The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 02/07/2016

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Unmarried couples barred from this Pune garden The PCB has made the JJ Garden in Camp area out of bounds for unmarried couples as they want to curb any and all obscene and See p03 rowdy behaviour

State’s first hatchery has no eggs to hatch Not just at the country’s borders, but even in the urban zones, there are people who put their lives at extreme risk, in the course of their daily jobs. Sanitation workers who work without safety precautions, snake-catchers, façade glass cleaners who brave dizzy heights, those who deal with bees and e waste, are some of the people who face danger daily in the line of duty See p08-09

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

PUNE

MUMBAI

‘‘Despite an increase in education attainment and urbanisation, there is little improvement in the participation of women in paid work. In fact, the situation seems to have consistently worsened.’’

- Bino Paul, Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Red Dragon’s 1st home-made jet makes debut flight P 13

‘Limited education affects pension reach’ P 14

Pappu Kalani poses for selfies at Taloja jail

Pappu to be shunted back to Pune

BY YOGESH SADHWANI AND SANTOSHEE MISHRA @TGSWeekly

He may be behind bars convicted for murder, but Pappu Kalani’s charm hasn’t faded. Four-time MLA from Ulhasnagar and currently undergoing life imprisonment, Kalani is in trouble for posing for selfies clicked by some youngsters at Taloja jail a couple of days ago. The politician, who is currently serving a life sentence for a murder and under trial for several other cases, is seen posing for pictures, while a police vehicle is waiting behind. The pictures were taken inside the Taloja jail complex.

Now that the pictures have gone viral on social media sites, several opponents of Kalani have sought action against him. Advocate Vikas Patil Shirgaonkar, special prosecutor who is representing the state against Kalani in the Ghanshyam Bhatija murder case, said, “If the pictures are for real, then it is a serious lapse on the part of the jail and police authorities.

How can a man who is convicted for life and under trial for another be allowed to mingle with people so freely and that too inside jail premises? It is evident from the pictures that cops escorting him are at the back. This is nothing but an attempt on the part of convicted felon to show that can make almost anything happen.”

Meanwhile, jail officials have taken serious cognisance of the selfies. SN Gaikwad, superintendent of Taloja Jail said, “Pappu Kalani was transferred to Taloja jail from Yerawada Jail, Pune on June 28. On

June 29, he was sent to Kalyan court for a hearing and was escorted by local police. When he returned to the jail from court that evening, some people from Ulhasnagar were waiting outside.

They were here to meet other inmates lodged at the jail. On seeing Kalani, they started touching his feet and then clicked pictures with him. The incident occurred outside the jail. We have now approached Navi Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale to register a case, as taking pictures near jail premises is strictly prohibited.”

Dr BK Upadhyay, additional director general of police (Prison) has initiated an inquiry into the incident. “I have personally checked the photographs and they seem to have been clicked outside Taloja jail.

The police party escorting him should

have ensured that the inmate does not venture out,” he said.

When contacted, Pappu Kalani’s son Omie Kalani said he had also been told about the photographs. “They seem to be morphed. In this day and age it is possible to do anything with a photograph. In any case it is for the agencies concerned to do the needful,” he said.

Pappu Kalani has been in jail since 2013 after he was sentenced to life for Inder Bathija’s murder. He is currently on trial for murdering Inder’s brother Ghanshyam. The incidents date back to 1990 when Kalani was contesting the assembly elections from Ulhasnagar on a Congress ticket. Inder and his brother Ghanshyam Bathija were backing the BJP candidate, Sitaldas Harchandani. On February 27, the

polling day, Bhatijas allegedly caught Kalani’s associates casting bogus votes.

Ghanshayam was murdered the same day in the evening. Inder filed several complaints naming Kalani as the key accused behind his brother’s murder.

In April 1990, Inder was gunned down too. While Ghanshayam’s case is still being heard, a Kalyan court judge pronounced judgment in Inder’s murder case in November 2013.

The sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court as well.

Kalani won the Ulhasnagar assembly seat four times in a row – 1990, 1995, 1999, and 2004. During the 1995 and 1999 elections, he was behind bars under the TADA and yet emerged a winner. He was put behind bars in 1992 under TADA and had around 19 cases registered against him. It was only in

Jail authorities have now decided to shunt Pappu Kalani back to Yerwada jail in Pune.

Dr BK Upadhyay, additional director general of police (Prison), confirmed that after the selfie controversy came to light, Kalani will be shifted back to Pune jail. “We are going to shift him to Yerwada jail within two-three days from Taloja jail,” he said.

Meanwhile, Advocate Vikas Patil-Shirgaonkar, special prosecutor representing the state against Kalani in Ghanshyam Bathija murder case, said that there were no orders in the first place to shift the gangsterturned-politician from Pune jail to Taloja jail, closer to his bastion, Ulhasnagar. “Some time back Yerwada prison authorities had made an application in court stating that the trial should be conducted through video conference. Kalani’s lawyers had sought that he be shifted to Thane 2001 that he was let out on bail, on the condition that he would not indulge in any criminal activities. Despite this, 19 criminal cases were registered against him post his bail. These were mostly pertaining to ransacking government offices, assaulting political rivals, thrashing policemen and civic officials who went to demolish illegal structures.

Kalani lost his first election in 2009 to BJP candidate Kumar Ailani. In 2014, however, Jyoti Kalani, his wife, won the assembly seat back.

prison. I opposed the same. The court is still hearing the application and no order has been passed yet. Despite this he was shifted from Pune to Taloja, for reasons best known to the authorities. I will bring this to the notice of the court in the next date,” said Advocate Patil-Shirgaonkar.

Kamal Bathija, whose brothers were murdered (Kalani has been convicted for Inder Bathija’s murder, while Ghanshyam Bathija’s trial is on at Kalyan court), said, “I have reasons to believe that a minister is involved in getting Kalani transferred from Yerwada to Taloja, so that he can meet his supporters easily. I will very soon expose those who are supporting Kalani,” said Kamal.

Dr Upadhyay, however, justified the transfer, stating that jail authorities have the powers to do so.

Now that the selfie controversy has come to light, Kalani will be back at Pune jail.

Locals say that despite him being behind bars since 2013, his popularity has not diminished. His posters put up by his supporters can be seen across Ulhasnagar. Several residents of Ulhasnagar display their old photographs with him proudly on social networking sites. The recent incident seems to be a similar case, only this time the youngsters went too far and may have landed their hero in trouble. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Food plates changed Kumar Pillai became a criminal to at Arthur Rd Jail take revenge for his father’s murder Authorities replace aluminium plates with fibre ones, in wake of the spate of attacks by inmates on each other

BY SANTOSHEE MISHRA @santosheemishra In the wake of a spate of skirmishes in which the inmates have attacked each other with their aluminium food plates, the authorities of Arthur Road Jail, Jacob Circle, Byculla, have decided to replace the old food plates with fibre plates.

The Arthur Road Jail was in the limelight in the year 2010, after a brawl between extradited don Abu Salem and Mustafa Dossa, a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Mustafa ‘Majnou’ Dossa used a sharpened spoon to attack Salem.

Senior officials reviewed the recent attacks inside the jail, and have categorised Arthur Road Jail as one of the sensitive and crucial jails in the state. Based on this, the senior jail authorities have decided to replace the old food plates with fibre ones. But official sources say that it will take at least six months for this to happen in all the state jails, but they have planned to start with Arthur Road Jail.

“The fibre food plates have been ordered for jail inmates of Arthur Road. Because of the repeated attacks inside the Arthur Road Jail, it has become a very sensitive jail. In the

recent two incidents, the enquiry and investigation revealed that the jail inmates used their food plates to attack, so we decided to replace them with fibre food plates,” said BK Upadhyay, additional director general of police (Prisons).

“The orders have been already given for 3000 fibre plates. These plates are for Arthur Road Jail. It should start from next month, and later it will be in other jails also,” said Upadhyay.

“These plates can be used for six months period and later replaced. They cannot be used as objects to attack by any jail inmates,” said Upadhyay.

On May 30, during breakfast, a fight broke out among include robbery accused Mudassar Ansari, 30, Sarvar Khan, 32, Suleman Patel, arrested by the Mumbai ATS in an Arms Act case, Amkar and Murgan Nadar, 52. Khan is a former D-gang member, according to police records.

On June 16, Gopal Shetty, 35, arrested in MCOCA case of crime branch, was assaulted on the left side of his forehead and right elbow with a blade, by another Salim Faizal Khan, who was arrested in Nirmal Nagar Police Station, under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC. santoshee.mishra@goldensparrow.com

After 17 years, the fugitive was extradited from Singapore by Mumbai Police TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly

The life of fugitive Kumar Krishan Pillai, who was extradited from Singapore after 17 years on the night of June 27 under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court and is in the custody of Mumbai Police, could inspire a Kumar Pillai scriptwriter.

A bright student aiming to be a chemical engineer turned into a hardcore gangster only to take revenge on those who killed his father Krishna Pillai. Krishna ran a huge empire of matka, illegal manufacturing of liquor, in the Eastern Suburb of Mumbai in the early 80s and 90s for the then underworld don Amar Naik. Krishna never wanted his son to follow his footsteps but his murder changed the life of Kumar.

Amar Naik was the face of Hindu gangsters and Kumar financially supported Naik to grow his empire.

Kumar is believed to be have left the Naik gang and is alleged to have planned the murder of Sunit Khatau, the owner of Khatau Mills, in 1994. Kumar was arrested in 1998, but was later released on bail. Police sources said that Kumar left the country and settled in Hong Kong. Also known as KP, the youngest son of Krishna Pillai was extradited from Singapore by the Mumbai Police for his alleged role in extortion, murder and attempt to murder.

“KP, an alumnus of KJ Somaiya

College, took an oath that he would not wear footwear till he eliminates the murderer of his father Krishna Pillai.

He became the right-hand man of Ashwin Naik who was also a chemical engineering student and brother of Amar Naik, as both blamed Subhash Singh for the murder of Amar Naik and Krishna Pillai. It was for this reason that KP entered the crime world of Mumbai,” said an encounter specialist from the Eastern Suburb.

“I still remember the day and place when KP urged for the names of those who planned his father and Amar Naik’s murder in Juhu-based hotel Sun-NSand. The Mumbai in the late 80s started seeing gang wars and it was Singh who hatched the plan to kill Amar Naik. The meeting was going on in Sun-N-Sand with two merchants from Ulhasnagar and foreigners when Singh’s men fired on Naik and KP’s father. They both survived the attack but were injured,” added an investigation officer.

KP’s father made enemies after the

RED CORNER NOTICE In 2013, KP had given up his Indian passport at the Hong Kong Embassy and procured a Chinese-Hong Kong passport. Because of this, the Mumbai Police had to supply DNA samples and various other documents to get bring him back from Singapore, investigation officials said.

LTTE CONNECTION According to Crime Branch (Unit -VII) officials, KP was a right-hand man of Amar Naik. KP’s father hailed from Kerala and the KP Gang had well connected with The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (commonly known as the LTTE or the Tamil Tigers). “KP started procuring latest weaponry from LTTE and the gang remained unbeatable in the underworld. We are probing his links with the Tamil Tigers,” a crime branch official said. The crime branch sources suspect that KP had fled with the help of Tamil Tigers that has presence in a few European countries. school Shree Siddhi Vinayagar English School started by him in Vikhroli East, Mumbai attracted students from a popular Hindi medium school in the neighbourhood. He also built a temple Shree Siddhivinayak Devasthanam in the area. KP’s mother Kamala runs the school.

Krishna Pillai was killed in his office at Vikhroli and KP joined hands with Amar Naik’s younger brother Ashwin Naik to take revenge.

“We studied together at RJ College in Ghatkopar and KP was a bright student. A young man always ready to help the poor, KP also gave money to cops who were unable to bear the education expense of their children. He entered the crime world only to take revenge but ended up giving protection to the builder lobby in Eastern Suburb who lived in fear of Dawood Gang,” KP’s friend said.

The cops whom KP assisted during his college days help him find the conspirator and he eventually killed corporator Lal Singh Chavan.

“Lal Singh Chavan was suspected to be a member of D-Gang. Killing Chavan was not easy as he was a wellconnected person. It was Professor Arun Singh, who taught KP, helped Chavan flee from Ghatkopar but KP killed Chavan when the politician stepped out of Borivali Railway Station. Professor Singh was also killed in the early 90s near RJ College at Ghatkopar Station. The revenge was over by KP,” said a former encounter specialist.

The temple Shree Siddhivinayagan Devastham Trust installed a big Hanuman (panchmukhi) statue at the temple and KP started wearing his footwear as he had fulfilled his oath. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

‘‘The water situation is serious this year. We have been falling short of catering drinking water needs till July for the past few years. The state irrigation department makes all plans for the city and now it needs to review the water quota and requirement.’’

— Prashant Jagtap, Mayor

India among five countries will see high under-5 deaths P12

City’s oldest Agiary being restored to its pristine state

Jehangir Vakil, Kaiyan Mistree undertake the mission to restore the 173-year-old S R Patel Agiary to its former glory PICS: TEJAS GAIKWAD

BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry Amidst the bustle and congestion of Nana Peth lies a picturesque building, which is 173 years old. With abundant greenery on its premises, the white and gold structure is beginning to get its sheen back. Started last year, the first phase of restoration of the S R Patel Agiary is already complete, and the second phase is underway. Established on June 5, 1843, the agiary was built by Sorabji Ratanji Patel, after whom it is named. This is the oldest among the three agiarys in Pune. Over the years, the number of Parsis frequenting the place has diminished, and the structure had started to take on a worn down look.

Jehangir Vakil, a member of the seventh generation of the Patel family, works in the construction business. He

Kaiyan Mistree

became a trustee three years ago, and decided to take up the restoration and started gathering funds. His friend Kaiyan Mistree from Mumbai, who is an architect, is also working on the project.

“The plan is to make the Agiary look as close to the original as possible. We are

taking help from my grand aunt, who is jogging her memory to help us with the colour scheme and smaller details of the place,” said Jehangir. He decided to start the restoration when the roof looked like it was about to cave in. The wiring was also a huge problem and was the first thing they dealt with. The task is to manage doing the restoration as smartly as possible. They do not have a lot of funds at their disposal, and have to account for the future, and so restore it in a manner that requires minimal maintenance.

In the first phase, the room where the fire is, and the exteriors of the place were taken care of. The Farohar, which is the symbol of Zoroastrianism, can be found at several places, both in the interiors and exteriors of the Agiary. Most of the designs and motifs, be it in the interiors or the exteriors, are all done by hand to recreate the aura they had 173 years ago.

“While we are doing our best to

Unmarried couples barred from this Pune garden

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma If you are looking for a place to meet and spend some time with your friends of the opposite sex, the JJ Garden in Camp area of Pune is strictly out of bounds for you. A signboard, not unlike a Puneri paati, clearly declares that ‘unmarried’ couples are not allowed in the park.

The Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy Garden, opposite the JJ Agiary in Camp, has a paati hung on the lamp post at the entrance of the garden. The notice written on it is in Marathi, and translates into, “Unmarried couples are not allowed inside the park.”

The notice, put up by the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB), whichis in charge of the garden, aims to keep out young unmarried couples out of the garden. The security guard positioned at the gate actually checks if young couples entering the park are married or not. “Generally, married couples are identifiable, as the women wear sindoor and a mangalsutra. However, I question most couples,” explains Shrikant Yadav, the guard.

PUNE

According to the guard and other staff at the garden, the rule has been laid down to stop the ‘obscene activities’ youngsters indulge in, in parks. “The park is meant for children and senior citizens. Thus, only families are allowed in. We don’t want youngsters doing what they do and creating a ruckus. Thus, this rule has been implemented,” said Yadav. The small board bearing this notice was put up only a couple of months ago, but the rule has been implemented by the guardsfor the past six months.

“The park is now getting a makeover, new facilities are being installed. So we do not want the youngsters to come and destroy them,” he said. When team TGS asked him if he had actually caught couples indulgingin obscene activities, he evaded the question and said that he had been there for only a month. “Incidents must have happened in the past, hence the rule has been made,” he responded, grudgingly.

Young couples have tried everything to bypass this archaic rule. “Sometimes the girls come

in first, and a little while later the boys join them inconspicuously,” Yadav informed. The guard or other staff then identify them and shoo them out of the premises. “Due to the presence of Garden Wada-pav, the park is a good hangout place.

Not all of us are couples; some of us are friends. However, since we are not married, we can’t go in,” said a 21-year-old girl in the parking area of the park, as she sampled the wada-pav.

When the PCB was approached, they confirmed the presence of such a notice. Rupali Bidkar, a PCB member from Ward 1 where the park lies, said, “Yes, we have put up the notice. It was put up after we received multiple complaints from the residents around the park. They complained of obscenity and the ruckus created by the youngsters in the park. There were also complaints from colleges around the park that the students were skipping lectures and passing time in the park. So, the board met over this issue and it was decided to banish the youngsters from the park.” gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

Jehangir Vakil

restore everything back to how it looked when it was built, there are a few modern touches to the interiors of the structure.

This is my first restoration project and I am happy with the way the first phase panned out, and I am also hopeful that we will be able to raise enough funds for the next phases,” Jehangir said.

Through crowd funding they had hoped to raise about Rs 50 lakh for the three phases, and a little to store away for the future. The first phase cost them close to Rs 20 lakh, the second should be about Rs 15-20 lakh as well, and the remaining will be used for maintenance. The community hall and other areas of the Agiary once finished, will be let out for functions, and this too will become a source of revenue for the Agiary to sustain itself.

