The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 19/03/2016

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TGS LIFE

Dream offices aren’t just a figment of your imagination

MUMBAI

CITY

SoBo’s first mall and Cadbury House to be pulled down P2 RAHUL RAUT

Pune temples to be featured in PMC film P6

Molestation victim Run for a treated like a CAUSE TGS way criminal at school 12-year-old schoolgirl, who was molested by a bus attendant repeatedly, is now a victim of ostracisation at two other schools

BY YOGESH WAGH @YogeshWagh1857

A day in the life of a

PMPML BUS CREW Driving on Pune’s streets has grown into a veritable nightmare.

Driving a cumbersome bus must translate into a feat calling for superhuman strengths and skills. We get the truth from a bunch of PMPML drivers and conductors

At the age of 12, she is on the threshold of life, and her young mind is unable to cope with the trauma of being molested by a school bus attendant. But the little girl has had to cope with a completely unjustified discrimination at the hands of the school administration.

A student of City International School, Wanowrie, the girl informed her parents about the constant molestation

by a school bus attendant. The parents took up the matter with the school principal and director, who ignored their complaint, and also refused to change the bus service. It was mid-term, so the parents did not take their child out of the school. At the end of the term, they went to collect the girl’s report, but were told to first sign the Transfer Certificate, which they did and took their daughter out of the school.

The parents did file a complaint against the bus attendant and the school as they thought it would disrupt her education. “The bus service owner is an influential person and we were scared of the consequences of lodging a complaint,” the father said. But they met the Police Commissioner, who ordered the Wanowrie police station to register the complaint on April 16, 2014.

Contd on p03

Proceeds from The Golden Sparrow Moveit marathon to be distributed among six needy persons RAHUL RAUT

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

PUNE

MUMBAI

“Metro is viable in a city like Mumbai, but Monorail failed and has became a ‘tourist attraction’, while the Bullet Train has proved to be a big liability. The government should suggest solutions on major issues like water crises.”

— Prithviraj Chavan, Former Chief Minister

Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi stressed the need to harness the energy of youths to make world a better place even as he felt that the new generation is becoming intolerant and violent because they are “confused” and “misguided”.

“Whatever they are doing today is because they could either be misguided or they don’t have a clear path in their lives. They are confused in the competitive world and they don’t see much opportunities.

This frustrates them and creates a dislike for the whole system and establishment, eventually making them intolerant and violent,” Satyarthi told PTI on the sidelines of an event organised

by CII here.

Satyarthi said his NGO has launched a new global campaign against child labour and exploitation.

The online and off line campaign is called as “100 million for 100 million” which aims to channelise the energies of the youth to create a better world.

The idea behind the campaign is to get

100 million young people to voice their views and act for another deprived 100 million children by sensitising others about issues relating to child labour, exploitation, sexual abuse and trafficking, through the initiative.

“There is a need to harness the anger and energies of the young people for a better world than wasting them in blaming each other. They can be the champions and voices on behalf of the 100 million children who are deprived of their basic rights to education and healthcare,” he said.

The international child rights activist further said the government, civil society and the corporates should come together to ensure children are not exploited in any production or supply chain.

“Whenever corporates execute their projects they should make sure that no child is deprived of education and healthcare. All the three major stakeholders jointly create a culture of mutual trust and work together towards this common goal,” Satyarthi said.

PTI

SoBo’s first mall and Cadbury House to be pulled down

BY YOGESH SADHWANI @ yogeshsadhwani

If the owners have their way, two iconic structures in South Mumbai will soon be razed to make way for new ones. While on one hand Dilipkumar Lakhi, a well known diamond merchant has sought permission to redevelop Cadbury House, Bansi Mall Management Company Pvt Ltd has put up plans to rebuild on the land on which Mumbai’s fi rst mall stands today.

They have both applied to the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) to redevelop their properties. Lakhi’s Cadbury House is located on Bhulabhai Desai Road and Sobo Central Mall, earlier known as Crossroads, owned by Bansi Mall Management is at stone’s throw distance near Haji Ali junction.

While it is unclear what the two want on build on their properties, they have sought permission for redevelopment after razing the old structures.

When contacted by TGS, Lakhi confi rmed submitting a proposal with the MCGM. “We are waiting for the new Development Control Rules (DCR) to come out. It is only then that in consultation with our architect we will fi nalise as to what will be built. Right now I cannot say anything else,” Lakhi said. As of now the DCR that will govern development across Mumbai for the next 20 years are being mulled over

Christians record best sex ratio in Maha, Sikhs worst: Survey The Christian community has recorded a better sex ratio, at 1,031 females per 1,000 males, compared to other religious communities in Maharashtra, while the Sikhs have a considerably low number of 891, as per 2011 census.

The ‘Economic Survey of Maharashtra 2015-16’ tabled in the state Legislature, also revealed the state’s population is 11.24 crore, 9.3 per cent of the total population of India, and second after the Uttar Pradesh’s.

The survey report, which cites the census data of India 2011 , shows a seven point increase in overall sex ratio of the state from 922 in 2001 to 929 in 2011.

“In terms of religion-wise sex ratio, Christians rank fi rst with a sex ratio of 1,031, followed by Buddhists 970, Jains 964, Hindus 928, Muslims 911 and Sikhs 891,” it said.

The sex ratio in urban areas has increased from 873 to 903, however, in the rural areas it has decreased from 960 in 2001 to 952 in 2011, it said.

The religion-wise proportion of population shows huge gap between Hindus and other communities.

“Hindus, with 79.8 per cent top the list, followed by Muslims 11.5 per cent, Buddhist 5.8 per cent, Jains 1.2 per cent, Christians 1 per cent and Sikhs 0.2 per cent,” it added.

When it comes to religion-wise literacy rate, Jains with 95.3 per cent rank fi rst, followed by Christians 92.3 per cent, Sikhs 90.9 percent, Muslims 83.6 per cent, Buddhist 83.2 per cent, and Hindus 81.8 per cent.

The adult literacy rate in Maharashtra has gone up from 76.9 per

cent in 2001 to 82.3 per cent in 2011.

The survey said the religionwise decadal growth rate (DGR) has decreased for all religions resulting in an overall decline of 6.7 percentage points.

The total proportion of urban population is 45.2 per cent in 2011 as against 42.4 per cent in 2001. About 63 per cent of the state population belongs to working age group of 15 to 59 years, it says.

PTI

Dilipkumar Lakhi bought Cadbury House in November 2013 for Rs 331 crores, while Bansi Mall Management Company bought Crossroads for Rs 251 crores in 2006

by various stake holders.

As for Sobo Central Mall, Bansi Mall Management Company Ltd had in 2012 sought environmental clearance to build a star hotel on the land. However, their current plans submitted to MCGM could not be accessed. Efforts to contact Sunil Biyani, who has submitted the proposal on behalf of Bansi Mall Management did not yield any results as he did not answer our calls or respond to our text messages.

HC pulls up Maha over schoolbag policy The Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra government to inform within two weeks whether it has implemented its policy regarding reducing weight of schoolbags carried by students. The bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka was hearing a PIL filed by Swati Patil which contends that the heavy load carried by students has adverse health effects. After government lawyer Purnima Kantharia said she needed time to seek instructions, the court granted the government two weeks’ time to file a reply.

The court also asked whether the policy, published in a circular last year, would apply to all schools, aided and non-aided, etc. The petitioner’s lawyer argued that the rules should apply to all the schools, otherwise the purpose of framing the policy won’t serve any purpose. As per the directive of the high court, the government had last year issued a circular based on recommendations of a committee.

The committee had said in many cases students were lugging schoolbags 20-30 per cent heavier than what the children should carry. Because of this, around 60 per cent students below the age of 10 suffered from orthopaedic ailments, it said.

PTI

The un-demolishable Mumbai building

BMC demolishes South Mumbai building which is erected again, as BMC and residents allege underworld hand

BY SANTOSHEE MISHRA @santosheemishra

A warehouse, ground plus one structure in South Mumbai has proved to be a bother for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The BMC has demolished it four times, and the illegal structure gets erected on the weekends, handiwork allegedly of the kin of Salim Talwar, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s right-hand

man and wanted accused in the March 1993 serial blasts case.

Assistant Municipal Commissioner Srinivas Khilji of B ward claims that a 5000 square feet warehouse near J J Hospital, owned by one Sonabai F Daruwala, was issued a Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act (MRTP) notice, but the illegal structure gets erected every time it was demolished.

“We complained to the BMC about the illegal structure erected on the warehouse land in January 2016, after numerous complaints by local residents. The BMC cracked down on the contractor, one Farhaz Mistry alias Farhaz Talwar, nephew of Salim Talwar, a wanted accused in the March 1993 blasts case, and right-hand man of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim,” said Satyawan Javkar,

City youngsters to visit Liverpool P 16

PICS BY IMTIYAZ SHAIKH

Youngsters growing intolerant: Satyarthi

India could be global agent for renewable energy: US P 11

former corporator of Dongri.

“We were told by Talwar and his associates that they were constructing a commercial building and were the owners.

But as per the records, construction is not allowed as it is a reserved plot, as per the new plan of building and proposal department. About 300 residents staged a protest at the BMC ward, which thereafter demolished it,” he said.

Ward officer VB Mhiskar said, “After the residents’ complaints, we served a ‘stop work’ notice on the 94 Umarkhadi construction site. As per our assessment, the owner is still one Sonabai F Daruwala, c/o Mrs S V Plumbers. But we did not receive any response. After that we demolished the illegal four-storey structure, but it came up again on the weekends. Every time we demolish it

under Dongri police protection, the illegal structure comes up again. Now we have charged the owner Sonabai F Daruwala with the MRTP 52 r/w 43.”

Dongri police station senior police inspector Vilas Gangawane said, “We have not received the copy from the BMC regarding involvement of the underworld land mafia in this illegal structure. The construction is allegedly by contractor Farhaz Mistry alias Farhaz Talwar and his associates. We will register an FIR and initiate the investigation after receiving the copy from BMC.” Talwar’s nephew Farhaz said, “I had taken the repair work of the warehouse and the BMC has demolished it. It is vertical repair work I had initiated but the BMC demolished it four times.” santoshee.mishra@goldensparrow.com

Sources reveal that the owners of the mall too are waiting for the new DCR which would largely ascertain the scope of construction on their plot, before they make up their mind.

Both Lakhi and Bansi Mall Management acquired the properties from earlier owners. Lakhi bought the sprawling complex at the prime location way back in November 2013 from Cadbury India for Rs 331 crore.

The complex used to be headquarters of Cadbury. The plot spread over

4,595 sq metres has Cadbury House as well as Bournville Apartments.

Bansi Mall Management, on the other hand acquired the mall from Peninsula Land Ltd in 2006 for Rs 251 crore. The property was built by Piramal Holdings way back in 1999 and became the fi rst ever mall in Mumbai. After Bansi Mall Management acquired it, they shut down the mall for a few years and rechristened it Sobo Central yogesh.sadhwani@goldensparrow.com

Maha to complete dev projects by 2019 Maharashtra government has set 2019, the year when next Assembly elections are slated, as deadline to complete most of the ongoing development projects in the state including Metro-II project and Navi Mumbai international airport, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said today.

Speaking during a debate over the motion of thanks on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao’s joint address in Legislature, Devendra Fadnavis told the Council that his government has obtained all necessary approvals from the Centre for development projects which were stuck for last many years.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, Fadnavis said the Congress only announced projects but could not execute them as they failed to get necessary approvals despite having their government at the Centre.

“The Coastal Road Project was announced by former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. He held various meetings in Delhi but couldn’t get permissions. We obtained all approvals in 11 months. Tenders will now be floated on April 30, work order will be issued in September and

the fi rst phase of the project will be completed in 2019,” said Fadnavis.

On the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project, the CM said its mention was fi rst made in the state Budget when he was fi rst elected as an MLA from Nagpur constituency in 1999.

“Work order (for the project) will be issued in October-November this year and the fi rst phase will be completed in 2019. The whole project’s time-frame is four and a half years,” he said.

He also set till 2019 the time limit for completion of the work at Navi Mumbai International Airport.

“We received all permissions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi within a day’s time through video conferencing,” he said.

Fadnavis once again gave a deadline of 2019 for the Mumbai Metro II project (from Dahisar to Andheri) and a deadline of 2020 for Mumbai Metro III project (from Colaba to Seepz).

“Metro will take some more time as it will have an underground route,” he said.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

Nexus between media and the powers P12

“The current Between Parvati and Cantonment pipeline is damaged and needs to be urgently repaired or replaced. This will reduce the water leakages and help PMC save nearly 0.5tmc water.”

— Prashant Jagtap, Mayor

Molestation victim treated like a criminal at school Contd from p01

A complaint was lodged against school attendant Khalid Pathan, 29, bus driver Kamruddin Sheikh, 52, Director Ashok Gupta and City International School Principal Maushumi Chaudhuri, at Wanawadi police station. They were charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code including rape, molestation, punishment for criminal intimidation and punishment for abetment, and also charged under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The father told TGS that they then enrolled their daughter in a reputed school in Kondhwa on October 8, 2014. She however, told her new schoolmates about the nasty incident at the previous school, and the consequences were immediate.

The next day she was allowed to board the bus, and the bus service provider told her parents that they would have to meet the principal in the matter.

The principal asked the parents why they had not informed them about the molestation. They said that their daughter would not be allowed to use the bus service. The parents told them that they had opted for the school because it has its own bus service.

The school authorities did not relent and so the parents had to drop and pick up the girl to and from school. They then complained to the education department, after whose intervention the girl was allowed to use the school bus service.

But the other students were told not to talk to her and an attendant was told to keep a watch on her. This left the girl severely depressed. “Our daughter had to go through psychiatric treatment owing to this,” the father said. Since the school

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authorities were adamant, the parents decided to change her school again.

For academic year 2015-16, the parents took admission at a reputed school in Hadapsar. After one week of school though, the girl’s troubles erupted again when the new school principal came to know of the molestation.

She was treated as an outcast by the students and staff, which culminated in her writing a suicide note in a school notebook in December. Her class teacher happened to see the note and informed the school principal. The principal told her parents to take their daughter out of the school, telling them that the girl would not be allowed to attend classes.

The parents demanded a letter from the

principal regarding this decision, but they have not got it yet.

The school authorities also did not return the tuition fees. “We paid fees for the year, but she attended classes for 21 days only. They are not even willing to refund the money,” the father said. The girl was allowed to appear for the annual exam, but was not allowed to attend the recent annual day celebrations.

The principal of her current school has denied all allegations. “The parents wanted 100 per cent refund of the fee.

We agreed to give them 50 per cent, even though the fee is non-refundable. We took all precautions because the student had been showing suicidal tendencies.

Had the parents informed us about the

TELLING IT LIKE IT IS...

THE MOTHER “My daughter has not forgotten the incidents. Even now when we travel by the road where the incident had taken place, she gets frightened and gets goosebumps and holds on to me tightly. The fright is hidden in her mind. She is so much affected by the incident that she never goes out to play with other children in the society. I want my child to have her childhood back. Now whatever has happened has happened.

We believe in the justice system and the accused will get his due punishment. As for us the only thing we want now is good education for my daughter.”

THE VICTIM “I want to become an engineer, want to have friends. The school authorities were not allowing me to interact with other students. They were putting a watch on me. But now I want to go to my previous school,” she said.

SATYAJIT MANDLE, PSYCHOLOGIST “What the girl is exhibiting is symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event either experiencing it or witnessing it. What she needs is a listener, as her emotions are bottled up. If she is isolated, she would find means of escape, which to her little mind signifies death hence her suicidal tendencies. Since she is very young, even counselling won’t work.

She has to be encouraged to make friends and talk about her feelings.

history, we would have handled it better.

The child herself went and spoke about it to her friends who are all her age. So we told the children to not discuss this incident. No one asked the children to stop communicating with the child. She started showing suicidal tendencies, so we asked her class teacher to check on her after every lecture, and sent an attendant whenever she went out of the class. It was for her safety. We also let her sit for the exam even when her attendance is way less than the necessary 75 per cent. We denied her the bus as we were worried for her safety,” she said.

About the coming academic year, the principal said, “They are most welcome to keep their child here but since the child has been showing suicidal tendencies, we will have to keep an eye on her.”

TGS contacted the Assistant Director of Education Menakshi Raut regarding the incident. “We have helped the victim in a number of ways. When they had to change schools, I personally intervened and ensured that the victim got admission in the school she and her parents wanted. Now they want to go back to the earlier school, and the school authorities who have agreed to take back the girl,” she said.

“When a child has such a history and she is showing suicidal tendencies, the authorities get concerned. They had an attendant to watch over her so that she ddin’t do anything in the school premises,” she said.

Meanwhile, the parents are worried about their child’s future. “What does it say about the school and educational system of the country if a victim is made to feel ostracised?” the father said. The parents have appealed to education department commissioner and deputy director to intervene so as to fix a permanent school for their daughter, where she will not be victimised, tortured and mentally harassed.

The girl herself is waiting for life to come back to normal, and to go to school without being targeted and stigmatised. yogesh.wagh@goldensparrow.com

Sterling opulence on wheels Ranka Jewellers designs Royal Enfield in silver!

BY SHAILESH JOSHI @TGSWeekly Ranka Jewellers is known for spicing up their décor and workplace with a taste of silver. They are famous for having a huge variety in silverware.

And a silver Royal Enfield has just added glitter to their collection. The Rankas are in the business of silver range for the past 15 years.

Shailesh Ranka assigned the project to design the bike to expert artists based in Udaipur in Rajasthan.

