The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 22/10/2016

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PUNE, OCTOBER 22-28, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

Maha forts are now on the verge of ruin

TOUGH GUYS DON'T DANCE PG 8-9

WHEN S CLOTHE U GIVE YO AN EDGE PG 14

| 22-28, 2016 PUNE, OCT

ow.com oldensparr www.theg

A pictureperfect home Food is always on Vidita’s mind

See p05

See p07

Art over engineering?

She’s made it See p13 possible

TGS LIFE

Maharashtra happens to be endowed with great wealth in terms of heritage, and a large number of forts that were the bastions of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s kingdom and power. The tragedy is that most of the forts lie in a state of ruin, as we have neglected their historical importance and potential as world heritage sites See p08-09

Lady teacher suspended for smearing Fevicol on student’s face

See p06

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

MUMBAI

“The state government will not allow anyone to disturb law and order and stern action will be taken. Democratic protest is fine but unlawful activity will not be tolerated,” - Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis to Karan Johar

Only three hospitals meet fire safety norm P 12

SIT shielding cops involved in Gadoli fake encounter case?

CCTV footage not included in chargesheet; kin say cops trying to shield the accused

BY SANTOSHEE MISHRA @TGS WEEKLY The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Mumbai Police has submitted its chargesheet in the alleged fake encounter case of gangster Sandeep Gadoli, but has not included crucial evidence from the crime scene, claim Gadoli’s relatives. According to them, the cops are trying to shield the accused by not including it.

“An important part of the evidence is the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage from the hotel, located near the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport,” said Tanveer Nizam, Gadoli’s advocate.

The SIT filed its chagesheet three weeks ago in the Metropolitan Magistrate Court and has stated for the first time that Gadoli was unarmed when Gurgaon cops shot him dead at Hotel Airport Metro in Andheri on February 7.

The SIT of Mumbai Police has filed its chargesheet three weeks ago in the Metropolitan Magistrate Court

The chargesheet submitted before the 37th Metropolitan Magistrate states that Gadoli’s murder plot was hatched by rival gangster, Brijendar Gujjar, from Bhonsi Jail in Gurgaon.

After the encounter, the police team headed by Pradhuman Yadav, police sub-inspector from Gurgaon police, planted a 7.65mm pistol on Sandeep and then ran inside the hotel room and fired three rounds in the air to show that he had fired at the cops.

“After we got the copy of the chargesheet, we came to know that

SIT has failed in providing the CCTV footage of the spot where Gadoli was shot dead in a fake encounter.

We brought it to the notice of the magistrate court and the court came down heavily on the cops probing the encounter as it (CCTV) is the strongest and crucial evidence against the accused and should have been part of the chargesheet,” said Nizam.

“The arrested accused Yadav claimed that he had been trailing Gadoli from Rajasthan to Mumbai.

Gadoli tried to shoot him and he shot

Villages to get ‘electric manager’ The Maharashtra Government said it will implement ‘one village, one rural electric manager’ scheme to ensure that problems of the rural population regarding electricity connections are resolved swiftly.

“The scheme will be implemented by the gram panchayats. The gram panchayats will act as the franchisee,” Maharashtra Power Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told reporters.

State Rural Development

Minister Pankaja Munde was also present at the media briefing.

As franchisee, the gram panchayats will have the job of meter reading, attending breakdown, restoring electricity, maintaining street lights, new electric connections, stopping electricity connection for non-payment of arrears.

Gram panchayats will be given Rs nine as fee per electricity consumer.

The job of rural electric manager

will be on contract basis and the payment would be Rs nine per consumer or Rs 3,000 (monthly), whichever is more. “’Mahavitaran’ will insure the rural electric managers and premium would be paid by it,” the Power Minister added.

Munde said her department has agreed to appoint gram panchayats as the franchisee and their jurisdiction would be all revenue villages.

PTI

Drive against illegal hawkers Civic authorities seized wares and goods of illegal hawkers in various wards here and also filed cases against security guards who were found sheltering them in housing societies during the special drive.

A team headed by Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Zone 1) Suhas Karvande conducted the drive in A-ward of the city during which they seized various goods and carts of illegal vendors total running into six trucks.

“Our team conducted special drive in the surroundings of Fashion Street (in South Mumbai) where we found hangers encroaching on the footpath.

Beside, most of the vendors were found placing their hand-carts haphazardly on the roads and we seized six carts,” said a senior officer.

Fashion Street is one of the most popular tourist destinations for shopping in the mega city.

“Moreover, our team acted against hawkers near Bombay Hospital, who noticing our team took shelter into nearby buildings with the cooperation of security guards there. Our team booked these guards for sheltering illegal hawkers.

We also sought the police’s intervention to book owners of security services who recruit guards,”

the officer said.

A total of 30 policemen besides 50 civic employees and officers took part in the special drive.

According to a report released by the civic body, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MGCM) has taken action against over 1.12 lakh illegal food vendors/ hawkers in 24 civic wards in the last six months.

From April to September, MGCM teams acted against 1,12,651 illegal hawkers/food vendors in the city collecting total fine of Rs 2,03,55,344 from them.

PTI

in self defence can be clear only when the SIT provides CCTV footage of the crime scene to the court,” claimed Gadoli’s lawyer.

The chargesheet highlights CCTV footage taken from the crime scene where Gadoli was shot dead. It states that Gadoli is seen attempting to snatch a weapon from a constable, while Yadav shoots him at point-blank range. After three bullets are fired, Gadoli calls out for help, mentions the chargesheet.

The court asked the SIT to submit the CCTV footage, as it can help ascertain the facts.

“Gurgaon cops are also heard calling for an ambulance but if they wanted to really help Gadoli, they could have taken him in their jeep,” the report states.

The SIT has arrested six persons including sub-inspector Pradhuman Yadav, constables Vikram Singh, Jitendra Yadav and Deepak Kakaran, Divya Pahuja and her mother Sonia in the case.

According to a senior police officer, the CCTV footage is with Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) Kalina, thus could not be included with the chargesheet. It will soon be submitted in the supplementary chargesheet. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Decibel meters: HC warns of contempt action against official The Bombay High Court warned of “aggravated contempt” action against Maharashtra government’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home) KP Bakshi if the state fails to procure meters to measure noise levels by November this year.

A division bench of Justices AS Oka and AA Sayed had in May this year issued contempt notice against Bakshi for “wilful and deliberate” breach of court orders relating to procurement of 1,843 decibel meters.

The decibel meters were to be procured by government and supplied to all police stations in the state so as to enable the police to measure noise levels during festivals, processions and other events to ensure compliance of noise pollution rules and regulations.

Earlier, the government had assured the court that the meters would be procured by March this year. However, till date these have not been procured.

Bakshi, in his affidavit filed earlier, had claimed that the company which was to supply the meters failed to do so.

Government pleader Abhinandan Vagyani submitted a fresh schedule plan by which the meters would be procured

by November end. “We are anyways not satisfied with the explanation given by Bakshi,” Justice Oka said.