Jehangir and Kaiyan are glad that people are helping out in any way they can. The vendor from whom they bought the paints, gave them at his cost price, since it was for a good cause. The labourers too are willing to work at low or no wages, since it is for a religious cause. Every little bit counts, they say. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Now get noticed for rash driving on Mum-Pune Eway

BY YOGESH WAGH @YogeshWagh1857 The RTO department of Maharashtra has taken a serious view of traffic rule violations on the Pune- Mumbai Expressway. It is now sending notices to people who have infringed the rules, particularly to those of whom they have visual evidence.

The infringements include driving a motor vehicle at excessive speed, driving dangerously, lane cutting and other rules mentioned in the Motor Vehicles Act 1988.

The driver and/ or the car owner, after receiving the notice, has to provide a written explanation within seven days and physically come to the RTO office with his/ her license. If they fail to follow this process, the RTO will take necessary legal action.

The increasing number of accidents in recent times due to negligent driving on the PuneMumbai Expressway has forced the

RTO department to take strong action. Reputed city builder D S Kulkarni was involved in an accident recently, where he survived, but his driver lost his life.

RTO Anand Patil told TGS that they have taken this step due to the increasing number of accidents on the Expressway. “There is no checking allowed on the express way so we are recording videos of traffic rule in f r ingements and sending notices to the violators.

We have started this action on pilot basis. Our squads spot v e h i c l e s breaking traffic rules, along with the time and spot. This is done without disrupting the flow of traffic on the Expressway.”

The fines are not steep but they make people realize that they are breaking rules. The police take action with speed guns but there are loopholes in this process. Big cameras are needed on the Expressway. yogesh.wagh@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

PUNE

‘‘We are identifying land for metro corridor but disclosing it at this time would run into a problem. The PMRDA will finalise the land and immediately start the tender process for the work.”

—Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister

Networking king Cisco houses Global Delivery Centre in Pune

Protect local languages: Mufti

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A ray of hope for farmers in dire straits

A 21-year-old youth from Kolhapur is counselling and helping out distressed farmers and families of farmers who committed suicide in Marathwada and Vidarbha

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1

Farmers’ suicides in the state of Maharashtra

Farmers’ suicides have been a national issue, which politicians, an apathetic government and a self-absorbed society has been unable to curb or prevent. But a 21-year-old youth from Kolhapur and his team of like-minded individuals have decided Vinayak Hegana to put their compassion into constructive action. Not content to be just bystanders, the youngsters have devised sustainable solutions for the distressed farmers, and within the span of one and half years, they have set up a network of 3000 youths across Maharashtra, with the objective of preventing farmers’ suicides, under a mission called Shivar Sansad.

Meet Vinayak Chandrakant Hegana, a third year student of BSc Agriculture. He hails from Arjunwad village in Shirol tehsil of Kolhapur district, founder of the Shivar Sansad mission. “The lack of proper links between farmers and government, society, and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) is leading to farmers’ suicides in the state. We are nothing but this missing link, providing co-ordination and communication with the aim of preventing farmers’ suicides,’’ said Vinayak. He has been working on the mission and has not been home for two months.

Vinayak connected with 3000 youths from drought-affected areas through personal visits, college visits,

YEAR FARMERS SUICIDE

social media, and brought them together under the mission, whose motto is ‘One day for the farmers can save their lives.’ Forming 150 groups of 20 members each, these youths visited 306 villages, talukas and districts, which recorded most of the farmers’ suicides, including Beed, Jalna and Usmanabad of Marathwada, and counselled individual members of the families.

“We are trying to help them in sustainable ways, anticipating their future needs. It is not just economic help, but they also need moral support, counselling and guidance, which are essential for the family members, in whose homes suicides have happened. Bridging the gaps, we communicate with them and after assessing their problems with the help of a questionnaire, we take it to the concerned authority of government or NGO, and take constant follow-

ups until the problems are solved,” said Vinayak. They are now working in Sangli district and are planning to visit Vardha, Aurangabad, Kolhapur and Pune districts, and they pay for the travelling and living expense from their own pockets.

“The government just announces crores of rupees packages which never reach the farmers, and try to pacify them without assessing their real problems through proper communication, which we are providing now to grassroots level,” said Abhishek Akotkar, 21, from Buldhana district, who runs Tarangan orphanage to help farmers’ orphan children.

Members of Shivar Sansad have prevented several farmers’ suicides, and have enabled them to get long-term crop loans, and sprinkler loans from banks and agriculture department, by writing letters to concerned authorities. They have identified 25 NGOs who offer

2005

3,926

2006

4,453

2007

4,238

2008

3,802

2009

2,872

2010

3,141

2011

3,337

2012

3,786

2013

3,146

2014

2,568

2015

3,228

Total

38,497

them health, educational and financial support. They have rehabilitated several farmers’ children in Beed based Shantivan project, an NGO which provides shelter and school education free of cost to needy children.

“There are more than five lakh NGOs working for social causes, but they don’t know who to help, and these farmers don’t know who they can approach. We are the mediators between both,” said Vinayak, who turned to social work thanks to his mentor, Dr Sunilkumar Lavate, principal of a college in Kolhapur.

Two years ago, Vinayak decided to help the distressed farmers and he read a lot and released a short fi lm called ‘Awakal’, which highlights farmers’ issues. He came upon many solutions, which required economic support for execution, for which he approached sarpanch, gramsevak,

Their stories LAXMAN GUND Laxman Dattatray Gund, 32, of Kurla village from Beed district, was distressed after his father Dattatray committed suicide on April 9, 2015, after taking a Rs 5.50 lakh loan. Dattatray had applied for a well from a scheme in which he was supposed to get Rs three lakh but he did not get a single rupee. It was the same with the crop loan. When he did not get any response from the government scheme, he committed suicide.

Volunteers of Shivar Sansad met him two months back and counselled Laxman and his elder brother Angad.

“I was also thinking of suicide due to the situation but Shivar Sansad members gave me all types of support and the thoughts of suicide disappeared from my mind. Now we got the first instalment for the well and others follow-up is going on,” Laxman said.

collector and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, but all they did was advise him to concentrate on his career and future. But Vinayak never gave up and came up with the concept to create an emotional bonding with farmers, and communicating with them to erase thoughts of suicide from their minds.

“We appealed to them, that we all are like your sons, and are with you.

Tell us your problems and let us solve them, and don’t even think of suicide,” he said.

Now Vinayak and his team want to

ASHOK BOMBDE Ashok Ramchandra Bombde, 35, from Dongarsoni village in Tasgaon tehsil of Sangli district, committed suicide ten years back. His elder daughter Sonali is in standard X and the younger one is in standard V. Their mother works as farm labourer and earns Rs 100-200 a day.

“We have taken the responsibility of educating these two girls. We are sponsoring a machine for the family so they need not depend on anyone for their livelihood,” said Vinayak.

DATTATRAY SUTAR Dattatray Narayan Sutar, 40, of Kurla village in Beed district committed suicide last year because he could not pay a dowry of Rs 2.5 lakh. Dattatray’s son paid the dowry by borrowing money for his sister’s marriage. He quit studies and started a tea stall to repay the borrowed money. Now Shivar Sansad has told him to continue his education and he has enrolled for a Bachelor of Arts course. expand the work across the state, and need financial support from society.

“We can help more farmers if we get some financial support from the generous donors of society,” said Vinayak. He is basically a farmer and his father is a retired clerk from the agriculture department. His brother Vivek is has completed civil engineering and is preparing for civil services exams, while mother Jayashree is a housewife. His family full supports his work. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com

Charity hospitals FDA goes soft on government pharmacies to provide 24x7 social worker service Inspection drive data lays bare the agency taking action against private drug stores but ignoring hospitals run by state

Charity commissioner orders appointment of more medical social workers

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1

Taking serious note of patients from economically weaker sections denied medical facility for lack of Medical Social Workers (MSW) at charity hospitals, the newly appointed Joint Charity Commissioner (Pune region) Shivaji Kachare has directed all 50 charity hospitals of Pune district to appoint MSWs for round-the-clock assistance. The order was given at a review meeting held to discuss free medical treatment to indigent and economic weaker section patients under government scheme, at Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital in Thergaon on June 30.

MSW verify and accept documents

of poor patients and facilitate their free medical treatment. Charity hospitals have MSWs whose duty hours are from 10:30 am to 5 pm. A BPL patient visiting any charity hospital after this time are told to come again during the duty hours for document submission.

Th is delay leaves patients who need immediate medical attention to either visit a private medical centre or wait for another day.

Kachare has asked representatives of hospitals to follow the order immediately. “Poor patients who need immediate medical attention visit hospitals at nights also.

Appointment of MSWs will help thousands of poor emergency patients avail free treatment,” said Assistant Charity Commissioner for Pune city Navnath Jagtap. Charity hospitals’ representatives from Pune district and other officials were present at the meeting. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@ goldensparrow.com

The Pune Division of Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the state agency entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that citizens get standard food, drugs and cosmetics, is apparently suffering from ‘selective’ apathy. As per the inspection drive data between April 2015 and May 2016 released by Pune FDA, the agency has kept private pharmacists on their toes in the name of annual mandatory inspections but visited few pharmacist or medical store in the government sector.

The government medical facilities include everything from primary health centres to tertiary centres like hospitals run by local authority, government hospitals and even government medical colleges.

As per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, it is mandatory for FDA to conduct annual inspection of every drugstore, even in the government sector, to ensure that the dispensing and supply of drugs is done by a qualified pharmacist, medicines are stored under required conditions and that no medicine is kept in the drugstore after their expiry date.

The Pune Region FDA comprising Pune, Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur and Solapur has 13,950 retailers, 3,839 wholesalers, 12,545 private hospitals and registered doctors and 695 government hospitals registered with it. From April 2015 to May 2016, FDA inspection drives covered 1,659 wholesalers and 4,781 retailers but visited only 23 government and semigovernment hospitals. The agency chose to ignore 672 medical facility in the government sector for a whole year.

FDA during this period cancelled the licence of 121 retailers and nine wholesalers, issued licence suspension notices to 607 retailers and 71 wholesalers but no action was taken against any government or semigovernment hospital.

During the previous year (2014-

2015), FDA conducted 6,034 drives in Pune region and inspected 1,538 wholesalers, 64 government and semi-government hospitals and 31 registered medical practitioners.

The agency cancelled licence of 439 retailers and 76 wholesalers, suspended licence of 425 retailers and 74 wholesalers but found not a single government or semi-government on the wrong side of the law.

FDA Joint Commissioner (drug) Pune Division ST Patil said, “FDA inspection drive covers all government pharmacies within their jurisdiction.

The agency has to mandatorily conduct at least one inspection of each drugstore in government or private hospitals every year. We have taken action against government as well as private hospitals last year.”

However, the FDA has no official record to show of any action taken against any government hospital.

Avoiding the issue of government sector medical facility not under scanner, FDA Assistant Commissioner (drug) SS Mohite said, “It is also mandatory that a medicine is sold over the counter in the presence of a registered pharmacist. We do not discriminate between

private and government pharmacies and drug stores.”

It has been observed that staff nurses dispense drugs in government hospitals and cases of patients being given expired drugs and wrong medicines are also reported.

Even the state health department seems to be rather insensitive to the poor storage facilities at pharmacies and government hospitals. Many government drug stores do not have air-conditioning and authorities cite budget constraints. With staff at government hospitals not bothered to ensure that drugs are kept in optimum storage conditions, in accordance with the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, even the FDA prefers to look the other way.

A source at Deputy Director Health Services (DDHS) Office said, “The government is least bothered about storage facility at government drug stores. Previously there were only about 200 different drugs available at government hospitals but now the number has been increased to more than 500.

Medicines that are rarely used, like for treating snake bite, are

not replaced after expiry.”

“The government hospitals use the method of fi rst-in-fi rst-out to dispense medicines. Only one pharmacist is mandatory at government hospitals but the authorities should post two to avoid inconvenience if the person is on leave. With post of pharmacist lying vacant at many primary health centres and rural hospitals, doctors acts a mannequin pharmacist,” the source said.

Prasanna Patil of Chemists Association of Pune district said, “FDA cites staff crunch for less number of drives. We have many times requested FDA and state government authorities to increase workforce but the situation has not improved. The nurse or medical staff at government hospitals cannot be held responsible for giving wrong drug or expired drugs as he/she only follows the orders of the doctor.

The doctor on duty should be held responsible for medical negligence in such cases.” vicky.pathare@goldensparrow.com

TEJAS GAIKWAD

BY VICKY PATHARE @Vickypathare2

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

‘‘Current government is taking the country towards saffronisation, which is biggest threat to the composite culture of the country. Congress workers must expose the policies of current government.”

— Prithviraj Chavan, Former Chief Minister

Transport body sees a sharp decline in revenues

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) that runs a fleet of over 1,700 buses in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad is fighting for space to park their buses in their own depots. The transport utility is plagued by ‘encroachment’ of a unique kind: Regional Transport Office (RTO) dumps their seized vehicles at PMPML depots.

Pune RTO launched drives from 2006 against commercial and private vehicles that violated road norms. And all the seized vehicles are dumped on PMPML sites. The seized vehicles include Tempo, water tankers, trucks, jeep and autorickshaws.

Over 700 vehicles are dumped at PMPML depots located in Kothrud, Hadapsar, Swargate, Narveer Tanaji Wadi, Nigdi, Sadgurunagar, CNG Depot (Katraj), Marketyard and Pune railway station.

PMPML Chief Managing Director (CMD) has written many times to RTO to clear PMPML depots of seized vehicles as their buses are parked on roadsides because of space crunch. PMPML authorities are still waiting for response from RTO. PMPML CMD Abhishesk Krishna said, “I pay regular visits to depots and find these seized vehicles still lying on our premises.

The RTO officials promise to remove the scrap but I am still waiting for their action on

the ground.” According to RTO authorities, around 10 vehicles are seized every day and some are allowed to be reclaimed after verification of documents. Yet, the number of vehicles parked at depots have reached 700.

According to a PMPML staffer who guards the depot, the seized vehicles are not brought in by traffic police but RTO staff.

The standard reply told to PMPML staffers manning the depots is that ‘higher officials of RTO and PMPML are aware of this arrangement’.

With RTO having no space left to park any seized vehicle on its two premises, it has encroached upon PMPML property. RTO’s Sangam office has 36 four-wheelers and Alandi Road office has 20 four-wheelers.

These vehicles were seized for not paying taxes. Since the fine levied on these vehicles is more than their cost, the owners chose to

abandon them. PMPML is already plagued by space crunch. It has a fleet of 1,758 buses out of which only 50 can be parked at a depot at a time. Other buses are parked on the roads at night. Pune Municipal Corporation plans to add 500 more buses to its fleet.

Some old buses, which have to be scrapped, are also parked at depots. As a lot of buses are parked on public roads, they are damaged or their parts are stolen. A number of incidents of stealing buses or bus parts have been registered in the past.

PMT Kamgar Sangh (INTUC) union Vice-President Ashok Jagtap said, “RTO has occupied our space and our buses are standing on the roadsides. All our efforts to remove this scrap have been futile till date.”

Regional Transport Officer Jitendra Patil refused to comment on the issue. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

State’s first hatchery has no eggs to hatch

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @tusharrupanavar

For the first time in six years, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) passenger figures have fallen below ten lakh a month. There were only 9.68 lakh passengers in April, and 9.20 lakh passengers in May 2016, and its revenue has also declined accordingly.

This came to light in the PMPML administration’s recent report submitted to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

The reasons for the fall in passengers, are low connectivity in crowded areas, unavailability at peak hours and frequent breakdowns of buses of private contractors. In Warje, Malwadi, Nigdi, Khadakwasla, Vishrantwadi, there is low connectivity so commuters prefer private vehicles.

On some routes, PMPML buses operate at wrong times, so they do not get passengers.

PMC just launched 14 projects, including Mobility Card of PMPML, at the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mobility Card is like a smart card which passengers can recharge like prepaid cards, so that they do have to buy tickets, and can swipe this smart card.

PMPML had 11.20 lakh passengers in January, 10.76 lakh passengers in February, 10.9 lakh passengers in March, 9.68 lakh passengers in April and 9.20 lakh passengers in May, which show the constant decline over five months. There are only 1100 operational PMPML buses for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad areas.

About the decrease in numbers of PMPML passengers, Jugal Rathi of PMPML Pravasi Manch said, “Right now they are saying that there are 1100 buses operational in PMPML convoy.

But they are misleading the people as PMPML has only 948 operational buses. The contractors’ 100 buses are in the garage for maintenance. But PMPML is paying Rs 10,000 per month to these private bus contractors, which is mismanagement

The Central Eggs Hatchery based in Pune is the fi rst hatchery started in Maharashtra. The 11-acre premises of the hatchery on the Pune-Mumbai Highway at Khadki, does not have a single egg to hatch, or a single chick to be sold. The hatchery has already stopped the booking for chicks. There has been no hope for the availability of new chicks and hatching eggs for more than a couple of months, said officials.

The Centre had asked for new stock of eggs and chicks from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Hebbal, Bengaluru in Karnataka.

But there is already a bird flu alert officially declared in Karnataka state by the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Karnataka.

The central hatchery was set up to cater to the demand of poultry keepers in the Pune region comprising of

Sangli, Satara, Solapur and Kolhapur.

The centre, supposed to supply chicks and hatched eggs to these districts, is run by the State Animal Husbandry Department. It is meant to ensure availability of improved variety of desi chicken and hatching eggs to small farmers at village, taluka and district levels.

Live Stock Development Officer (LSDO) Dr Sanjay Gaikwad said, “Currently there are no eggs available at the centre for hatching, and even no birds are available for supply. We have stopped taking orders for supply of chicks due to unavailability of livestock. The centre will be getting the livestock and eggs within a couple of months. After a couple of months, the centre can provide new chicks and eggs to the farmers.”