Adorning the fi rm’s Chinchwad showroom, the 1980 model Royal Enfield 350 cc is decorated with 67 kg silver. The jewellers have their main showroom on Laxmi Road and branches in Pune and PimpriChinchwad.

The decorated bullet on display and sale at the Chinchwadbased showroom is attracting a lot of public attention as the jewellers

are known for creativity and innovation and lays stress on craftsmanship and following recommended procedures and standards.

“The artists at Udaipur took six months to create this beauty. The craze to design bikes and cars has gained popularity among the affluent. I have spent over Rs 12 lakh to transform the bike. It has a petrol engine and the bike’s next display point is our showroom on Laxmi Road,” he said.

The jeweller has put the bike for sale. The price range of silver depends on the quantity of metal used and its gauge. “Industrialists, businessmen and our patrons have approached me for this designer bike but I will sell it to the best bidder,” Shailesh said.

Earlier, the jewellers had displayed a 1986 Enfield Bullet model cast in mounted silver weighing 63 kg and costing Rs 8 lakh. Except the bike’s engine and tyres, all components were silver foiled. The jewelled bike was also on display at the India International Jewellery Show in 2013. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

PUNE

“Nobody wants to become a principal as the terms are not very attractive. Also, the basic salary of a principal is much less than that of a professor, but the working hours are longer.”

— Nandkumar Nikam, president of principals’ association

Run for a

New nanoparticle can light up, treat clogged arteries

Man ends life, posts audio on Facebook

P10

P12

CAUSE TGS way PICS BY RAHUL RAUT AND TEJAS GAIKWAD

Proceeds from The Golden Sparrow Moveit marathon to be distributed among six needy persons

T Prasad Kolambekar

S

even-year-old Prasad Kolambekar of Kalewadi, Pimpri, is a victim of acute malnutrition, owing to which his natural growth has been stunted, so much so that he is smaller in size than his four-yearold brother Durvesh. Prasad weighs just 13 kg and he has also been afflicted by dental caries. These handicaps have made Prasad extremely introverted and aloof.

His father Namdev earns Rs 10,000 per month from his job at a transport company. He is

unable to tend to all of Prasad’s needs. “I feel guilty for not being able to give Prasad the medical treatment he needs, and public hospitals do not have the facilities to treat Prasad. He is a keen and bright student but he has become shy and aloof due to his ailments,” Namdev said.

Prasad needs to be under the care of a doctor and nutritionist, to treat his dental condition and to recover from his nutritional deficiency.

he Golden Sparrow Moveit Marathon has been planned for Sunday, March 20. The venue is VITS Hotel, near Shiv Chhatrapati sports complex, Balewadi, and the time is from 5 am to 10 am.

The marathon will cater to all categories of participants, with 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K distances.

It also happens to be an event with a difference, that justifies its ‘Run For A Cause’ tagline.

The proceeds from the marathon will go towards six very needy human beings, just reading about whose troubles and afflictions is intensely heartwrenching.

The little, malnourished Prasad Kolambekar or Pratiksha Madage’s suffering and plight could be reduced

significantly with some quality medical treatment and acutely needed nutrition in their diet.

Homeless Lakshmi, dressed in rags and in need of a hot bath, loves to go school, and wants to continue, but her mother’s inability to pay her fees could mean the end of her education.

Priyanka and her sister Roshni suffer from Joubter Syndrome, which has rendered them incapable of standing on their feet, and what they need are wheelchairs for mobility, as well as urgent medical care.

Street singer Keshavlal Mulchand is 78 years old, and has to go about singing and playing harmonium on the streets to earn what passerby give him as charity.

A helping hand will go a long way in easing their hardship, as Moveit aims and hopes to.

S Priyanka and Roshni Khandagle

P

riyanka, 9, and Roshni Khandagle, 7, suffer from Joubter Syndrome, which results in either the absence or malformation of the part of the brain that controls balance and co-ordination.

The Khandagle sisters therefore, can’t stand or balance themselves on their feet. Their mother Aasha, 27, did sonography tests during pregnancy, but the test for Joubter Syndrome was not done as it was not compulsory.

Priyanka’s handicap came to light when she was two years old, and then Roshni was found to suffer from the same.

Their dad Rajendra is a barber in Kadus village in Khed taluka.

“They need walkers, wheelchairs and a proper diet along with medication.

Where do I get money for all this?” he wonders. The girls have been enrolled in a Zilla Parishad school, but their affl iction makes attendance difficult.

“Aasha used to carry them to school but it’s become difficult for her to carry them both. They become the centre of curiosity and attention, so we have to limit their school time,” said Rajendra.

Priyanka and Roshni will never outgrow their syndrome, but their lives will be made more comfortable with means of mobility like wheelchairs and medication.

Keshavlal Mulchand

K

eshavlal Mulchand, 78, was once upon a time, a musician constantly under the spotlight, hobnobbing with the likes of iconic and pioneering fi lm-maker V Shantaram, singer/music director Hemant Kumar, Kalyanji of Kalyanji Anandji fame, and top notch singers like Kishore Kumar and Mahendra Kapoor.

But then came the hard times, and now Mulchand lives in a 1BHK with his wife Sonibai. He shifted to Pune 44 years ago, and

Lakshmi ix-year-old Lakshmi lives with her mother Gangu under the university flyover. Gangu, who sells trinkets like balloons and pens at street corners, has lived on the streets all her life, and yet feels sad that she cannot provide her daughter with a roof over her head. Laxmi’s clothes are handme-downs or picked from bins, and she looks like she could do with a hot bath and shampoo. But those are out-of-reach luxuries.

Laxmi goes to the Vaikunth

Mehta National Institute of Co-operative Management (VAMNICOM) school. Laxmi loves school, carrying her books in a well-worn polythene bag. The school treats her like a street kid, exempting her from fees and a uniform. But there is the possibility that the school will insist on fees, which will mean the end of schooling for Laxmi. “I I love to study and I hope I never have to stop going to school,” Laxmi said.

Pratiksha Madage

F

our-year-old Pratiksha Madage of Kharpud in Khed taluka, is another victim of acute malnutrition, and a condition called development delay has restricted her growth.

She weighs just seven kg, and is also aff licted by epilepsy. Her parents Mangal and Chintaman are landless labourers, and owing to the drought, are unable to find work. Her mother Mangal can’t bear to see

lived and performed on the streets.

“I sing on the streets because I have no other option to earn money.

Playing the harmonium is all I know,” Mulchand said. He even goes to housing societies to earn whatever he can, and there are days when he and his wife go hungry.

He learnt to play the harmonium from his father at the age of ten.

Mulchand has three sons whom he sees occasionally, but he does not depend on them for anything.

Pratiksha in such a weak and helplessly frail state. “Pratiksha is extremely fragile and if she does not get medical treatment, the chances of her survival are bleak. It breaks my heart that she has to suffer for no fault of hers. I am unable to give her the care she needs,” said Chintaman, her father.

Pratiksha needs medical and nutritional care urgently, and medicines if she is to survive.

Pune RTO takes a U-turn on demand for more centres Pune citizens get weary of repeated trips to Sangam Bridge RTO just to submit their applications

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan “If I didn’t need a licence, I would never agree to suffer such humiliation,” said Sumit Bajare, 28. The humiliation he is talking about is that the Regional Transport Office (RTO) does not have any option for people like him who can’t reach RTO during working hours.

Bajare happens to live in Hadapsar

and he had made the 70 km round trip to the Sangam Bridge RTO three days in a row. There are many others like him, who have to travel upwards of 50 km to the RTO. There is only one RTO in Pune that receives applications, and as a result, it is thronged every working with others like Bajare. The Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad RTO offices have been overburdened with the population boom, but the demand for more sub regional RTO offices has been pending for four years.

RTO sources say that they have forwarded the proposal for four sub regional offices in the city, which the government has ignored.

“We have sent in the proposal

for four sub regional offices in the city. But the government has failed to respond. The number of vehicles keeps

increasing and there are more twowheelers in Pune than Bengaluru and Chennai. We need four sub regional

offi ces to reduce the backlog of driving test applicants, and ease the burden on Sangam Bridge offi ce,” they said.

A senior offi cer said that Bengaluru and Chennai have reliable public transport which Pune does not. “Bengaluru has six RTOs and Chennai has seven. Even Mumbai, including Th ane, has ten RTO offi ces. So, why not four more sub regional transport offices in Pune?

Hadapsar, Ahmednagar Road, Satara Road and Chandni Chowk are the venues suggested for the new offi ces,” they said.

RTO Officer Jitendra Patil had send a proposal for Hadapsar RTO in 2015. The RTO had fi nalised

1.5 acres of land at Mohammadwadi Road, Hadapsar, for its suboffi ce. Patil said that there was no need for more sub offices in Pune city. “We already have four offi ces. The main offi ce is at Sangam Bridge and the other one is at Pimpri. We have a test drive track for two-wheelers at Alandi Road and a test drive track for fourwheelers at the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), Nashik Phata. We do not need more offi ces,” he said.

Patil had himself asked for land for the new offi ces. He said that at that time there was a need but now they have enough offi ces. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

Malls, multiplexes cannot levy parking charges Rs 20 for two-wheelers and Rs 40 and above based on the size for fourwheelers for six hours. Amanora Town Centre and Inorbit Mall charge Rs ten for two-wheelers and Rs 20 for four-wheelers. SGS Mall, Camp has a parking rate card, and vehicles can be parked there overnight, but the vehicle can be retrieved only after 11:00 am. “This service is for vehicles that break down at night, but the vehicle owner needs to take permission,” said a security guard at the mall parking.

He was unable to comment on vehicles parked overnight without permission.

The PMC plan states that movie-goers and shoppers need to be provided slots as part of the service at malls. For every 100 square metres of the mall area, three cars, six scooters and four cycles must be accommodated. For every 40 seats in a multiplex, six cars, twenty scooters and ten cycles must be accommodated as part of the service. “We aren’t aware of any such directive from the PMC. The management decides the parking charges,” said a spokesperson from PVR, multiplex partner of Phoenix. The Phoenix authorities were unavailable for comment, but sources said that they too are

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Pune visit turns unforgettable for Bengaluru cyclist Physically challenged Vinay Kumar Sahu gifted a Rs 50,000 bicycle by a generous stranger in Pune

PMC’s DC Rules state that malls and multiplexes must provide parking space free of cost

BY GARGI VERMA @missgverma Parking has become an issue to consider wherever you go in the city these days, movie theatres and shopping malls included. But the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) thinks that levying parking charges at malls and multiplexes is unnecessary and even illegal.

There are vehicles parked and double-parked on the streets around Phoenix Market city and Inorbit malls in Viman Nagar. These are vehicles that belong to shoppers and movie-goers who are avoiding paying the parking charges. “These people splurge on the shopping at the mall, but they illegally park their vehicles on the roads to avoid paying the parking charge;,” says activist Qaneez Sukhrani, who lives in the vicinity of these malls.

“Such parked vehicles obstruct the flow of traffic not to mention minor accidents and arguments on a daily basis,” she said.

PMC’s Development Plan of 2013 states that malls and multiplexes should not charge parking fees as it is an obligatory service. Parking charges vary at the city’s malls and multiplexes.

E-Square on Ganeshkhind Road and Phoenix Market city charge

Vulgar, divisive poll rhetoric damaging US image: Obama

Non-toxic way to power smartphones

“Works like concreting roads can be done after monsoon, when there will be decent stock of water in the dams. At this stage, if drinking water is being utilised for road work, it should be restricted.”

— Saurabh Rao, Pune District Collector

PUNE

BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish

Most patrons prefer to park outside and congest the roads, than pay for parking inside the malls and multiplexes

unaware of any PMC directive.

The E-square authorities say that the PMC can’t decide on parking charges. “They can ask us to provide parking space, but how can they decide about the charges? We are a private entity,” said an official requesting anonymity. “Amanora Township doesn’t come under PMC. We levy parking charges as we have to pay our security personnel,” said

Derick Michael, Senior General Manager Operations, Amanora Town Centre. The PMC staff dithered over the parking charges issue, passing the buck from one department to other. A senior official said, “We have asked malls to provide parking space. If they are levying parking charges, you need to question the mall authorities.” gargi.verma@goldensparrow.com

Vinay Kumar Sahu, alias Kinga Bhai, 41, is a physically challenged cyclist from Bengaluru, who is cycling to New Delhi, to promote Swaccha Bharat Abhiyan. He has been showered with gifts and welcomed by residents of every city he has been to so far.

Sahu was overwhelmed by his experience in Pune, which he reached on Wednesday. He was cycling towards Pashan for his night’s stay, when a stranger asked Sahu about his mission.

Then without a moment’s thought, the stranger offered to buy Sahu a new bicycle.

Sahu was taken aback at the offer, wondering why a stranger should be so charitable.

“He was just an ordinary guy, riding a moped, who wanted to click a selfie with me. When he heard about my mission, he spontaneously offered his help. I refused, but he followed me, and suggested that I get a new bicycle, as the one I was using was quite old,” said Sahu.

Then Sahu thought he would take up the offer, and said he

Vinay Kumar Sahu gifted a new bicylcle by a Puneite while he was on the way to Delhi from Bengaluru

wanted an advanced hybrid bicycle worth Rs 50,000.

“I had seen the bike at a Giants showroom, whom I had asked for sponsorship. Imagine my surprise, when my new-found friend, whose name is Pankaj, immediately took me to his office and handed me Rs 50,000. I was still a bit apprehensive, and even thought that he had some ulterior motive. But it was all genuine,” said Sahu.

What’s more, Pankaj insisted that Sahu did not reveal his identity. He did give Sahu his phone number, and again told him to keep the matter between them.

“He said his offer of help was genuine as he truly admired the mission I have undertaken. He said he wanted to show his appreciation, and did not care for any publicity. He did not come with me to the Giants showroom, but I called him after I

bought the cycle, and thanked him profusely,” said Sahu.

“I have cycled nearly 12,000 km till date, through several states in India. I have received all kinds of gifts and wishes, but I had never experienced such generosity. I will always remember my visit to Pune and my friend,” said Sahu, who left for Mumbai on Friday.

ABOUT SAHU Sahu, who works for a travel and tour firm in Bengaluru, has a wife, six-year-old son and nineyear-old daughter. He was born and brought up in Manipur.

He lost his left hand due to a paralytic attack in 2000. He started cycling in 2013 and has travelled extensively on his cycle. He carries along a tent, sleeping bag and bicycle spare parts. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

Mobile phones will remind patients to take TB pills

99DOTS programme to monitor TB and HIV patients in Maharashtra, to be launched in Pune

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE dnyanesh1

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they need not go to the centres as they receive the medication at single visit not only at DOTS centres but also ART centres where HIV medication is given. So this system is beneficial to patients, said Dr Yewale.

Dr Sanjiv Kamble, state Joint director of leprosy and TB programme, said that this programme is to be started in a phased manner all over the state. “There are around 1,40,000 patients in the state taking TB (DOTS) medication. Out of that seven per cent of the patients suffering from TB and HIV will benefit. This programme is funded by the Government of India,” said Dr Kamble. “In 99 DOTS system if patients fail to dispense pills they will be supervised and asked why they have not dispensed pills and will be counselled accordingly. We are planning to bring private doctors under this programme,” said Dr Kamble.

The authorities said that the programme is successful in the eight centres in Maharashtra. Under this programme up to 75 to 80 per cent patients are responding to it. Even if there is a problem like non-availability of mobile, their profile is updated manually. The patients have to call to the registered numbers only. If they want to change it they can update with the system. it will help reducing the number of patients turning normal TB to MDR as chances of the adherence is good. Satish Pawar, State health Director, said that the programme was launched first in Nagpur before three months ago. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com

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launched at 30 centres in the country including eight centres in Maharashtra. The programme first launched in Nagpur was extended to Sangli, Nagpur, Jalgaon, Nanded, Thane and Mumbai. The programme will be launched in Pune soon,” said Hanumant Chavan, deputy director of health department (Pune region).

The strip includes a custom envelope or blister card into which each pack of medication is inserted and sealed by the provider. When the patient dispenses medication from the blister pack, the pills also break through perforated flaps on the blister card. On the back of the flap is a hidden number. Patients sending a free missed call as evidence that they have dispensed medication. This number is toll free.

This programme is only for patients suffering from TB with HIV. New HIV patients diagnosed with TB will be registered in the software along with two mobile numbers and they will be provided a unique identification number. Patients suffering from Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) and Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR) are not covered under this programme.

“This patient will be provided the strip of pills which includes 28 days dose to the Anti Retro viral Therapy (ART) centres which are available at district level,” said Dr Rajabhau Yewale, TB consultant of the state.

In previous DOTS and HIV medication system patients need to visit DOTS centres on alternate days and take the pills under doctor’s observation. But in ‘99DOTS’ system

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The state health department has launched a new pilot project called ‘99DOTS’ to monitor Tuberculosis (TB) and human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients. Launched in eight centres in Maharashtra, it will be launched in Pune in 4-5 months.

Under the programme, patients have to give a missed call to the number generated after dispensing pills, failing which he/she will receive message and call alerts reminding them to take TB medication by concerned supervisor.

This new innovation is useful in bringing about more adherence by patients in the TB medication. ‘World Tuberculosis Day’ on March 24, will bring more significance to this programme.

‘99 DOTS’ is an advanced version of the previous TB medication system known as Direct Observed Treatment, Short-Course’ (DOTS) launched in 1992. A new model of delivering tuberculosis medication utilises basic mobile phones and augmented blister packaging to provide real time adherence monitoring without burden of direct observation. The patients registered under this new pilot programme will receive a unique identification number and two mobile numbers will be registered in the new software made available by a new agency. Patients will be monitored by the system regularly. The 99DOTS patients will receive a series of daily reminders (via SMS and automated calls) if they fail to call. Missed doses trigger SMS notifications on the mobile number to care providers like TB supervisor of the area under which the patient is registered. After which the concerned doctor will make follow up with personal, phone based counselling. The real time adherence reports are also made available on the web of that doctor.