PTI

Brands can now advertise on trains P 14

Wearing red shirt proves costly for man crossing tracks RPF steps up vigil on railway tracks after man wearing a red shirt leads a motorman to stop a local train

BY SANTOSHEE MISHRA @TGS WEEKLY A local train was delayed at Kurla railway station owing to a commuter wearing a red-coloured shirt. After this incident, senior railway officials have stepped up vigilance, and also deployed police personnel at vulnerable track crossings.

The commuter wearing a red shirt had unwittingly walked onto the tracks, which resulted in a local train being delayed. This disrupted the Central Railways local trains schedule.

After this incident, the RPF have decided to post police personnel at different spots along the tracks to avoid any such incidents.

The incident took place late afternoon on October 5, when Abhishek Virendra Singh, 32, a resident of Kurla (West), was crossing the railway tracks at Kurla, and since he was wearing a red shirt, the motorman halted the local train.

“A Kalyan-bound CST local was about to cross Kurla railway station when the commuter Abhishek was seen crossing the track. The motorman of the local halted the train, mistaking the red shirt on the track for a red signal,” said Suresh Yatri, senior police inspector of Railway Protection Force.

“The local train was detained at the spot for more than ten minutes, affecting the Mumbai Suburban Railway schedule. After

Abhishek Virendra Singh

the motorman’s complaint, we immediately charged Abhishek with RPF acts 145(b) (causing nuisance at public place), 146 (obstructing railway servant in his duty) and 174(a) (obstructing running of train).

Abhishek was questioned and later produced in the local court, where the magistrate ordered him to pay a fine of Rs3,000,” said Yatri.

“This is a serious matter. We have made a list of track crossing areas where RPF personnel have been appointed to keep a tight vigil to ensure that there is no disruption of the railway services,” the officer said.

The RPF officer claims that when they questioned Abhishek about crossing the track wearing a red shirt, he said that he used the track crossing daily as it was a short cut for Kurla station. He said he was not aware that red colour clothes could lead to a delay in rail schedules. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com PTI

MARK OF HONOUR

Bollywood Actress and Mathura MP Hema Malini felicitating Hindustani Classical Music Legend, Vocalist Pandit Jasraj on the occasion of the Centennial celebration of Bharatratna Ustad Bismillah Khan at Nehru Center in Mumbai

Call centre scam: People info sites were used to trap victims From June 1 to October 4 this year, Thakkar allegedly collected USD 18 lakh from just one call centre

BY DNYANESH CHAVAN Scamsters in the recently busted multicrore call centre racket were using wellknown people search websites, which provide a person’s name and addresses, to gauge a potential victim’s ability to pay as part of their illegal operations, police have revealed.

An Internet-based call were made to many phone numbers simultaneously, called ‘blasting’ in technical terms, and the potential victims were made to listen to it which allegedly used to threaten them, they said.

“Some of the victims got frightened with this and called back.

When the call was returned, the call centre executives, through the phone number of the caller, surfed through the websites (having information about people’s name, addresses and other details) in real time to understand the paying ability of the person at the other end,” a police official told PTI. Those having a higher ability to pay were prioritised over others and the (call centre) agents engaged with them in deeper conversations which led to negotiating a sum the victim had to pay, the official said.

“During investigation it was revealed that the scam’s alleged mastermind, Sagar Thakkar alias Shaggy, and his associates used to blast the VOIP calls from Ahmedabad,” the official said.

These calls were made with Direct Inward Dialling (DID) by which at a time 10 US citizens could get calls with the help of a software, he said.

The call was spoofed and contact

Police raided the Universal Outsourcing Services, on Mira Road in neighbouring Thane district, among six other call centres during the midnight of October 4-5

numbers similar to those in United State’s were displayed on the cell phones, by which the American citizens were made to believe that it was a call from the US Tax Department.

The frightened US nationals

would reply on the numbers to prevent their arrest and were then engaged in negotiation.

The ‘dialler’ used to asked the victim if he wanted to resolve the issue. If he agreed, then the call was

transferred to his senior - the ‘closer’.

Later, the ‘closer’ used to finally negotiate with the citizen and insist him/her to keep mobile phone on speaker mode and go at the nearest reputed supermarket chain. .

At the supermarket, the victim was instructed by the ‘closer’ to purchase ‘gift cards’ and tell their 16 digit number to him. The ‘closer’ would then pass this 16 digit number to Thakkar.

Thakkar then used to call his vendors in the US and asked to deposit the gift cards worth thousands of USDs. He would then allegedly receive the money through ‘hawala’ in Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the official said.

With this scam, Thakkar allegedly collected hundreds of crores of rupees, he said.

Police had raided the Universal Outsourcing Services, on Mira Road in neighbouring Thane district, among

six other call centres during the midnight of October 4-5 and got the data of thousands of US citizens who were cheated.

From June 1 to October 4 this year, Thakkar allegedly collected USD 18 lakh from just one call centre, the police official told PTI. Meanwhile, the investigators had yesterday told a court in Thane that they have identified transactions worth Rs 25-30 crore in the call centre scam here till now and that it will take a long time for them to arrive at the actual figure given the magnitude of the scandal.

Several teams were interrogating the 71 accused arrested so far in connection with the scam, which came to light when police raided call centres in Mira Road and other areas earlier this month.

The scam operated out of nearly a dozen call centres in Thane.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

“Any new entrants to our party (BJP) shall not be automatically eligible to get ticket for the forthcoming civic polls in the city. (In light of recent induction of leaders in BJP under CM Devendra Fadnavis’ supervision)” - Girish Bapat, Pune District Guardian Minister

Tibet’s thangkas find new fans P13

No way to treat a pregnant lady Visionindia company accused of denying pregnant women employees maternity leave, and holding back workers’ pay cheques

BY GUNWANTI PARASTE @gunwantiparaste

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @tusharrupanavar The central government recently amended the Maternity Benefit Act 1961, which increased the paid maternity leave for working women from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. This amended act is applicable to establishments employing ten or more persons. But Archana Potdar, an employee of Visionindia Software Exports Limited, an ISO 9001:2008 certified IT company based at Karvenagar, was denied the maternity leave she asked for. Archana complains that Visionindia intimidated her and wanted to force her to resign when she filed an application for maternity leave.

The Union cabinet on August 10 amended the Maternity Benefit Act 1961 by introducing the maternity benefit amendment bill 2016 in Parliament.

Rajya Sabha too gave its nod to this amendment on August 11. As per the new amendment, government has increased maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. The act protects the employment of women during the time of her maternity and entitles her to a maternity benefit of full paid absence from work to take care of her child. Visionindia had got the tender of central government’s ICT (Information and Communication Technology) programme two years ago. Through this ICT programme, Visionindia recruited 838 teachers for 838 schools across Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg district to teach computers to 9th and 10thstandard students on contract basis. The amended act is applicable to Visionindia company as well as its employees whose number is more than ten.

Visionindia employee Potdar currently serves as ICT teacher in Satara district. “I am working with Visionindia company as teacher under ICT

Odd time for new staff to report to work

The staff of Visionindia Software Exports Limited, an ISO 9001:2008 certified IT company based at Karvenagar

programme since the last two years. I teach computers to students at a school in Satara district. But when I filled an application for maternity leave, the company refused me the leave. Being a women employee, it is my right to get maternity leave of 26 weeks. But the company chiefs rejected my leave application, threatened me, and wanted to force me to resign due to my pregnancy. In the past, the company has forced pregnant women employees to resign. Their policy is to recruit new teachers in the place of pregnant women employees, by refusing them maternity leave and forcing pregnant women employees to resign.