But, even if the new stock of chicks arrives after a couple of months, in September, the centre will take two more months to breed a new variety.

Th is means there can neither be supply of chickens nor hatching of eggs in the district till December, which will indirectly cause prices of boiler chicken to shoot up in the district.

Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Karnataka has officially declared a bird flu alert in the state. As many as 1.5 lakh heads of chicken of the private farm were also culled to prevent the outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1 virus) in the rest of the farms and areas.

Karnataka has around 7,000 poultry farms with more than five crore birds of both layer and broiler varieties.

But the Animal Husbandry department scientists have advised all farm owners not to sell or move any of the birds/eggs and material out of the farms to avoid spreading of the disease. The officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department have even appealed to the public not to consume chicken, as it might be infected with H5N1, and since it can be transmitted to humans.

The officials have even warned the farm owners to step-up vigil and surveillance of potential sources of infection, such as indigenous chicken and poultry farm chicken, ducks and migratory birds.

Assistant Live Stock Development Officer Dr Suresh Nevkar said, “The stock of chicks was available till yesterday. We have placed an order at Bengaluru for the chicks of Griraj Bread. The booking for chicks and even the training for livestock development provided by the centre has also closed.

However, a source from the centre said the stock is unavailable since last month.”

The centre has a capacity to hatch 20,000 to 22,000 eggs a month.

The purpose of the hatchery was to produce sturdy and disease-resistant breeds, but the ground reality is in total contrast. All the ten sheds located on the premises are in shambles. The centre lacks proper administration, it is understaffed, and even basic hygiene facilities are lacking. vicky.pathare@goldensparrow.com

by the PMPML administration. Passenger figures are decreasing constantly and the main reason behind this is that people cannot rely on PMPML bus schedules to reach their destinations on time.

Add to that low connectivity, frequent breakdowns, bad condition of the buses, the commuters prefer private vehicles. PMPML must bring the 100 buses of contractors on the road as soon as possible, or the situation will soon go out of control. Pune city has a population of over 35 lakh, and with more students and professionals coming to the city, how can 1000 buses be adequate? There is an urgent need for more buses,and Pune city needs at least 3,500 buses on the road to solvethis problem.”

PMPML Chief Executive Officer Mayura Shindekar said, “It’s true that passenger figures are declining since the last couple of months. There are multiple reasons for this such as school and college vacations in March, April and May, which had an adverse impact on the number of passengers. We are facing shortage of buses and there is urgent need of route rationalisation so that we can change the situation.” tushar.rupanavar@goldensparrow.com

PUBLISHING

WE BREATHE PUNE!

The Central Hatchery, Khadki has stopped taking orders for providing chicks to farmers, which may result in escalation of prices of broiler chicken in the district

BY VICKY PATHARE @Vickypathare2

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TEJAS GAIKWAD

Over 700 vehicles seized by RTO are eating space at transport utility’s nine depots

Post-Brexit, EU may drop English

Living near nature may reduce teen aggressive behaviour

PMPML forced to park buses outside depots

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

PUNE

‘‘To avoid any kind of discrepancy, we can use Aadhaar card for admissions under the RTE Act, but parents will protest saying they don’t have one. We can’t deny admission to anyone due to lack of Aadhaar card. We can’t blacklist them since we will be harming the child.’’

— Vinod Tawade, State Education Minister

When Sant Gadgebaba came to town

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1 When the Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar palkhis arrived at Fergusson College Road in the city on Wednesday evening, the crowds of warkaris and devotees were struck by the sight of a sweeper singing the abhang ‘Vitthal Vitthal Jai Hari’. Turned out in iconic social reformer Sant Gadgebaba’s attire, he had a broom in his hand and was sweeping out the garbage in his way. He was telling everyone close to him about the importance of cleanliness, and service to humanity.

This Gadgebaba clone is Phulchand

Nagtilak, 46, from Khairav village of Madha tehsil, Solapur district, who is participating in the wari for the second consecutive year.

Apart from accompanying the palkhis, he wanted to spread the message, so he put on the attire of Sant Gadgebaba and preach his message.

“I am a disciple of the great social reformer, Sant Gadge Maharaj, who spent his whole life serving the society by cleaning streets where he went. He also preached modern valuesto society. This wari is the means to spread Gadge Maharaj’s preaching which I follow,” said Nagtilak. “The object of this is to make more people come forward to clean the country with integrity,” he said.

The attire Nagtilak recreated an authentic Sant Gadgebaba persona. Gadgebaba was a great social reformer from Amravati district who lived between 1876 and 1956. On his head was a pot of clay, and in his hands was a broom, which were his two ornaments. On the pot was inscribed a message in Marathi, ‘lek wachva, pani wachva, zade wachva’ (save girl child, save water, save trees). He was wearing saffron colour clothes, and was sporting a white beard.

He was singing abhangs and verses of Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar, and swept garbage and small stones with his broom while walking with the palkhi.

“Warkaris walk barefoot in dindis

Pune’s IT professionals form IT Dindi to march along with the palkhis, which they claim is a spiritual experience

PICS: TEJAS GAIKWAD

Wari gets a dindi of IT pros

P 13

Warkaris and devotees in Pune were greeted by the sight of a man dressed like Sant Gadgebaba, who was sweeping the streets with a broom as he walked along with the palkhis

(groups) and small stones can hurt their feet, so I sweep them aside. This is the real service to humanity,” explained Nagtilak, who is a farmer. This is second year he is participating in the wari. He joined the wari from Dehu and will go along to Pandharpur, where they will see Lord Vitthal and return.

Nagtialk is also a writer and solo performer. He has published ‘Maybhumi’ (motherland), a book of poetry. He performs in schools and colleges to spread the message of cleanliness. His wife Jayashree is a housewife, his son Dattaprasad is in standard X, and daughter Sukanya is in standard VIII, in his Khairav village. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@ goldensparrow.com

Spirituality of saints and power of kings

merge with the wari.

Talking about the IT Dindi, Jayant Mangale who works in a software company in Hinjawadi, said, “We all are IT professionals working in different companies at different locations. Some of our friends even have their own mini scale software solution companies in Pune. Wari is our cultural heritage and it is our responsibility to preserve it, make it modern so that the young generation too can be part of our heritage.”

Ashok Barinde, who has his own IT company, said, “Our entire group members are IT graduates and many of them did their post graduations too.

We have made ‘wari.org’ website so that our IT professionals can participate in the wari through one platform. No one bothers to participate in the wari, it’s totally voluntary. To work in the IT industry is stressful work. Walking with the wari is really pleasurable for all of us. It not only gives us happiness but its energy gives us motivation for the whole year.

So everybody waits for palkhis the whole year. As we are very much connected to each other through social media, there are always discussions about the wari.

This year, a total of 550 IT professionals have participated in the wari. Since the

last ten years we have been walking with the wari from Dehu and Alandi to Pune.

Some of our friends walk with the palkhi from Pune to Saswad.”

Another IT Dindi member, Samir Purnapatre said, “There are no invitations sent to anybody. Everyone has participated in the wari voluntarily.

I go to office by cab everyday which is 15 km away from my home. So I hardly get a chance to walk, and therefore I have participated in the wari. Walking with the palkhis is a happy moment for all of us. It works like a tension releaser.”

Vilas Awari said, “For the first time I have participated in the wari. It’s really enjoyable time. As we are from different IT companies, it gives us open platform to meet each other and exchange ideas.

Though we are not used to walk daily, we are enjoying the wari. Walking is healthy for us, it give us more energy. Seeing the warkaris’ energy level it motivates us to walk with them. I walked 25 km today.

It is possible only in wari, otherwise it is difficult for me to walk such long distances. Wari gives us spiritual peace which is necessary to keep ourselves motivated and more dedicated towards our aims.” tushar.rupanavar@goldensparrow.com

TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly

from Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and even from Belgaon and Karnataka are participating in the wari. We brought flame (Jyot) of Shivaji from Raigadh fort and Sambhaji’s from Vadu Budruk to Pune for the palkhi. It is called Warkari-Dharkari unity. Maharashtra has a great legacy of saints and warriors like Shivaji and Sambhaji. In a way, we are bringing together Sant Tukaram, Sant Dnyaneshwar, Shivaji and Sambhaji with this jyot which we call Bhakatiganga-Shaktiganga Sangam.

Our volunteers were together on Jangli Maharaj Road as the palkhis entered Pune, and they walked along with the palkhis, chanting slogans in praise of Shivaji and Sambhaji, from Sancheti chowk to Sambhaji statue on F C Road, where they performed an aarti.

They also helped in sweeping and cleaning F C Road after the palkhis had passed. In the last three years, more youngsters are taking part in our Bhaktiganga-Shaktiganga Sangam.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

odour and health related issues, due to the open defecation of pilgrims. Many villages are in dire straits after the palkhis pass from their villages. The water supply of many villages too gets polluted. “The palkhis pass through more than 22 villages/towns, so it is a tough task to provide toilet facilities everywhere with enough water. Last year we installed 200 portable toilets at Loni and Yawat, and almost 68,000 litres of sewage slurry was collected from these portable toilets by jetting machine and sent to sewage treatment plants (STP) of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) by tankers. It reduced open defecation in both villages,” said Rawat.

This year they decided to install 500 portable toilets each on both palkhi routes. They surveyed the Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram palkhi routes and identified locations where warkaris usually halt in a village, how crowded the location gets. “We now have a scientific plan as to where and how to locate the toilets, and we have decided to install 1000 portable toilets at Pandharpur too. This time we had

installed 300 toilets each in Dehu and Alandi which showed big reduction in open air defecation. We have now a team of more than 300 volunteers from different fields and they are helping us free of cost. Last year we did Nirmal Wari with our own money but seeing our sincere efforts, this year the Maharashtra Government extended its support to our project, and allotted Rs 2.2 crore for implementing this portable toilet project. Now we have the support of Seva Sahayog, Dehu charitable trust, Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust and many more.”

Dehu charitable trust former chief trustee Shivajirao Maharaj More said, “Pradip Rawat introduced portable toilets in the wari last year.

The portable toilets concept is really workable and it showed that it can reduce open defecation significantly.

This year we have made arrangements to instal 500 toilets at every halt of the palkhis. We are getting the support of government and NGOs as well for the Nirmal Wari portable toilet project.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Accompanying the palkhi procession as it passed through Pune this year, were youngsters dressed in traditional white pajama-kurta, saffron colour phetas on their heads, carrying pictures of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj, and swords, as they chanted slogans in praise of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Sambhaji.

These youth are volunteers of Sangli-based Shivpratishthan, an organisation which promotes the legacy, thoughts and ideals of great Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji and his son Sambhaji. More than 7,000 Shivpratishthan volunteers are participating in the wari this year, under the banner of ‘BhaktigangaShaktiganga Sangam’, combining the spirituality of Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Tukaram and the strength of Chhatrapati Shivaji and Sambhaji.

Shivpratishthan also leads expeditions to forts built by Shivaji. Shivpratishthan has a mass following of youth in Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur, in western Maharashtra.

Shivpratishthan’s Shankar Kulkarni said, “Warrior Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji and Sambhaji are our idols. Being born in Maharashtra, it is my responsibility to present the glorious history of our kings Shivaji and Sambhaji to the new generation.

Sant Tukaram and Chhatrapati Shivaji lived in the same era, and there is historical evidences to show that Sant Tukaram and Chhatrapati Shivaji actually met. Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram’s spiritual thoughts and warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji’s strength are the foundation and symbol of Bhaktiganga-Shaktiganga Sangam. Shivpratishthan volunteers

Big spurt in prostitution

The palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram halt for two nights in Pune, before proceeding to Pandharpur. The procession of the twin palkhis includes more than five lakh warkaris, and there are hundreds of dindis or groups. But there are countless others who do not participate in dindis, but march with the palkhis. Even some vagrants mingle with the palkhi procession. They pass off as warkaris, since they are attired in warkari costume, and sport tilaks on their foreheads.

Such vagrants frequent the red light areas of Pune, in Budhwar Peth. As a consequence, there is a significant rise in the business in red light areas. The prostitutes are very visible near City Post chowk, Datta mandir and cassette galli, as they proposition customers.

Chairman of ‘Akhil Budhwar Peth Devdasi Sanstha’, an NGO, and member of social security cell of Pune police, Prakash Yadav said, “Real warkaris who register themselves in dindis and walk with the palkhis do not indulge in such activities. They are genuine warkaris, who do not even take eatables distributed on roadsides.

They have organised where they stay and their meal arrangements. There are others who pose as warkaris, and walk with the palkhis. These vagrants are mostly seen in red light areas. It not only happens during palkhi but also during Ganeshotsav as well, when vagrants come to the city in the name of god, but indulge in prostitution.

The women prostitutes get far more customers in these days. How can such vagrants be called warkaris? We hold awareness programmes in red light areas for the use of condoms during such mass gatherings in the city.”

Assistant Police Inspector of Social security cell of Pune police, Nita Misal said, “Our department had deployed men and women personnel to keep vigil to prevent crime against women.

They patrol the red light areas and take away the vagrants.” tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Shivpratishthan volunteers accompany the wari, chanting slogans in praise of Shivaji and Sambhaji Maharaj

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @tusharrupanavar The palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram left Alandi and Dehu receptively for Pandharpur for Ashadhi wari two days back. The warkaris from across Maharashtra are marching along with the palkhis, a tradition that goes back 330 years. Hundreds of dindis or groups of warkaris are walking to Pandharpur with the palkhis, a cultural heritage of Maharashtra.

Young people are not known to follow this tradition, but a group of young Information Technology professionals are an exception. IT professionals from companies at Hinjewadi and Hadapsar, and owners of small software solution companies, have came together to form IT Dindi. These IT professionals are not only participating in the palkhis, but are walking with the palkhis, wearing traditional warkari attire of pajamakurta, and Nehru cap inscribed with the words IT Dindi, and singing abhangs.

The wari of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram was started by younger son of Sant Tukaram, Taponidhi Narayan Maharaj, in 1685. Narayan Maharaj put footprints of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram in the palkhi and did the wari of Pandharpur for the first time in 1685. Earlier, both these palkhis went to Pandharpur in a single palkhi, therefore warkaris chants Dnyanoba-Tukaram.

Later Haibatbaba Aarphalkar separately started Sant Dnyaneshwar palkhi from Alandi to Pandharpur. Men and women of all castes, and religions participate in the wari. There is no discrimination of caste, sex, colour, religion, demographic in palkhis, therefore over the years, the numbers of warkaris have been increasing. This is why these new generation of IT pros too can easily

China blocking India’s NSG entry ‘morally legitimate’

Portable toilets concept gets govt support RAHUL RAUT

Former Pune MP Rawat’s concept of portable toilets has had the desired effect and reduced open air defecation significantly along the palkhi route TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly

The palkhis of Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram left Alandi and Dehu for Pandharpur, for the Ashadhi wari, on June 27. More than five lakh warkaris (pilgrims) are participating in the palkhi procession. Despite repeated orders every year from the Bombay High Court to the state government, to build toilets for the warkaris, the government has done nothing beyond forming a committee. The palkhis pass through more than 22 villages on their way to Pandharpur. But there are no toilet facilities for these lakhs of warkaris walking with the palkhis, so they have

The portable toilets have really made a difference to the warkaris, and they have reduced open air defecation significantly

no option but to defecate in the open.

Former Pune MP Pradip Rawat, with NGO Seva Sahayog and others, came up with the idea of portable toilets for warkaris, under the banner of ‘Nirmal Wari’. Last year they installed 200 toilets each at Loni Kalbhor and Yawat villages on the Tukaram Maharaj Palkhi route.

Over 200 volunteers appealed to the warkaris to use these toilets, and they

found that defecation in the open had reduced significantly. This year, Rawat decided to put up 500 portable toilets each, on both the palkhi routes.

Rawat explained that over five lakh warkaris walk with the two palkhis from Dehu and Alandi to Pandharpur every year. “It’s a long-standing tradition, so it is our responsibility to preserve and sustain it in a modern way. There are almost no toilets for these warkaris

when they pass through the villages. So they have no option but to defecate in the open. This creates multiple health hazards for the warkaris and the village people as well. It’s our system’s failure that we cannot provide a basic facility like toilets to these pilgrims,” he said.

Rawat added that women pilgrims suffer the most because of this open air defecation. Villages through which the palkhis pass, have to suffer from foul

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

“Since India has gained independence it has emerged as a confident nation and a factor of stability, peace and security in an increasingly volatile world.”

— Pranab Mukherjee, President

‘‘There are long-term consequences when children enter school without a quality preschool education. The gaps between disadvantaged children and others becomes harder to bridge.”

— Anthony Lake, Unicef Executive Director

For a better life, beyond a juvenile house

A college sociology project motivated Nitika Nagar to help young inmates lead a respectable life

One does not have to wait for payday anymore

‘Kadki’ launched by two 22-year-old Puneites provides fund to get over monthly financial crisis at reasonable rates of interest TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly

BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry When 17-year-old Akash shored up the courage to tell Nitika Nagar Didi that her counselling sessions have increased his confidence to speak to others, the final year student of Symbiosis Law School (Pune) smiled at him as she realised that she has found her calling.

The 22-year-old from Mumbai was a keen observer of the physical world and people around her since her childhood.

Her maiden visit to David Sassoon Children Home Nitika Nagar (DSCH) in Mumbai as part of her first year sociology project that involved interacting with superintendents, probation officers, Child Welfare Committee (CWC) members and children residing at the home, turned out to be her most comfortable place. As her project progressed, she found herself getting involved with the children and their lives, drawing her to study the factors underlying juvenile delinquency and ways to reintegrate the children into the social mainstream. Nagar’s desire to help the children took shape in the form of NGO Preshti, (Sanskrit word that means ray of hope) that she started in 2013.