“This programme has been

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Not just a pensioner’s paradise anymore

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

PUNE

“We had issued long-term leases to individuals for some bungalows. But it has come to my notice that a lot of properties are being operated as commercial properties. We will issue notices to them, and seek prosecution under Section 244 of the Cantonments Act of 2008.”

— Sanjeev Kumar, PCB’s Chief Executive Officer

India’s star shines bright: IMF chief Lagarde P 14

Pune temples to be featured in PMC film

BY EKTA KATTI @Ektaak Pune is home to a sprinkling of temples, of both architectural beauty and historic importance. The breakneck and haphazard development and construction in and around the city, not to mention rapidly changing lifestyles, have dimmed the allure and attraction of Pune’s temples.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), though, is bringing Pune’s temples into the spotlight, by undertaking a film project that will feature some of the most loved and temples in the city.

PMC heritage cell head, Sham Dhavale, who is heading the temple film project, said, “There are more than 70 temples in the city. Due to rapid urbanisation and amidst the skyscrapers, these shrines have been rendered almost invisible. It is also a matter of regret that the average resident of Pune is ignorant about the history of these ancient and beautiful temples. We at the PMC are genuinely concerned, and decided to make a film featuring these temples top being them back into public awareness.”

Renowned Pune film-makers are to assist PMC in this landmark film

project. The script will focus on temples art and architecture, religious value, construction, history and interesting facts. “It will be a 12-minute short film. We cannot disclose the names of the script writers, but rest assured, they are the city’s most experienced, and we are sure that they will do justice to the initiative. To document the architecture and other relevant cultural and other significant aspects accurately, the writers visited the temples themselves. They devoted time to understand the aura and importance PMC is yet to shortlist the temples to be featured in the film. Here is a list of some of the most historic temples of Pune.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Bhavani Mata Mandir, Bhavani Peth Laxmi Mandir, Sarasbaug Talyatla Ganapati, Swargate Chaturshringi, SB Road Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati Mandir, Budhwar Peth Mahalaxmi Mandir, Sahakar Nagar Kasba Ganapati Mandir, Kasba Peth Tambdi Jogeshwari Temple, Budhwar Peth Trishund Ganapati, Somwar Peth Nageshwar Mandir, Somwar Peth Omkareshwar Temple, Shivajinagar Belbaug Temple, Laxmi Road Jangali Maharaj Mandir, JM Road Pataleshwar Mandir, Shivajinagar Dagdi Nagoba Mandir, Raviwar Peth Pimpleshwar Mandir, Sarasbaug

of the deities. We have zeroed down on 20 of the city’s vast number of temples.

The script was completed in a month, and we will start shooting in a couple of days. The film should be released in May,” said Dhavale.

He claimed that students interested in Pune’s cultural landscape would find the film enlightening, as it will provide them a wealth of information.

The film will be screened at airports, railway and bus stations.

Prints will also be given to the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), and tourist centres. It will benefit the tourism industry as well, while informing citizens about Pune’s rich heritage. The PMC also plans to print brochures and pamphlets featuring the temples of the city.

PMC heritage panel member Sharvey Dhondge said, “The film should focus on the heritage aspect instead of the religious one. The legacy of the temples should evoke the interest of the present generation.”

Historian Mandar Lawate, who is elated about the initiative, feels that PMC should set up a panel of historians to scrutinise the script. “The film’s script should be approved by city historians, as even a minor error will reflect badly on the PMC. The temples should be selected with discretion and there are so many unique and marvellous one, so even the writing of the script needs due care,” said Lawate. ekta.katti@goldensparrow.com

PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

Twenty temples to be shortlisted and their architecture, history and significance to be highlighted on celluloid

Pimpleshwar Mandir, Sarasbaug

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uilt during the Peshwa era, the Pimpleshwar Mandir is a shrine to Lord Shankar. The entrance is non-descript but go down the stone staircase, and you’ll come upon a most tranquil ambience. There is a well that has never gone dry.

“The well is one of the most amazing features of this temple. It is in the heart of the city, but few

citizens know about the temple. I am glad that the PMC is making a film featuring the historic temples of Pune,” said Abhijeet Yadav, 22, one of the temple’s caretakers.

Vinod Jagtap, 38, a devotee of Mahakali has been coming to the temple since he was a kid. “My family is devoted to Mahakali.

If we talk about Kali Ma, the first thing that comes to mind is

Kolkata. But this mandir has a scenic temple of Mahakali which hardly anyone knows of. The PMC should highlight this aspect in the film,” said Jagtap.

The PMC started renovating the temple in 2015, undertaking beautification, structural work and landscaping, as well as work on the kalash. The empty space was used for seating devotees.

Trishund Ganapati, Somwar Peth T

he Trishund Ganapati name is derived from the three trunks of Ganpati. It is near a nagazari. It was constructed in 1754 by Bhimgiriji Gosavi, whose samadhi the temple houses.

Made entirely of stone, the entrance features carvings in Modi, Urdu and Sanskrit, outlining the history of the temple. The deity’s idol is set in a square wall. A staircase which leads to the basement is open during Guru Purnima.

“The temple has survived a lot of calamities. There are so many hidden rooms and facts about this temple. Not many know of this temple, as it is situated in a corner of the city. We want more Pune residents to come and see this beautiful temple. The architecture is a mixture of Rajasthani and South Indian styles. We are thrilled with the PMC film on temples,” said Mayur Barlala, the temple caretaker.

Tambdi Jogeshwari Temple, Budhwar Peth

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ambdi Jogeshwari Temple is in the bustling Budhwar Peth area. A shrine to goddess Ambabai, Tambdi Jogeshwari is one of the oldest temples, formed around the swayambhu (emerged on its own) idol

by Trimbak Bendre in 1545 AD. It spelt a new beginning for Pune in 1636, when Chhatrapati Shivaji and his mother Jijabai sought the devi’s blessings and ploughed the land in front of the temple with a golden plough. Being the Gram Devta of the city, the temple has the honour of getting the first invitation for marriages or auspicious ceremonies. The idol of the deity is made of stone and is 2.5 feet tall.

Temple’s trustee Dnyanesh Bendre said, “The film should focus on the temple architecture, deity and its history. Pune citizens have tremendous

Dagdi Nagoba Mandir, Raviwar Peth

D faith in the devi, so the movie should also dwell on the religious aspect.”

Shubhlaxmi Potdar, 75, has been

devi’s devotee for two decades. “This place is serene. The PMC initiative is laudable,” she said.

ating back 200 years, Dagdi Nagoba Mandir is a shrine to the snake God or Nagdevta, a stone’s throw from Trishund Ganpati. It is hard to spot with its deceptive exterior. Inside is a stone statue of Nagdevta.

Pandurang Natu, 58, who lives in the vicinity, said, “The temple is city’s only Nagdevta mandir. This place is the place to be during Nag Panchami.”

It is rather unknown as is its history. The PMC film will serve to dig up its origins and history.

This is the disjointed way that the PMPML functions Ten PMPML buses lying unused at workshop owing to store manager’s failure to place order for spares in time

BY SUSHANT RANJAN @sushantranjan Ten Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamadal Ltd (PMPML) buses are lying unused in the central workshop at Swargate for two months, all for the lack of engines. The PMPML author-

ities placed the order for the engine spare parts on March 9, two months after the chassis were made.

PMPML sources said, “Our store manager who maintain records of spare parts, failed to place the order since January. That is why the ten buses have been lying unused at the workshop for two months.”

The ten buses are made by Ashok Leyland, and each engine block costing Rs 70,000, is supplied by a Katrajbased manufacturer.

PMPML Chief Engineer Anant Waghmare said, “We have already

placed the order with our supplier and hope to get the buses on the road as soon as possible.”

Senior officials say that PMPML bus breakdowns are an everyday occurrence. “There were 45 buses with engine breakdowns and more than 50 buses with chassis damage in the last two months, and the suppliers provided the required spares. But now the suppliers are not providing spares on time. They blame us and our store manager blames the suppliers,” they said.

There are 2055 buses, includ-

ing BRTs, on the roads in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. PMPML owns 1400 buses and 655 are on contract.

The PMPML fleet includes Tata and Ashok Leyland buses. Fifteen to 20 per cent of buses that break down are Ashok Leylands.

“The store workers are to blame for the delay and for ten buses being off the road. The supplier said that they had cleared all orders till March 9,” said Waghmare.

The supplier failed to respond to our calls. sushant.ranjan@goldensparrow.com

RAHUL RAUT

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

“I might be the first member of the royal family to come out, but I’m not the only one. Gay rights cannot just be won in the courtroom but in the hearts and the minds of the people we live with.”

— Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, Gohil dynasty of Rajpipla, Gujarat

“Our strength lies not only in our rituals, or preaching. Our strength lies in our spiritual consciousness. Communities or panths come and go. But we are bound by unbreakable spiritual ties.”

— Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

Your friend in a stranger

Saathi Haath Badhana Social Foundation’s initiative to create a confidential and non-judgmental space and lend a listening ear for strangers to share their problems covers people from all walks of life

BY SALONEE MISTRY @SaloneeMistry Kaushal Sanghvi never thought that a casual walk down the street in Aundh on that particular day last year could change his life forever. A signboard in front of an office caught the attention of the 33-year-old entrepreneur. He walked in, inquired about the activity that is going on and came out only to become a regular visitor since then. Neena Khaire (50) and Lata Ananth (54), teachers of Sanskriti School, Aundh, along with Kaushal are all part of the non-profit organisation Saathi Haath Badhana Social Foundation (SHB) almost since its inception about two years ago. Just like them are four more persons who have decided to devote some time to take up the role of listeners for complete strangers.

LISTENING POST Started with the intention to create a confidential and non-judgmental space for anyone and everyone from society, Listening Post was started in February 2014. It was a space that allowed people to walk in and talk to their heart’s content about problems and issues that they are facing in their daily lives. They don’t offer advice but simply listen.

Many people describing themselves as feeling ‘bottled up’ is a drawback of modern lifestyle. And they need a space to vent their frustrations, anger and emotions. “My husband is in the army and in the community that I live in people feel free to share with me their problems or seek comfort.

Being a volunteer at Listening Post was an extension to something that I

TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly The mornings of Roopesh Kohad is always fi lled with the chirpy, happy sounds of children playing and laughing at the Shri Sant Goroba Bal Vidya Niketan School located opposite to his housing society in Viman Nagar. The Marathi medium primary school run by Shri Sant Goroba Shikshan Sanstha is working on free education for underprivileged children for the past 40 years. Around 150-200 children of labourers study at the school. They provide basic literacy to the most marginalised through effective educational facilities and mentoring programmes. The Santha’s mission is to bring awareness and opportunities in education to children in these communities, and changing their lives.

Before going to his workplace, the 37-year-old techie would make it a point to look at the cherubic faces of children who are glad and oblivious of their future. He always wanted to do something for the children content in their simple clothes and food provided by the school administration.

Associated with social activities from

‘Miracle’ criterion devalues Teresa work

an appointment in the week according to one’s convenience if the person cannot make it during the slotted time.

A volunteer at SHB Social Foundation explains a few senior citizens how to use the smartphone and its different applications

Lata Ananth

ymous but didn’t opt for a helpline as she knew that a face-to-face experience will benefit visitors more. “ W henever someone comes and shares their problem with Neena Khaire you and you are able to make them feel a little lighter simply by listening to them, you feel both worthwhile and empowered.

Worthwhile because you could make a small difference and empowered because you could make them happy even if it was temporary,” said Neena.

A primary schoolteacher, with every interview her confidence to tackle issues is only increasing and sometimes she even discovers feelings that she didn’t know she had. Listening Post is open to every single individual irrespective of age, gender, profession or community. One can also schedule

Kaushal Sanghvi

was already doing,” said Lata, who is a primary schoolteacher. Listening takes a great deal of concentration.

Most people are aware that other people don’t listen. Problem solving is a huge part of her profession as well even if they are small children and she feels that she has gained a lot from this experience.

All one has to do is simply walk into the SHB office at Gaikwad Nagar in Aundh on Fridays and Saturdays in the evening. SHB founder Janaki Vishwanath decided that she wanted to keep the personal interaction anon-

Giving children more reasons to smile and be healthy Roopesh has taken responsibility to provide milk to children of labourers studying in a neighbourhood school

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school days and actively taking part in programmes organised by his fi rm under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Roopesh always felt the urge to support the cause waiting on his doorstep.

“I was associated with social activities related to the school when I was working with Global Logistics Foundation. Later I joined Seanergy Softech Private Limited at Kothrud and was not part of the initiatives related to this school,” he said Roopesh met the headmaster of Sant Goroba Bal Vidya Niketan School Satish Patil who took him around the school while informing about the various activities carried out by the educational institute. Inspired by the efforts of Shri Sant Goroba Shikshan Sanstha that runs private educational institutes besides taking up social initiatives, Roopesh asked Patil about the school’s daily requirements. Aware about the nature of education that should be imparted to these children because of the nature of livelihood of their parents, Roopesh also got a fi rsthand knowledge of the lives that the children aged between three and ten years have to go through.

distributor who visited the school and gave him the details.

“The school gives them mid-day meals. I decided to provide them milk three days a week. By directly paying Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 every month to the milk distributor, I can see that it is benefitting these children who are mostly malnourished because of their living conditions. I have been doing this for the past three years. The fi rst year I covered the milk expense, second year it was bananas and this year I am again managing their milk provision,” he said.

“That is the least I can do for these children. Every child deserves a memorable childhood, having the chance to just be a child thriving in a conducive environment. Children need a stable and caring family to grow as a better individual and the lives of these little ones and far from this ideal facts of existence,” he said.

Roopesh said that the school located at the centre of a posh locality like Viman Nagar near the famous Joggers’ Park cries out to the affluent neighbourhood to loosen their purse to help these children.

“I will always do my bit for these children. I can relate these kids to my own child. I don’t want any popularity so most of my friends are unaware about this,” he said.

DOING HIS BIT He left the school with the smiling faces of children etched in his mind.

Meeting Patil had given him a reason to serve the children in an effective way. Roopesh found that providing them milk will not only give them nutrition but also a reason to come to school every day. He contacted a milk VISHAL KALE

Roopesh Kohad said that helping the children of labourers and seeing the benefit before his eyes is the most satisfying experience

CITY’S REALTY REALITY The permanent facet of a growing city is its share of marginalised communities with lack of access to healthcare and education. Pune attracts a large number of labourers and their work of migrant nature leaves their children deprived of schooling. The United Nations recently claimed that the Millennium Development Goal that focused on primary education for all children by 2015 has increased global enrollment from 83 to 91 per cent. And in India it has not overall been very effective.

However, the implementation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act towards bringing in equality the educational needs of all children, including those with vulnerabilities, has delivered positive results. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Listening Post is just one the many social initiatives of SHB, including smartphone assistance for senior citizens. There are many elders in the neighbourhood who are leading lonely lives as their children are either working in other cities or are settled abroad. With smartphones being the most effective means to communicate with their dear and near ones, Kaushal has been teaching these senior citizens how to use the different applications on their smartphones for the past one year. Terming the experience as enlightening, he said, “Learning smartphone functions is the key need for all of them. It is their escape from loneliness and reason for survival.

Being a part of this activity and interacting with them has taught me to value my time with my parents.”

The organisation holds workshops and seminars for schools and corporates and raise funds to manage these social initiatives. Their discussion with young adults on gender and sexuality is path-breaking. Tackling social concepts of gender and enabling youngsters to come out of stereotypical gender behaviour is one of their aims. They also hold support groups for those giving their board exams and for caregivers as well. SHB plans to roll out support groups also for PMILs (persons suffering from mental illnesses) and their families and also for LGBT persons and their families in the future. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Nuns take part in a mass prayer at Missionaries of Charity as they celebrate Sainthoood to Mother Teresa

A leading anti-superstition group slammed as “unscientific and irrational” the criterion of “two miracles” based on which the Pope has canonised Mother Teresa as a saint, saying the method devalues the social work done by the Nobel peace laureate.

Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS) said the yardstick adopted by the Vatican to canonise Mother Teresa is completely “unscientific and irrational”.

Pope Francis, who in December last year approved a second miracle attributed to the Noble Prize winner, on Tuesday announced the legendary nun will be declared a saint on September 4.

“When the noble work of Mother Teresa is enough to declare her a saint, the criterion of two miracles is like devaluing her service towards the underprivileged and poor people,” Milind Deshmukh, State Secretary of MANS, told reporters.

After the December announcement, the anti-superstition outfit, founded by noted rationalist late Narendra Dabholkar, had sent a series of letters to the Pope, seeking dropping of the condition of two miracles for can-

onisation, he said.

“We have not received any response from the Vatican, but we will continue to oppose the method by launching a signature campaign across India and aboard and will appeal to like-minded people and organisations to join us,” Deshmukh said and challenged the Vatican to prove the “miracles”.

Deshmukh said the anti-blind faith committee has prepared a draft to deal with the menace of social boycott enforced by “caste panchayats” in the state.

Maharashtra government has said it will bring a Bill in the ongoing Budget session to root out evil, outdated and unconstitutional practices of caste and community panchayats.

“We prepared a draft for the Bill by speaking to victims (of social boycott) across the state and listed 41 types of punishment ordered by such panchayats. We have submitted it to the government with a request to pass it in the current session,” he said.