The company is harassing its women employees. I personally requested my seniors and had written many applications for maternity leave, but they refused,” she said.

Social activist and advocate Rama Sarode said, “Not giving maternity leave to women employees is an offence as per maternity benefit act 1961 and this act applicable to both public as well as private establishments where more than ten workers are working. Archana can file a case against this company in court as well as at the state women’s right commission for denying maternity leave and forcing her to resign due to pregnancy. It’s every working woman’s right to get 26 weeks maternity leave and establishment has to

give her total salary during her leave.”

Shashikant Jadhav, ICT teacher of Visionindia, said, “I have been working at Visionindia under ICT programme as teacher since the last two years. But the company is very irregular in payments. It has not paid us for the last ten months and we have no food to eat. ICT teachers working at Visionindia in various districts came to the Pune office to meet the chairman and directors of the company. But they stopped our payments for the last ten months under false pretexts like government not paying the company. The company also did not give maternity leave to some of our women teachers during their pregnancy. This is a violation of women’s rights as well.”

Director of Visionindia Software Exports Limited, JV Kulkarni said, “We have taken this issue of our women employees not getting maternity leave seriously. We will take strict action against the officer in charge who has denied maternity leave to these women teachers working in our company in the ICT programme. About payment, in the next 3-5 days we will definitely give their pending payments,. The government delayed our payment instalment, so payments of these teachers were delayed.” tushar.rupanavar@goldensparrow.com

Under the Right to Information Act, hiring of employees is done from 11am to 6pm. But in a first, hiring was done at 2 am by the Right to Information Commission, Pune. The RTI Pune Commission is working blindly, said RTI activist Prof Jayant Gaikwad of Ahmednagar.

“It’s the first instance of hiring being done at night. When I received the hiring order letter, I was confused about the timing, which was said to be 2 am. I thought that it was a typing mistake. I tried to contact the concerned person and department, but I did not get a proper response. I even wrote to the department but in vain. Then I called their landline number, which was also unfruitful. The concerned person did not reply nor did he admit their mistake.

They sent be a corrected copy, which mentioned the time as 2 pm,” he said.

The Right to Information Act has completed 11 years on October 12, 2016. From October 6 to 12, RTI week was celebrated.

Gaikwad wanted information about 12 different issues related to the Right to Information Commission. Another mistake by the commission was that they put the wrong name of Deenanath Katkar in the letter.

State Information Commission, Pune, deputy officer Raviraj Phalle said that it was a typing or copy paste mistake.

It’s a small mistake by the clerk but it is being blown up out of proportion. In the corrected letter, we have put the correct time and name. People must understand

Prof Jayant Gaikwad

Letter issued by RTI office

the technical problems, he said.

Right to Information Commission, Pune Commissioner Rajendra Jadhav said that it was a technical mistake.

Gaikwad’s hiring was first decided in the morning at 11 am. Then we decided to change it to 2 pm. Then the rectified letter was sent to Gaikwad. gunwantiparaste@goldensparrow.com

The game is up for this quack Man dispensing allopathic medicines in Bhavani Peth area is found to have no valid license, qualifications or medical council registration

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1 The Samarth police have booked a man from Bhavani Peth area for allegedly treating patients without holding a valid degree or medical council registration, on October 19. Despite filing an offence under sections of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961, the police have not arrested the man till date, and he continues his practise.

The quack has been identified as Ayyub Khan, who runs the

Wellness Clinic in Chowdhari building in Bhavani Peth area near Ghodke mutton market.

The police filed an offence against Khan after Dr Ayyub Khan Dinesh Bende, medical ward officer (Bhavani Peth) who is also member of anti quackery cell headed

by PMC health department, suggested it.

Dr Bende had forwarded a report to PMC health department on February 17, 2016, urging action against Ayyub Khan after Bende found during inspections, that he did not have a valid degree to do allopathic practice.

During the inspection on February 16, 2016, Dr Bende found that Ayyub Khan was present in Wellness Clinic in Chowdhari building in Bhavani

The quack has been identified as Ayyub Khan, who runs the Wellness Clinic in Chowdhari building in Bhavani Peth area near Ghodke mutton market

Peth. Khan was administering to six patients present in the clinic. Dr Bende sent a decoy patient, Rupesh Babar, complaining of an abdominal problem.

Khan prescribed a powder and some tablets and demanded Rs 400 from Babar.

Dr Bende then asked the ‘doctor’ to furnish educational documents related to medicine practice. Khan furnished certificates of Alternative Medical Council, Calcutta, an identity card and a B Pharmacy Degree Certificate. He also showed his visiting cards which mentioned ‘Wellness Clinic, Dr Ayyub H Khan, B Pharm, DN, CSGM, DASM, AMCC, DOT, and his letterhead which mentioned Dr Ayyub Khan. All the certificates turned out to be invalid during the inspection.

He had not a single certificate issued

by Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) or any other competent council certificates. As per the law, no man can dispense allopathic medicines or put ‘Dr’ before his name without having a valid degree or registration in Maharashtra Medical Council .

So Dr Bende opined in the report to the health department urged to file an FIR against the man as per the act, in Samarth police station.

It took nine months to file the complaint by the PMC health department and the FIR was filed against Ayyub Khan on October 19 in Samarth police station. The complainant is Dr Dinesh Bende.

Khan has been charged under sections 33 (1) and 33 (2) of Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961. The case is being investigated by Police Sub Inspector (PSI) Shivaji Jadhav of Samarth police station.

Despite registering the complaint against the doctor, Samarth police have not arrested him yet.

Samarth police station police sub inspector (PSI) Shivaji Jadhav, who is investigating the case, said that he had no clue. “There is nothing like this,” he said. Asked if the PMC had submitted the inspection report to the police station,if the FIR had been registered, and the investigation assigned to him,he said, “I have not see the documents yet and don’t know whether the FIR has been lodged or not, as I was out for some days. I will see the documents and decide.” dnyaneshwar.bhonde@ goldensparrow.com

Features mental health , anxiety & depression , suicide prevention , self harm & self injury , pregnancy & early parent hood , grief & loss )

DR. Ashiya Mishra ( Depression Specialist ) For free queries dr.mentalhealth@surgical.net

contact :- 9175689422

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

“Till the state government makes a different company for the Pune Metro, we will not allow any proceedings in the general body. All parties except BJP are standing together on this issue.”

- Prashant Jagtap, PMC Mayor

Two eyes are better than one!

Changes in child labour law for good?

P10

P12

Housing fraud victims issued another whammy Victims of housing fraud now ordered to pay the dues on loans which they have not taken; mastermind is still absconding

BY VICKY PATHARE @Vickypathare2 The 250 unfortunate people who had invested in the Shanti Homes Project only to be duped by Ajay Bhute, have now another hurdle to face, as they have started receiving notices from the district Sub-Registrar, Cooperative Societies (SRCS) regarding overdue payment of home loans, which they have not availed of. The SRCS stipulates that the dues be paid within seven days. The loans were taken from the Sadashiv Peth based Kalyani Nagari Co-operative Society, governed

by Bhute himself, said the victims.