“I used to take group counselling sessions for these children and Akash was a shy and reserved child in the beginning. After my eighth confidence-building session with Akash and a few other boy inmates, he spoke of developing a

PUNE

Preshti also holds awareness programmes at shopping malls and places with high footfalls in the form of street plays to highlight the issue of prisoners’ welfare and juvenile justice

healthier relationship with his parents. It was an emotional moment for both of us, motivating me to focus more on their lives. I think the best part of all that I am doing is that I am definitely learning some life lessons, which I think are very important for anybody of my age. Over the past three years, I have realised the importance of teamwork, endurance and patience. Most importantly, I have learned to cope with failure and disappointment,” Nagar said, adding that Preshti has been able to transform the mindsets of a few juveniles through its group counselling and educational programmes.

Nagar started Preshti with the support of friends who shared her passion to transform lives and Alexis Society, an international NGO that promotes inclusive development. the Preshti founding team includes Katherine Abraham (27), Ankita Puri (22), Aishwarya Dhakrey (22), Priyanka Arora (22), Sydrah Sarfaraz (22), Sharanya Sukumar (22), Manaswitha Rai (21), Shweta Rath (22), Sandeep Rajguru (23), Udisha Ghosh (23), Rachana Kanakgiri (22), Mamta Hariasra (22) and 23-year-old Mehek Sharma.

Apart from holding counselling sessions, the group intends to start yoga sessions and academic assistance classes for the children at the Nehru

Kendra Udyog in Yerawada. They plan to start vocational courses like printing, publishing and mechanics. The challenges that the young group face for their social start-up include finding young, dedicated people to join them and professional guidance. They need professional social workers, psychologists and educationists to help them from time to time.

“As students like us are young and inexperienced, it is difficult to convince people and organisations to contribute towards our projects. Moreover, we face immense pressure, juggling academics and social service. I have been often asked to be realistic and focus on monetary pursuits,” she said. Preshti gets corporate funding but individual donors are more supportive. The founders share the expense from their own pockets when the need arises. Her inspiration to face her shortcomings comes from her late father, Mohit Nagar who was an ENT surgeon and conducted surgeries for poor patients for free, and her late grandfather Maheshchandra Mehta, who relentlessly worked to deliver educational material to schools for the underprivileged as an Avehi Abacus Project member. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Shaping minds at an early age Prayas Edu is striving towards providing pre-primary education to children from poor families

BY ABHA PANDIT @abha_pandit Helping others runs in the Sethi family.

After retiring from the corporate sector, Maninder Singh Sethi , 60, decided to work towards giving a better future to slum kids. “We want to make these kids ready for mainstream schooling as these little ones do Maninder Singh not go to school Sethi because of poverty, The first academic session of ‘Little Hands’ school’s started by Prayas Edu at Vi Di family problems, or lack of awareness Kamgar Vasahat in Yerawada has many young smiling faces among parents. We have found that poor parents do not value education because they themselves are illiterate in said Dr Sonia, one of the founders of of their corporate social responsibility most cases. Eventually, these children Prayas Edu. projects,” he said. find their way into the workforce that is “The school presently runs four Sharing the planning that went unregulated and end up remaining at the classes, from playgroup to senior behind starting the school, Maninder bottom of the income pyramid.” kindergarten. They come in four shifts, said, “The idea to start a school was in His daughter Dr Sonia Sethi, 30, for two hours each. We have 60 children our minds for a long time but to realise followed his footsteps to start a school now and aim to reach out to 100 students it needed a lot of brainstorming sessions for slum kids. “We should do whatever in the next few months. Apart from the and guidance from friends who are possible to help these school, we also organise experts in this field. The biggest problem children who end up summer camps and we are now facing is convincing parents on the roads because tuition classes for children to send their children to our school. of lack of facilities and from lower income We are working towards helping them opportunities.

Giving groups,” she said. understand the importance of prethem basic education at a Prayas is largely primary schooling,” said Maninder, young age may transform funded by donors and adding that more funds are required to their lives,” she said. corporate sponsors. For develop the infrastructure and expansion Prayas Edu, the not each child, the parents works. for profit organisation are expected to pay a fee “We are looking at training started by the Sethis, of Rs 3,500 for one term. teachers and making them responsible aims to provide As and when a matching to run the schools independently. Our elementary education donor is found, the entire expansion plans will succeed only to children from low amount is refunded to the when we have more such schools and - DR SONIA SETHI income groups. They family. The Sethis have have efficient teaches to run them started a school ‘Little always been involved with without our guidance. As there is Hands’ at Vi Di Kamgar social work, in some way only so much that we can do from Vasahat in Yerawada three months or another. Maninder is an integral part one place, the need to train capable ago for the kids of the slums in the of the team as the cause is close to his individuals to run such schools is neighbourhood. Located in a small heart. “I turned 60 this year and decided important. Higher education and building in the area, only the room on it was time to try and serve society in computer training is also on the the ground floor is currently operational. whatever way possible and founded cards. I will be the happiest person on “Between the ages of two and six years is Prayas. We provide children with earth when I see such schools across when a child needs to be inculcated most uniforms, backpacks and tiffin boxes, cities working towards the same goal: of the values. Manners, good habits and which are sponsored by donors. Our to provide quality education to the the foundation for school is something aim to expand and cover more kids with future of our country,” he said. we are incorporating in our programme,” the help of corporate funding, as a part abha.pandit@goldensparrow.com

“We have 60 children now and aim to reach out to 100 students in few months.”

Running out of money before pay day may be a thing of the past as ‘Kadki’, the online facility launched by two young Puneites, has ensured that you remain kadki (Hindi word for broke) no more. Working professionals Purushottam Kadam, 22, and Akshay Chavan, 22, have come up with a solution to your monthly financial problems. Their start-up ‘Kadki’ provides short-term loans to working professionals.

The duo came up with the idea of this venture after seeing most of their friends running out of money to meet some unexpected expense. “One of our friends needed a substantial sum of money, and we weren’t in a position to lend it to him at that time. I put him in touch with a moneylender, who charged him 10 per cent interest,” said Kadam. “That was our Eureka moment, because we believed we could create a better solution to this common problem,” he said.

Kadki works on the principle of repayment on salary days. One can borrow money at any time during the month, which has to be repaid on the borrower’s pay day. The maximum borrowing amount is calculated based on the customer’s salary, and the interest is only 1.5 per cent per month.

The procedure of borrowing money is also considerably simple, as compared to traditional borrowing methods. An online application is submitted for the loan through their website, and the customer must attach the required documents and fill in their basic details. An executive from the Kadki team visits the customer’s place, and the loan agreement needs to be signed along with submission of a post-dated cheque. Within 10

Purushottam Kadam (L) and Akshay Chavan plan to expand their operations to Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai

minutes, the loan amount is transferred to the customer’s salary account.

Kadki hopes to revolutionise the shortterm credit industry, by bringing down the exorbitant rates of local moneylenders; giving everyone opportunity to join them in the process and so far the response has been great.

“We started off with only 20 customers when we launched eight months ago. Now we are handling more than 600 satisfied customers, without any major issues with repayment. Our revenues are also great, and we are expected to break even in the next few months,” said the founders. As for their funding, they started out as a self-funded venture. But now, they are negotiating with a few investors and looking at venture capital funding.

In the next few years, Kadki hopes to cover Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai. Their app is on the way, and they are looking at bringing in advanced technology with fraud control systems. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

PUNE

No strangers to danger

PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

IN THE LINE OF DUTY

Not just at the country’s borders, but even in the urban zones, there are people who put their lives at extreme risk, in the course of their daily jobs. San workers, snake-catchers, façade glass cleaners and those who deal with bees and e-waste, are some of the people who face danger daily in the line of The extraction of honey from beehives is an extremely dangerous enterprise Vijay Mahajan, 67, is a beekeeper and beehive re-locator by profession. He runs a honey shop by the name of ‘Shiv Sagar Madh Udyog’ at Talegaon, where he also processes the honey. Mahajan is a lecturer atthe Central Bee Research &Training Institute (CBRTI), Pune, and also trains aspirants in the craft of beekeeping and honey processing free of cost. He is called on to remove beehives from buildings and houses,an enterprise to be undertaken with lots of caution, he says.

It all started 25 years ago, when Mahajan had gone on a picnic to Rajmachi fort with his children during the holidays. They stayed there overnight, and he went along with the locals into the jungle on a mission to find honey. The method the locals used was to place a burning tyre under a beehive, which killed all the bees, after which they extracted they honey from the beehive. Mahajan was extremely distressed by the cruelty of the method, and the unnecessary killing of the bees who had made the honey. He vowed to himself to learn ways of extracting honey without killing the insects. He came to CBRTI, Pune and did a fiveday course in beekeeping and honey processing.

But the extraction of honey from beehives is an extremely dangerous enterprise, and extreme caution is necessary. Extensive bee stings can even cause death. Beehive relocating from buildings or trees is a very complex process, which also demands extreme caution. The people who do this should be wearing the necessary

safety gear to prevent one from stings, and the procedure should be followed to a ‘T’. Even if one bee stings you, the sting should be removed quickly, otherwise the smell of the poison will attract more bees, and that can be lifethreatening.

“Once I was at a training camp in a village near Nashik, and there was a bazar nearby. I climbed up a tree to show the tribal people how to tackle a beehive. A lot of people had gathered around the tree, which angered the bees. A few bees stung a man and in the process one of my shoes fell off, and even I got stung. I quickly climbed down the tree, and the man who was stung and I got into my car and closed all the windows. It was one of the most dangerous situations I have faced in my career,” said Mahajan Mahajan feels that it’sa job that should be performed without getting killed or killing the bees. “It is a natural cycle. Bees help farmers by pollination, which helps in the growth of crops and fruits. But now farmers use pesticides and insecticides on their farms, and that kills the bees while hindering the natural process. Therefore there are more bees dying, which in turn has resulted in falling growth rates,” said Mahajan.

He currently trains tribal people, villagers and students for free, in how to extract honey from the hives, while also teaching them of the importance of bees for crop growth, and to spread awareness about saving the bees.

Mahajan is also writing a book on beekeeping and management.

Deftness, skill and knowhow are essent

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

PUNE

BY ASHISH PHADNIS, ROMIL KOTHARI, DNYANESHWAR BHONDE

Y

A

rmy personnel posted at the country’s borders, we all know, put their lives on the line, in the line of duty, and we as a nation are ever grateful to them, and even pay them due honour and respect. But there are countless others who risk their lives in the line of their duty, doing jobs that benefit us all in society. Such people are faced with life-threatening injuries, disease, they run the risk of being stung by venomous insects and reptiles and face other hazards, while engaged in doing regular jobs. What they get in return is wages that just about enable them to make ends meet, and they are completely deprived of facilities like medical care and safety equipment.

These people, whose welfare and needs are so blatantly neglected, range from drainage workers to snake catchers, from facade glass cleaners to beehive re-locators and e-waste pickers. Being in a minority, they fall into the category of unorganised sector, where even as crucial an aspect as their health is wholly ignored, even as they ensure that our lives are made more secure and safer thanks to their efforts.

Team TGS highlights some of these gallant breed of people who are employed in hazardous professions,where some form of danger is their constant companion.

Toxic gases, harmful insects, and no masks or gloves for protection

nitation duty

In Pune city,there are more than 500 people involved in sanitation work. Their working conditions have remained unchanged for decades.

In the course of their daily routine, they face numerous health hazards, like exposure to poisonous gases, contracting infections like hepatitis and leptospirosis, skin problems and even injuries. According to the findings of a study by health NGOs, around 100 sewer workers die every year across India. The deaths of four sanitation workers,all from one family, after allegedly inhaling toxic gas while cleaning a septic tank, in Nagpur, is a recent example.

Armed with just a stick broom and a small tin plate, these sanitation workers clear choked drainages, and put the loads of muck and rubbish inbaskets or containers. A fortunate few are provided with wheelbarrows or carts by the contractors.

Sanitation workers work in environments where they are surrounded by swarms of cockroaches and other bugs, and they are not even given masks to protect them from the poisonous fumes from the sewage, but that’s their daily reality, which they seem resigned to.

“We have been doing this job for decades. We start work at around 9am and our work ends at around 6 pm. After a day’s hard labour, and constantly putting our lives at risk, we get Rs500. We have to get the job done, whether it’s under scorching heat or pouring rain, but no one in society seems to appreciate or acknowledge the hazards we face in the line of duty,” said Shankar Kasabe, 25, who has been a sanitary worker for eight years.

“The worst part is that we don’t get a regular salary. Sometimes we are busy, especially during the pre-monsoon season, but sometimes we just don’t get paid. Regular payment and health facilities, is what we demand,” he said.

Prashant Kadam, 32, echoed similar sentiments. “Some manholes in Shivajinagar area are 10-15 feet deep, and we just have a safety rope to rely on. Moreover, if there is a restaurant in the vicinity, the leftover food and oil generates poisonous gases. Many sanitation workers have issues with our lungs due to the inhalation of toxic fumes,” he said.

Some contractors provide gloves and shoes to the sanitation workers, but they are not the ideal ones for their job. They are unable to grip the instruments properly with the gloves on, and are also unable to clean their shoes. Rather than go through these hassles, they then prefer to work in the dirt and muck with bare hands and legs, which obviously puts them at the risk of skin infections and disease.

Kishor Suryawanshi, 30, started off as a construction worker, but eventually drifted to being a sewage cleaner.

“Earlier, we were paid a measly Rs90 a day. The wages have increased since then, but the rise is not in proportion to the inflation, and no one takes into consideration the hazardous nature of our job. We don’t want our next generation to do the same job, and that is why most of us have enrolled our children in nearby schools. They must get an education to have a better future,” he said.

Most of the sanitation workers belong to the Matang community, which has struggled to attain a higher standard of living for ages. But, illiteracy and addiction liquor are ills that plague the community, which are an obstacle to the prospects of upliftment.

“Some members of our community who entered politics and doing well, but now they have forgotten their roots past, and are doing nothing for their community. They are now part of a higher echelon of society, while we remain trapped in sewers,” the workers say.

Extracting the copper strands by burning the insulation of wires Santosh Yadav and Jamir Shaikh (names changed) from Uttar Pradesh, are daily wage labourers, who segregate the copper strands from burnt cable wires with their bare hands, in the Juna bazaar area in Mangalwar Peth. They get Rs 50 per kilogram, and each one separates about five kg in a day.

Yadav and Shaikh work on discarded electric or electronic devices with battery power, circuitry or electric elements. Going about their job of extracting copper wire, their fingers undergo lots of wear and tear in the course of the work. “The copper wire often pierces the

skin of our fingers,which can be really painful. If we wear gloves,the work slows down a lot, so we have no option but to work with our bare hands,” said Yadav.

SWaCH (Solid Waste Collection and Handling), a waste pickers organisation of Pune, is an autonomous body that provides front-end waste management, including e waste.

This organisation is licensed to pick up e-waste from the city.

Malati Gadgil, chief of e waste management from SWaCH, said that people should give the e-waste only to licensed agencies, but many

Hanging 100 feet high in mid-air with just two ropes and a harness for safety

tial to deal with deadly snakes Ganesh Matale, 22, is a snake catcher, who calls himself an animal rescuer.

He has been rescuing reptiles, animals and birds for eight years,and has lost count of just how many he has caught and rescued. Matale is the person people call when they find a snake or animal in their homes.

Matale does not carry a cleft stick, and usually just grapples and gets hold of the snakes with his bare hands. He doesn’t carry vials of anti-venom either, but relies on the years of experience that have endowed him with the deftness and skill to deal with and capture snakes. He has over the years acquired enough knowhow about snakes and their temperaments, so that he can anticipate their responses.

“I just know when and how to grab a snake. I can sense if it’s frightened, angry or hungry, and adjust my moves accordingly.

But there is always the risk of losing focus and getting bitten. Fortunately it has never happened to me,” he said.

There are only four types of snakes found in Pune and nearby areas,including Cobra, Russell’s Viper, Krait and SawScaled Viper. The cobra is the deadliest of the lot as its venom affectsa bite victim quickest, Matale says.

His initiation into the unusual profession of snake-catching began when Matale was in school at Nanded. Along with the neighbourhood children, Matale became accustomed to and an expert in killing snakes. The change in attitude came when one day he saw a cobra go by, without any move to harm him, and he realised there and then that the snake-man confl ict is based on misconceptions.

The incident transformed him from snake killer to animal lover. He underwent proper training and then joined Wild Animals and Snakes Protection Society (WASPS) in Pune. The society is active all over the city and in rural parts of Pune and other districts as well.

“We just don’t rescue the animals, but try to create awareness amongst citizens, and try to minimise the number of incidents. The loss of vegetation has resulted in reptiles creeping into human habitations,” he said.

The members of the WASPS don’t charge anything for rescue missions and don’t even keep the captured reptiles in their custody, but release the snakes in the wild within a few hours of their rescue.

“We have strict rules and we are bound to follow them. Already snake catchers are maligned for smuggling of snakes and venom. So we try to maintain a clean reputation and if we come across any fake snake catcher, we just beat him up and hand him over to the forest department or police,” he said.

Asked about the response of the forest department to their work, he said, “Normally they don’t interfere with our work, but if we catch any rare species, we inform then and release it in the wild under their supervision.”

“Of course, we would like to have identity proofs issued by the forest department, so that we can help them better. Additionally, the district health authorities should keep checks on rural hospitals if they have adequate supplies of anti-venom, as most snake bite incidents are reported in rural areas,” he said.

people sell the e waste without following the rules. “Licensed agencies buy e-waste from customers at Rs 40 per kg and sell to the proper agencies who dispose it as per the rules. Unorganised labour buy it for Rs 100 and dispose it in ways which are hazardous to the environment and health,” she said. Such disposals can cause cancer and other serious health issues.