MANS has organised a convention here on March 20 to demand that the Bill be fast-tracked and made into a law, Deshmukh added.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

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MARCH 19, 2016

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PICS BY RAHUL RAUT AND VISHAL KALE

A driver-conductor relationship is really special Bus route number 21 Swargate-Sangvi-Swargate

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riving may have been in his genes, as his father Dattatray was a truck driver. Mahesh Kale, 44, has been a PMPML bus driver for eight years, and he knows the Swargate-Sangvi route like the back of his hand, with each of its 33 stops.

There are 250 buses Swargate depot, of which 175 buses are in service every day. The Swargate depot is where Kale has been posted since day one, and he goes through his daily morning routine of logbook, bus scrutiny etc, like clockwork.

“Driving a bus in Pune through an eight-hour shift can be as hectic as it can be exhausting. But a moment’s lapse in concentration can have adverse effects with so much traffic. I have learnt to keep calm in all situations so I can concentrate completely on my driving,” said Kale, maneuvering the bus deftly in Swargate’s swirling traffic.

On the 26 km SwargateSangvi-Swargate round trip, Kale gets his share of Pune’s notoriously

lawless and manic riders and drivers, exemplified by a tricky twowheeler rider who overtakes the bus from the left, near Shimla Office, Shivajinagar.

“PMPML bus drivers are freely criticised for our driving, but what about the general public? Driving a big bus on such crowded streets is

no piece of cake. If PMPML drivers were really as bad as we are made out to be, there would be utter chaos on Pune roads. And I think that the two-wheeler riders in Pune must be the worst in the world. Forget about others’ lives, they seem not care about their own lives. And if by some misfortune, a PMPML bus is involved is an accident, people are quick to blame us,” Kale said.

Kale’s monthly cheque brings him Rs 24,000, which provides for his wife Nanda, 38, and 10-yearold son Aditya’s and his own needs.

They live in a 1BHK house near Parvati gaon.

“Life has been fine and I have no complaints. Sure, I could do with better pay, and I sometimes wish that the public had a little more regard for the job that we bus drivers and other do at PMPML, but that’s alright,” he said.

Amit Dharshikar, 37, has been

working as PMPML bus conductor and has been posted at the Swargate depot for seven years. For two of those years, Dharshikar has been teamed with Kale on the SwargateSangvi-Swargate route. In an eighthour shift, they manage four round trips.

“A driver-conductor relationship is special. After two hours together, Kale and I get along really well, and now are able to communicate without using words. He is like an older brother to me,” Dharshikar said. Th is kind of rapport and an almost telepathic communications is essential for a driver and conductor, Dharshikar believes.

As the bus crosses the Appa Balwant Chowk, a youngster boards the moving bus. “We keep telling such kids not to climb into a moving bus, as a slip can prove fatal. But the fact is that most youngsters like these, and even others, are too willing to take risks, which at times results in tragedy,” he said.

Shivajinagar, Kasba Peth Police Chowky, Pune University and Bajirao Road are the most crowded spots on the Swargate-Sangvi route, and Mondays and Thursdays are always hectic.

“By now I am used to all the aspects of this tricky job and now I manage to keep cool even during the most hectic times. That is the secret of doing this job well,” he said. “To remain standing for eight hours at a stretch takes some getting used to. And it also takes a toll on your health. I keep fi r by exercising regularly. There may be some bad eggs, but most PMPML workers are like Kale and I, and we do try to do our jobs as well as we can,” he said.

It is great to see women taking up a conductor’s profession Bus route number 117 Swargate- Dhayari -Swargate

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arsha Randive, 32, is an exception in a male dominated work zone, but she has been working as a PMPML bus conductor for three years. It’s not as if there were no avenues for Randive, who has a Masters in Arts, no less. But she did opted for the job, and has stuck with it, though it’s far from a dream job. “I wanted to do something different, so I applied and got the job. My mother is happy and I feel proud that I can offer her a helping hand, after my father’s demise in 2013,” said Randive.

“I do get some curious looks from some passengers, but I must say that most of them treat me with respect,” she said. She is planning to get married in a couple of years, and is saving up for it from her Rs 15,000 monthly salary.

Making the right change is one aspect of the job that can be irritating. “We are given change at the depot, but it can run out if every passenger refuses to pay the exact fare. I think passengers should hand us the exact fare to avoid confusion,” said Randive. But she has learnt to deal with every situation as it arises though a working day.

Standing for eight hours is a difficult and physical aspect of the job she has to deal with. And as a woman, she wishes conductors had a washroom at the depot and at the drop points. “We have mentioned the need to our seniors often but to no avail,” she said. In the 2013 batch there were 65 women conductors.

She must wake up at 5:30 am, to complete her household chores, and reach Natraj bus depot at 8 am. She has been teamed with driver Keshav Polekar, 53, on the SwargateDhayari-Swargate route for a year.

C

A day in the life of a

onductor Nagesh Gaikwad 28, has his hands full on the Kothrud to Pune station route number 94, and the bus is packed to the rafters. He makes his way through passengers Packed like sardines, issuing tickets with practiced ease, that has come with 12 years of experience with the PMPML. His day starts at 6 am and ends at 4 pm. “Every one is quick to complain but how many think about what problems we face? It’s easy to blame conductors for misbehaving with passengers, but no one asks what the passenger did,” he said.

“We are given a certain amount of change at the depot but invariably passengers argue with us over change. But there are other issues as well, such as which door to board a bus or alight from. Passengers have ego problems and do what they like, like standing in the door and they are quick to argue. So I only ask them politely,” he said.

“I also have to be wary of passengers who try to hoodwink me by diverting my attention, while getting their tickets. But I know better and they can’t fool me now. At times, I really do not have change, and I ask passengers to wait, but then they get off and we are blamed for keeping the change. But we

submit details of the amounts we have to our depot manager. If we have extra money, we have to give clarifications,” he said.

At Somwar Peth he tries to dissuade a passenger from getting off from the rear door but fails. “Th is is the problem with passengers,” he said.

Popat Vanave, 44, watches

his rear-view mirrors closely as he waits for Gaikwad’s signal to move.

“Driving a bus in Pune is tough. As a driver I try to observe traffic rules.

But passengers are an unruly lot and do as they like, and the road users of Pune are also just as lawless. Then there are narrow roads with vehicles parked both sides. I have to be very watchful for people crossing the road

without paying attention. On an average, we change gears on every two or three minutes, and people want to call us bad drivers. Women passengers are argue with us over trifles, and even question us about the way we drive and brake suddenly.

What can I say? I am just doing my duty,” he said.

PMPML BUS CREW

BY SUSHANT RANJAN AND EKTA KATTI @TGSWeekly

Polekar has had no qualms about working with a woman conductor.

“It is great to see women taking up a conductor’s profession. It is a secure job and security is never an issue,” he said. Polekar joined PMPML in 1993, before which he used to drive trucks, and has crossed the length and breadth of India.

He thinks that Pune has the most chaotic traffic in the world, and being able to drive in Pune means that a person can drive anywhere in the world. He is put off by the deplorable condition of the PMPML bus fleet at large, with vehicles that are over a decade old.

“Thankfully I have not had any bad experiences on the job.

Pune though is a tough city to drive in and the rash and reckless driving and riding by the public is a constant source of worry for us bus

drivers. The salary is not much, but I manage to provide for my family of five. Driving a bus that is less than roadworthy stretches my skills as a driver, as I must manage without a choke, and stop/start the bus using the clutch and brake. Maintenanace is always an issue at PMPML as officials always give us the excuse of having no spares. When we earn crores daily, why can’t they maintain the buses?” he said.

Dr Shrikar Pardeshi, as chairman and managing director of PMPML, brought about a lot of positive changes in 2015, Polekar feels. “He was a man of his word.

In his tenure of three months, he transformed the condition of the buses, and several old buses were revamped. Even PMPML daily income reached record marks. We need people like him,” said Polekar.

Bus route number 298 Katraj-Chinchwad Gaon-Katraj

L

best managed organisation in the country. “Buses are used by poor and middle class people. The government and PMPML officials provide the best service they can,” he said.

“I am free by 5 pm, and have time to catch up on my reading, spend quality time with my family

Bus route number 94 Kothrud Depot to Pune Station

Driving on Pune’s streets has grown into a veritable nightmare. Driving a cumbersome bus must translate into a feat calling for superhuman strengths and skills. We get the truth from a bunch of PMPML drivers and conductors

Service to man is service to god axman Rathod, 35, believes that service to man is service to god. And as PMPML conductor, he does get to practice what he preaches.

“As a PMPML employee, it is my duty to serve the public. And if they have issues, it is our responsibility to fi x them and provide better service,” he said.

Rathod has been posted at the Katraj depot for nine years, and he has long given up on the habit of complaining about the passengers.

Rathod believes that it is up to him to make others change their ways.

“Th is job has taught me invaluable lessons. To see change, you need to be a part of the change. If I am good to people, they will in turn be good to me. Over the years, I have learnt the art of patience and the value of things,” he said.

Rathod used to work at a sugar mill in his hometown Latur, before moving to Pune in 2008. Rathod thinks that the PMPML is the

Passengers have ego problems and do what they like

and prepare for the Civil Service exams,” he said.

As they work in crowded buses, Rathod feels that drivers and conductors should be provided high quality masks to avert catching infectious diseases from passengers.

Rathod works on the three-hour,

56 km Katraj-Chinchwad GaonKatraj route with driver Anil Aware, 39, and they complete two trips per day.

“We bus drivers need eyes in the back of our heads. But the new CNG buses are easy to drive, and I think they are good for our health,” he said.

He shows concern near Aundh bus stop, with lots of school children waiting to board the bus standing in the middle of the road. “that is so dangerous and in the event of a mishap, the drivers are always to blame,” said Aware.

Aware thinks the Bus Day in 2013 was very special with so many buses on the road, and less congestion.

Of all the forms of urban public transport, a bus service is the most affordable and convenient for the common man. Being a service run by city municipal corporations, this mode of transport is always open to the ire of commuters over a wide spectrum of issues, including the state of the buses in the fleet, and the rash and reckless attitudes of a few

drivers, who give the organisation a bad name.

But it would also do well for the commuters to see things from the perspectives of all those involved in the running and functioning of a public bus transport service.

Driving through the crowded streets and narrow byways of a city safely and dependable, day after day, is sure to test the skills and temperaments of drivers to the outer limits. And dealing with commuters of all ilk and types, making change

and informing the misguided, while staying standing and upright is a moving and shaking bus, is a task that can well be described as an ordeal, which a conductor is expected to do, with a smile, ideally.

A work day begins early for the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) employees. Most are at their respective depots before 8 am for a day shift. After fi lling in the daily logbook, the driver gives his bus a once-over, before driving it to

the passenger boarding point. The conductor, meanwhile, has his own set of tasks to perform, mostly with the tickets and change.

The shifts are of eight-hour durations, and it’s the kind of work that takes its physical toll on both the drivers and conductors. Back and neck plan, knee joint problems are common among them, not to mention the mental strain of driving on overcrowded streets amidst unruly road users, and dealing with irate commuters.

The rewards, in terms of salary, are meagre to say the least, there are not too many perks to look forward to, and the bus crews are among the most neglected in regard with facilities, or the lack of them, even as basic as a canteen or washroom.

For a close-up view of just what public bus transport staffers go through during a working day, team TGS tagged along with the bus crews on a few city routes. Th is is their story, in their own words. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

There are passengers who try to sneak by without buying a ticket Bus route number 154 Pune Station to Vishrantwadi

D

inesh Chandrakant Pyaram, 36, has been a PMPML conductor for eight years, and is now a permanent employee after starting out on contract. He works the Pune station to Vishrantwadi BRT bus route. “My job is to ask every passenger to buy a ticket. But there are passengers who try to sneak by without buying a ticket. If a ticket checker catches such passengers, they blame us conductors for not issuing a ticket, and we are also questioned,” he said.

He thinks times have changed.

“Four year ago, passengers used to be friendly and co-operative.

These days passengers are rude

and quarrelsome. Then there are those passengers who do not buy tickets. Clever passengers board a bus and then get off saying that it is the wrong route. But by the time we ask them to get down, they have reached their destination,” he said.

“Monthly pass holders argue with us when we ask them for their pass. Women passengers argue with us when we ask them to buy tickets, and at times abuse us and accuse us of misbehaving with them. Some threaten to fi le complaints,” he said.

Dinkar Gangadhar Phad, 42, the driver of this bus, said, “Passengers think that we are not human. They misbehave. Some passengers board a bus from the front door. Some passengers go

to the front door when their bus stop is near. Some stand in the doorway and refuse to listen to us.

In case of accidents, people blame us, including the police,” he said.

Phad has been working with PMPML for six years. He said, “Six years ago there was not so much traffic. But now driving in Pune is really difficult and two-wheelers are a major source of worry, as they sneak through small gaps and overtake. If they crash into a bus, they blame us even when they are at fault,” he said.

At 12.30 pm, the PMPML Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) of Pune Station to Vishrantwadi route is packed within minutes.

The BRTS route is getting a good response from daily commuters.

Naruddin Inamdar, Joint Secretary, PMPML Workers Union (INTUC)

Abhishek Krishna, Chief Managing Director, PMPML

When PMPML was formed in July 19, 2007, there were no health check-ups for workers, including drivers and conductors. When Dr Shrikar Pardeshi was Chief Managing Director (CMD), he started regular health check-ups for all PMPML employees. Most drivers were under pressure, and we asked for yoga and meditation sessions for drivers. For the last 15 years, PMPML employees get 40 per cent medical facility, and they pay the remaining 60 per cent. PMPML has not provided uniforms to workers for ten years, and they recently gave sub-standard uniforms.

All the employees are a part of the PMPML family. The organisation cannot take a single step ahead without its employees. We take utmost care of our workers. Most of the health issues that the workers face are headaches and back pain. There are health check-ups at regular intervals. We have also started a drive to help drivers and conductors deal with alcoholism. Their well-being is our topmost priority.

PMPML

Numbers Game 4000

95

Total number of conductors

Women conductors

3000

1100

Total number of drivers

Workshop employees

1500

50

Administration employees

PMPML officers

2,050

Total number of buses

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

TECH/START-UP

PUNE

“Google uses an estimated 15 billion kWh of electricity per year, more than most countries.

However, Google generates a lot of their own power with their solar panels.”

— http://didyouknow.org/

Caste and elections define contemporary India: Guha P 12

New nanoparticle can light up, treat clogged arteries Scientists, including those of Indian-origin, have developed a nanoparticle that can light up and treat deadly plaques that clog arteries and could help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up inside arteries, is a prolific and invisible killer, researchers said.

Researchers from University of Georgia, Athens have now developed a nanoparticle that functionally mimics nature’s own high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The nanoparticle can simultaneously light up and treat atherosclerotic plaques that clog arteries. “Other researchers have shown that if you isolate HDL components from donated blood, reconstitute them and inject them into animals, there seems to be a therapeutic effect,” said Shanta Dhar, from University of Georgia.

“However, with donors’ blood, there is the chance of immunological rejection. This technology also suffers scale-up challenges,” said Dhar.

“Our motivation was to avoid immunogenic factors by making a synthetic nanoparticle which can functionally mimic HDL. At the same time, we wanted a way to locate the synthetic particles,” she said. HDL is widely known as “good” cholesterol because of its ability to pull low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol, out of plaques. This process shrinks the plaques, making

‘Nanotechnology to play key role in health, environment’

Atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up inside arteries, is a prolific and invisible killer, researchers said

them less likely to clog arteries or break apart. To simultaneously identify and treat atherosclerosis without triggering an immune response, Dhar and Bhabatosh Banik, a postdoctoral fellow in her lab, created an MRI-active HDL mimic.

The researchers are applying their synthetic nanoparticle to distinguish between unstable plaques and stationary ones. To do this, Dhar targeted the new MRI-active HDL mimics to macrophages, which are white blood cells that, along with

lipids and cholesterol, make up atherosclerotic plaques. The researchers targeted macrophages by decorating the nanoparticles’ surfaces with a molecule that selectively binds to macrophages.

The team observed that the nanoparticles were engulfed by these white blood cells. “Then, when the macrophages ruptured, which is a sign of an unstable plaque, the cells spit out the nanoparticles, causing the MRI signal to change in a detectable fashion,” Banik said.

PTI

Nanotechnology is poised to play a key role in the spheres of health, food production, food preservation and all environment and security-related issues, a noted scientist said recently.

P r o f William I Br u s t e i n , who was the chief guest at the inWilliam I Brustein augural session of the four-day International Conference on Nanomaterials and STEM Technology held at Aligarh Muslim University, said the ongoing joint programme between Ohio State University and AMU, which has been described as the 21st century knowledge initiative, was a pioneering project in this field.

Brustein is the head of Global Strategies and International Affairs at the Ohio State University, USA. The project, which includes a two-year dual PhD and masters degree programme, has been funded by the USIndia Educational Foundation.

Indian-oigin US scientist from Ohio State University Prof Anil Pradhan, while addressing the inaugural session, said that nanotechnology is poised to play a key role in the spheres of health, food production, food preservation and all environment and securityrelated issues.

He said through this programme not only the brain drain will be reversed but would ultimately lead to an expansion of Indo-US collaboration in a consortium of Indian universities.

In his message to the conference, noted scientist and Nobel Prize winner, Prof Ahmad H Zewail said “advances in nano science and nanotechnology are increasingly impacting our lives and our society”. AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt Gen (Retd) Zameer Uddin Shah said that AMU is proud of the fact that through the above Indo-US collaboration, the university is playing an important role in paving the way for what can truly be described as new green revolution in the country.

PTI

3D printing may heal Non-toxic way to damaged cartilage power smartphones Scientists have found a way to produce cartilage tissue by 3D bioprinting an ink containing human cells, that may lead to personalised implants to heal damaged noses, ears and knees.