The victims who have received notices from the registrar are residents of Pune, Thane, Vashi, Ahmednagar and Solapur district. In 2012, they, along with more than 1,000 middleclass people were lured by fake advertisements of fully furnished one BHK 500 sqft row house project for only Rs six lakh, at Shanti Homes, at Warvadi village on Khed ShivapurSaswad Link Road, taluka Purandar, district Pune started by Ajay Govind Bhute. They paid Rs one lakh per row house as booking amount and some of them have even made a full payment.

During this period victims had not signed a paper or applied for any loan.

The victims were shocked after

Ajay Bhute

receiving notices from the district Sub-Registrar, Cooperative Societies as per the Maharashtra Cooperative Societies Act, 1960 schedule 81(1) (A), demanding to pay the amount within seven days.

“The Kalyani Nagari Co-operative Society is also a fake society and is governed by Ajay Bhute and his associates. The office of the Shanti Homes was also functioning from the place the society functions from. I have not signed a single paper or taken any home loan. Why should I pay the loan,” said Shriniwas Ambaldage, 52, a resident of Anandnagar on Sinhagad Road.

Ambaldage has received a notice stating that he has taken Rs five lakh as loan for construction from the cooperative society, and asked to pay a due amount of Rs 3.62 lakh within seven days. “I don’t even know any of the guarantors mentioned in the notice for the home loan that I haven’t taken. Ajay Bhute has not paid me Rs one lakh which I had paid as booking amount. He is a cheater and has duped people to the tune of

The office of Kalyani Nagari Co-operative Society in Sadashiv Peth

A victim’s dishonoured refund cheque

Rs ten crore, “he said.

By 2014 the victims realised that Shanti Homes was not a real estate development project but a scam, and they filed police complaints against Kalyani Developers & Paramount Realty, Ajay Bhute & (Wife) Prachi and associates Madhur Bhosale, Sachin Jagtap and Saiprabha Menon.

Bhute started the work as promised, but several customers demanded refunds because they were unhappy with the progress of the work and the quality of

construction. Bhute returned booking amounts to people, but the cheques he issued were dishonoured. The land for the project was bought by Bhute in the name of his wife Prachi Bhute, with the same amount of money collected from the victim as booking amount.

Bhute is accused in the ‘Shantiniketan’ old age home scam at Khed Shivapur started in 2010 under the Shanti Charitable Trust Foundation. He has allegedly duped around 30 elderly people of Rs four crore and fled. Bhute allegedly assured the victims of lifetime stay at Shantiniketan with all facilities after paying amounts ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 32 lakh per person.

He has been absconding since June 30, 2016 and offences were registered against him at Rajgad Police station in September 2016. The case was transferred to Vishrambaugh police

station on Monday, October 17, 2016, as the monetary transaction took place within Vishrambaugh police station jurisdiction. This time too, the same office of Kalyani Co-operative Society was used as the booking office for the old age home.

Another Victim, Mayur Pahilwan, a resident of Bhosari said, “I had paid Rs one lakh as booking amount which was never returned. All the cheques I received were dishonoured. Bhute is politically well-connected and his brother-in-law Prasad Kedari is a corporator. Bhute is free to cheat people as police don’t take action against him due to political interference.”

“I have received a notice for paying a due amount of Rs five lakh towards the loan taken from Kalyani Co-operative Society, which I haven’t applied for. The Kalyani Cooperative Society is a fake society run by the conman and his associates.

In November 2015, it was found

Notice served by Kalyani Nagari Co-operative Society to victims

cheating customers and not paying their savings and recurring money by the Registrar of Cooperative Societies itself,” alleged Pahilwan.

Balasaheb Bendre, special auditor of co-operative societies in Pune said, “During the audit of the co-operative society, it was found that some people have not paid the home loan amount to the bank. So I have issued notices to them asking them to pay the amount.

Right now I can’t say anything about the total pending loan amount and number of people who are supposed to pay the dues. The probe is on and soon a final report will be made in this matter which will clear the scenario of the society.” vicky.pathare@goldensparrow.com

RAHUL RAUT

TV channels promoting magic cures face FDA backlash

LEADING A DOG’S LIFE

FDA issues show cause notices to ten TV channels for broadcasting advertisementsof drugs claimed to magically cure various diseases TGS NEWS SERVICES @TGSweekly

A stray gives company to a person who sleeps on the footpath on Prabhat Road. The man collects recyclables such as bottles, old newspapers and cardboard boxes from households, and sells them for a living

The Food Drug Administration (FDA), after cracking down on misleading advertisements, and seizing products worth Rs 30.18 lakh said to cure various ailments in special driveslast month, has now trainedits sights onTV news channels. It has issued show cause notices to ten TV channels for advertising the products.

FDA is awaiting their response, after which it will pursue further action.

However no channel has yet responded to the notices.

The channels that have been issued notices include HBN TV, Naaptol TV, HousefullMovies, Sony TV, Big Magic, R Vision TV, Colour TV, TV 9 Marathi, 9Xzalak and Bindaas. Giving more information about the action,

FDA (drug)assistant commissionerS B Patil said that broadcasting such advertisements claiming the drugs’ usefulness is wrong. As per provisions of the Drug and Magic Remedies Act (objectionable advertisements) 1954, no person can take part in publication of any advertisement referring to any drug which suggests or leads to the use of that drug for diagnostic treatment,

mitigation, cure or any disease mentioned in schedules to the act.

“All the advertisements were broadcast on these channels for 20 to 30 minutes slots. These channels are being viewed in Maharashtra and other states also. As their telecasting centres are out of Maharashtra, we sent notices to the offices of the channels located in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune etc. We have issued them notices and are awaiting their reply. Once the reply are received, will seek further action,” said Patil. “If they rectify their mistakes, we will let them off,” he said.

The FDA had conducted the special drives on stores located in various cities in the country including Pune region, and had seized a total of 18 drugs. FDA Pune region has issued notices to all these channels. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Bow wow! New dog pound comes up in Baner Fifth dog pound at Baner nears completion and will ease the burden on the four existing dog pounds

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1 The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department is constructing a two-storey building to house a new dog pound (a veterinary polyclinic for dog sterilisation) on a 10,000 square metre plot of land in Mohan Nagar, Baner. This is to curb the rising number of stray dogs and the menace they pose. The project will be completed by December end will ease the burden on the existing pound.

PMC health department’s dog squad catches stray dogs and puts them in a dog pound. The dogs are kept in separate kennels (cages) for five to six days. During this period, both male and female dogs

are sterilised and vaccinated for rabies and other infections. After recovering from the sterilisation operation, the canines are returned to their respective areas from where they were picked up. The process is to curb proliferation of stray dogs and to limit their numbers.