Mehboob Shaikh, secretary of Juna Bazaar Traders Association, said that they don’t buy e-waste. “There are only two licensed shops that deal with e waste as per the norms,” he said.

Jilani Shaikh

Jilani Shaikh, 31, and his brother Hussain Shaikh, run the Star Cleaning Services in Yerwada. Jilani started working when he was in standard X. Being the eldest of the children, Jilani took on the responsibility of running the seven-member household, as his father was an alcoholic, and his mother’s earnings as a housemaid were nowhere near enough.

The fi rst occupation Jilani took on was painting, but that did not last very long, and he then found a job with a housekeeping agency. The job was not paying him enough, and Jilani decided to switch to working as facade glass cleaner in the housekeeping agency, as the job fetched him a higher salary. He worked for five years as a glass cleaner, before branching out on his own, and he launched his own glass cleaning business two years ago.

“On my very fi rst day as a glass cleaner, I found myself hanging mid-air on the fi fth floor, with just two ropes and harness for support. Being so high up in the air, I had a feeling of vertigo and dizziness. I could not continue, and asked my coworker to bring me down. My supervisor knew what I was going through, and told me to go up and down a few times, till I got used to feeling of heights. I did just that, and to my surprise, the paralysing feeling of fear vanished completely, and I have not experienced it since,” said Jilani But being a façade glass cleaner is anextremely high-risk job, Jilani asserts, and proper safety equipment and caution are necessary and crucial to carry out the job without fear of mishaps. Jilani and his team use two ropes and a harness while cleaning windows of high-rise buildings. One rope is attached to the machine which enables the glass cleaner to go down safely. The second rope has a safety clamp, so that can hold the glass cleaner securely, even if the main rope snaps. The rope is also tied to a beam or a sturdy pipe, and they have to determine if it can hold their weight, in case the main one fails.

“Two years ago, one of my friends from the agency was cleaning the glass of a very famous mall in Pune. The area where he was working was slanted and there was sunlight falling on the glass.

There were some window panes missing which my friend did not see, and he fell into one, fracturing his leg,” said Jilani.

“The initial fear of heights vanished in a jiff y.

Now that I have been doing it for years, I have got over my fear completely. It is now a job that I do, but I make sure of the safety aspect. I don’t even look down or see my own reflection in the glass I am cleaning. Glass cleaning is the one thing I can do very efficiently. The clients who appreciated my work when I was at the agency, still call me to clean their windows.”

Jilani has a team of eight workers currently, and he plans to expand his business in the times to come.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

TECH/START-UP

PUNE

‘‘The Atari Portfolio was released in 1989 and was the world’s first palmtop computer.

Two years later it appeared in the film Terminator 2, where it was used by John Connor to hack an ATM and retrieve the key to the vault in the Cyberdyne lab.’’

— http://myscienceacademy.org

Triple talaq to be tested on touchstone of Constitution P 12

Pune joins student club of Magnificent Seven satellites

APP WORLD

College of Engineering students slogged eight years to craft Swayam

Instant payments-from your mobile

BY ANAND PARTHASARATHY The euphoria and back slapping -- richly deserved -- that followed the news of the successful launch into orbit of a pico ( for very small) satellite made by students of the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) , overlooked one fact. They were not the first or second or even third group of students in India to have their own satellite in Space -- but the seventh.

Since 2009, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has encouraged and mentored students to acquire experience in satellite development and has allowed such satellites to ride piggy back for free, along with commercial payloads on many subsequent launches. Before last week’s lofting by the satellite launch vehicle PSLV-C34 of two student pico satellites -- SathyabamaSat from Sathyabama University in Chennai and Swayam from COEP -- ISRO has already helped put five Indian student satellites in Space.

While the former a1.5 kg package, was geared to collect data on green house gases, the 1 kg Swayam’s role was to enhance communication on Ham radio frequencies in remote areas -- an important service in disaster situations.

Ham radio club members nationwide shared the joy, as just after 11 am on June 22, 6 bytes of data received in the COEP control room of Swayam confirmed that all was well - and a daring project begun 8 years ago had succeeded. By the time you read this on Saturday, Swayam would be stabilized -- and that in itself is a story of innovation. The satellite uses solar panels to generate 2 watts or so, required to run it -- but rather than deplete this power for the critical manoeuvre of stabilisation, Swayam’s student builders put in some cool tech to get the satellite to stabilize by orienting itself to the earth’s magnetic field. In other ways too, the COEP satellite lived up to its name -- Swayam, or self help, accompanied by hefty doses of jugaad and egoless collaboration. Subsystems like attitude control, on board computer, communications, power modules and the structure were taken up serially and handed over from one batch of volunteer students to

Trupay makes it easy to transfer funds from your bank account to anyone on your contacts list Over 50,000 downloads within a month of its availability, testify to the popularity of mobile payments app – Trupay.

Hitherto one had to use bank solutions like NEFT to make money transfers from one accout to another. Trupay allows the user to pay anyone on his or her contact list directly from one’s bank account -- in an instant. It even works well for e-commerce retail: buyers can now pay companies through their smart-phone. All transactions are in real time and the recipients get the money directly in their bank account in a few seconds . Trupay effectively lets one use the mobile phone as a Point of Sale (POS) device for merchants. Your money remains in your bank account, right till the point you need to pay. Unlike an e-wallet, one does not need to make cumbersome top ups to one’s wallet account. Transaction costs are the lowest since Trupay cuts out all the intermediaries from the system. Any bank account can be linked with Trupay through one’s registered mobile number with the bank.

Presently available as a free download for Android and iPhone, Trupay will soon be available for Windows.

Left: PSLV-C34 takes off with COEP’s pico satellite ‘Swayam’ (Inset) in the payload. Right: The Classic structure of COEP’s main building belies the high tech innovation that happens within.

the next, while faculty members and advisers from ISRO provided continuity. Members of COEP’s Ham Radio club with their call sign VU2COE, are known to have

INDIAN STUDENT SATELLITES Sr. No.

Date

Name

Mass

Student group

2

July 12 2010

STUDSAT

1 kg

7 engineering colleges in Karnataka and A.P

1 3 4 5 6 7

April 20 2009 April 20 2011

October 12 2011 October 12 2011 June 22 2016 June 22 2016

ANUSAT

YOUTHSAT SRMSAT JUGNU

SATHYABAMASAT SWAYAM

Bachcha Safe!

Intex has launched what it calls the first ever IoT wearable device that is made in India. The iRist junior has an interesting set of features that take care of common child-related worries. This is a SIM-enabled watch with GPS capabilities that lets you track the child in whereabouts at any given time. Just case the battery runs out, the device sends the most recent coordinates.

The parent can actually dial the watch and speak to the child if need be.

Powered by a 580 mAh battery and weighing just 48.5 grams, iRist Junior also comes with an SOS button that immediately alerts the parent. In its ‘class mode’, the device can function as a normal watch that shows the time, but after hours, it can perform as a security device. The device also allows the child to sync up with other children who have iRists and communicate between them. An interesting mix of style and functionality for junior.

At Rs. 3,999 we believe it’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes with it.

IndiaTechOnline

40 kg 92 kg

10.9 kg 3 kg

1.5 Kg 1 Kg

MIT Chennai

Indian and Russian universities SRM University, Chennai IIT Kanpur

Sathyabama University, Chennai College of Engineering, Pune

built Swayam’s antenna. The satellite transmits at 437.025 MHz -- which is the UHF Band 9 ( 70 cms wavelength) , one of a dozen allocated to amateur radio in India.

The project is an example of frugal engineering -- the total cost, to date is less than Rs 50 lakhs , with COEP alumni pitching in to add to the college-funded kitty.

Swayam has a reasonable life expectation of 1 year, though COEP Director BB Ahuja has been quoted as saying this could be extended to 2 years.

But at the confluence of Mula and Mutha, they don’t believe in waiting; they are already planning their second satellite -- three times heavier. And with their current record, it seems certain, ISRO will help to loft that one as well.

(Anand Parthasarathy is an alumnus of COEP, Class of 1969) IndiaTechOnline

Networking king Cisco houses Global Delivery Centre in Pune The reason? Top tech talent, supportive state govt.

Cisco has launched its second India-based Global Delivery Centre in Pune in a 17, 200 sq metre space in the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi. This makes India the only country in the world where Cisco will have two global delivery centres ( the other is in Bangalore).

The US-headquartered global networking solutions giant, cites multiple considerations for choosing Pune as the site for the new GDC: the city’s strategic location, a supportive state government in Maharashtra, excellent communications infrastructure and deep technical talent locally available. The Pune Centre will enable Cisco to get closer to its customers, enabling it to expand its current delivery capacity and thus leading to increased customer satisfaction. The centre will also help to explore potential service growth opportunities, nearer home, in Maharashtra.

The Pune centre will focus on customers -- mostly Indian and global telecom operators, insurance and finance institutions and consumer goods companies, most of them operating on a global scale -- who are rapidly embracing digitization. The Pune has a strength of 100 today with global expertise in the manufacturing and service provider business and plans to double this number in the next two years. The centre also boasts an 800 sq. metre lab where it can simulate some of the largest and most complex customer networks.

Says Sanjay Pal, Cisco’s Vice President, Advanced Services: “We believe the Pune centre will set the global standard in terms of

(L-R) Cisco execs: Sastry Kuchimanchi Director, Advanced Services, Sanjay Pal, Vice-President, Advanced Services, Lavanya Gopalakrishnan - Director, Advanced Services and Laxminarayan Bhat - Manager, Advanced Services at the inauguration of the company’s second Global Delivery Centre in Pune

its ability to attract talent, deliver the quality of the services, and achieve customer satisfaction.

This centre enables Cisco to share its global best practices and cutting-edge technologies with local customers and provide great services for a broader customer base.”

Adds Dinesh Malkani, Cisco’s President for India & SAARC: “The Maharashtra government has a powerful vision to be a digital state, create smart cities and transform the delivery of citizen services. With today’s announcement we are excited to play a role in enabling Maharashtra’s digitization, creating employment opportunities for engineering and business professionals, while contributing to the knowledge economy in the state.”

Cisco to manufacture in Pune On his last John Chambers trip to India in February, Cisco Chairman confirmed that the company would soon set up a manufacturing unit in Pune. Speaking in Mumbai at the CNN Asia Business Forum 2016 Chambers said: “We are committed to Pune. We view this as a set of strategic initiatives which together produces outcomes… We see India leading as a fast innovation leader. First, you manufacture in India for India and then, in India for the world.”

Cisco’s India GDCs are the only ones that support all the geographies (50% in Americas, 25% in Europe & 25% in Asia Pacific and Japan).

IndiaTechOnline

Do tax returns from your phone!

ClearTax Android App links to your TDS Form 16 The deadline to file personal Income Tax returns is less than a month away. Here’s an easy way to do it for free! Tax services portal ClearTax has launched an Android app that lets you file returns directly from your mobile phone. The app offers the same functions as the ClearTax Web platform. You can upload your Form 16 TDS statement and the app takes this into account with your other inputs and prepares your tax returns. You can check on refund status of past returns by just entering data of birth and PAN number or generate rent receipts for claiming HRA benefits The app works even with slow 2G connections and has an offline sync feature which allows you to enter your tax details even when there is no Internet. The details are uploaded to the server as soon as you have a connection. Search for ‘ClearTax app’ in Google Play or go to the company’s website: https://cleartax.in/ which has lots of useful information, including all current tax laws.

IndiaTechOnline

PHONE REVIEW Big and beautiful

Big battery and size don’t detract from the good looks of the Gionee Marathon M5 Plus The 6-inch Gionee Marathon M5 Plus is huge, not just in size but also in its battery life. With a 5020 mAh battery, this device can work one whole day without running out of juice. According to Gionee the M5 Plus gives 21 hours of talk time and up to 619 hours of standby time. The smart phone also features dual charging technology and Type C USB for faster charging. The Marathon M5 Plus features a sleek and stylish design with full metal body.

It comes with a 2.5D FHD Amoled display with 1920X1080 pixels resolution. Despite having a huge battery the device feels quite light in hand, but isn’t meant for one hand usage. It is powered by 1.3 GHz Octa Core processor and 3 GB RAM and runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop. The 13 megapixels rear camera comes with LED flash and front camera is of 5 megapixels. The M5 Plus features a finger print scanner embedded with the home button in the front. The dual-sim device supports 4G VoLTE, the new standard for Voice over LTE. It has 64 GB internal storage, expandable up to 128 GB. Priced at Rs 26,999, the Gionee Marathon M5 Plus is now available in two color variants of champagne gold and polar gold.

IndiaTechOnline

ENVIRONMENT “Climate change will impact rice production in large parts of Asia, including India. Water management will be a key feature of decisions aimed at adapting to the impacts of climate change.”

— Dennis Wichelns, Researcher, Stockholm Environment Institute

H EALTH

The ailment is a long-lasting skin disease of scaling and inflammation that affects one per cent of Indian population

dietary habits, and genetic differences. The ratio of male to female (2.46:1) was very high which could not be clearly accounted for.

Highest incidence was noted in the age group of 20-39 years and the mean age of onset in males and females was about the same.

Psoriasis occurs when skin cells quickly rise from their origin below the surface of the skin and pile up on the surface before they have a chance to mature.

Usually this movement (also called turnover) takes about a month, but in psoriasis it may occur in only a few days. In its typical form, psoriasis results in patches of thick, red (inflamed) skin covered with silvery scales. These patches, which are sometimes referred to as plaques, usually itch or feel sore. They most often occur on the elbows, knees, other parts of the legs, scalp, lower back, face, palms, and soles of the feet, but they can occur on skin anywhere on the body.

The disease may also affect the fingernails, the toenails, and the soft tissues of the genitals, and inside the mouth. Although it is not unusual for the skin around affected joints to crack, some people with psoriasis experience joint inflammation that produces symptoms of arthritis. Th is condition is called psoriatic arthritis.

It’s not just the skin irritation and psychological damage caused by this very visible disease that people have to deal with - psoriasis is also linked to

Legal drinking age of 21 may save lives Having a minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) of 21 may protect against later risk of death as compared to being exposed to alcohol at a younger age, a new US study has found. A MLDA of 21 has been linked to a number of benefits, including a lower risk for alcoholism in adulthood, researchers said. However, no studies have examined linkages between exposure to MLDAs during young adulthood and mortality later in life.

This study examined if young adults - college and non-college students - exposed to a permissive MLDA (younger than 21) had a higher risk of death from alcoholrelated chronic diseases compared to those exposed to an MLDA of 21. Scientists from Research Society on Alcoholism combined and analysed data from 1990 to 2010 US Multiple Cause of Death files as well as data on census and community populations.

Individuals who turned 18 during the

years from 1967-1990 were included, as this was the time period during which MLDA varied across states.

Researchers also examined records on death from several alcohol-related chronic diseases. The findings indicate that an MLDA of 21 seems to protect against risk of death from alcohol-related chronic disease across the lifespan, at least for those who have not attended college, researchers said.

Individuals who did report college attendance appeared to derive no benefits from the MLDA of 21. Researchers feel this may be due to higher levels of binge drinking on college campuses, a campus environment that insulates against policies aimed at curbing underage drinking, and a culture that promotes drinking to excess. The findings were published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

PTI

Study finds exposed to permissive MLDA had a higher risk of death from diseases

an increased risk of depression, heart disease, and diabetes.

Psoriasis affects the person’s quality of life severely.

The phrase “heartbreak of psoriasis” is common. It is an accurate description of the life of many people with psoriasis. The impact of psoriasis on a person’s quality of life is profound.

Most people with psoriasis avoid public appearance, dress to hide their condition and feel like outcasts. Work and school can be particularly problematic for people with psoriasis. One third of all people with psoriasis agree that the disease affects work/school.

Psoriasis can affect people differently. For some it may be seen as a nuisance, but for others it will affect every aspect of their daily life. Psoriasis can have a profound impact on a person’s physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Depending on the severity and location of outbreaks, individuals may experience significant physical discomfort and some disability. Itching and pain can interfere with basic functions, such as selfcare, walking, and sleep. Those living with psoriasis often report that they feel stigmatised because of their skin condition. Psychological distress can lead to significant depression, increased anxiety, and social disconnection and isolation. In addition, individuals with psoriasis are more likely to make poor lifestyle choices.

Some people may live with psoriasis successfully, whereas others may feel that they are living their lives very differently from the way they would have chosen.

The impact of psoriasis is not limited to the patients but can also extend to their families. Psoriasis can have a wide range of direct and indirect financial implications. Before doctors knew what caused psoriasis, they often confused it with leprosy — and people who had it were ostracized. You also can’t get it from being intimate. It cannot be caught from touching someone who has the condition, swimming in the same pool, sharing towels, or eating food prepared by a person with psoriasis.

PTI Feature

Online platform for environment clearances Aimed at bringing in transparency and fight the menace of sand mafia, the Centre launched a web portal for online submission of environmental clearances of mining of sand and other minor minerals.

Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said after launching the online portal for getting environmental and forest clearances, this portal is a “revolutionary measure” which enables proponents to track their applications online.

“The web portal will lead to the empowerment of the project proponent, as it not only enhances transparency of the entire application process, but also enables the proponents to track their applications online. “The web portal is a district-level, web-based and rolebased workflow application for online submission and monitoring of proposals for category B2 projects,” he said.

The Minister said the notification for sustainable sand mining was issued four months ago and it had three key components. “It will map through satellite where sand is deposited and its quantity. With that mapping, permissions will be granted for sites and quantity.

PTI

ZSI to record climate change impact on animals in Himalayas Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has started five long-term monitoring plots in the Himalayas to document the impact of climate change on animal world.