The researchers have successfully tested the technology in an in vivo mouse model.

Athletes, the elderly and others who suffer from injuries and arthritis can lose cartilage and experience a lot of pain.

“Three-dimensional bioprinting is a disruptive technology and is expected to revolutionise tissue engineering and regenerative medicine,” said Paul Gatenholm, from Wallenberg Wood Science Centre in Sweden. “Our team’s interest is in working with plastic surgeons to create cartilage to repair damage from injuries or cancer,” said Gatenholm.

“We work with the ear and the nose, which are parts of the body that surgeons today have a hard time repairing. But hopefully, they’ll one day be able to fix them with a 3D printer and a bioink made out of a patient’s own cells,” he said. The researchers

first had to develop an ink with living human cells that would keep its shape after printing.

To create a new bioink, they mixed polysaccharides from brown algae and tiny cellulose fibrils from wood or made by bacteria, as well as human chondrocytes, which are cells that build up cartilage.

Using this mixture, the researchers were able to print living cells in a specific architecture, such as an ear shape, that maintained its form even after printing. The printed cells also produced cartilage in a laboratory dish.

“But under in vitro conditions, we have to change the nutrient-filled liquid that the material sits in every other day and add growth factors,” Gatenholm said. The next step was to move the research from a lab dish to a living system. The team printed tissue samples and implanted them in mice. The cells survived and produced cartilage. To boost the number of cells, the researchers mixed the chondrocytes with human mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow.

PTI

MIT researchers, including one of Indianorigin, have come up with an alternative system for generating electricity to power smartphones, computers and electric cars, which harnesses heat and uses no metals or toxic materials.

The batteries that power the ubiquitous devices of modern life are mostly made of toxic materials such as lithium that can be difficult to dispose of and have limited global supplies.

The new approach is based on a discovery announced in 2010 by

researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - a wire made from tiny cylinders of carbon known as carbon nanotubes can produce an electrical current when it is progressively heated from one end to the other, for example by coating it with a combustible material and then lighting one end to let it burn like a fuse.

That discovery represented a previously unknown phenomenon, but experiments at the time produced only a minuscule amount of current in a simple laboratory setup.

Now, researchers have increased the efficiency of the process more than a thousandfold and have produced devices that can put out power that is comparable to what can be produced by today’s best batteries. The latest experiment shows how good agreement between theory and experimental results, providing strong confirmation of the underlying mechanism, said Michael Strano from MIT. The findings were published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.

PTI

India needs new systems of education Indian teacher, shortlisted for global prize for teachers, said the system should allow everyone to flourish

BY ADITI KHANNA An Indian teacher, who is on the shortlist of a USD 1 million global prize for teachers, called on the Indian government to create “new systems” of education that allow everyone to flourish.

Robin Chaurasiya, who runs a notfor-profit school in Mumbai for girls from the city’s red light areas, is the only Indian among 10 finalists for the London-based Varkey Foundation sponsored Global Teacher Prize to be announced at the annual Global Education & Skills Forum (GESF) in Dubai recently.

“The purpose of education is not to

oppress people, not to cycle systems of my kids so deeply, I can imagine all the pressure that are already in existence other teachers feel the same. that are holding India down. We need Kranti School, which has 18 girls to completely create new systems that enrolled between the ages of 12 and 21 will allow everyone to years, plans to expand to flourish and not just recreate other red light areas of systems of oppressions Mumbai and eventually that are already existence,” work towards its special said Chaurasiya founder of curriculum being adopted Kranti School. around the country.

Asked about her plans if “Right now we work in she was to win the big prize, our home and we have 18 she said she would split the girls but we want a proper prize money with her fellow school. The curriculum is nominees from the UK, US, ready, everything is ready, Nairobi, Palestine, Japan, we might as well be reaching Finland, Australia and more students,” she added.

- ROBIN CHAURASIYA Pakistan.

In reference to the “I plan to distribute it founder of the prize, with the finalists. I think Kerala-born entrepreneur they are all doing such Sunny Varkey, she added: phenomenal work in regions like Pakistan “It’s amazing that the Varkey Foundation and Palestine. As much as I connect with would recognise an alternative school like

“Purpose of education is not to oppress people.”

this. When we talk about education, it’s about so many things that focus on careers.

“We are very clear about the fact that the focus should be happiness, which creates compassionate and good people who spread happiness in the world.”

The prize was created last year as a kind of Oscars for the teaching profession by the UK-based Varkey Foundation.

“Half a billion children are currently in failing schools. This is simply not acceptable in a world where we’re now so interconnected. This forum intends to tackle this head on by asking the simple question of how we can make education everybody’s business,” said Varkey.

The prize will be announced in Dubai tomorrow, attended by Hollywood stars like Matthew McConaughey and Salma Hayek and Bollywood stars like Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra.

PTI

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ENVIRONMENT

H EALTH

With India setting an ambitious target of generating 175 gigawatts of clean energy by 2022, a top US official said that India has the potential to be “a change agent” for the rest of the world in the renewable sector though the transformation process is going to be tough.

“India could really be a change agent for the rest of the world in the renewable energy sector if they get it right. So we have a vested interest in helping them get that right,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Transformation Melanie Nakagawa said.

And as India embarks on the USD 1 trillion project to build its infrastructure from road to ports, she said it is a great opportunity for the world, “to showcase” India as a country that gets the sustainability future right. But at the same time, she acknowledged that it is going to be tough.

“I think that there’s a story to be written there as they get closer to it but it’s going to be tough. I mean it’s going to take not just the political will, but it’s going to take the reforms and the policies needed to actually see this possible future happen,” she said.

‘Green nod for 900 projects in 20 months’

Noting that Indian government needs USD 100 billion in investment including USD 70 billion of debt financing to meet their 175 gigawatt target by 2022, the US official said those numbers can’t be met with public finance alone. And necessary reforms are needed to attract private investment.

“India’s commitments on the 175 gigawatt renewable energy target by 2022, their commitments on solar, their commitments also in the finance infrastructure space, this all makes it a really impressive political will, signal and political will,” Nakagawa said.

India has set itself an ambitious target of generating 175 gigawatt

of power by 2022 from renewable sources that includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from biomass and 5 GW from small hydroelectric project.

India and the US are working closely together in this field. The US-India Clean Energy Finance Task Force which was established in September 2015 has had three meetings so far.

Th is is a government-togovernment task force focused on clean energy investment and fi nance.

It’s complimented by a private sector led task force called a Clean Energy Finance Forum, the which is led by Uday Kemkha and SunEdison.

The task force, she said, has proposed three recommendations for how the US can work with India on getting to scale clean energy projects.

The three proposals on the table include standardizing power purchase agreements; fi rst loss facility and looking at the idea of warehousing and securitization for renewable energy projects.

“Th is is all about reducing project risk in the renewable energy space; different ways you can reduce project risk,” the US official said.

The fi rst loss facility helps get at reducing that risk, she observed. The idea of warehousing and securitisation of renewable energy project assets is sort of bundling smaller scale projects into a larger project.

“Th is is a government-togovernment dialogue on a pretty technical issue, but one that is really fundamental to how you would actually see scalable investment happen in India in the renewable energy space. Because these are some of the most systemic and problematic barriers to the larger scale investments that are needed to hit the renewable energy targets,” she said.

According to Nakagawa, the Task Force is discussing just the enabling environment from a fi nance perspective. “What we’re looking at is the specific window of project based investment for the renewable energy sector and what are the impediments to that,” she said.

PTI

Carbon dioxide can be turned into concrete

NATION

CITY

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

When hunger strikes past midnight

NATION

CITY

Bakery worker’s daughter gets her wings P 12

Why are traffic cops taking selfies these days?

P3

DITCH THE

AUTO,

HAIL A

CAB

GAUTAM SINGHANIA

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

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

Five members of the team tried

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

DEHU

6

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

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

See Spotlight on p8&9

said director of the school, who

DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL

CHINCHWAD BHOSARI

4 THERGAON HINJEWADI VILLAGE

KALEWADI FATA

WAKAD

DIGHI

NASHIK PHATA

5

LOHEGAON

DAPODI 50

PIMPLE GURAV

WAGHOLI

3 4 BANER

VISHRANT VIMAN WADI NAGAR YERWADA

AUNDH

2

SANGAMWADI PASHAN

AH47

WADGAON SHERI

MUNDHWA

SHIVAJI NAGAR

GHORPADI

9

BAVDHAN

CAMP

HADAPSAR

KOTHRUD

SWARGATE PARVATI

WANOWRIE

1

NANDED AMBEGAON BUDRUK

KONDHWA

UNDRI

KATRAJ

4

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

the FIR and kept in touch with “We are feeling fitheled investigating officer and public prosecutor The director is let down by the PUNE, MARCH 14, 2015throughout. | www.thegoldensparrow.com

prosecution and the system.

It is upsetting because we do not how to face the parents and students who came forward to give their statements.”

ALANDI

AKURDI

RAVET

Sab golmal hai...

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

RITU GOYAL HARISH

CHIKHALI

KIWALENIGDI

~ Suit filed by the siblings

Precious man hours are lost every day at Hinjewadi just because planners forgot to make more entry and exit points. Over a decade after Hinjewadi was planned to house country’s best IT firms and saying is true. But what they are not telling us or willing to talent, planners have finally woken up to the plight of citizens. concede is that their enemy lies within. Their enemy number one They have now planned five alternative roads. But the authorities is not private cabs but members of their own ilk – many of whom are in no hurry to complete them. See spotlight on p8 & 9 are rude, refuse to ply short

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

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

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

We believe we were on the right,”

Parents teach them more than exams do P 10

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

~ Suit filed by the siblings

What a mess!

Teacher booked for sexually abusing 22 students acquitted

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

CITY

Truly, a tree lady P4

And yet no respite for commuters

DR VIJAYPAT SINGHANIA

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

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

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

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

PICS ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

around on a test; it is deep changes to underlying general intelligence. The fadeout effect, however, applies the same way,” said Protzko.

Scientists make a distinction between Intelligence quotient (IQ ) scores, a quantitative measure of intelligence, and general intelligence, which reflects underlying cognitive abilities. Protzko reviewed the results of the Infant Health and Development Programme involving 985 children, all of whom experienced an intense and

cognitively demanding environment during the first three years.

At age three, the children were given the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales as a baseline measure of their intelligence. At ages five and eight - at least two years after the interventions had ended - they were again given intelligence tests. The interventions had raised the children’s general intelligence at age three.

He noted that this difference in intelligence at ages 3 and 5 underscored another issue: causality. One theory regarding the development of intelligence suggests that the trait can be correlated between two ages because there is a causal connection: Intelligence at one age causes intelligence at another age. He said that analysis doesn’t indicate that interventions aimed at enhancing intellectual development are useless or doomed to fail. “I believe it is still a good thing to intervene and try to change the trajectory for these children,” he said.

PTI

TGS LIFE

Run for... yourself

RAHUL RAUT

How environmental interventions impacted the intelligence levels of low birth weight children

where the light that comes in does not directly focus on the retina but in front of it, causing the image that one sees when looking at a distant object to be out of focus. It does not affect focus when looking at a close object.

“Very less studies have been done in India on the eye related problems and the myopia one is one of them.

We are also conducting a national survey to fi nd out the other eye related problems among the children,” said Atul Kumar, head of the RP center, the apex eye centre of India on 49th Foundation Day of the Dr RP Center for Opthalmologic Sciences.

Established in 1967, as the National Institute of Opthalmology, RP centre currently has 41 faculty members working in its 14 clinical and para clinical sections.

PTI

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

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

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

of greenhouse gases.

Their plan is to create a closedloop process: capturing carbon from power plant smokestacks and using it to create a new building material - CO2NCRETE - that would be fabricated using 3D printers.

“What this technology does is take something that we have viewed as a nuisance carbon dioxide that is emitted from smokestacks - and turn it into something valuable,” said J R DeShazo, professor of public policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

“Th is technology tackles global climate change, which is one of the biggest challenges that society faces now and will face over the next century,” said DeShazo.

PTI

Over 13 per cent of the school going children in India are myopic, a figure that has doubled in the last one decade due to excessive usage of electronic gadgets, states an AIIMS study.

According to the study conducted

by Rajendra Prasad Centre for Opthalmic Sciences of AIIMS, only seven per cent children suffered from the problem till a decade ago.

The doctors at the RP Centre are now conducting a national survey to fi nd out the other eye related problems prevalent among children.

The studies include use of stem cells for age related muscular degeneration, evaluation of global warming and ultra violet radiation exposure on ocular health among several others.

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness is a condition of the eye

THANK GOD IT’S S AT U R D AY

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have devised a unique method that may harness carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants to create a new, sustainable kind of concrete.

About five per cent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions come from concrete, researchers said.

An even larger source of CO2 emissions is flue gas emitted from smokestacks at power plants around the world.

Carbon emissions from those plants are the largest source of harmful global greenhouse gas in the world, they said.

A team of researchers at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has been working on a unique solution that may help eliminate these sources

Environmental intervention may improve IQ of kids Environmental intervention can raise general intelligence in young children but the effects are not permanent, a new study has found.

John Protzko from University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) analysed an existing study to determine whether and how environmental interventions impacted the intelligence levels of low birth weight children.

The findings showed that interventions did raise intelligence levels, but not permanently. When the interventions ended, their effects diminished over time in what psychologists describe as “the fadeout effect.”

“Certain environmental interventions can raise general intelligence. It is not just pushing scores

The figure has doubled in the last decade due to excessive use of electronic gadgets

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

Environmental clearance has been given to 900 projects worth Rs 6 lakh crore in the last 20 months, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, seeking to counter criticism that several projects have been bogged down due to lack of green nod.

Asserting that environmental clearance should not be a “roadblock” for development, Javadekar said that every effort should be made to safeguard the environment.

“In the last 20 months, my ministry has given environmental clearance to 900 projects entailing an investment of about Rs 6 lakh crore,” he said.

Opposition parties and environmentalists have been accusing the Narendra Modi government of not proceeding on several projects for want of environmental clearances.

PTI

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Transformation Melanie Nakagaw said Indian government needs USD 100 billion in investment including USD 70 billion of debt financing to meet their 175 gigawatt target by 2022

Rise in school kids suffering from myopia

yet to get a copy of the order.

The case dates back to February 2013 when some of the students studying in class five walked up to their class teacher and alleged that their creative writing sir had touched them inappropriately. The class teacher in turn informed the principal and management.

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

The investigation was carried out by Supriya Bhoite from Chaturshrungi police station.

Contd on p4

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

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

The CPIO was clueless about the

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

BY LALIT K JHA

PUNE

“Around 8-10 hip preservation surgeries are being conducted every month across the country which can be partly attributed to the ri sing awareness among people.”

— Parag Sancheti, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sancheti Institute

India could be global agent for renewable energy: US India needs USD 100 billion in investment to meet the 175 gigawatt target by 2022

MARCH 19, 2016

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

“Air pollution is one of the several risk factors in occurrence of such acute respiratory conditions (childhood pneumonia, bronchial asthma), chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases.”

— JP Nadda, Health Minister

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Hum

expected to get over in a year’s time.

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

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

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

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

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

Saath Saath

When

HUNGER STRIKES past midnight

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

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

The Kamdars

Run for…

yourself

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

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PUNE

“Four elections have gone by and the CPI-M has only told lies. They used to say they won’t let Bengal be divided and now they have no shame and are now supporting GJM in the hills. They are only involved in cooking up conspiracies and say bad things and tell lies.”

—Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister, West Bengal

Caste and elections define contemporary India: Guha

Man ends life, posts audio on Facebook

The period after independence has often been neglected and dismissed as political science NEW DELHI: The twin themes of caste and elections, which capture the essence of the country still remain uncharted t e r r i t o r y for modern historians, says noted writer Ramchandra Guha.

According to the eminent Ramchandra Guha historian while a vast corpus of works on the colonial era have been produced with the aid of meagre primary resources, among other things, the period after independence has often been neglected and dismissed as political science.

“We do not have a historian’s diachronic perspective on how caste or how elections are run, even though these are the two most important aspects of our life as Indians. We do not have biographies of remarkable figures in independent India like Sheikh Abdullah, EMS Namboodaripad, or YB Chavan etc,” he said in his address on the inaugural day of the Penguin Spring Fever literary festival here late last evening.

“There is a peculiar Indian challenge which is that when the clock

primary resources are more available for the time period,” he said.

Guha said scarcity of reliable sources after independence was a major hindrance

struck 12, history ended and political science began. We say that post-1947, it is not an area of history but of political science,” Guha said. He also underlined other challenges faced by chroniclers to overcome while writing contemporary history. “Firstly, the reader is not passive anymore, but is an active, opinionated citizen of the country. We have our own assumptions about our recent leaders as we live in the consequences of their decisions,” Guha said.

Secondly, he said, historians also have their own perceptions or misperceptions about the many sociopolitical vectors that are in place.

Guha also talked of scarcity of

Babus’ foreign tours cost Rs 1,500 crore NEW DELHI: A whopping over Rs 1,500 crore was spent by various central government ministries on foreign travel during the last three years, the Lok Sabha was informed.

Of the total of 1,537 crore spent by Jitendra Singh ministries, a total of Rs 509.91 crore was during 201415, Rs 434.94 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 593.09 crore during 2012-13, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh said in a written reply.

Among the 62 ministries which spent the amount, a highest of Rs 351.65 crore was spent alone by Ministry of Personnel in last fiscal and Rs 289.92 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 453.95 crore during 2012-13, he said.

