving and animal’s laws towards animals on Saturday (April stray. also given a written our city. I have out, he ran over the at of the car first the cop on duty Front right wheel complaint against d night and demande The stray was caught the chowky that ran over the dog. when the driver under the rear wheel

promised to us. With so many new real estate projects coming, the number of residents will increase. The roads will

water supply issues. Residents have to buy water every other day to meet their daily requirements. We are frustrated as our demands have still not been met. Moreover, it becomes a tad expensive to buy water every alternate day.

Another major issue is the public transport system. More PMPML buses should be deployed. The frequency of the buses is one in every 1.45 hours which is very inadequate in an area with dense population.

There are also other issues like garbage disposal, storm water drains and the brick kiln near the Bishop’s School.

Just because the area is situated in the interiors, the garbage is not collected every day. During the rainy season, water gets collected in potholes.

Also the garbage is not collected on daily basis. The area has now become the breeding ground of mosquitoes and other insects. The smoke from the brick kiln is also hazardous to health. I have written a number of letters to the authorities, but my grievances are yet to be addressed.

wing of the state’s should undertake appropriate measures to ascertain the safety of the man and other residents.

Its really sad that other neighbouring shopkeepers laugh at him instead of helping him out.

—Vandana Datar

Just one card for all bank accounts It was good to read about Ujjwal Shirode’s new innovation on making a single ATM card for multiple bank accounts. If this is

Keeping the pets cool The story on ‘Let your pet keep it cool this summer’ was an interesting read. I own a Labrador, and have been wanting to take him to a pet groomer for long time now. The story gave me an insight into the latest hair cuts for pets and what treatments are good. It wa-s good to know the importance of grooming and diet. My pet too has lost its appetite, so I will follow the tips given in the write up.

Also the information on the number of pet salons that offer specialised services was very useful.

— Vishal Bhalerao

The Aadhar confusion

The house of chaos article was an interesting read. I was unaware about the EPIC- Aadhar Seeding programme. I still have not got my voter’s identity card nor have I tried for the card. Applying for the aadhaar card is a tedious process.

Standing in serpentine ques for long hours

is impossible for senior citizens like us. If they genuinely want to weed out bogus voters, the public should be informed about the various steps. Whenever you visit the officers for information they are elusive. They either direct you to the local ID and aadhaar centre to solve the issues.

After reading the article, I approached the local office in our neighbourhood for information. They were clueless about the linking of voter cards and Aadhaar cards. If this is the situation, whom are we suppose to approach?

—Shehnaz Husein

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.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY APRIL 25, 2015

PUNE

SPORTS

“Shattered to hear about Ankit Keshri’s demise. I can assure Kolkata Knight Riders would go out there and do whatever we can for his family” — Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir

Signposts Inter-club badminton league Pune District Metropolitan Badminton Association (PDMBA) will conduct Inter-club Badminton League Team Championship at their complex in Shivajinagar from May 16. The tournament will be held in three groups in under-17 age group. The last day of registration is April 30. For details contact tournament secretary Ajit Deshpande (09822089738).

Veteran state ranking tennis from today PYC Hindu Gymkhana will conduct first Veterans State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament from April 25.

More than 200 participants have confirmed their participation. National and International players like Sunil Babras, Upendra Mulye, KK Rai, PG Kelkar, Yogesh Desai, Suhasini Bakre will be the main players. For details contact tournament secretary Avinash Joshi (9922420916)

Pratibha to lead state hockey team Pune’s Pratibha Sawant will lead Maharashtra in the 5th Hockey India Senior women’s National Championships at Saifai, Uttar Pradesh from April 24. Nashik’s goalkeeper Chaitrali Duberkar is vice captain of the team. The Maharashtra team is in a tough pool along with Railways, Odisha and Delhi. Their campaign will begin on April 26 with a match against Delhi.

“Ravichandran Ashwin is one guy who is always developing himself and updating his game to go with the new challenges.