The project, funded by the Ministry for environment, forest and climate change, will monitor indicators in species like fish, butterfl ies, bees and other insects to find how their distribution has been affected by climate change, officials said.

ZSI director Kailash Chandra said it has very old records and will compare the distribution of species in the past and present to come out with a study report on the impact of climate change on their survival.

The project will run for three years in West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and more than Rs 2 crore has been earmarked for the exercise.

Last year, 262 new animal species

were discovered from India out of which 70 have been credited to ZSI scientists.

Chandra said the number of scientists working in ZSI has decreased over the years. He said only 80 scientists were working with the organisation now as compared to 120130 in the past.

Th is has also resulted in the decline of reporting of new species. An average of over 100 new species was recorded

by ZSI scientists in the past which has now come down, he said.

India is home to 94,515 species from the animal kingdom as on 31 December 2015.

PTI

JULY 2, 2016

PUNE

“It is distressing to learn that protected animals are being killed and treated as vermin. When laws are disrespected it does damage to the image of any country.”

— Kathy Hessler, Clinic Director at Lewis and Clark Law School

A new medicine for psoriasis A new medicine called ixekizumab, developed by a team of medical researchers led by Dr Kenneth Gordon, a professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of University in America, has been able to completely cure nearly 75 per cent of psoriasis patients, who used it. In medical world this is considered as an impressive result for such an obstinate disease like psoriasis.

After three long-term Dr Kenneth Gordon clinical trials, the medicine offers a new hope for a psoriasis-free future for the small percent of the world’s population living with the disease.

In the words of Dr Gordon, “Ten years ago, we thought complete clearance of this disease was impossible. It wasn’t something we would even try to do. Now with this medicine, we are obtaining response levels higher than ever seen before.”

About three thousand seven hundred adult patients across more than one hundred study sites in twenty one different countries were involved in the trials. All those involved had moderate to severe psoriasis, which means more than 10 percent of their bodies were covered with patches that make the disease most visible and therefore embarrassing as well as depressing. The medicine has now been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US. Ixekizumab works by neutralising a pathway in the immune system that’s known to promote psoriasis.

But there are some side effects to consider, including slightly higher rates of neutropenia (low white blood cell count), yeast infection, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Psoriasis is a long-lasting skin disease of scaling and inflammation that affects about 1 percent of the Indian population. He found that the incidence in Punjab was higher as compared to other states of India and thought that it may be related to different environmental conditions (extremes of temperature),

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

Living near nature may reduce teen aggressive behaviour Research calls for improving greenery in neighbourhoods to reduce aggressive behaviours in adolescents Teenagers in urban communities may have less aggressive behaviour if they live in neighbourhoods with more greenery, such as parks, golf courses or fields, a new study has found.

Researchers from University of Southern California (USC) in the US conducted the first longitudinal study to see whether greenery surrounding the home could reduce aggressive behaviours in a group of adolescents living in urban communities. They followed 1,287 adolescents, aged nine to 18 years.

They assessed the adolescents’ aggressive behaviours every two to three years, asking parents if their child physically attacked or threatened others, destroyed things, or exhibited other similar behaviours.

Researchers then linked the adolescents’ residential locations to satellite data to measure the levels of greenery in their neighbourhood.

The study found that nine to 18-year-olds who lived in places with more greenery had significantly less aggressive behaviours than those living in neighborhoods with less greenery.

Both short-term (one to six months) and long-term (one to three years) exposure to greenspace within 1,000 metres surrounding residences were associated with reduced aggressive behaviours, researchers said.

The behavioural benefit of greenspace equated to approximately two

Study found increasing greenery levels in urban environments resulted in decrease in clinical cases of aggressive behaviour in adolescents

to two-and-a-half years of adolescent maturation, they said.

The study also found that factors such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, parents’ educational background, occupation, income level, or marital status, and whether their mother smoked while pregnant or was depressed, did not affect the findings.

“Identifying effective measures to reduce aggressive and violent behaviours in adolescents is a pressing issue facing societies worldwide,” said Diana Younan from USC. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

PUNE

‘‘Amit Shah’s credentials are particularly absent. So, I think Amit Shah should be careful not to go into those areas where his ignorance, lack of depth, intellectual knowledge is very poor.’’

— Pavan Varma, JD(U) Leader

Triple talaq to be tested on touchstone of Constitution SC asks parties to get ready for a debate on the scope of judicial review of judgements on practice of instant divorce among Muslims

NEW DELHI: A divorce through ‘triple talaq’ among the Muslim community is a “very important matter affecting a large section of people” which has to be tested on the “touchstone of constitutional framework”, the Supreme Court said while agreeing to examine the issue of personal law.

The apex court said “we are not straightaway arriving at any conclusion” as there were “very strong views” on both sides. It said it will also see if there was any error in previous judgements which dealt with the issue and decide whether it can be referred to a larger or a five-judge constitution bench.

“We are straightaway not jumping to any conclusion. It has to be seen if there is a need for any further consideration of law by the constitution bench,” a bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice AM Khanwilker said while asking the parties to get ready for a debate on the scope of judicial review

IITs plan entrance test in SAARC, UAE but not in Pakistan NEW DELHI: The prestigious IITs, which are planning for the first time to hold entrance tests abroad including in SAARC nations, will not do so in neighbouring Pakistan, at least for the upcoming year.

While preparations are underway for conducting entrance tests in other SAARC countries and also in Singapore and the UAE for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, Pakistan will not figure in the list, sources told PTI. “Considering various factors, especially difficulties involved with regard to students procuring visas, it has been decided that entrance tests for IITs may not be conducted in Pakistan for the upcoming year,” a senior official said.

Earlier, it had been decided that to attract more talent, the coveted IITs would hold tests in countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia in Africa, Singapore and Dubai (UAE) next year onwards.

Officials had held that seats to be offered to foreign nationals would be additional in nature and would not reduce those available to Indian nationals at the IITs. While the test is to be held in 2017, the outreach programme for the exercise would be conducted earlier.

PTI

Women offer Friday prayers during the holy fasting month of Ramzan

of judgements on ‘triple talaq’. “Personal law has to be tested on the touchstone of constitutional framework,” it said while stressing that “this is a very important issue affecting a large section of people and there are very strong views from both the sides.”

The bench, which posted the matter for further hearing on September 6, said “legal propositions for determination has to be worked out”.

Protect local languages: Mufti SRINAGAR: Most parents in Jammu and Kashmir prefer to teach their children languages other than local ones, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti rued as she batted for protecting local languages from the onslaught of modernity.

“I feel no qualms in saying that the biggest enemies of the local languages (in the state) are the people of Jammu and Kashmir themselves,” she said.

“In most of the families today, parents prefer to teach their children to speak in Hindi, Urdu and English instead of their mother tongue including Kashmiri, Dogri and Bodhi.

This trend has to be reversed, sooner the better,” Mehbooba said while

giving away awards for literature in local language.

While Kashmiri is the language spoken in the Valley, Dogri is spoken in Jammu province and Bodhi in Ladakh province.

Mehbooba pressed the need for safeguarding local languages from the onslaught of modernity as she highlighted that local languages constitute a part and parcel of the state’s distinct cultural identity and heritage.

Emphasising that language is an important part of any culture as it enables people to communicate and express themselves, she said, “when a language dies out, future generations lose a vital part of the culture that is

necessary to completely understand it.”

She said the government alone cannot do much for growth and development of the local languages and culture as she noted that development of a language begins at the family level from the parents.

In Kashmiri language segment, the award was given to Mushtaq Ahmad Mushtaq for his book ‘Aakh’ while for Dogri, the award went to Om Goswami for his book ‘Rang Bakhrey Bakhrey’.

“This award ceremony is in a real sense the celebration of J&K s distinct cultural and linguistic diversity,” Mehbooba said.

PTI

A DAILY ADVENTURE

A cyclist crosses river Ganga on temporary bamboo bridge in Allahabad

Residents thwart attempt to demolish park in Coimbatore COIMBATORE: Residents of Neelikonampalayam prevented the civic authorities from demolishing a park in the locality, which has been in use for the last eight years, to build a health centre. As the corporation officials reached the spot along with workers to carry out the demolition work of

During the hearing, senior advocate Indira Jaising referred to an old verdict of the Bombay High Court holding that the Personal Law regime cannot be subjected to the fundamental rights.

The bench said “all can express their views and participate in the debate. We will know what is the stand of all the parties.”

The hearing saw a total of four petitions assailing the concept of divorce through ‘triple talaq’, with the bench allowing all of them to be impleaded and sought the stand of Centre on the issue within six weeks.

The remarks that all can express their views came after a woman advocate, Farah Faiz, sought restraint on All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and others from airing their views on public platform including TV debates.

“We will not be influenced by TV shows. You can also participate in TV shows. We will keep your application pending. If at any stage we find that they are going out of hand, we will intervene,” the bench said.

Counsel appearing for AIMPLB defended the ‘triple talaq’ practice and said it has been held by courts that matters of personal law could not be tested constitutionally.

PTI

Chemmozhi park, inaugurated during previous DMK regime, people gathered and raised objection to it, police said.

DMK MLA N Karthik also arrived at the spot and raised objection.

Following protests, the officials returned without demolishing the park.

PTI

Vol-III* lssue No.: 03 Editor: Yogesh Sadhwani (Responsible for the selection of news under the PRB Act, 1867) Printed and Published by: Shrikant Honnavarkar on behalf of Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. CIN:U22200PN2014PTC151382 and printed at PRI – Media Services Private Limited CIN: U22222MH2012PTC232006 at Plot No. EL-201, TTC Industrial Area, MIDC, Mahape, Navi Mumbai.

Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. 1641, Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411 030, Tel: 020-41220010.

India’s financial mkt norms get top rating P 14

India among five countries will see high under-5 deaths UN report states preterm birth complications and pneumonia remain the two biggest killer

BY YOSHITA SINGH India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Congo and Angola will account for more than half of global under-five deaths by 2030, according to a UN report which said 69 million children below five will die in the next 14 years unless disadvantaged children are cared for.

‘The State of the World’s Children’, UNICEF’s annual flagship report, paints a stark picture of what is in store for the world’s poorest children if governments, donors, businesses and international organisations do not accelerate efforts to address their needs.

“Denying hundreds of millions of children a fair chance in life does more than threaten their futures — by fueling intergenerational cycles of disadvantage, it imperils the future of their societies,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.

“We have a choice: Invest in these children now or allow our world to become still more unequal and divided,” he said.

The report said that the pace of progress on child and maternal health and survival can increase or decrease as a result of policy choices made by governments and the international community in the coming years.

However, if current trends continue, there will be 3.6 million deaths of children under age 5 in 2030 alone. A total of 69 million such deaths will have occurred between 2016 and 2030, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for around half of these and South Asia for another third.

The report said five countries will account for more than half of the global burden of under-five deaths — India (17 per cent), Nigeria (15 per cent), Pakistan (8 per cent), Congo (7 per cent) and Angola (5 per cent).

The global maternal mortality rate will be around 161 deaths per 100,000

live births — still five times the level for high-income countries in 1990.

It said pneumonia will remain the second biggest killer of children under the age of five and preterm birth complications will remain the first.

The report noted that significant progress has been made in saving children’s lives, getting children into school and lifting people out of poverty.

Global under-five mortality rates have been more than halved since 1990, boys and girls attend primary school in equal numbers in 129 countries and the number of people living in extreme poverty worldwide is almost half of what it was in the 1990s.

But this progress has been neither even nor fair, the report said.

The poorest children are twice as likely to die before their fifth birthday and to be chronically malnourished than the richest.

Across much of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, children born to mothers with no education are almost three times more likely to die before they are five than those born to mothers with a secondary education.

And girls from the poorest households are twice as likely to marry as children than girls from the wealthiest households.

“The geographical distribution of the burden of child mortality is also changing. Globally, child deaths are highly concentrated,” it said, noting that in 2015, about 80 per cent of these deaths occurred in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, and almost half occurred in just five countries — Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.

The report said some countries in the fast lane for global economic growth — including India and Nigeria — have been in the slower lane for child mortality reduction.

PTI

Probe agencies don’t follow protocol in drugs cases: Court NEW DELHI: Probe agencies do not follow investigation protocols despite being aware of the gravity of narcoticsrelated offences, a court here has observed while pulling up Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) for framing an African national in a case involving 10 kg heroin.

Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar, while absolving African national Samson Ongera Omoro of the charges of possessing over 10 kg heroin, observed that intelligence officer of DRI R Roy had deliberately tried to mislead the court.

“This Court is conscious of the fact that offences under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act have been considered very serious in nature, which is evident from severe punishment provided on conviction in such cases. But the court always feels a constraint when evidence, which is required to prove the prosecution case, does not come through.

“Knowing fully well the gravity of the offences under the NDPS Act, investigating agencies do not follow protocol of the investigation..,” the judge observed. The judge further said that in the absence of such an investigation, benefit of doubt would always go to the accused, as has happened in this case.

The court came down heavily on DRI, saying it has “serious doubt about recovery of contraband from the possession of the accused. The very story of DRI/complainant that recovery of 10.4 kg heroin was effected from the accused in the presence of independent witnesses, has turned out to be unreliable.”

“Therefore, despite being an official witness, who carry a great respect from Courts, I am constrained to observe that Roy has deliberately tried to mislead the Court while deposing in the case,” the judge said. The court noted that the probe agency named a fictitious ‘panch’ witness (a witness before whom police

seals or opens case-related materials at a crime scene) which cast doubt on the complaint.

“The complainant/DRI joined panch witnesses but dropped them. One of the witness found to be a fictitious person... Second panch witness Rakesh is unavailable at the given address...

“Therefore, it was incumbent upon Roy to ascertain the identity of the witnesses as well as their addresses...,” the judge said.

According to prosecution, a complaint was filed by Intelligence Officer of the DRI that he received information on July 29, 2010 that a 40-year-old man of African origin would be standing at a bus stand near Burari in south Delhi who would be in possession of drugs. A raid was conducted by DRI team and the accused was caught possessing around 10 kg of heroin, it said.

The accused claimed that he was falsely implicated and some persons in civil clothes forcibly took him to the DRI officer when he was standing outside his house. He claimed he was illegally kept and also threatened, pressurised and beaten by the officers, who forced him to write a dictated statement and sign certain blank papers. The court, while acquitting him, also said, “false plantation of contraband substance when the recovery is heavy may be rare, but is not impossible.”

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

Haryana cop joins Puneri Paltan P 16

PUNE

‘‘Russia is pursuing an effective and independent foreign policy, with the aim of building open and honest interaction with all nations in the West and the East, in the South and the North.”

— Vladimir Putin, President, Russia

FLYING FOR EACH OTHER

Two planes perform a dramatic fly past, during a display of the Red Arrows Display Team at the Armed Forces Day in Cleethorpes, England

Pak cannot ‘conquer’ Kashmir in war Former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar says bilateral issues can be resolved only through dialogue ISLAMABAD: Pakistan cannot “conquer” Kashmir through war, former foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said while asserting that bilateral issues cannot be resolved in a “hostile environment”.

“I believe that Pakistan cannot Hina Rabbani conquer Kashmir through war and if we cannot do that, the option we are left with is dialogue, and dialogue can only proceed with a partner with which we have normal relations and a certain level of mutual trust,” Khar told Geo News.

She claimed that the previous Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government, despite being a coalition, tried its best to normalise ties with India through relaxation of visa rules and by normalising trade ties. The Nawaz Sharif administration can do much more as it enjoys majority, she asserted.

“The issues between the two countries cannot be resolved in a hostile environment,” the 38-year-old PPP leader said.

Khar, who was Pakistan’s foreign minister from 2011 to 2013, maintained that the Kashmir issue can be resolved

“if we continue to talk on the issue, then we will reach somewhere”.

Asked about the military’s influence on Pakistan’s foreign policy, she said it is a diplomat’s job to carry forward the military’s perspective on issues where the military is a relevant stake holder.

Khar stated some people believe that the issue can only be resolved “if there is a BJP government in India and a military government in Pakistan”.

She observed that it is a fact that military ruler Pervez Musharraf gave India adequate relaxation on the Kashmir issue during his tenure.

Asked about the recent downturn in Pak-US ties and the US’ tilt towards India, the former foreign minister said the US tilt towards India is driven by economy, market and because of a wish to contain the rising power of China.

“Now let us ask ourselves, is US moving towards India because India is a nuclear state, or because it is a military power, no, it is people power and their democratic traditions, if we want to compete, lets compete on these grounds,” said Khar.

Khar maintained that Pakistan’s current foreign policy is “reactive and not active” as Pakistan is not taking its own line or direction but is only reacting on the circumstances arising in the region or world at large.

PTI

China blocking India’s NSG entry ‘morally legitimate’

Daily run by Communist Party of China says it was rules that prevented India’s entry into 48-nation nuclear trading body

BY KJM VARMA BEIJING: Defending China’s opposition to India’s entry into the NSG as “morally legitimate”, a staterun daily hit out at India saying the West has “spoiled” the country making it a “bit smug” in international affairs.

In a hard hitting editorial, Global Times said it was rules not China that prevented India’s entry into the 48-nation elite nuclear trading body.

It said at least 10 countries, including China, have opposed the accession of non-signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) into the NSG. “India is not a signatory to the NPT, but is the most active applicant to join the NSG. Before the Seoul meeting, the Indian media played up the prospects of its bid. Some even claim that among the 48 members of the NSG, 47 have given it a green light, except China,” said the editorial titled ‘Delhi’s NSG bid upset by rules, not Beijing’. “...India wants to be the first exception to join the NSG without signing the NPT. It is morally legitimate for China and other members to upset India’s proposal in defence of principles,” said the tabloid, part of the ruling Communist Party of China’s

Indian-origin BBC reporter faces racist abuse in UK

BY ADITI KHANNA LONDON: An Indian-origin BBC reporter faced racist abuse on the streets of her hometown in southern England while she was reporting on Brexit vote.