Home Ministry had spent Rs 30.24 crore in 2014-15 and Rs 14.13 crore during 2013-14. Commerce Ministry, and Civil Aviation and

Tourism Ministries spent Rs 6.95 crore and Rs 9.45 crore last fiscal on foreign travel, the Minister said.

Singh said as many as 15 officers were on foreign deputation last year. Of them, seven were from Ministry of External Affairs, five from Department of Economic Affairs and one each from Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (which is now under foreign ministry), Civil Aviation Ministry and Department of Commerce, he said.

As per the latest instructions issued by Department of Expenditure, not more than four official visits abroad in a calender year and such trips shall not exceed five working days. The size of delegation has to be kept to the absolute minimum and participation of officials in international fairs, exhibitions, workshops and conference shall be discouraged, it said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told secretaries to assess the functioning of the officials in their respective departments and even dismiss or cut their pension if they are found erring.

PTI

Minister said official visits abroad in a year shall not exceed five working days

Vol-II* lssue No.: 40 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.

reliable sources for the period after independence as a major hindrance.

“The most sources available are of the colonial period. Our government has not had a proper system in place to maintain records,” he said.

Previewing his new book, ‘Democrats and Dissenters’, to be published in October, Guha said India is the most interesting country in the world but there is very little written about the contemporary history of the country “where five revolutions political, national, industrial, urban and social - are at work simultaneously.”

“Indian historians have been obsessed with colonial history because

Secunderabad TV anchor commits suicide HYDERABAD: A 23-year-old woman TV anchor of a local music channel allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself in a private hostel in Sindhi colony of Secunderabad, police said today.

K Nirosha was found hanging in her room by her friends in the early hours today, Ramgopalpet police station Sub Inspector D Krishna Mohan said. No suicide note was found.

However, based on preliminary investigation, police said that she was suffering from stomach pain for the past few days and she called up her parents and fiancee late last night before resorting to the extreme step.

Nirosha was a native of Somala mandal in Chittoor district of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

A case under section 174 of CrPC was registered and further probe is on.

PTI

India’s star shines bright: IMF chief Lagarde P 14

BJP IS ‘ANTIINTELLECTUAL’ Noted historian Ramchandra Guha said there is a dearth of right-wing intellectuals in the country as he dismissed RSS as a bunch of “low-level ideologues” and termed BJP as the most “anti-intellectual” party.

He also said what is happening in JNU is “worrisome”.

“There is a certain level of truth to the accusation that universities have been colonised by the Left. But that cannot be changed unless the Right throws up better people. You cannot have your principal spokesperson in Anupam Kher, or still less Praveen Togadia, or Smriti Irani. They will only drive our discourse further and further into the mud. “BJP is sadly the most anti-intellectual party. Unfortunately, RSS were the most profoundly antiintellectual people. (MS) Golwalkar was a garden-variety bigot. We don’t see people like C Rajagopalachari, who was a profound and complicated thinker,” he said at the Penguin Spring Fever festival here.

“Although worrying, the rise of right wing nationalism in the current date is by no means as bad as what happened in the 80s and 90s,” he said.

PTI

FARIDABAD: Upset over a quarrel with his live-in partner, a youth allegedly jumped to death from his 16th floor flat after posting an audio message on Facebook.

A man Nagpal, who worked as team manager at a call centre in Gurgaon, was staying with his livein partner at SRS Hillview, a police spokesperson said. A few days back he had a fight with the woman, who was also his colleague, over some issue following which her parents took her

away, he said.

Th is left Aman mentally disturbed and he took the extreme step. Before committing suicide, Nagpal recorded an audio detailing his troubles and posted the clip on Facebook.

Police Sub Inspector Kimti Lal said a case has been registered against the woman’s father, aunt, and another youth for abetment of suicide.

Lal said the body has been sent for a post-mortem in the civil hospital.

PTI

New-born declared dead lives again KRISHNAGAR: In a serious lapse, a state-run district hospital in Nadia recently allegedly issued delivery death certificate to a new-born but had to re-admit it after it suddenly showed signs of life. A district health official, confi rming the incident, told PTI a high-level committee has been formed to investigate the matter which allegedly took place at Krishnanagar Sadar Hospital. Family members of the new-born’s father Bulbul Mondal claimed that as they took away Bulbul’s male baby after being issued a delivery death certificate by the hospital, it suddenly showed signs of life on reaching the family’s Bahirgachhi

home and they then took back the new born to the same hospital who then got him re-admitted. The baby, later taken to the SNCU department of Krishnagar ‘Sadar’ hospital, was now kept under observation, a hospital spokesman said. District Chief Medical Officer of Health, Tapas Roy said, “we have formed a six-member committee to investigate the case.”

An official of Chapra Police station said, the family took the baby to the police station and were advised to get it re-admitted to the same hospital.

Bulbul’s family said no complaint has been lodged with the police.

PTI

TULIPS IN SRINAGAR

Tourists enjoy after Asia’s largest tulip garden thrown open on the foothills of Zabarwan range in Srinagar. The tulip garden which was inaugurated in 2008, attracts thousands of tourists every year

Nexus between media and the powers Almost as many journalists died in India as in war-torn Syria in the first six months of that year

BY JOGINDER SINGH, IPS There is a love hate relationship between the media and the powers that be or those who have lost power. Such parties are hoping tht by abusing others or finding fault, they can score an upper hand. Infact, certain sections of media, undoubtedly are committed to some ideology, which entails praising the ruling or opposition party or parties.

Opposition treat even the good work of the ruling party as blasphemy.

The truth, is that both the individuals and politicians or political parties or businessmen want to be branded as the best irrespective of their malpractices.

Our politicians, esspciallly of the ruling party have the additional protection, as the law enforcement agencies are a wing of the Government,and are at its bidding.

The result is that most of the journalists play safe. If on one page of their publication, they condemn something, at the others they praise, or attribute the same, to some body or circumstances.

Media does not create news but

reports, what happens. The country is controlled by laws Laws are controlled by politicians. Politicians are controlled by voter. Voters are controlled by public opinion, public opinion is controlled by the media. So whoever controls media & education, controls the country. A report report by a media safety group published on August 20, 2013 says that almost as many journalists died in India as in war-torn Syria in the first six months of that year.

Eight journalists lost their lives in Syria alone between January and June, according to a the International News Safety Institute. Journalists have been attacked, detained, kidnapped and killed in crossfire and by both government and opposition forces.

Syria was the deadliest country for the news media in 2012. In February, 2013 Nemi Chand Jain,

a journalist from Chhattisgarh in central India, was found dead with his throat slit and a note clipped to his belt accusing him of being a police informer.

The Committee to Protect Journalists later quoted local media speculation that both local criminals and the police could be responsible for Jain’s murder.

And in May, 2013, three employees from a Bengali language daily were murdered by masked men who forced their way into the office. The unknown assailants killed the manager of the paper, and then stabbed a proof reader and a driver to death. Jammu & Kashmir agriculture minister Ghulam Nabi Lone’s security guards allegedly assaulted journalist Javaid Malik after he objected to their lewd remarks about his wife in Srinagar in June, 2015.

He said “I made w a y

for the cavalcade but the guards passed lewd comments on my wife that I cannot even narrate,” He stopped the motorcade and sought the minister’s intervention.

“When I narrated the incident, the minister, instead of acting against thecops, directed his guards to beat me up.

I was ruthlessly beaten to pulp at the minister’s behest.”

Freedom of press is not at the cost of this nation and its people. Another defect is that the media often portray non-issues as real issues, while the real issues are sidelined. The real issues in India are economic, in which 80 per cent of our people are living, the poverty, unemployment, lack of housing and medical care and so on.

Nobody is forcing any to read or not to read any particular media. Without intending any offence to anybody, from my side, Bertrand Russel rightly said; “The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others”.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

“The political leaders must speak out against violence. If they refuse to do that, they don’t deserve our support. This is not about political correctness. It’s about not having to explain to our kids why our politics sounds like a schoolyard fight.”

— Barack Obama, US President

High hopes from shuttlers P 16

Identities of 22,000 ISIS recruits revealed The top secret cache of files was obtained by German intelligence and is said to have been taken from ISIS internal security police by a former ISIS member

BY ADITI KHANA LONDON: The identities of 22,000 ISIS recruits worldwide have been revealed in a massive documents leak that includes questionnaires a would-be jihadist must answer giving details like nationality, blood type and “previous jihad experience”, media reports said.

The top secret cache of files was obtained by German intelligence and is said to have been taken from ISIS internal security police by a former Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) member who later became disillusioned with the group.

The information was reportedly included in forms featuring 23 questions which new recruits had to fill out in order to be accepted into the group.

Security services around the world are believed to be examining the files, believed to contain names, addresses and family contacts of the 22,000 fighters, including around 16 British recruits.

German federal police said today they believe the leaked ISIS registration files are very likely to be genuine.

“What’s important now is that the authorities can look at how this information can be used in the fight against Daesh and if it can then we would welcome that,” British

A March 11, 2016 photo of Um Zainab a victim exposed to an apparent chemical attack receives treatment at a hospital in Taza, south of Kirkuk in northern Iraq. The Islamic State group had launched two chemical attacks near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk

Prime Minister David Cameron’s spokeswoman told reporters.

Copies of the documents were broadcast by ‘Sky News’, reportedly obtained from a man who uses the name Abu Hamed, a former Free Syrian Army member who joined ISIS. He stole the memory stick of documents and handed them over in Turkey to a journalist, explaining that he left because Islamic rules had collapsed inside the group.

Hamed claimed the group had given up on its headquarters in the Syrian city of Raqqa and was moving into the desert.

The 1,736 documents, stamped with the black flag of the self-declared

Modi to join world leaders in wax at Tussauds

ISIS Caliphate, show that ISIS has recruited terrorists from more than 50 countries. It includes names of 16 Britons, four from the US and six from Canada, as well as recruits from France and Germany.

A spokesperson for the UK Home Office said they were “aware” of the apparent leak but said he could not give any further information for security reasons.

“Individuals who take part in the conflict in Syria or travel to ISIS territories are subject to investigation and should expect to be prosecuted on their return. Any evidence will be considered,” the spokesperson said.

PTI

Indians face deportation under new law LONDON: Thousands of Indians in the UK may get hit by a new law from next month under which they could be deported if their annual salary is below 35,000 pounds.

The changes will affect professionals living and working in Britain on a Tier-2 visa who earn less than 35,000 pounds a year at the end of five years of their stay in the country.

“The UK government changed the settlement rules in 2012 to break the link between coming to work in the UK and staying here permanently. We were clear that the new rules would apply to migrants who entered Tier-2 from April 6, 2011. Those individuals were aware when they entered that new settlement rules would apply to them,” a Home Office statement said.

Indian professionals have formed the largest category of individuals issued such visas over the years.

According to the UK’s Office of National Statistics (ONS), of the 55,589 Tier-2 sponsored visa applications cleared in 2014-2015, nearly 78 per cent were for Indians (31,058). The exact figure of those affected by the salary threshold requirements remains uncertain but it is estimated to be between 30,000 and 40,000 workers.

“London is my home, I have worked hard and built a life here with my family. We feel very let down by the system.

“Kicking out tax-paying people like us is not the answer to the immigration crisis,” said an Indian marketing assistant, who moved here in November 2011 on a Tier-2 visa.

PTI

Vulgar, divisive poll rhetoric damaging US image: Obama

Protesters against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump chant outside ahead of the candidates arrival before a campaign stop at the Savannah Center in Ohio

BY LALIT K JHA

is unlikely to be elected as the President of the United States.

WASHINGTON: In a veiled attack on Obama said he rejects any effort to Republican presidential front-runner spread fear, or encourage violence or to Donald Trump, President Barack shut people down when they are trying Obama today strongly condemned the to speak, or turn Americans against “vulgar and divisive” rhetoric aimed one another. at women and minorities in the US “The longer that we allow the polls campaign and warned that it is political rhetoric of late to continue, damaging America’s image. and the longer that we tacitly accept “I’m not the only one in this it, we create a permission structure room who may be more than a little that allows the animosity in one dismayed about what’s happening on corner of our politics to infect our the campaign trail lately,” Obama said broader society. And animosity breeds in his remarks at the annual bipartisan animosity,” Obama warned.

St Patrick’s Day gathering in Capitol Obama asserted that it is also about Hill. the American brand.

In a veiled reference to Trump, “Who are we? How are we Obama condemned the “vulgar and perceived around the world? There’s divisive” rhetoric in the polls campaign a reason that America has always and criticised the Republican attracted the greatest talent from leadership for keeping every corner of the quite. globe. There’s a reason “We have heard that ‘Made in America’ vulgar and divisive means something. It’s rhetoric aimed at women because we’re creative, and minorities -- at and dynamic, and Americans who don’t diverse, and inclusive, look like ‘us’, or pray like and open,” Obama said. ‘us’ or vote like we do.

“Why would we We’ve seen misguided want to see that brand attempts to shut down tarnished? The world that speech, however, pays attention to what offensive it may be. We we say and what we do,” live in a country where he said. free speech is one of the “I think as a citizen - BARACK OBAMA most important rights who will still be leading that we hold,” Obama this office, I will not said. support somebody who practices that “In response to those attempts, kind of politics. And any leader worthy we’ve seen actual violence, and we’ve of our support will remind us that heard silence from too many of our even in a country as big and diverse leaders,” Obama said referring to the and as inclusive as ours, what we have violence at Trump’s rally in Chicago in common is far bigger and more and the muted response from the important than any of our differences,” Republican establishment.

Obama stressed.

Obama’s remarks assume “It is worth asking ourselves what significance as they were made in the each of us may have done to contribute presence of top Republican leadership, to this kind of vicious atmosphere in including the Speaker of the US House our politics. I suspect that all of us of Representatives, Paul Ryan. can recall some intemperate words “Speaker Ryan, I appreciated the that we regret. Certainly, I can. And words on this topic that you shared while some may be more to blame with us this morning. But too often than others for the current climate, we’ve accepted this as somehow the all of us are responsible for reversing new normal,” said the US President, it, Obama said. who in the past has stated that Trump PTI

“Free speech is one of the most important rights in the US.”

CELEBRATING THE END OF WINTER

BY ADITI KHANNA LONDON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join the ranks of prominent global leaders at Madame Tussauds in London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok next month, the world famous wax museum announced.

Describing him as a “hugely important figure in world politics”, the museum said the Indian Prime Minister had given the museum’s team of artists and experts a sitting at his residence in New Delhi earlier this year.

“Madame Tussauds has crafted figures of very distinguished dignitaries from around the world - how could I regard myself worthy of being alongside them? But when I was informed that your decision had emanated from public opinion and public sentiment, I was comforted,” Modi said.

The wax figures will be dressed in Modi’s signature kurta in cream.

PTI

PUNE

People dressed in stylised ancient Russian costumes dance during celebrations of Maslenitsa, or Shrovetide in the Russian ancient city of Suzdal, some 200 km (124 miles) east of Moscow. Maslenitsa is a traditional Russian holiday marking the end of winter that dates back to the pagan times

There are places on the planet still forbidden for visitors...

There are still many places on our planet which are forbidden to visitors for various reasons

BY AC TULI Progressive-minded blokes who set store by democracy feel elated when they say that the world is now rapidly turning into a global village, where everybody is free to visit any place of his choice. But it is not as simple as that. The truth is that there are still many places on our planet which we are forbidden to visitors for various reasons. So, if you are planning your next globetrotting holiday, then here are a few such places that you should delete from your itinerary, for these are not open to visitors. Why it is so, please read what follows.

SNAKE ISLAND About 90 miles from the city of São Paulo lies Ilha de Queimada Grande, more popularly known as “Snake Island”. It is so filled with venomous serpents that it has been called one of the

world’s deadliest islands. Scientists have estimatedthat more than 4,000 snakes live on the 110-acre island — that’s one snake for every six square yards! And these are not just any snakes. Queimada Grande is the only known home of the snake known as golden lancehead. It is one of the most venomous vipers in the world. The lance-head’s venom is said to be three to five times stronger than that of any mainland snake, including the Indian cobra. And horror of horrors, its venom is capable of melting human flesh! Currently,

Snake Island

the Brazilian Navy bans civilians from going to this island, though scientists do sometimes receive waivers.

BADUI INNER VILLAGES Just 120km from the bustling metropolis of Jakarta live an ancient tribe of people who eschew the modern world entirely, and their territory is off limits to foreign visitors. They are the Amish of Indonesia and are known as the Badui (although they call themselves Kanekes). They number only around 6,000 and live in villages. The Badui are divided into two

sub-groups: the BaduiDalam (Inner Badui) and the BaduiLuar (Outer Badui). Members from each group are easily distinguishable. Outer Badui wear only dark colours while the Inner Badui wear rough white cloth that they weave themselves. The Outer Badui (BaduiLuar) form a protective circle around the Inner Badui (BaduiDalam), who inhabit three villages in the tribe’s southernmost region. No one – not even a BaduiLuar – may settle on the BaduiDalam’s land. Ritual restrictions forbid BaduiDalam to

Mount Athos

cultivate cash crops, fertilize the soil, eat four-legged beasts, or domesticate any animals except chickens. They bathe in streams and shun using soap.

The only luxury they allow themselves is smoking. Their medicines are restricted to herbal preparations.

NORTH SENTINEL ISLAND North Sentinel is one of the more than 200 islands that make up the Andaman Islands group in the Bay of Bengal, India. Of the nearly 115,000 people who live in the Andamans, only 600 are original islanders – remnants of a vanishing race of pygmies who once populated much of Southeast Asia and Oceania. The 150 tribesmen who inhabit the 20 square miles of North Sentinel have had a reputation for fierceness throughout recorded history. The seas around the island are dangerous and the Stone Age Sentineleseshun any contact with modern civilisation. They greet visitors with bows and arrows.