Currently there are four dog pounds for four city zonal areas. Three pounds with the capacity of 30 kennels each are located in the premises of Naidu Infectious Diseases Control Hospital on Raja Bahadur Mill Road, run by PMC. The fourth pound with the capacity more than 50 kennels is situated at Keshavnagar in Mundhwa. The running of the four pounds has been entrusted to four Non Governmental Organisations (NGO). PMC health department has given the contracts to three NGOs, Society For Animal Protection Kolhapur, People for Animals, Pune and Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Nanded which operate on Naidu Hospital premises. Blue Cross Society operates

from Keshavnagar, Mundhwa.

The rising number of dogs in the city had left PMC searching for another place for dog pound as the existing ponds were inadequate. In January 2013, the Land and Estate department had allotted 10,000 square feet of open land in Baner to the health department to build a dog pound. Since then the work has been going on and is nearing completion.

“The new dog pound will have 80 kennels, two operation theatres, and two staff rooms. Half of the work of the project is done while total work will be completed by December end. As the existing pounds are unable to tackle the issue this is the new option,” said Dr Anjali Sabne, assistant health officer of PMC health department. Health department had started the work of the project three years ago when Rs 40 lakh was allotted for it. The work was stalled and it resumed again with allocation of an additional Rs 25 lakh budget.

As per the statistics available with

health department, 50 dog bite cases are reported in the city limits every day. The four dog squads operate in their respective areas. Every day each of the squads catches up to 15 dogs including male and female and put them in kennels where veterinary doctors perform ten sterilisation surgeries each day. Giving more information about the process, veterinary surgeon Dr Sopan Jagtap of Naidu dog pound centre, said, “We have three dog pounds with a capacity of 30 kennels each. We sterilise male and female dogs here. Male dogs testicles are removed and the female dog’s womb is removed here.”

These testicles and wombs are dispatched in bio medical vehicles. “We put the record of each surgery counting the organs from all NGOs. These organs are dispatched as bio medical waste every day. Dog sterilisation costs which includes stay, food, vaccination can go up to Rs 600, which is borne by PMC health department,” said Dr Sabne. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com

The project at Mohan Nagar, Baner, will be completed by end-December and will ease the burden on the existing pound

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CONTACT MISS. ARSILLA MISHRA CONTACT 9630884357 EMAIL US : MISHRASHON12@GMAIL.COM

Not all that glitters is really gold Only 480 jewellers in Pune district have the license to sell Hallmark jewelry that guarantees the purity of the gold

BY VICKY PATHARE @VickyPathare2 Not much has changed in regard with the festive season of Diwali—be it cleaning the house, decorating it with diyas, rangoli and lamps, or buying gold jewelry. If you, too, buy gold jewelry every Diwali, take care that the shop owners do not cheat you. Only a handful of the 480 jewellers in Pune district from the thousands, are Bureau of Indian standard (BIS) Hallmark licencees. Licenses of jewellers selling counterfeit BIS Hallmark jewelry can be cancelled, said BIS officials.

Buyers who are aware about the importance always insist on Hallmark jewelry so that they have a guarantee about the purity of gold. But many are not aware about the thousands of jewelry shops in Pune district are tagging the ornament as BIS Hallmark without having the legal license for it. If jewellers have multiple branches, they have to take a BIS Hallmark license for every branch.

One cannot sell the gold from other branches after having license for a single branch.

A hallmarked piece of jewelry tells you the official proportion of the metal.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the accreditation agency that certifies and hallmarks gold jewelry. Hallmarking of gold jewelry was voluntarily introduced in India under the BIS Act, 1986 under which certification of purity of gold jewelry is done in accordance with Indian Standards Specification IS 1417. Hallmark on the ornament indicates that gold articles have been evaluated and tested at an official

Assaying and Hallmarking Centre and the metal is up to the national and international standards and fineness or purity. The relationship of fineness of gold jewelry with cartage as specified in IS 1417 is — 958= 23C, 916=22C, 875=21C, 833=20C, 750=18C, 585=14 C & 375=9C. “In Pune district there are 480 jewelry shops having BIS Hallmark License. This includes multiple jewelry shops of a single jewelry chain store. There are 1,150 jewelry shops from Pune region which includes 14 districts— Pune, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Beed, Hingoli, Jalna, Kolhapur, Latur,

Medical care at your doorstep via Wasti Clinics initiative PMC sets up 16 Wasti Clinics that are proving to be a boon for 4.5 lakh residents of the city

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @tusharrupanavar The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has opened 16 Wasti Clinics at Sangamwadi and Ahmednagar Road ward office areas, on the lines of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s Mohalla Clinics. Residents of the two localities are now being provided medical facilities at their doorstep, thanks to the Wasti Clinics.

There is a glaring lack of medical facilities in the city. Poor patients rely on PMC run hospitals and clinics for medical treatment. PMC provides medical care to citizens through its two hospitals, 15 maternity homes and 42 clinics, but considering the ever rising population and area of the city, these facilities are inadequate, and the medical establishmentsfail to provide

medical care to all the citizens of Pune. The AAP Pune unit had urged the PMC to start medical facilitation centres called Mohalla Clinics launched by the AAP government, which have proved to be extremely popular with the residents of Delhi.

PMC Commissioner Kunal Kumar took the policy decision to start 50 Wasti Clinics at different locations within PMC limits in the month of August. But it has taken two months for the PMC administration to set up the Wasti Clinics.

There has been an alarming rise in the number of dengue and chikungunya patients in the Sangamwadi and Ahmednagar Road areas over the last few days. So PMC decided to start Wasti Clinics in these localities, initially. Being at a distance from the city, residents of Sangamwadi and Ahmednagar Road find it difficult to come to the city for medical treatment.

Elaborating on the Wasti Clinics, PMC health department chief Dr S T Pardeshi said, “Taking into account thelow ratio of hospitals figures in

One of the PMC Wasti Clinics, at Ganesh Mala, Ganpatinagar

comparison to the city population and area, PMC decided to start Wasti Clinics. Treatments are exorbitantly expensive at private hospitals, and most patients who cannot afford these rely on PMC run hospitals and clinics for medical care. It is not economically feasible for PMC to build hospitals and clinics in every locality. Therefore PMC has opened 16 Wasti Clinics at Yerwada, Vimannagar, Hingne Khurd, Janata Vasahat, Ashoknagar, Suryaprakashnagar, Kharadigaothan, Prateeknagar, Vadgaonsheri, Hadapsar, Bibwewadi, Khairewadi and Tadiwala Road. These clinics have operating from vyayamshalas, samaj mandirs and vacant spaces in ward offices, for three days and three hours in a week. These Wasti Clinics also conduct blood and urine tests. Patients also get free treatment and medicines at the Wasti Clinics. More than 4.5 lakh residents of these localities are benefiting from the clinics. The health department has picked locations like Vidi Kamgar Vasahat where we will set up Wasti Clinics in the coming days.” tushar.rupanavar@goldensparrow.com

Nanded, Osmanabad, Parbhani, Satara, Sangli and Solapur having authorised license to sell Hallmark jewellery,” said K C Mishra, who spearheads the Hallmark Licensee department of BIS Pune region office. But there are very few jewelry shops having legal license to sell BIS Hallmark jewelry, and the high chances of being cheated while buying gold are high.

“There is a lack of awareness in the market and some jewelry shop owners take advantage.

Those flouting the norms face penal action amounting to Rs 2,000 to Rs 10,000. In case of major violation the license of the jewelry shop can be suspended by BIS,” said Mishra.