Sima Kotecha was reporting on the aftermath of the June 23 referendum from the town of Basingstoke when she heard someone saying “Paki”, a racist term used for South Asian origin migrants in the UK. “In utter shock: just been called ‘p..i’ in my home town!

Haven’t heard that word here since the 80s,” she later tweeted.

The incident reflects a latest spike in racist incidents around the UK since the country voted for Brexit last week.

The decision to leave the European Union (EU) has led to an estimated 57 per cent increase in reported racist incidents between Thursday and Sunday, compared with the same days four weeks earlier, the UK’s National Police Chiefs’ Council said.

Outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron had condemned the rise in such attacks in his address to Parliament.

“Let’s remember these people have come here and made a wonderful contribution to our country. We will not stand for hate crime or these kinds of attacks, they must be stamped out,” he said.

PTI

publications.

The daily known for its nationalistic postures said India is emerging as the “golden boy” of the West.

“Recent years have seen the Western world giving too many thumbs up to India, but thumbs down to China.

India is spoiled. Although the South Asian country’s GDP accounts for only 20 per cent of that of China, it is still a golden boy in the eyes of the West, having a competitive edge and more potential compared to China. The

international ‘adulation’ of India makes the country a bit smug in international affairs,” it said.

Criticising Indian media and public reaction on India’s failed NSG bid, it, however, said the Indian government has behaved “decently”.

“Some Indians are too self-centered and self-righteous.

On the contrary, the Indian government behaves decently and is willing to communicate. Throwing a tantrum won’t be an option for New

Hindu Sena activist burn Chinese products during a protest against China at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi

Post-Brexit, EU may drop English LONDON: The English language may be one of the casualties of Brexit as it emerged that no state other than the UK has registered it as a primary language among the 28 countries within the European Union.

English has been the top choice for European Union (EU) institutions but Britain’s vote to leave the union last week could trigger a ban on its use.

“We have a regulation where every EU country has the right to notify one official language,” Danuta Hubner, the Polish MEP or Member of European Parliament who heads the European Parliament’s constitutional affairs committee, told

a press conference in Brussels.

“The Irish have notified Gaelic and the Maltese have notified Maltese, so you have only the UK notifying English,” she said in reference to the fact that English is in everyday use in member countries Ireland and Malta.

Hubner said that although English was the “dominant language” used by the EU civil servants and MEPs, in legal terms “if you do not have the UK, you do not have English”, The Times reported. Regulations would have to be changed to retain the language, requiring a unanimous vote from the 27 remaining states.

PTI

Red Dragon’s 1st home-made jet makes debut flight The plane is China’s first regional jet to be manufactured according to international standards

BEIJING: China’s first indigenous commercial jet made its debut flight carrying 70 passengers with the Communist giant seeking to end the monopoly of big western players like Boeing and Airbus.

The jet ARJ21 took to maiden flight from Chengdu city in southwestern China’s Sichuan Province to Shanghai, marking a landmark success, state-run People’s Daily reported.

The jet manufactured by

Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), completed the maiden flight with a total of 70 passenger mostly journalists and television crews.

The jet was delivered to Chengdu Airlines in November last year.

The Chengdu Airlines said the ARJ21 has a lower cost per seat than similar models of Airbus and Boeing models.

More jets are expected to be used to fly on seven routes, including Chengdu-Shenzhen, ChengduChangsha and Chengdu- Guizhou amongst others, the report said.

COMAC said it received more than 300 orders from 19 airlines, including three from the Republic of

Congo.

The plane is China’s first regional jet to be manufactured according

to international standards and it is expected to compete with France’s Airbus 320 and America’s Boeing 737,

the report said.

It was put through six years of gruelling tests before being awarded airworthiness certificates from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and the US Federal Aviation Agency.

Despite being a manufacturing power house, China is still seeking to break into big league of aviation technology.

While it mostly uses Russian made engines for its military jets, it has for the first time come up with a commercial airline as Beijing seeks to achieve major breakthroughs in high technology to reorient its slowing down economy.

PTI

Delhi,” it said.

“India’s nationalists should learn how to behave themselves. Now that they wish their country could be a major power, they should know how major powers play their games,” the daily said.

Taking exception to the US’ support to India for NSG entry, the editorial said, “US backing adds the biggest impetus to India’s ambition.

By cosying up to India, Washington’s India policy actually serves the purpose of containing China.”

“The US is not the whole world.

Its endorsement does not mean India has won the backing of the world. This basic fact, however, has been ignored by India,” it said.

It underlined that China’s action is based on “international norms, but India’s reaction seems to indicate that their national interests can override principles recognised by the world.”

On India gaining entry into the the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), it said MTCR has absorbed India as a new member, and denied China’s access.

“But the news didn’t even make a ripple among the Chinese public. The Chinese have become more mature in dealing with these setbacks caused by international relations,” the daily said.

PTI

Nepal House logjam on quake aid ends

BY SHIRISH B PRADHAN KATHMANDU: The logjam in Nepalese parliament over mismanagement of the post-earthquake reconstruction ended after an agreement between the ruling and the opposition parties over the release of NRs 200,000 aid to the survivors, leading to the resumption of discussion on this year’s Budget.

The main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) had been disrupting House proceedings for the past a few days demanding immediate release of the financial package to the victims of last year’s devastating quake that killed nearly 9,000 people. The NC had also alleged a lack of transparency in the distribution of the compensation to the victims of the quake.

Clarifying his government’s position, Prime Minister KP Oli said his government was serious about reconstruction and providing relief to the survivors of the 7.8 magnitude quake. He, however, acknowledged its work was delayed “for some time” due to the blockade of border checkpoints with India by Madhesis, who share strong cultural and family bonds with Indians, over a range of demands including that the new Constitution was discriminatory against them. The NC welcomed the agreement regarding the release of the financial aid.

As per the agreement, the statement said, the earthquake survivors would get Rs 150,000 in first instalment and the remaining Rs 50,000 support in the second instalment. But those who have already collected Rs 50,000 as first instalment would get Rs 100,000 immediately.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

‘‘Although the government attaches high priority to electronics and IT hardware manufacturing, its efforts have not led to a substantial impact owing to various policy restrictions.’’

— Subhash Goyal, ELCINA’s former Presidnet

Signpost Vishwanathan is RBI Deputy Governor NS Vishwanathan was appointed Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, replacing HR Khan who will retire soon. Vishwanathan, currently Executive Director at the central bank, was chosen by a search committee headed

by Cabinet Secretary. This is the first appointment done through this highlevel panel. “The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved the appointment of NS Vishwanathan Executive Director, RBI as Deputy Governor RBI vice HR Khan for a period of 3 years,” a government notification said.

He will replace Khan, who will superannuate on July 3 on turning 62.

‘‘We disrupted the market for sub-10,000 smartphones when we launched Redmi in India. We bring Mi Max in India and believe that it is a sweet spot between the mobility of smartphone and immersivness of a tablet.”

Hugo Barra, Xiaomi Vice President

India’s financial mkt norms get top rating

‘Rating Level 4’ indicates RBI, Sebi have all regulatory measures “fully in force”: Study

Regulatory regime put in place by RBI and Sebi have got better ratings than their counterparts in various countries, including the US

India got top-most ratings, along with nine other countries, for a robust financial market regulatory framework in compliance with the global benchmarks.

Overall, the regulatory regime put in place by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) have got better ratings than their counterparts in various countries including the US. As per the latest update to the ‘global assessment study’ of the regulatory framework for financial market infrastructure, a total of 10 jurisdictions, including India, have managed to secure the maximum score of ‘4’ on a scale of one to four on all

eight parameters. These jurisdictions include Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Russia, Singapore and Switzerland. ‘Rating Level 4’ indicates that RBI and Sebi have all regulatory measures “fully in force”. Th is is based on assessment studies about implementation status of the international Principles for Financial Market Infrastructure (PFMIs) in various countries.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) came out with the PFMIs in 2012. The IOSCO and BIS released the third update of its Level 1 assessment of

various jurisdictions.

The US, the UK, Mexico and Turkey are among the jurisdictions that are yet to achieve full rating across all the eight parameters.

Regulations for central counterparties, trade repositories, payment systems, central securities depositories and securities settlement systems were taken as parameters for the assessment.

“Overall, the third update to the Level 1 assessments shows that participating jurisdictions have continued to make progress since the previous update in completing the process of adopting legislation, regulations and/or policies that will enable them to implement the PFMI,” the assessment report said.

IOSCO is a global grouping of capital markets regulators in different countries, including Sebi, while BIS is known as the central bank for all central banks across the world.

In Level-1, it is being assessed whether jurisdictions have completed the process of adopting the legislation, regulations and other policies that will enable them to implement the principles and responsibilities. The latest report looks into the status of each jurisdiction’s legal, regulatory or policy frameworks as on January 8 this year.

PTI

Banks’ gross NPAs may worsen: FSR

RBI’s half-yearly report states NPAs of banks’ increased to 7.6% from 5.1% between Sept 2015 and Mar 2016 Foreseeing worsening situation of bad loans in the country, Reserve Bank said the gross non-performing assets of the banks can rise to as high as 9.3 per cent in 2016-17 after hitting 7.6 per cent in March 2016.

Banks’ gross NPA had stood at 5.1 per cent in September 2015, a report released by RBI said.

“Gross NPAs of banks’ sharply increased to 7.6 per cent of gross advances from 5.1 per cent between September 2015 and March 2016 after asset quality review,” according to the half-yearly Financial Stability Report (FSR) released by RBI. Net non-performing advances as a percentage of the total net advances increased to 4.6 per cent in March 2016 from 2.8 per cent in September 2015.

The report said macro stress tests suggest that under the baseline scenario, the GNPA ratio of banks may rise to 8.5 per cent by March 2017 from 7.6 per cent in March this year.

“If the macro scenarios deteriorate in the future, the GNPA ratio may further increase to 9.3 per cent by March 2017 under at severe stress scenario,” the report said.

RBI conducted asset quality review (AQR) during the second half of 201516 and it covered 36 banks (including all PSBs), which accounted for 93 per cent of the banks’ gross advances.

The sample reviewed in AQR constituted over 80 per cent of the total

credit outstanding and 5 per cent of the number of accounts of the banking system reported through CRILC. The main objective of AQR was to examine the assessment of asset quality at the bank level and at the system level as a whole and to uniformly deal with cases of divergence in identifying NPAs and additional provisioning across banks. RBI said among the banks, PSBs may continue to register highest GNPA ratio.

Under the baseline scenario, PSBs GNPA ratio may go up to 10.1 per cent by March from 9.6 per cent as of March 2016. However, under a severe stress scenario, it may increase to 11 per cent by March 2017. The report said the GNPA ratio of private sector banks, under the baseline scenario, may rise to 3.1 per cent by March 2017 from 2.7 per cent as of March 2016, which could further increase to 4.2 per cent under a severe stress scenario.

PTI

Pay hike for 1 crore Shops, banks, malls can remain open 24X7 govt staff, pensioners In a bonanza for over 1 crore government employees and pensioners, the Cabinet approved implementation of the 7th Pay Commission, which had recommended an overall hike of 23.5 per cent.

“Congratulations to central government officers, employees & pensioners on a historic rise in their salary & allowances through the 7th CPC (Central Pay Commission),” Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted shortly after the meeting of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An official said the Cabinet has approved implementation of the recommendations from January 1, 2016.

The pay panel had in November last year recommended 14.27 per cent hike in basic pay at junior levels, the lowest in 70 years. The previous 6th Pay Commission had recommended a 20 per cent hike which the government doubled while implementing it in 2008.

After considering the increase proposed in allowances, the hike in remunerations comes to 23.55 per cent.

The 23.55 per cent overall hike in salaries, allowances and pension would entail an additional burden of Rs 1.02 lakh crore or nearly 0.7 per cent of the GDP, to the exchequer.

PTI

Cabinet passes law to give establishments the flexibility to operate round the clock

A model law that allows shops, malls and other establishments to operate throughout the year received Cabinet approval, which will give them the flexibility to open and shut at their convenience.

The law covers establishments employing 10 or more workers except manufacturing units and will provide freedom to operate 365 days with flexibility on timing to open and close.

It also provides for women to be employed on night shifts with

These signs will be a thing of the past in India

The model law is aimed at generating additional employment as shops and establishments will have freedom to operate for longer hours requiring more manpower. It also provides exemption to highly-skilled workers like those in IT and bio-technology from daily working hours (9 hours) and weekly working hours (48 hours). The law is designed to bring in uniformity in legislative provisions, making it easier for all the states to adopt it and ensure uniform working conditions across the country.

The Centre has been receiving suggestions from time to time to enact the model law, which the states could consider for enforcement either by adopting the central law or necessary modification by the state law.

PTI

adequate security and calls for better working conditions for employees such as drinking water, canteen, first aid, lavatory and creche.

“The Model Shops and Establishment (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Services)

Bill 2016 has been cleared by the Cabinet,” a source said. The model law will not require Parliament’s approval.

As per the proposal mooted by the Labour Ministry, the model law can be adopted by states with a provision of modifying it as per their requirement.

National civil aviation policy, a potential game changer

Policy aims to transform India’s aviation map by reviving airports, airstrips that are not operational or witness little activity

‘Limited education affects pension reach’

The Modi government’s integrated National Civil Aviation Policy seeks to strike a subtle balance between industry growth with passenger benefits.

It has the potential to be a gamechanger not just for the airline industry’s revival and growth but also for the government in terms of policymaking process and orientation.

It is no doubt well-intentioned and aimed at achieving overall growth of the sector in a structured manner, but certain shortcomings, as pointed out by experts, could derail the projected growth and objective.

The government wants more members of the 30-crore strong middle class to fly which would help the troubled airline industry by boosting revenues and possibly profitability too. Though the low-cost airlines played a major role in making flying affordable for the upper middle and middle classes, the growth and expansion in number of tickets sold has not been substantial and sustained.

One such initiative is the Regional Connectivity Scheme with a cap of Rs.2,500 for an hour-long flight of about 500-600 kms which it hopes would lure more people to fly. Similarly, diluting the norms for airline companies to fly on international routes - the 5/20 rule - would mean more frequent flights and

about, be it privatisation of lossmaking Air India or the roadmap for setting up an independent and autonomous Civil Aviation Authority.

For instance, instead of overhauling the regulatory and governance system, as recommended by the UPA government, the NDA government has opted for a more conservative approach.

Egovernance initiatives to increase the transparency in and responsiveness of Director General of Civil Aviation can be described as a piecemeal approach.

The slew of changes that encourages more connectivity and enables carriers to expand operations faster has been welcomed by the trade circles.

“The long-awaited civil aviation policy has some changes that should unlock regional connectivity as well as open up opportunities for carriers entering India,” said Sharat Dhall, president, Yatra.com.

The government’s plan to revive some 50 nofrills airports and promote connectivity in unserved areas beyond the major routes can be regarded as no less revolutionary in the history of civil aviation in India. It will make travel to the northeast and distant Andaman and Nicobar Islands easier, faster and cheaper.

PTI Feature

Limited education about financial savings and a lack of retirement planning pose a challenge in extending and deepening the reach of voluntary pension plans, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said. The apex bank favoured moving towards a risk-based supervision (RBS) approach on pension products.

“Limited education about financial savings and a lack of retirement planning outlook pose a challenge in increasing the penetration of voluntary pension schemes,” the RBI said.

As per the report, the role of an advisory entity will be critical in propagating the schemes to the masses in order to achieve adequate social security.

“Retirement advisers, with adequate knowledge of a prospect’s needs and knowledge of the pension products, will be in a better position to advise individuals, who have different levels of education, financial literacy, wealth, income potential, capacity to save and financial goals.”

Pension watchdog PFRDA is in the process of framing regulations for

Ministry has done well to insist that a minimum of 20 aircraft has to be deployed on domestic routes for airline companies to fly on international routes

possibly at competitive prices.

As per the 5/20 rule, a domestic airline is allowed to operate internationally only after flying for five years domestically and operate at least 20 aircraft. The new formulation allows airlines, both new and old, to commence international operations if they operate 20 aircraft or 20 per cent of total capacity, whichever is higher, for domestic operations.

What the policy means by stipulating that the higher of 20 aircraft or 20%

of total capacity has to be deployed on domestic routes is a little foggy, however.

But, the ministry has done well to insist that a minimum of 20 aircraft has to be deployed on domestic routes.

The policy has benefitted from responses to the consultative paper released by the ministry last year. Most questionable, contentious proposals have been suitably revised or even abandoned.

Industry analysts and observers are critical of aspects the policy is silent

retirement advisers.

On the National Pension System (NPS), the report said it continues to grow in terms of subscribers as well as assets under management.

“In line with banking and insurance sector regulators, the pension supervisory authorities in various countries have been moving towards a risk-based supervision (RBS) approach,” it said.

RBS can be recognised as a structured process aimed at identifying the most critical risks that confront each pension fund (PF) and address this through a focused review by the supervisor.

A key part of this approach involves the supervisory authority transitioning from checking detailed compliance requirements for the operation of PFs to reviewing internal decision-making processes and competencies of the bodies of these funds, it said and in case of ‘defined contribution’ schemes like NPS, market and credit risks are borne by investor.

PTI

Role of an advisory entity critical in propagating the schemes to masses

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

PUNE

VOX POPULI And, DJ Clay can be credited with enriching Pune’s nightlife through his collaboration with artists such as DJ Abhishek Mantri, DJ SA and many more.