That is a sign that he is an exceptional spin bowler” — Former New Zealand cricketer Daniel Vettori

Now it’s Maha Kabaddi league State kabaddi association tries to cash in the rising popularity of the sport

ABOUT THE LEAGUE Eight men and eight women teams from eight cities will fight for the trophy. The tournament will be played on a league cum knock-out format, with teams been drawn into two groups of four teams. Every team had a fund of Rs6 lakhs to build their team. The players in the auction pool were selected from trials conducted by the state kabaddi association. The winning team will receive a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh and best raider, man of the match and man of the series will get other cash rewards.

TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly After the Pro Kabaddi League, which triggered a huge success in their fi rst edition, the Maharashtra State Kabaddi Association (MSKA) has decided to cash in the rising popularity of the sport by launching their own Maha Kabaddi League (MKL) from May 15 at different venues in Maharashtra.

“Basically the league will provide a platform for state players who didn’t get much opportunity in the Pro League. Secondly, the sport is more popular in rural areas of Maharashtra, so instead of just concentrating on big cities like Pune, Mumbai and Nagpur, we have chosen venues like Baramati, Sangli and Ahmednagar too as a venues for the league,” said Siddharth Mehta, CEO of MKL. Mehta also claimed that they have taken every step to make this event a grand success.

“Though the matches will be held on mats, to accommodate large crowd we have decided to put it outdoors.

We have already started working on building spectator galleries on these grounds,” he said.

WOMEN’S LEAGUE It was expected that the introduction of women’s league will be the next step, after the huge success to Pro Kabaddi league. Even actor Abhishek Bachchan, who owns Jaipur Pink Panthers team, had announced

about his plans to start a women’s kabaddi league in the future. However, before they could plan something in that direction, MKL has taken a step ahead and have become the fi rst league in India to have women’s team.

“Initially we were not sure how much response we would get for women’s league, But we were surprised to see that the franchise owners were more interested in women’s league.

Interestingly, the women players turned out to be costlier than their men counter parts,” said Mehta.

Pune’s Neha Ghadge become costliest player of the league, as she was roped in by Baramati for Rs2,28,000 in the auction. She was followed by Abhilasha Mhatre (Rs2,26,000 - Raigad) and Sayali Keripal (RS2,08,000 - Mumbai).

The men players were nowhere near to the amount, as their costlier player Kulbhushan Kulkarni managed to fetch Rs1,80,000 from Ratnagiri.

BETTER THAN PRO KABADDI? When asked to compare the newly announced league to Pro Kabaddi League, Mehta said, “We can’t compare with them. They have reach all over India and their television viewership is also massive. Though, we have kept the format and point system same as Pro League, we have minimised the hectic schedule.”

“Our league is divided into two legs. First leg will be hosted by Mumbai, Ratnagiri, Alibaug and Pune from May 15 and in the second season, remaining teams Thane, Baramati,

Sangli and Ahmednagar will host the matches. The dates of the second leg are yet to be finalised. Th is will reduce the pressure on players and keep the momentum throughout the year,” he added.

LEGAL ISSUES As per Pro League’s rules and regulations, no player from the league can participate in any other professional league. So, when asked whether MKL has similar restrictions, Mehta said, “Yes, we have similar rules. However, we are quite liberal. If any Pro League franchises owners try to pick any star player from MKL, we won’t deny. Of course, it will be MKL franchises’ fi nal decision to release the player.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Pune swimmers complete sea expedition Two young s w i m m e r s from the Saarc Antaric Club of Pune, Devang Shah (13) and Khushi Parmar (12), successfully crossed the nautical distance Devang Shah of 13kms between Kora Jetty to Gateway of India recently.

D e v a n g breached this distance in 2 hours and 59 minutes while Khushi completed it in 3 hours and 33 Khushi Parmar minutes.

Tejas Parsekar of State Swimming Association officiated as the observer in this expedition.

The tides were quite high during this expedition. Since they were not allowed to swim through the Indian Navy’s territory, both of them had to make their way at a longer distance facing the waves.