“The Pune Saraf Association which was established in the year 1925 alone has more than 680 jewelry shop owners registered with them from Pune district,” said association officials.

“Always buy Jewelry that is hallmarked by the Bureau of Indian Standards. Unless it has hallmark jewelry one can’t guarantee the purity of gold. No matter from where you buy your gold jewelry, get a purity check done.

Some jewellers have purity machines installed in their stores for purity check. You can get it tested before buying,” said a jeweller on condition of anonymity. vicky.pathare@goldensparrow.com

State launches skill-development programme

Maharashtra government has launched ‘Kaushalya Setu’, its skill development programme for students.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister of State Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (Independent Charge) Rajiv Pratap Rudy and state Education Minister Vinod Tawde were present on the occasion.

Under the Kaushalya Setu initiative, students of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education, who fail to clear Class X or SSC exam, would be accommodated in the skill development courses, so that they do not lose a year. Praising the initiative, Fadnavis said, “We have started various skill development programmes, but this (Kaushalya Setu) is the best among them.”

“Maharashtra will play a leading role in fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Skill India Mission-2020,” he added. Rudy said, “This is a pilot project and if it is successful, it will change the fortune of the entire country.”

Elaborating on the initiative, Tawde said, “No student (of Class X) will be termed failed in the exam, but will be provided training as per his skills under this initiative.”

Under this programme, no student will sit at home after matriculation and will receive skill-oriented training, the minister said. “The programme will give a big boost to Modi’s dream of skill development as about 24,000 students will be provided training under ‘Kaushalya Setu’ initially,” Tawde said.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

“The government is restoring it (Rang Mahal) just in time, before the woodwork gets destroyed, since such workmanship is difficult to come by. Besides, the original work will always be of greater value.”

- Saili Palande-Datar, City-based historian

CoEP to scrutinise Aurangabad bridges

BY GUNWANTI PARASTE @gunwantiparaste The College of Engineering Pune (CoEP) has received a proposal from Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to carry out structural audit of bridges across the city limits. The collapse of British-era bridge in Mahad has woken up authorities to carry out structural audit of bridges across the city limits. AMC would go for structural audit of bridges either through structural engineers from the civic panel or by appointing a third-party agency.

Officials have already directed executive engineers to start review of bridges.

CoEP Professor BG Birajdar confirmed the request from AMC. The structural stability of all bridges in the city will be ascertained. A report, which will list strengthening and bearing capacity of bridges, will be considered while carrying out the audit.

The institute will do the structural audit of 8 to 10 bridges located in Aurangabad city. The civic officials held discussion with CoEP representatives and will hand over the acceptance letter soon. The three bridges at Barapulla Gate, Makkai Gate and Mehmood Gate are 350 years old and their audit is a must.

Structural audit needs internal and outer inspections. Rebound hammer, ultra velocity, carbonation corrosion test, concrete strength, core testing, chemical

P 11

RBI optimistic on inflation, warns of risks to growth next year P 14

21 ZP schools run without headmasters in Shirur

Residents of Koregaon Bheema in Shirur threaten to lock school and boycott exam

BY GUNWANTI PARASTE @gunwantiparaste attack, push over analysis are some of tests carried out for bridges inspection.

Birajdar said a CoEP team, including six-seven students, will visit Aurangabad after Diwali. COEP team has already done a structural audit of heritage bridges like Shivaji Bridge, Sambhaji Bridge and other old bridges in Pune.

Earlier, district collector Nidhi Pandey had asked the state public works department to carry out a structural audit of all the three historical gates located near the existing bridges.

During his recent visit to the city, guardian minister Ramdas Kadam had directed the PWD officials and others to speed up the process and complete the all the required formalities at the earliest to start work on the bridges.

“Accordingly, we have asked a private agency to undertake the structural audit of the bridges,” Pandey said. gunwanti.paraste@goldensparrow.com

The 21 zilla parishad (ZP) primary schools in Shirur Tehsil (Pune District) are running without headmasters for the past four years.

The local representatives and villagers are making regular rounds of the office of Pune Zilla Parishad Education Department in vain. The primary school located at Koregaon Bheema in Shirur is one such school.

Primary education in the area is being greatly hampered due to acute crisis of headmasters and teachers. The critical situation has a bearing effect on the education of children with many children unable to read and write.

Children are also unable to do basic arithmetical operations.

With no sign of any positive development coming from the authorities, some villagers have threatened to lock the school and boycott exams. The education department is yet to fill the 21 vacant

Nobody is a criminal until convicted by court: Kakade

BJP remains firm on not allowing entry into the party to those with criminal backgrounds

BY TUSHAR RUPANAVAR @tusharrupanavar

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is devoted to its ‘party with a difference’ tag, and will not allow those with criminal backgrounds into the party fold. But in the last few days, some local corporators and others accused but not convicted by the court in criminal cases have entered the BJP. “We will give entry to other party leaders in the BJP only after taking local MLAs into confidence. The BJP is a cadre based party and people are happy with its two years of governance. It is my personal view that BJP will win the upcoming Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections to be held in February 2017 on its own, without forging alliances with any political party,” said Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Sanjay Kakade.

As many as 18 sitting and former corporators from various political parties joined the BJP recently with the help of Kakade, at Varsha, the official residence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. But Pune gangster Kamlakar Kisan alias Baba Bodke’s and Shyam

Struggle over dengue vaccines

Sanjay Kakade

Shinde’s photos with CM Fadnavis have gone viral in the social media, tarnishing the BJP’s image. The party also faced severe media criticism after inducting Pintya Dawade, Prakash Dhole and Shyam Shinde, all of whom have several pending court cases against them.

Kakade said, “Nobody is a criminal until convicted by court. The media runs negative stories regarding BJP giving entry to people with criminal backgrounds. We will not give entry to people who are convicted in criminal cases. There were some allegations against Pintya Dhawade and Prakash Dhole, who recently met CM Fadanavis, and the court actually acquitted them. So they are not criminals, and the media has falsely run these stories. Not a single case has been registered against Pintya Dhawade for the last seven years. Shyam Shinde has some pending court cases but there

are no serious charges against him.

Pintya Dhawade, Prakash Dhole, Sunanda Gadale and Shyam Shinde have not yet joined the BJP. They met CM Fadanavis regarding development works in their wards. Sitting and former corporators from Congress, NCP and MNS are eager to join the BJP before the PMC elections. But we will give entry to only those with good social backgrounds. The BJP policy is to give adequate representation to all castes. Now BJP will give entry to leaders from other parties only after taking local MLAs into confidence.”

Regarding an alliance with Shiv Sena for the PMC polls, Kakade said, “The BJP is getting strong support from voters in Pune. It is my personal view that party should go solo in PMC elections without forging alliances with anybody. But the party high command will take a final call on alliances and it will be final for us as well. Right now there are more than 15 corporators who wish to join the BJP. The BJP is going to do a survey of PMC wards. We have not promised party tickets to anybody entering the BJP. The decision to give tickets will be taken on the basis of this survey. There are no differences between guardian minister Girish Bapat and myself. Both of us are working for the growth of our party. Bapat is a senior leader of party and he will lead us in the PMC elections.” tushar.rupanavar@goldensparrow.com

The Kopregaon Bheema Zilla Parishad primary school

posts of the total 49 headmaster positions. Only 64 teachers are available for teaching primary students in the entire area.