STAPHORST The Dutch Calvinist town of Staphorst, situated 120 miles northeast

of Amsterdam, has changed little since the 16th century. Although tourists are grudgingly tolerated, they are forbidden by law to take pictures. The prohibition is enforced most rigidly on Friday nights, when the young women of the village discreetly entertain their lovers, and on Sundays, when the quaintly costumed villagers form long processions to and from church. The village is difficult to find. And if you should by chance offend a villager you are likely to be pelted with mud and harried out of the town.

MOUNT ATHOS The most sacred spot in the Eastern Orthodox faith, Athos is a 30 mile long, heavily wooded peninsula in northern Greece, with the Holy Mountain itself near the southern tip. It has been a monastic republic for a millennium.

The Virgin Mary reputedly spent the last years of her life on Athos.

But since that time the peninsula has been forbidden to all women, with prohibition even extending to female animals.

PTI Feature

MONEY MATT ER S

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

PUNE

“If subsidies are given as unquantified amounts to unidentified sections, then non-merit people will get subsidies and merit people will not get it. So, the production of UID or other alternative document has to be the pre-condition.”

— Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister

Signposts

“Tax is not being paid and black money is being generated in the name of agriculture. Government should do something; this is a serious issue.”

— Sharad Yadav, Janata Dal-United Leader

Negative industrial output prompts India Inc to raise pitch for rate cut Factory output declined by 3.4 per cent in November and 1.2 per cent in December

BY CHANDRA SHEKHAR

HC raps UP for Flipkart fiasco The Allahabad High Court has criticized Uttar Pradesh Commercial Tax Department for withdrawing nearly Rs 50 crore from the bank account of e-commerce giant Flipkart “through dubious means by passing ex-parte assessment orders” and directed it to pay a cost of Rs 2 lakh to the company and refund the withdrawn amount.

Heralding bad news for the government, the industrial output for the third month in a row remained in the negative territory contracting 1.5 per cent in January due to poor showing of manufacturing and the capital goods sector. The subdued industrial performance, as expected, did prompt the India Inc to raise clamour for rate cut

by Reserve Bank.

Factory output measured in terms of Index of Industrial Production (IIP) also declined by 3.4 per cent in November and 1.2 per cent in December, according to recent Central Statistics Office (CSO) data. The index had registered a growth of 2.8 per cent in January 2015, it said.

Concerned over sluggish recovery, the India Inc stepped up its demand for rate cut by the RBI at monetary policy for next fiscal to be announced on April 5.

During April-January period this fiscal, industrial output growth remained flat at 2.7 compared to year ago period. The decline in January has been primarily on account of a massive drop in output of capital goods which showed a contraction of 20.4 per cent in January compared to growth of 12.4 per cent in the same month a year ago.

The manufacturing sector, which accounts for over 75 per cent of the index, declined by 2.8 per cent against a growth of 3.4 per cent in January 2015. On the positive side, the mining sector

showed an improvement, registering a growth of 1.2 per cent in the month as against a contraction of 1.8 per cent in same month a year ago.

Power generation showed acceleration, recording a growth of 6.6 per cent as against 3.3 per cent growth in same month a year ago.

As per the used based classification, basic goods reported a marginal increase of 1.8 per cent as against a growth of 4.8 per cent in January 2015.

The consumer goods output remained stagnant as against 1.9 percent contraction in January last fiscal. Consumer durables, however, showed growth of 5.8 per cent in January as against a contraction of 5.7 per cent during the same month last fiscal.

The consumer non-durable segment

showed a contraction of 3.1 per cent in January as against a growth of 0.3 per cent in the corresponding month.

In terms of industries, ten out of 22 industry groups in the manufacturing sector showed negative growth during January 2016 as compared to corresponding month of the previous year.

With industrial production contracting for the third straight month, India Inc said the delay in the recovery of manufacturing is bound to hit economic growth, urging government to take measures to improve ease of doing business scenario to attract investments.

“The delay in the recovery of manufacturing is going to impact the overall economic growth.

There is a need for addressing the issue of ease of doing business in a comprehensive manner that

would pull the investments into manufacturing,” Ficci Secretary General A Didar Singh said. “... We hope to see further rate reduction in the forthcoming monetary policy that can stimulate demand and investments in the economy to support manufacturing growth,” he added.

Assocham President Sunil Kanoria said the IIP numbers present a negative outlook for the economy.

“The negative growth of General Index further worsens the prevailing levels of demandsupply imbalances in the country. The significant shrinkage in the production of capital goods and consumer non-durables shows that industrial revival is going to be one of the major challenges in days to come,” Kanoria said.

The government must back its promises with clear action on the ground by making compliances easy and efficient, he said, adding the decline in January has been primarily on account of a massive drop in output of capital goods, which showed a contraction of 20.4 per cent in January compared to a growth of 12.4 per cent in the same month a year ago.

“Decline in capital goods is worrying as it is indicative of investment activities in the economy,” said PHD Chamber President Mahesh Gupta, observing that in terms of industries, 10 out of the 22 industry groups in the manufacturing sector showed negative growth during January.

Although the government, more particularly the Finance Ministry officials, refrained from commenting on the poor industrial output numbers, Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan was quite candid dubbing the numbers as “disappointing”.

PTI

India’s star shines bright: IMF chief Lagarde Lagarde said Asia is the world’s most dynamic region and accounts for 40 per cent of global economy

Appreciating continuing reform process in the country, IMF chief Christine Lagarde said “India’s star shines bright” amid global economic challenges and can deliver nearly twothirds of the worldwide growth over the next four years despite a slowing momentum.

The world’s fastest-growing large economy, she said, is on the verge of having the largest and youngestever workforce and, in a decade, set to become the world’s most populous country.

“So, India stands at a crucial moment in its history -- with an unprecedented opportunity for transformation.

“Important reforms are already underway,” the IMF Managing

Director said at a conference on ‘Advancing Asia: Investing for the Future’ here.

“Th ink, for example, of Make-inIndia and Digital India. And with the promise of even more reforms to come, India’s star shines bright.”

The conference is being organised by the Ministry of Finance and IMF, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Recalling that India and IMF go back a long way together -- India was a founding member of the Fund more than 70 years ago -- Lagarde said Asia is the world’s most dynamic region and today accounts for 40 per cent of the global economy. “Over the next four years, even with a slightly declining momentum, it stands to deliver nearly two-thirds of global growth,” she added.

Lagarde, who got reelected for the second term as chief of the Washington-headquartered International Monetary Fund (IMF), pointed to the global economy facing

Foreign players lap up the cream

BY KUMAR RAHUL Out of Rs 823 crore salaries paid by various sports leagues in India, domestic players get only 36 per cent of it despite being majority participants with bulk of earnings going to minority foreign recruits, according to a report.

As per Indian Sports Salaries Report 2016, which surveyed various leagues, including IPL, Indian Super League (ISL), Hockey India League (HIL) and International Premier Tennis League (IPTL), among others, Indian players got only Rs 296 core as total salaries. Th is is in sharp contrast to their numbers in terms of participation with homegrown players accounting for 521 out of total of 857 players. On the other hand, 336 foreign players walked away with a total salary of Rs 527 crore, it said.

“The report is based on the data available and the inputs received from various sports agents. It will help in making direct comparison amongst

certain key drivers of growth,” said Super Insinght Director & CEO Raman Raheja.

Among the eight leagues surveyed were Premier Badminton League, Champions Tennis League, Pro Kabaddi and Pro Wrestling. As per the report, against the common perception cricketers were not the highest earners in these leagues. The title belonged to top global tennis players.

“Cricketers are not the highest paid sports person playing in the Indian leagues. Roger Federer and Rafal Nadal are the highest earning players with Rs 26 crore plus each for playing in the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL),” it said.

The report is based on analysis of Rs 1,100 crore budget for 857 players in seven sports in eight different leagues.

It further added that money earned

by Federer alone is more than all the hockey players in Hockey India league put together.

PTI

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and IMF MD Christine Lagarde on the concluding day of the MOF-IMF Conference ‘Advancing Asia: Investing for the Future’, in New Delhi

many challenges. These challenges, she said, include volatile markets and capital flows, economic transitions and financial tightening in many countries, the large drop in commodity prices, including oil and escalated geopolitical tension.

Earlier this year, Lagarde had said quota and governance reforms came into effect that enhanced the representation of emerging Asian economies within 188 member countries.

“One consequence is that India

now joins China and Japan among the Fund’s top 10 shareholders,” she said.

Lagarde further said that in about 10 days, India, Nepal and many other countries will be celebrating Holi (festival of color), which heralds the coming of spring.

“I am not suggesting that we cover each other with colour or spray water as is customary (we will leave that to children). But I do think today we should celebrate India’s achievements and Asia’s achievements,” she said, adding that “Asia has a lot to be proud of ”. Stressing that making the most of Asia’s dynamism is of great interest to the entire world, she acknowledged that Asia’s rapid integration into the world economy has been one of the most striking global developments of the last generation.

In that relatively short time, many countries across this vast and diverse region have achieved economic “miracles”, and many have become powerhouses of the global economy.

PTI

China’s economy will not suffer a hard landing: Li Allaying global concerns over the possibility of China’s struggling economy heading for a “hard landing”, Premier Li Keqiang said that the world’s second largest economy has the ability to withstand financial risks.

“China’s economy will not suffer a hard landing and there are more hopes than difficulties for the world’s second largest economy,” Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in his annual press conference here today answering questions over the growing domestic and global concerns over China’s economic slowdown.

Hard landing refers to the state of economy rapidly shifting from growth to slow-growth to flat as it approaches a recession.

“As long as we stay on the course of reform and opening up, China’s economy will not suffer a hard landing,” Li, 60, who is second in the leadership hierarchy to President Xi Jinping said in his press conference.

PTI

WTO rules against India in a solar case Global body said India’s power purchase agreements were “inconsistent” with international norms

BY RAJESH RAI The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has ruled that India’s norms related with mandatory local sourcing of requirement in the solar power sector is not compliant with the global rules.

The Geneva-based body has said that India’s power purchase agreements with solar fi rms were “inconsistent” with international norms.

The US has fi led a complaint before the global trade body against India in 2014 and it had alleged discrimination against American fi rms.

The US had said that clause relating to domestic content requirement (DCR) in the country’s solar power mission were discriminatory in nature and “nullified” the benefits accruing to the American solar power developers.

After looking into the matter, the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Panel has

ruled that “the DCR measures are inconsistent” with relevant provisions of TRIMs (Trade Related Investment Measures) Agreement and with the articles of the erstwhile GATT (General Agreement of Trade and Tariffs).

The panel also found that the DCR measures accorded “less favourable treatment” to the American companies and were “not justified” under the general exceptions in GATT rules.

The dispute relates to the domestic content requirements imposed by India for the National Solar Mission, including in the Guidelines and Request for Selection documents, the model power purchase agreement, and the individually executed power purchase agreements between Indian government agencies and solar power developers.

Asking India to “bring its measures into conformity with its obligations under the TRIMs Agreement and the GATT 1994”, the panel has said that “in cases where there is an infringement of the obligations assumed under a covered agreement, the action is considered prima facie to constitute a case of nullification

or impairment”.

“We conclude that, to the extent that the measures at issue are inconsistent... (with the relevant articles of the TRIMs Agreement and the GATT 1994), they have nullified or impaired benefits accruing to the United States under those agreements.”

The panel found that DCR measures are not distinguishable in any relevant respect from the domestic content requirements previously examined under this provision by the Appellate Body in Canada Renewable Energy / Feed-In Tariff Programme.

“In particular, the panel found that the electricity purchased by the gov er n ment is not in a “competitive relationship” with the solar cells and modules subject to discrimination

under the DCR measures,” the findings has said.

On January 11, 2010, India had launched its national solar policy, named Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. The country has an ambitious target of generating 20,000 Mega Watts of solar power by 2022.

The US has termed the WTO’s panel ruling against India as an “important outcome”, saying the domestic content requirement measures discriminate against American manufacturers.

“Today, the WTO panel agreed with the US that India’s localisation measures discriminate against US manufacturers and are against WTO rules,” US Trade Representative Michael Froman has said.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

Marriott Pune City Centre, Bund Garden Road

Our voices need to be heard

GO CRICKET CRAZY

Joshi Bridge in Navi Peth has become a garbage dump RAHUL RAHUL

to hit the big screen very soon, fans across the country eagerly waiting for the movie to show their love towards their favourite character will get a new surprise. Comic Con India will be hosting ‘Batman Vs Superman Fan Celebration Night’ in the city. This party will also have a special Batman and Superman themed drinks menu. Cosplayers can get two free drinks. Fans can wear a cape or mask to show their allegiance to their favourite superhero and stand a chance to win funky goodies.

When: March 26, 8 pm onwards Where: High Spirits, Koregaon Annexe

NIRMIKA AND STUDMUFFIN LIVE

An exhibition of paintings by three professional artists who paint in different mediums and subjects. In this show, one can enjoy wonderful paintings such as landscapes, still life, figurative and seascapes too. Gaze through landscapes of old wadas, temples, small boats at sea shore and few other pieces from Konkan painted by Sachin Naik and Mohan Charya.

When: Till March 26, 9 am to 6 pm Where: Bliss Art Gallery, Vimal Kunj Society, North Main Road, Koregaon Park

FILM SCREENING WEEKEND

IT’S ALL ABOUT HOLI KE RANG

THE EASTER FEAST

This Easter, hop in to the Le Meridien to relish a brunch with a hearty and delectable spread. Feast offers a multi-cuisine experience to entice the taste buds.

For Easter, Feast is offering a specially-curated buffet offering a variety of savouries, sweet treats and much more.

When: March 27, 12 noon to 3.30 pm Where: Feast, Le Meridien, Sangamwadi

BATMAN VS SUPERMAN PARTY

With The Dark Knight and Man of Steel about

EK CUTTING BEER

The Beer Cafe has always been about love for beer and conversations over beer and Cutting Beer is a step ahead to explore this love. It is a smaller serving of the quintessential beer mug, a quick grab if you’re in a hurry or need a midday refuel without getting drunk. One can pick from the collection of draught beers available in cutting style.

When: Ongoing Where: All The Beer Cafe outlets

HOP IN FOR A LAZY BRUNCH

Enjoy the Easter Sunday over Brunch that offers a delectable menu that includes delcicacies like Thai fish Cake, Roasted Vine Tomato with Avocado Mousse and Apple Strudel to name a few. The menu also comprises of multicuisine offerings from the counters of Indian and Lebanese food and the ever-versatile chaat relished by everyone.

When: March 27 Where: Evviva Sky Lounge, Courtyard by

NGT TELLS DATAR FARMS TO CLEAR ENCROACHMENT ALONG MUTHA WITHIN TWO WEEKS

Taking a serious note of illegal encroachments along Mula-Mutha rivers, the Principal Bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) on March 16 passed a judgment directing the owners of Datar Farms to clear the area encroached upon along the river bank on Sinhagad Road within two weeks. The bench also directed the authorities to earmark and demarcate red and blue flood lines (construction within these lines is not allowed) for the river. Architect Sarang Yadwadkar, 54, residing on Sinhagad Road, had filed a complaint against Anjali Dinkar Datar, the owner of Datar Farms on Sinhagad Road, in 2013.

FOUR HELD FOR BRANDING WOMAN A WITCH

EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE

Write to Us

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

MAKING ‘DHOOM’ ON STREETS LANDS TEENS IN POLICE STATION

Hollywood’s and Bollywood’s infatuation with fast cars and fast bikes is vastly infectious, and impressionable youth the world over go out of their way to duplicate the screen-scorching stunts and heroics, mostly performed by extremely skilful and vastly experienced stuntmen, at the grave risk of causing injury or worse to themselves and others.

Pravin and Vijay (names changed), both 16-yearold students of a commerce college at Bawdhan, came riding down Law College Road on a sportsbike at breakneck speed, on March 14 around 3.30 pm. The stunts however, instead of landing them movie roles, led them to be detained by the police, who, later let them off, but only after talking to their parents and issuing a strict warning against their collegegoing wards doing a repeat of such foolhardy gimmicks.

EARN AND LEARN: A girl in school uniform is busy preparing for the exams besides helping her parents who sell wares on the footpath near Shimla Office at Shivajinagar

PIC

OF

A case of black magic has not only placed four persons in police custody but has also exposed the ignorance of cops regarding the law behind such crimes. Upset over her son’s relationship with a nextdoor 26-year-old married woman who was living separately from her husband, a 44-year-old woman ganged up with her friends and a Godman to brand the victim as a woman possessed with evil spirits.

On the complaint of the victim Soni Umesh Gegre (26), the police on March 14 arrested Nanda Bhagwan Khute (44), Sangeeta Dhanraj Shinde (40), Meena and godman Bhimappa Chudaman Khunchikar (59), all residents of Makadwali Chawl in Shivajinagar on Dehu Road, under sections of the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.

A DELICIOUS CUP OF COFFEE

Starbucks gives you the perfect reason to celebrate this month with its indulgent new beverages – the Strawberry Red Velvet Mocha and the Chestnut Crunch Latte. Inspired by the elegance of candy confections, these deliciously rich and sophisticated flavors are sure to make you appreciate espresso beverages with a whole new perspective.

When: Ongoing till May 5 Where: All Starbucks outlets

I

RAHUL RAUT

WEEK THAT WAS

Lost The Plot strives to provide its patrons with a wide variety of cinematic experiences.

This weekend get to watch the award-winning Marathi film Killa.