Th is made them clock more time as also cross 2-3 kms extra. However, both put their strength to test and made their way taking the advantage of the tides and winds Both these swimmers practice under the guidance of Jitendra Khasnis and Harshad Inamdar.

Now the swimmers are preparing for 19km distance in the Bhagirathi river at Khurshidabad in West Bengal. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Pillay keeps Maharashtra in fray Railways qualify for semifinals; Air India end Pool A campaign with an all-win record in senior national hockey TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Two goals each from Yuvraj Walmiki and Vikas Pillay for their respective teams, Railways and Maharashtra, underlined the fate of their teams.

Railways qualified for the semifinals and Maharashtra stayed well in contention for the berth with one

day of league matches remaining—in the 5th Hockey India Senior Men’s National Hockey championship for ‘A’ Division at Shiv Chhatrapati sports complex in Balewadi.

Railways needed a simple win to seal the semifinal berth from Pool D after having forced into a draw by the spirited Food Corporation of India (FCI). Mumbai, on the other hand, came into the match with allwin record, and tried to make things difficult for Railways when Mayur Patil scored in the 18th minute for 1-0 lead.

Railways were not to take it lying down. Though they were unsuccessful to score in the fi rst half, they showed they had in them to beat the best.

Players of Maharashtra (orange) and Tamil Nadu in action during their league match

Yuvraj Walmiki’s 37th minute effort was a game changer that put the teams at 1-1.

Malak Singh (50th) and Jasjeet Singh (52nd) scored just two minutes before Walmiki added his stint as Railways stormed into the semifinals.

The other Pool D match between Punjab and FCI was rendered academic. Though Punjab won 5-4, it was FCI which showed the mettle by fi rst taking the lead. They kept on equalising before Punjab scored the fi fth goal in the 60th minute through Jaskaran Singh.

Maharashtra beat Tamil Nadu Winless Tamil Nadu began on a high note, but Maharashtra withstood the early inroads for 20 minutes. M Vinod Rayar struck in the 23rd minute to put Tamil Nadu ahead for the halftime lead.

It looked as if the chips were loaded against Maharashtra when captain Vishal Pillay came to life in the fourth quarter. Pillay scored two goals in three minutes to fi rst put Maharashtra ahead before Rajendra Ekka put it beyond Tamil Nadu in the 55th minute.

There was a scuffle when Tamil Nadu players objected to referee’s decision with Maharashtra leading 2-1. Ashok Kumar even grabbed the referee, who later drew red card to send him out of the match. He was later slapped with a two match ban by the Hockey India disciplinary committee. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

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Pune FC teams drop rankings Both senior and under-19 teams lose their respective encounters on a same day TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSWeekly Tuesday definitely wasn’t a good day for Pune FC teams. Their senior team suffered a 0-2 defeat against lower ranked Bengaluru FC in a home match at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi. On the same day, their under-19 team went down to Salgaocar FC in an Under-19 I-League final

phase Round-2 with an identical score (0-2) at the DSK football field in Loni.

It was a second consecutive loss at home and fourth loss of the season for senior team. Th is performance led the team (23pts) dropping down to the fourth place in the standings as Bengaluru FC (25 pts) moved up to third.

Pune FC had a bad start to the game conceding in the very fi rst minute. A quick move on the left straight from kick off had Eugeneson Lyngdoh cross in to attacker Shankar who fl icked it into the goal from close range in front of Pune FC keeper Amrinder Singh. Later in the match,

Bengaluru FC opted to move forward on counter attacks, Pune FC created moves from the midfield but were falling short in the final third.

It was PFC’s fi rst defeat in the under-19 final phase. The loss also meant Pune FC (3 pts) dropped down to second place in the standings behind AIFF Elite Academy (6 pts) who secured a win over hosts DSK Shivajians.

Though, Pune FC dominated proceedings and created a host of chances, a defensive error gifted Salgaocar deciding goal. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

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