Speaking to TGS, Koregaon Bheema Village Upsarpanch Ganesh Phadtare said, “The authorities are least bothered about primary education in our area. These schools are running with teachers carrying out the responsibilities of a principal.

There is scarcity of teachers also with one teacher sometimes managing two classes together. Our children are suffering and the officials are playing with their academic future.”

The village’s former panch Nitin Gawhane said, “We will be left with no option but to lock the school and boycott examinations if the authorities do not take any favourable decision. We plan to hold agitations if the officials VISHAL KALE

DEFYING GRAVITY

do not arrange for headmasters after Diwali.”

Meanwhile, Education officer (Shirur) Arjun Misal admitted that 21 zilla parishad primary schools in Shirur are running without headmasters. “As the matter is already in court, we cannot take any action. The villagers had filed a petition demanding the authorities to fill up vacant posts immediately and the court is yet to give its judgment.

Many schools in other districts are also running without headmasters. We have already conveyed our position to the village representatives. Villagers have been holding protest marches in the past and now plan to lock the school and boycott the half-yearly exams. Planning to prevent children from appearing for exams will only affect their children’s future.”

Some officials claim that senior teachers were not promoted to the post of headmasters as they failed to fulfill some qualifications and criteria as per the government policy. Experts blame authorities for the pathetic state of school education in the tehsil and express dismay to know that school don’t have a regular principal or headmaster. In most cases, teachers take up the responsibilities of the principal. gunwanti.paraste@goldensparrow.com

CMs should cooperate in finding solution: Forum Belagavi

Fadnavis

A painter is perched high above the ground with just a rickety bamboo scaffolding for support, at a building on Bhandarkar Road

Siddaramaiah

Goa and Maharashtra Chief Ministers should cooperate in finding a solution for drinking water in this region of Karnataka, Kalasa Bhanduri Horata Samiti (Kalsa Bhanduri Agitation Forum) said.

The Samithi President Vijay Kulkarni said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should take the same efforts as he did for the Cauvery issue in finding a solution.

“We believe in amicable settlement and good relations with neighbouring states,” he told reporters here.

Kulkarni said, “If Goa and Maharashtra do not co-operate for drinking water requirement of this part of the state then we will have intensify our agitation.” Karnataka has locked horns with the neighbouring Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi River water between both the states.

The Kalasa-Banduri project is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

PTI

Lady teacher suspended for smearing Fevicol on student’s face Indira National School class teacher smears Fevicol on the face and hands of a class III students

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1 In a shocking incident, Smita, (name changed) a standard III girl student of Indira National School (INS), Tathawade on Pune Mumbai highway, was humiliated by a lady teacher, who smeared the girl’s face and hands with the adhesive Fevicol. The reason for the teacher’s wrath was that Smita had squeezed out too much Fevicol from the tube during the art and craft class.

But after being smeared with Fevicol, Smita was in tears, while the rest of the class was laughing at her humiliation.

Smita’s shocked and aggrieved parents demanded action against the lady teacher, who was suspended by the INS administration.

On the day of the incident, a tearful Smita returned home and narrated the incident to her mother.

She said she did not wish to continue at INS school, and asked her mother to enroll her in a different school. Smita’s parents expressed their distress over the incident on the social media. The incident happened last week.

Smita’s parents’ message said, “Our daughter is a student of class IV at Indira National School. Today she was humiliated in front of the entire

class by her class teacher. The children were in an art & craft class, in which they had to use Fevicol. The amount of Fevicol Smita had squeezed out on a newspaper was more than what

was required. The teacher asked, ‘Yeh extra Fevicol kiska hai?’ My daughter accepted that it was hers. She got bugged further and said, ‘Ab yeh Fevicol iske face pe lagega,’ and applied the Fevicol on her face, hands and eyebrows. My daughter started crying and all the children were laughing at her because of this humiliation. Since the Fevicol had dried, it was very painful for my daughter to remove it.’’

“We enquired about the class teacher with other parents and most of them had complaints about the teacher’s behaviour towards their wards,” said one of the parents.

Confirming the incident, another parent, on condition of anonymity said that there were several complaints against the same teacher, who had

beaten another student during a dance competition.

Ryan Shikha, member of the Parent Teacher Association, raised an alarm after she came to know of the incident. Shikha called Smita’s parents, school authorities and police, and asked them to take appropriate action against the school. Shikha said, “Whatever happened was shocking.

If the Fevicol had gone into the nose of the girl, her life would have been threatened. The teacher Sakshi, who has done this, is a criminal and she must be punished. If the school knew about the incident, why did they not inform the police and immediately get her arrested? Now the school is saying that the teacher has been suspended.”

Shikha called the police and asked

them to take action. The police said that they will take action against the school.

Confirming the news, INS administrative officer Matin Shaikh said that the teacher had been suspended. “We have suspended the concerned teacher today morning from the school. We are submitting all reports related to this to the school management,” said Shaikh. However, he refused to reveal the name of the teacher. As per the faculty record found on the website of INS, the teacher’s name is Sakshi Rai, and she teaches Hindi.

Our efforts to contact INS executive principal Gita Pillai failed to evoke a response. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

“Not including Likes, more than 50 per cent of the reactions used in India are Love, and more than 30 per cent of Reactions used in India are Haha.”

— Adam Mosseri, VP of Product at Facebook

PUNE

“Birth anniversary of Smita Patil... Worked with her in ‘Shakti’ and ‘Namak Halal’... a special lady! A considerate friend.”

— Amitabh Bachchan

There is life after breast cancer The Nag Foundation provides a platform for breast cancer survivors to share their experience and motivate others to overcome the disease

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1 Breast cancer in women has topped the chart as the leading cause of death in India among all types of cancers.

As per World Health Organisation (WHO) records, about 3.26 lakh women die from all types of cancers, while 20 per cent of them or 65,200 women die because of breast cancer.

According to experts, 50 to 60 per cent of these deaths could be averted if the affl icted women had reported to their doctors earlier, in time. Their lack of awareness is to be blamed.

Nag Foundation, a charitable trust is

working in the field of cancer since 1989, is aiming to create awareness and provide support for breast cancer patients.

Nag Foundation had organised the fi fth Indian Breast Cancer Survivors Conference, a campaign to help spread awareness of breast cancer, which was participated in by more than 300 breast cancer survivors. It provides a platform for the community to share their stories and create a sense of urgency amongst everyone.

TGS spoke to some of the participants about how they coped with the ordeal and recovered from the dread disease. They shared their experiences without hesitation.

Some of them had to deal with overwhelming social stigma, while others did not. But the common thread of their message was that one can overcome breast cancer with proper treatment and the unstinting support of society. dnyaneshwar.bhonde@ goldensparrow.com

‘Instead of crying over small things, we should enjoy life as it comes’

Mayuri Jaideep Jejurikar, 32, of Pimpri, is a drama teacher, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. When she discovered the lump, she promptly sought medical help. In view of her age, the doctors believed it to be a common fibroid, as she was breastfeeding her child. But the lump swelled up after two months. The oncologist even removed the lump conducting a normal surgery, supposing it to be a normal fibroid. But the positive biopsy report shocked Jejurikar and doctors too.