Killa is Marathi drama film directed by Avinash Arun. The film revolves around an 11-year-old child who has a difficult time coping with the death of his father. The film has won a National Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi and also received recognition at the Berlin Film Festival and Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

When: March 20, 7.30 pm onwards Where: Seasons Hotel, Aundh

live Navi Peth, where sanitation has become an issue these days. Residents and passersby keep throwing garbage around Joshi Bridge everyday, and even in the Mutha river. The area now looks like a dumping ground with piles of garbage that is not cleared for weeks on end.

As a result, the whole area is filled with foul odours, not to mention the other fallouts. With the rotting garbage, stray animals and pests are a constant bother, and the hazards to health are also a daily reality. The dumping of garbage in Anand Butkar the river is an even greater menace as it renders the river water extremely polluted. It is an open invitation for the breeding of mosquitoes, and this is a situation that should have been avoided in these times of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases.

It is summer and the level of water in the river is low, and the garbage causes pools of stagnant water, which is an eyesore. Slum dwellers of the area are seen to bathe in the river, and with such unhygienic conditions, they are most prone to be victims of disease. This is a situation that demands urgent action by the civic authorities, who should also ensure that people do not strew the river water and the bridge area with garbage.

People must learn to throw garbage only into the bins and not anywhere they choose.

E WE K

It’s time to get high with the colours, water and music. Making sure that you have a gala time will be the beats by Nucleya. Nucleya aka Udyan Sagar was one of the early proponents of the now-popular genre of Dubstep in India. He has made his mark as an Indian dance music producer, focussing on sounds and textures that are Indian in sound but international in appeal.

When: March 24, 10 am to 4 pm Where: Pancard Clubs, Baner

This T20 season, sit back and enjoy nailbiting experience on a 120 inch screen along with finger-licking grubs with your friends.

Indulge in shareable portions such as the Ultimate Dipper where vegetarians can select from the Paneer Bites, Fried Paneer Quesadillas Bites, Texas Cheese Poppers and Southwestern Rolls while the nonvegetarians can choose from the Wings Over Buffalo, Boneless Buffalo Wings, Crispy Crispers and Big Mouth Burger Bites and much more.

When: Ongoing, 4 pm to 8 pm Where: Chili’s American Grill & Bar, UG 49, Phoenix Market City, Viman Nagar

THE

ART AND EXPRESSIONS

Go indie this weekend with Nirmika and Studmuffin performing live at the High Spirits.

Singer/songwriter Nirmika will be launching her EP Jhoothe with soothing and memorable melodies, and Studmuffin will make you groove with their ambient blues and rock n roll music.

When: March 20, 2 pm to 7 pm Where: High Spirits, High Spirits, Koregaon Annexe

PUNE

Mixed up between real and reel worlds

Rising above the circumstances

The bike-borne teenagers on a fast bike, and with a pistol-shaped cigarette lighter, show the ill effects of the kind of movies that are being made today. The current generation of movie stars seems to have muscles even in their brains, and to see 50-year-old shirtless hunks cavorting about on screen playing speed-loving college students, ad nauseam, is just too much to take. And the scary part is how we keep watching their movies, imitating their clothes and mannerisms and treating them like demigods. It’s about time the movie industry is seen for what it is, an ultimately materialistic and mercenary place, where young girls are exploited, and movies are made without any moral values. The parents of such kids should also be able to guide their children on the right path, instead of letting them go astray, with fast bikes and such.

— Suresh Jogi

Archana Sopan Garad, who cleared the Judicial Magistrate First Class exam, is sure to be an inspiration for other girls from villages, and even cities. It is possible to be born without any special privileges, and still make one’s way in the world, if one applies one’s mind, and strives to reach one’s destination. Parents and teachers have a big role to play in the shaping of children’s character, as they have the most influence over children in that impressionable age. It is easy to be disillusioned in this age when the people with money and power seem to have it all their way, but people like Archana show that it is possible to make progress and fulfill one’s ambition if you are willing to put in the right effort.

— Radhika Sona

Who is to blame?

The story of the youth murdered by his own mother, just shows the kind of lives some people are born into. Obviously the youth did not have the right upbringing or education, and alcohol and a life of crime were the avenues his life veered into. Getting drunk and causing a ruckus regularly was his habit, and the neighbourhood people were naturally fed up with such anti-social behaviour. What is disturbing is that things took such a turn that the mother and the neighbours went so far as to kill the young man, and then they were crafty enough to dump the body far away, to cover up the crime. It’s hard to say who is to blame, as one must place oneself in the situation to really gauge the scenario. But taking another human being’s life is not excusable, even if it was his own mother.

— Sharad Tripathi

The forgotten musical instrument makers The insight into the world of musical instrument making was interesting.

While the musicians themselves who use the instruments get more than their share of acclaim and praise, no one ever thinks about what goes into the making of Indian musical instruments. They are no less than works of art, and the skill and craftsmanship that goes into the making of a sitar, harmonium or tabla are beyond compare. Making musical instruments is a tradition handed over from one generation to another, and in these days of mass and machine-made production, the world of Hindustani classical musical instruments is unique and fascinating.

— Tasneem Ravi

A friend in need is a friend indeed

It is heartening to read about BJ Medical students teaching village and slum children. There is hope for the future if youngsters have the desire and motivation to do something for the underprivileged, without asking for anything in return. The children they are teaching are sure to benefit from this, and the story of their lives can take a turn for the better if they build on this foundation. On one hand we have the kids of rich parents, some of whom are given to frivolous and fruitless pursuits. But as long as there are youngsters like this, who are willing to give of themselves so selflessly, the future of India is in safe hands.

— Sampada Kurke

SPORTS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY MARCH 19, 2016

PUNE

“It’s extremely hard to predict the number of medals. We need to know how to enjoy the journey. We will keep improving. I am sure we will win more medals in Rio than London.”

— Viren Rasquinha, Former India Hockey Captain

Signposts Level 1 course for badminton umpires

‘We must rely on the youngsters’ Indian football captain Sunil Chhetri believes that facing tougher opposition is necessary for India to reach the next level

Poona District and Metropolitan Badminton Association will be conducting ‘Level I Certification Course for Technical Officials (Umpires) from March 27 at Modern PDMBA Sports Complex, Shivajinagar.

Contact PDMBA (020 25539172 or 9890671662 or 8805027273).

BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis_ashish Sunil Chhetri, captain of the Indian football team, believes that India must qualify for Asia Cup regularly and should compete against second-tier teams in Asia, if it is to elevate its footballing status.

The 31-year-old, who was in Pune for a promotional event, spoke about various issues in an exclusive interview with The Golden Sparrow, ahead of India’s World Cup qualifier.

The striker is part of the 28-member Indian probables for the 2018 Football World Cup preliminary qualifying round matches against Iran and Turkmenistan.

The Indian team will travel to Tehran to play Iran on March 24 and then will host Turkmenistan in Kochi on March 29 in the Qualification Round 2 games. The team will attend a camp in Delhi from March 16 prior to the departure to Tehran.

“We have to earn three

Cricket Academy win Mayor’s trophy Ranji player Akshay Darekar’s impressive spell (4-16) helped Cricket Masters Academy ‘A’ to win Mayor’s Trophy cricket tournament held at Nehru stadium recently. In the final, Cricket Academy defeated Stadium Cricket Club by 37 runs. Cricket Academy posted 163-8.

Hockey Maharashtra selection trials Hockey Maharashtra had organised a state championship in January. Players have been shortlisted in the four age groups to select the team to represent Maharashtra in the National championship. The selection trials of these shortlisted players will be held at Shiv Chhatrapti sports complex in Balewadi from March 14. The schedule: Junior boys (March 14-16), senior boys (March 18-20), senior and junior girls (March 22-24), sub-junior boys (March 29-31). The selected players will undergo training from April 1.

High hopes from shuttlers Six Pune players will be part of Maharashtra’s team in the upcoming 71st Inter-state, inter-zonal and 80th senior national badminton tournament to be held at Chandigarh, Punjab from April 5.

Neha Pandit, Revati Deosthale, Manasi Gadgil, Mudra Dhainje and Nishad Dravid will take part in the mixed team championship, while Shruti Mundada will take part in the individual championship.

The Pune district team won the Maharashtra state senior inter-

district badminton championship held in Mumbai recently. In the final, Pune defeated Mumbai Suburb 3-1.

Shubhankar Dey, Neha Pandit, Revati Deosthale and Shruti Mundada were instrumental in Pune’s win. In the semifinal, Pune defeated Thane 3-1. Varun Khanwalkar and Sameer Bhagwat lost the men’s doubles in both encounters.

Shruti, who had been selected in the Maharashtra team for the Junior Nationals at Yanam, in 2010, proved her mettle by finishing as team event finalist (U -19) and individuals (doubles) quarterfinalist. Over the years, she has been a regular member at the national and international level.

points against Turkmenistan for a chance to play in the qualifiers for the Asia Cup. It is very important to play in the Asia Cup. We featured in it in 2011 but missed out in 2015. A country like India must perform better. The best teams in Asia compete against each other in the Asia cup, so our target is to qualify for the tournament,” said the striker.

India is moving in the right direction, but it is only when they face stronger opposition that they will be able to reach higher levels, Chhetri said.

“It’s fine to play in the SAFF Cup, play against neighbouring countries. But we must face tougher teams. Leave aside the mighty Japan, but even playing against second tier teams in Asia will help us,” he said.

INJURY WOES The Indian team will be missing the services of key striker Robin Singh in their campaign against Iran. Robin, who played a key role in the previous fi xtures of the competition for India, suffered a knee injury during the SAFF Cup last year.

“Robin is a good striker and a player of his calibre will be missed sorely in this campaign.

Fortunately, Jeje (Lalpekhlua) is doing well and I hope his form continues,” said Chhetri.

He praised the India U-23 squad and the players who have made the cut to the senior national side.

“We are in a transitional phase and this is a good opportunity for the young guns to step up.

They are getting good exposure and in such a big country, we must have more Jejes and Robins,” said the Bengaluru FC player, who led from the front in their 1-0 win over Ayeyawady United of Myanmar in the AFC Cup. Along with the Indian side, the youngsters are also doing well for Bengaluru FC in the AFC Cup. Though this was the Federation Cup winners’ first win in the group, Chhetri is happy with the performance.

“Like I said, it’s the youngsters we should rely on. The way they played against, defending champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) in Bengaluru was quite impressive. In the absence of experienced players, the team put up a good show and I hope

St Mary’s girls dominate

Six Pune players to represent Maharashtra at senior national badminton meet TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly

“We wanted to stay ahead of the run-rate, pleased to finish the game and not leave it to anyone else. I was pumped and before I went out, Sulieman Benn said to entertain him and I did.”

— Chris Gayle, West Indian Batsman

TGS NEWS SERVICES @TGSWeekly

She, along with Goa’s Anura Prabhu Desai, won the senior women’s doubles bronze at the Radhey Shyam Gupta Memorial All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament held at Bareilly, UP in December last year.

The duo, who made it to the semis after defeating Ningshi Block Hazarika and Riya Mookerjee in the pre-quarters and Agna Anto and Sneha Santhilal in the quarters, lost to second seeds Sanyogita Ghorpade and Meghana J and had to settle for a bronze. At the international level, she participated in the Tata Open International Challenge, Mumbai in 2015. She started well by winning first round with a 21-10, 21-13 verdict over Chian’s 18-year-old Chun Yi Deline Quek, but went down to Thailand’s Yen Mei Ho in straight games.

Her campaigns in the Syed Modi International Championship (January), Yonex Sunrise India Open (March) and Sri Lanka International Challenge (June) ended in the first rounds. As a result, her ranking dropped but now she is all set to regain her form through the senior nationals. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

St Mary’s girls have seemingly instilled fear in the minds of their opponents with some superb performances in the past. Justifying their reputation in inter-school basketball, the girls won the Rajabhau Chitale Memorial under-13 Basketball tournament held at Millennium National School, Karve Road last week.

In the summit clash, they defeated Sharp Shooters with a whopping 4422 margin. Aditi Patil and Sanskruti Pawar were the top scorers with 12 points, while Chaitrali Bafana joined the party with ten points for the winning team.

At half time, St Mary’s were leading 18-8 and in the second half they added 26 points to the total. On the other hand, Sharp Shooters who were struggling to find form, managed a low score. Preeti Harkare scored just six points.

Meanwhile, in the boys’ segment, hosts Millennium defeated Deccan Gymkhana 57-42 in the final. Ameya Chande (16) and Aniruddha Dangat (14) contributed hugely to the total. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

DSK Shivajians move to seventh place TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly DSK Shivajians continued from where they left off hammering Sporting Clube de Goa 3-1 and register their biggest win in an I-League Round-12 encounter at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, MhalungeBalewadi last week.

A fi rst-half blitzkrieg from hosts DSK Shivajians saw them race to a three goal lead. Striker Aser Perrick Dipanda broke the deadlock in the 14th minute, before playmaker Douhou Pierre netted a brace (21st & 32nd minute) to give them a 3-0 lead.

Defender Subhasish Bose (73rd) scored a consolation goal late in the second half for Sporting.

The win was DSK Shivajians’ second-in-a-row and third of the season and helped them extend their unbeaten run to four games and move into seventh position. In fact the three points earned takes DSK Shivajians tally to twelve points, level with Mumbai FC (5th) and Salgaocar FC (6th), but behind on head-to-head.

Going into this crucial clash, Coach Derrick

Pereira opted to field the same team which had beaten East Bengal a week ago.

After a slow start to the game, hosts DSK Shivajians began pressing high up. The pressure paid off as a minute before the quarter hour mark, DSK Shivajians took the lead. A quick freekick down the

right flank by defender Sena Ralte to Juan Quero had the Spanish winger float in a beautiful cross across the box to striker Perrick who headed home from close.

Having taken the lead, the hosts increased their domination and struck again seven minutes later.

Winger Quero was once again the creator of the goal as he split the Sporting defense with a neat through pass sending Perrick free in the box on the right. The Cameroonian striker beat a defender with a quick turn to float in a cross at the far post to Douhou who headed in with ease for his second goal in as many games.

In the final ten minutes, DSK Shivajians almost restored their three goal lead after some brilliant combination play between Surchandra Singh, Douhou and Quero. The Spaniard managed to send substitute Israil Gurung, on for Perrick, clear in the box only for his fi rst touch to let him down.

Sporting tried to push up in the final moments of the game, but DSK Shivajians held their nerve to seal another historic win. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

India probables for WC qualifier

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GOALKEEPERS: Subrata Paul, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Karanjit Singh, TP Reheneesh.

DEFENDERS: Aiborlang Khongjee, Augistine Fernandes, Arnab Mondal, Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Rino Anto, Narayan Das, Lalchhuanmawia, MIDFIELDERS: Pronay Halder, Bikash Jairu, Cavin Lobo, Rowlin Borges, Alwyn George, Md. Rafique, Malsawmzuala, Francis Fernandes, Harmanjot Singh Khabra, Udanta Singh, Vineet Rai, Seityasen Singh.

FORWARDS: Jeje Lalpekhlua, Sunil Chhetri, Sumeet Passi, Halicharan Narzary.

they will do the same in future,” said the skipper, who missed club’s previous encounters due to a groin injury.

Chhetri was picked by Mumbai City during the Indian Super League (ISL) for Rs. 1.2 crore, making him the most expensive Indian player at the auctions. “Indeed, ISL is one of the important reasons Indian football is doing great. However, it’s not just one league that is making an impact.

The fans, owners, spectators, everyone has to come together and help the sport rise to the next level.”

The striker, though, kept mum on the recent controversy surrounding his team-mate Eugeneson Lyngdoh.

The world football governing body FIFA has slapped a fine of Rs four lakh on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for fielding an ineligible player during the Russia 2018 Preliminary Joint Qualifiers last year. Lyngdoh, who received two yellow cards in the previous two group fi xtures for India, appeared in the game against Iran in Bengaluru, thus attracting the wrath of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

City youngsters to visit Liverpool

TGS NEWS SERVICES @TGSWeekly Two youngsters from DSK Shivajians will visit Liverpool Football Club’s Academy and Melwood training ground this week in recognition of their hard work and achievements at the LFC International Academy in Maharashtra, India.

Jerry Mawihmingthanga and Lallianzuala Chhangte (Zola) have been invited to Liverpool to take part in a week-long coaching programme at the LFC Academy in Kirkby, making them the fi rst ever players from the LFC International Academy – DSK Shivajians to be awarded the opportunity.

The fi rst stop was Melwood where Zola and Jerry got to meet fi rst team players, James Milner and Phillipe Countinho, who gave them tips and words of encouragement, before observing a First Team training session led by Manager Jürgen Klopp.

The two young players who have been with the LFC-DSK Academy for around two years, have performed impressively for both the Academy and the India national youth and senior teams.

Zola recently became LFCDSK’s fi rst player to feature in the

Indian senior team, making history for not only being the nation’s youngest debutant but also the youngest goal scorer.

Shirish Kulkarni, executive director, DSK Group said, “It is heartwarming to see that we have players from India who have been invited on merit to train at the Liverpool FC Academy, something which has been a part of our vision for the Academy since its inception.

“Certainly, this opportunity will lay down the pathway for Indian football to follow in the coming years. It will also go a long way in establishing Liverpool FC International Academy – DSK Shivajians as the Centre of Excellence for footballers in India. On behalf of the DSK Group, I wish Lallianzuala (Zola) and Mawihmingthanga (Jerry) a successful outing,” he said.

The LFC-DSK Academy is the fi rst Premier League club branded residential academy in India.

Launched in 2014, the academy is currently home to 64 of India’s fi nest young stars from the U19 and U17 age groups, receiving access to world class infrastructure, facilities and coaching from Liverpool FC coaches who are based in India full-time. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com