When: July 2 Where: BlueFROG, Yerwada

UMBRELLA PAINTING WORKSHOP

TIME FRAME

We the Artists Workshops has emerged as a platform for empowering women with their creative expressions.

This time they will be featuring artist - Mokshada Kothari who will teach Umbrella Painting to the art lovers.

Participants would get a hands-on experience to learn this unique art.

When: July 3 Where: Aksharnandan School, Senapati Bapat Road

Photographer Angad Joshi and Team TimeFrame are organising Time Frame, a photo exhibition and competition. More than 250 photographs on different concepts such as portraits, landscapes, abstracts, wildlife, nature and food will be displayed during the two-day exhibition.

When: July 2 and 3 Where: Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery, Ghole Road

SWARAMALHAR

SwaraMalhaar is a celebration of the rare Malhaar Ragas, which are rendered only during the rains. The legends and maestros performing are Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Rashid Khan, Smt. Ashwini Bhide, and Pt. Anand Bhate. The audience will be treated to ragas such as Miyan Malhaar, Gaud Malhaar, Megh, Megh Malhaar, Sur Malhaar and more.

When: July 6 Where: Ganesh Kala Krida Mandir, Swargate

CHHAU MASK-CARFT

The joy of making mask has been a cultural practice for humanity since the time of animism. The HomeSukh, at Ishanya is all set to host unique Chhau Mask-Making workshop that will be conducted by Bhim Sutradhar, an accomplished Chhau artist from Charida village, Purulia, West Bengal.

Chhau, meaning a mask, is an essential element in the folk dance-drama from which it derives its name. Purulia Chhau is a theatrical dance, which is often referred to as a martial art form.

The making of these masks.

When: July 3 Where: The Home Sukh, Ishanya, Yerawada

EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE

also be launching their newest album called Play It Loud Vol. 7.

When: July 2 Where: The Flying Saucer Sky Bar, Nagar Road

SIDD COUTTO EXPERIENCE LIVE

This weekend, High Spirits brings you Sidd Coutto, who is known for his fine medley of tunes. He’s been a part of many acts like like Vir Das’ Alien Chutney, Zero, Ankur and the Ghalat Family, and much more. Sidd Coutto is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Mumbai most famously known as the drummer of alternative rock act Zero and as the frontman of Helga’s Fun Castle. Over the past decade, Sidd has collaborated with dozens of artists, both local and international.

When: July 4 Where: High Spirits, Koregaon Park

MONSOON MUSINGS

ARTEMISIA AND DJ CLAY

The megaFROG Saturday at blueFROG is going to be a smashing one with Artemisia and DJ Clay taking over the console. Known for her versatility in music genres, Artemisia has played right from hip hop to house music to electronic dance music.

A platform for political discussions

Politics has always been a subject that most individuals have a strong stance about.

At a time when people from opposing political parties are clawing at each other, it is a welcome change to read about these kattas which encourage healthy discussions between supporters of different political groups. In an informal environment, the give and take of knowledge and ideas that takes place within these clubs is a sign of people becoming tolerant towards views which they may not agree with. Especially when members are influential members of opposing political parties, Pune really does manage to unite its people.

- Meghana Lele

DJ SUNNY AND DJ HARNEET

Head to The Flying Saucer Sky Bar for a fantastic Saturday evening featuring DJ Sunny and DJ Harneet. With their versatile tunes, the DJ duo promises to make it a night to remember. They’ll

Artists all over the world have been inspired by monsoon to create works with stunning effects. Tilting Art Gallery brings to you Monsoon Musings a remarkable collection of paintings and sculptures by young artists from across India to display their artistic feats. The two-week long show will bring together a vivid collection ranging from splendid paintings to awe-inspiring sculptures inspired and influenced by the beauty of monsoon.

When: Till July 15 Where: Tilting Art Gallery, Yerawada.

Shivanand Hulyalkar, Pune Congress Party leader, former general secretary of the Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress and present vicechairman of the union textile ministry’s All India Powerloom Board, was arrested by the Bandra police on June 24.

The arrest came after his 23-year-old partner lodged an FIR against him for allegedly raping and threatening her. The Bandra sessions court, on June 29, extended his police custody till July 5. According to sources, the complainant was living with Hulyalkar since 2015, upon his request. She was referred to as Hulyalkar’s wife by him in social circles, and was promised many things, a lucrative job, a house in Powai and shares of a construction company he owned, amongst them. However, she complained that during her stay in his home last year, Hulyalkar repeatedly raped her. He even tried to drown her and subjected her to physical violence before raping her, in Mauritius, where they had gone for a business meet. After returning from Mauritius, she decided to lodge a complaint against him, and he was thereafter arrested on June 24. The Bandra police have already charged him with rape, unnatural sex, criminal intimidation and causing hurt.

Trishant Simlai Scientist Salman Khan’s thought process just reflects the deep rooted misogyny in our society. It showcases the complete disregard shown by the male gender of what a survivor suffers at the hands of the perpetrators.

Rape as a word is used in the most casual of conversations and this is the main problem. India could do well with teaching contemporary gender issues in school- but with the current political environment that’s a far thought. However I also have a problem of blowing this out of proportion. There was never this kind of widespread outrage, for instance, when a balatkar joke was made by Aamir Khan in 3 Idiots. And how many of us have giggled when our colleagues or classmates talk of being ‘raped’ in an interview or exam, or a cricket team being raped in a game? Soni Sori is on her 7th day of hunger fast against the actual rape and murder of a woman – and I don’t see the media lining up to ask her for bytes on this or organising night time debates on it.

Priyanka Menon Author Honestly, up until this comment of his, I didn’t think Salman Khan had the ability to shock us even more than he already has. But this is outrageous, even for him. You know, Being Human, and all that. His comment just goes to show the kind of patriarchal goop we are surrounded by. It’s sad, what he has said. It’s a terrible thing to say. But for me, what hurts the most is how the world wants him to apologise for a flippant remark, but a rapist, molester or eve-teaser is let off saying something pathetic as “Ladke hain. Sharaarat toh karenge hi.” Let’s face it. Salman Khan is stupid. So his off-the-mouth remark is just as flippant. He’ll apologise. Or as is always the case in the Khan household, his father will apologise, which he did. But what next? Are we still going to let the crime, the victim, and the culprit remain the way they stand now?

The former ignored, the middle one blamed, and the latter exonerated?

Salman Khan’s comment isn’t the problem here. What needs to be looked at is how we have constantly let a rape victim down that has led to this. We are culpable.

Where old meets new

The story about in last week’s Life supplement about expats who have embraced the Puneri culture was my favourite read.

It is great to know about people who have come from outside India and are now proud to call Pune their home. The culture which is so revered by the locals, has also made an impact on people who came here with no prior knowledge about the city and its people. Pune has always welcomed guests with open arms, and I am delighted to find that so many of them have settled down here and are no longer visitors! Embracing the food, the language and traditions and falling in love with the city have made them a part of us now.

- Sushil Kanade

Pune is a city which is famous for its culture and heritage. The old wadas in the heart of the city are classic, antique structures. They may not be very modern or stylish but they lend their own charm to the area. The high-rise structures stand right next to these are preferred abodes for the next generations, with newer comforts and luxuries.

The beauty lies in the two co-existing side by side without every feeling out of place. The people of Pune love the diversity the city offers. I am proud to belong to a place with this kind of a heritage.

- Akshata Kadam

Write to Us

WOMAN ACCUSES PUNE CONGRESS LEADER OF RAPE

Chaitanya Ketkar Student The man got away with murder. By Salman’s standards, a rape simile is nothing. Whatever he said must be frowned upon, but it is not reason enough to put him behind bars. Even if it were reason enough, he is Salman Khan. And he got away with murder.

Home away from home

PUNE, JUNE 25, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

AS GLOCAL AS THEY GET From loving the local cuisine to knowing the city like the back of their hand, these guys may be expats but they could easily camouflage themselves as true blue Punekars

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

WEEK THAT WAS

News about Salman Khan comparing himself to a raped woman after training for his new movie Sultan, has caused tremendous outrage over social media. We ask Puneites their take on his recent comment

RPF COLLECTS RS 1,20,000 FOR SINGLE CHAIN PULL VIOLATION

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) detained 48 daily passengers for pulling the chain of Hyderabad Express and causing the train to stop at Uruli Kanchan Railway Station for one and a half hour to help fellow passengers to catch the train on Thursday morning. RPF personnel said that daily passengers also clashed with the train’s reserved coaches’ occupants. RPF will collect a total of Rs 1,20,000 from offenders for a single chain pull.

RPF produced the offenders before the railway court and the court slapped Rs 2,500 fine on each passenger under Section 141. RPF Divisional Security Commissioner (Pune) D Vikas said, “Our team rushed to the station and took into custody 48 passengers. They were produced in Pune railway court and fined Rs 2,500 per head by the court. The chain pulling incident delayed four other long distance trains, affecting punctuality and revenue loss.” Vikas said.

Railway Pravasi Manch President Harsha Shah said, “This is a regular headache for railways

of daily public travelling from Daund to Pune.

They are very aggressive on fellow passengers of long distance express trains. Many times reservation passengers and Daund passengers fight among each other and it delays trains running on this route. Today’s incident was an example and the railway administration should take strict action on these regular offenders who use the trains between Pune and Daund route.”

88 PER CENT RESIDENT DOCTORS IN MUMBAI WORK MORE THAN 12 HOURS A DAY Central MARD in Mumbai carried out a survey of 200 doctors each from KEM, Sion, Nair and JJ medical colleges and hospitals, with an aim to assess their stress levels, working hours and mental functionality. However the finding threw the light on the vulnerable situation of doctors.

Dr Sagar Mundada, president of Central MARD said that the survey showed that out of 800 medicos, 22 per cent work less than 12 hours a day, 68 per cent work between 12 and18 hours per day, and the remaining 20 per cent work for more than 18 hours a day. As per the Supreme Court verdict, 48 hours is the maximum work to

be done per week. But the data analysis shows that only five per cent doctors worked for less than 48 hours per week, Thirty per cent said they work 50 to 75 hours, 51per cent work between 75 and 100 hours, while 14 per cent said they work more than 100 hours per week.

When asked about the sleep problems, out of 800, 198 said that they have some kind of minor or major sleep problem, including problems in onset of sleep, not feeling fresh after sleep, daytime sleepiness due to improper night sleep. Ninety-six doctors feel depressed (sad, hopeless, worthless), while 31 doctors had repeated thoughts of suicide.

A noble deed indeed

The story about a private firm devising free of cost bike service during the crowded palkhi procession, to ensure medical treatment for needy patients during the golden hour is a great initiative. Getting the patient to the hospital or the medical treatment to the patient in the first hour is extremely crucial. Given the traffic situation that the city faces during palkhi, the bikes can truly be a boon. The fact that people and institutions are thinking of such things is a good sign and one the points to the fact that humanity is not dead.

- Shishir Farake

SPORTS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY JULY 2, 2016

PUNE

“ There is no substitute for working hard towards what you want to achieve - whether it is about success in your job or about winning a game or a tournament. Fans motivate me to do my best every time I am out on the field. I love connecting with my fans through social media but there is no substitute for a personal face-to-face meeting.”

— Virat Kohli, Indian Test Captain

Haryana cop joins Puneri Paltan

Sonu Narwal, a deputy superintendent with Haryana police, has given an impreessive performance in the Pro Kabaddi league matches

BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish Puneri Paltan, a Pune franchise of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), which created waves in the third season by finishing third, is aiming for a better performance this season.

Under the guidance of coach Ashok Shinde and the leadership of Manjeet Chillar, the team management has retained their core team. In addition, they have brought in fresh firepower to their arsenal.

The main attraction was Haryana DSP Sonu Narwal.

The most successful raider of Jaipur Pink Panthers has been roped in for the season and he has already started showing his mettle in the league matches held in Mumbai. He has made eight successful raids so far.

Sonu was part of the Indian kabaddi team, which won a gold medal in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. While representing Panthers, he won the best raider award several times.

About his journey to Paltan, Sonu said, “All the players in Pro Kabaddi League have played together at some point and in various teams. We are used to playing alongside m a n y players and get to understand each other’s game.

I have played under coach Shinde’s guidance for the past

two seasons, so it wasn’t a challenging part to play for a new team.”

“We got enough time for practice and bond together on and off the mat. The preparations were in full swing and we are looking forward to a great

season,” he said.

“In the first two seasons it was easier to play against Paltan as they didn’t have a strong defense.

But from the last season they have come up as a power-packed team,” said Narwal.

Talking about his chances in getting back into Indian team ahead of Kabaddi World Cup to be held this year, he said, it all depends on weight reduction. As per the International Kabaddi Federation, the players to represent national must be less than 80kg. Currently, Narwal weighs around 85kg and hopes that the rules will allow players up to 85.

“There have been talks about changing the weight criteria. If they raise it to 85kg, I am all set for it, but I’m not reducing five kilograms just to be in the team. I fear that will make me weaker, so I would prefer any young player to fill in my shoes,” he said.

Narwal is hopeful of playing another four to five seasons before retiring as a player. He has already started a kabaddi academy in Karnal, where 40 youngsters are training under his guidelines.

“I didn’t approach anyone for help.

Kabaddi is not just a sport from me, it’s my lifestyle and starting an academy was my dream and it been run by players. I wish my wards represent the country and make me proud,” he said. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

Kolhapur lad Akshay Jadhav is a new face of Puneri Paltan Meanwhile, Akshay Jadhav who comes from the kabaddi-loving family in Kolhapur, is excited to play alongside star players.

“These two months have completely changed my life, as it is like dream come true.

Suddenly I am playing alongside the star players whom I was watching on television,” he said.

Signposts Chinmay, Neha clinch titles Neha Mahangade defeated third seeded Ujwala Gaikwad 4-2 to win the women’s title in the District Ranking Table Tennis Tournament, organised by Sharada Sports Centre recently. In the men’s category, Chinmay Datar emerged supreme.

The top seed defeated Anurag Gote. In the youth boys’ final, Sanat Bokil prevailed over Shounak Shinde 4-0.

Purva Barve finishes runner-up in Natls City shuttler Purva Barve finished runner-up at the All India Junior Ranking tournament held in Bengaluru last week. She went down to Aakarshi Kashyap in the final.

Aakarshi later won a double crown, winning the under-17 and under-19 girls’ singles titles. Earlier, Purva knocked out top seed Prashi Joshi in the semi-finals.

HDFC Bank clinches Corporate Cup HDFC Bank defeated Fin IQ 3-0 to win the inaugural edition of the FC Pune City Corporate Super Cup, which culminated at the Infosys football ground recently. The event saw 20 corporate teams battle it out for supremacy. Rishi Pillay scored the opener in the 12th minute to give HDFC the lead. The second goal was scored by Leroy Almeida in the 24th minute.

Samurais wins racquet league Samurais won the inaugural PYC Spectrum Race 309 Racquet League, beating Kirpans 287-242 last week. Samurais started solidly in tennis, registering a 103-74 win.

In the table tennis event, Samurais extended their lead with a 99-71 win. In badminton, Kirpans fought back with a 97-85 win.

“To be honest, every day is a learning experience as I am getting valuable inputs from our coach Shinde sir and K Baskaran. Also the senior players are also helping me with some quality tips.”

Akshay, who is studying psychology, is the youngest member of the team. Last year he represented Maharashtra in the sub-junior

City produces another ironman

nationals and senior nationals. He was picked by coach Shinde during a state-level tournament held at Chiplun, Ratnagiri.

“Like every sportsman, I have a dream to represent my country and this platform will surely help me to attain my goal,” he said.

NEXT IS NOW

PUBLISHING

After Kaustubh Radkar, it’s Anand Gangwal who has achieved the coveted title TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Dr Anand Gangwal, Pune-based professional expert in the field of physiotherapy and sports medicine, has achieved the coveted Ironman title in Austria. He completed the challenging race in cut-off time and fulfi lled his dream in only his third attempt.

Anand, aged 36, has been practicing tirelessly and systematically for the Ironman event for the last five years.

Ironman consists of three disciplines.

Each participant has to complete swimming in open water, riding a bike and running a full marathon. For every race there is a cut-off time for each discipline. It mainly depends on the degree of difficulty and terrain. For the race in Austria, the stipulated time was 17 hours. Anand registered the time of 16 hours 31 minutes and 29 seconds, thereby ensuring the prestigious title.

Anand made his debut in the 2014 Cebu Ironman. The tourney in Philippines turned out to be disastrous.

Due to a sub-standard bike, which punctured six times, he was frustrated and ultimately he couldn’t complete the race. Last year in Zurich, he completed the race but couldn’t achieve the cutoff mark, which was stipulated at 12 hours. Anand took around fourteen and a half hours. Though the title eluded him, his confidence got a major boost.

For the race in Austria, Anand did the cycling training under the guidance of Vishal Pawar and for swimming took lesions from Chaitrali Pavnaskar.

“I am quite excited. Completing Ironman itself is considered as an achievement. As I could fulfi ll the criteria of cut-off time, my joy knows no bounds. On a lighter note, I would like to refer to the adage, third time lucky. While on a serious note and most importantly I could make our country proud by holding aloft the tricolour,” Anand said.

THE ROUTE Swimming (3.8km): Th is stage was held in Worthersee lake, where a 24-mile loop was formed. The water temperature was around 23 degrees Celsius.

Cycling (180 km): The bike course, which has a Tour de France-like atmosphere, contains two steep climbs during each loop, the Rupertiberg and the Riebnig, the most popular spectator spots on the ride.

Running (42.195km): The two-loop run course takes athletes from the race site to Krumpendorf, from there to the middle of the city and back to Krumpendorf. The course is completely flat and mostly shaded. Spectators line the streets to cheer the athletes on through the finish line. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

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