Mayuri was fortunate to have the support of her family, including husband Jaideep who runs a family business, and oncologist Gajanan Kanetkar. She underwent six cycles of chemotherapy and radiation for 38 days. Now she is fully cured of breast cancer and leading a normal life. But she had panicked in the initial phase. But overcoming the disease has taught her a lot. “I have now developed a positive approach towards life. Instead of crying over small things, we should enjoy life as it comes.

I avoided socialising, fearing the social stigma,” said Mayuri.

‘I decided to overcome this disease, come what may, with a positive approach’ Sandhya Pethe, 71, of Nashik, discovered a lump in her breast in the year 2009. She underwent surgery, the lump was removed and the biopsy report was negative. But soon after, she noticed another lump in her breast, which turned out to be malignant (cancer positive). Pethe, who retired as income tax inspector, was shocked.

“I was shocked to know this but I decided to fight and overcome this disease,

come what may, with a positive approach,” she said. Pethe was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 end and was operated on at Curie Manavata Cancer Centre in Nashik in 2010.

Then she underwent five chemotherapy sessions over seven months and succeeded in beating the disease. Now Pethe follows a regimen of exercise, proper diet with vitamins, and is able to enjoy life without

any remorse. She came to know about the Nag Foundation at Curie Manavata Cancer Centre.

She has been participating in the foundation’s programmed for two consecutive years. Her message to women diagnosed with breast cancer is that there is advanced treatment available today, and one can be completely cured of the disease with positive thinking.

‘Keep a positive attitude, follow the treatment and diet, and regain your health’ Mugdha Satarkar, 60, of Karvenagar, retired in January as deputy general manager of a nationalised bank. She is cautious and alert about her health. She has an affinity for sports, and plays basketball, football and cricket, and has been a coach and led Indian teams to China, Australia and UK. She had formed the habit of breast self examination. In 2009, when she was a zonal manager in Goa, she discovered a lump in her breast. She immediately underwent sonography, was operated on, and a sample of the lump was sent to Hyderabad and Mumbai for biopsy. The reports came back positive.

She was then transferred to Pune to avail of treatment and was referred to Dr Shona Nag, oncologist at Sahyadri Hospital. She was nervous but as the treatment started she gained confidence.”

My husband, the doctors, nurses, and family friends helped me overcome the ordeal. After completing the treatment, and seven-month leave, I rejoined duty and worked for seven more years,” she said. “Dr Nag, who gave me three chemo prescriptions, also boosted my confidence. She assured me that the medicine was neither painful, harmful nor had any side effects,” she said.

Satarkar had given up socialising, calling up friends, preferring to be alone, to avoid being pitied as a cancer victim. But her husband Satish and sons Dhananjay and Rajiv were always supportive. Even the bank officers, executives and other staffers gave her confidence. She was also given a promotion. “Cancer is definitely curable. Keep a positive attitude, follow the suggested treatment and diet, and regain your health,” she said. Satarkar has been associated with the Nag Foundation for seven years.

‘There is a lot of ignorance about cancer in society, and creating awareness is the need of the hour’ Vasundhara Kamble, 48, of Vishrantwadi, is living proof of how adversity can be overcome with a strong will and positivity. Affl icted with cancer, the oncologist had prescribed eight chemo cycles, but two were cancelled as she had exercised her will, practiced meditation and positive thinking.

Kamble had been diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2012. She had discovered the lump in 2009. She used to go to a private Ayurvedic centre for her health problems, and she informed them about the lump, which the doctors ignored. She sought an oncologist’s help in the year 2011, when she began to lose her fitness. Cancer surgeon Dr Ravindra Kasbekar and oncologist Anant Bhushan

Ranade operated on her and removed the tumour.

The cancer has spread to 75 per cent of her body and her bones too have become weak because of the treatment. But she still manages to lead a peaceful and positive life.

She feels hurt that neighbours and others avoid her. “I didn’t tell anyone about being affl icted by the disease, but the people who came to know seemed to just boycott me. I felt extremely hurt and my life was misery. But my husband Sunil, who is a clerk in court, son Shreyas and daughter Shreya have helped me lot,” she said. There is a lot of ignorance about cancer in society, and creating awareness is the need of the hour.

“Women are the enemies of women who contract cancer. They gossip about women like me who have cancer. Why do they do this? Any one can get cancer,” she says.

She got in touch with Nag Foundation a month ago, after which her attitude has changed, and now she even writes poetry and articles.

Magical spell of Swamini

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Enjoy SP’s month-long Biryani-fest TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Expand your culinary horizons and indulge in something festive, unique and celebratory this month. Enjoy a delicious biryani feast with family and friends and celebrate the spirit of Indian cuisine. The much-awaited and popular annual biryani festival by SP’s Biryani House took off on Thursday (October 20) in Pune. Th is is the sixth edition of the month-long annual food festival organised by the famous joint. The culinary experience offered

by SP’s Biryani Festival, comprises a

wide range of biryanis like Maharaja Dum Biryani, Mutton Mughlai Dum Biryani, Kashmiri Mutton Dum Biryani, Mutton Nawabi Dum Biryani, Hyderabadi Biryani, Malbari Biryani and many more variants await the avid lovers of biryani. Th is year, SP’s Biryani Festival has upgraded their offerings with biryanis from Baloochi, Karachi, Irani and Afghani varieties to spice up the festival in international flavour.

SP’s biryani fest also presents an equally wide range of chicken biryanis.

This experience is made more exciting with a range of recipes of kheema

and pulav on offer. The three-storied, centrally air-conditioned food joint near SP College on Tilak Road is ready to welcome foodies with their families and friends to this annual festival and serve them an international range of biryanis.

Even as historians claim that Turkic ruler Tamerlane was responsible for biryani’s entry into India, there are many stories and legends about the layers of rice, spices and succulent meat that go to make different variants of this delicacy. SP’s festival is a memorable way to enjoy this a heavenly dish fit for kings and commoners alike. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

Maha forts are now on the verge of ruin

Maharashtra happens to be endowed with great wealth in terms of heritage, and a large number of forts that were the bastions of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s kingdom and power. The tragedy is that most of the forts lie in a state of ruin, as we have neglected their historical importance and potential as world heritage sites

BY ASHISH PHADNIS

T

he forts in Maharashtra played a key role in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s guerilla warfare techniques against the might of the enemy armies, during the 16th century. These monuments stand tall as they embody the vast scope of human ingenuity, creativity and vision. They have stood as silent witnesses as the bloodiest of battles raged around them. A legion of brave soldiers laid down their lives to protect these forts, and their supreme sacrifices have endowed these magnificent structures with a holy aura.

To maintain and ensure the longevity of this rich heritage, forts like Shivneri, Lohagad, Visapur and Rajmachi have been listed as monuments of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), as they harbor vital information from the past. Some other forts like Rajgad, Torna, Sinhagad and Koraigad are state protected monuments. The state department is planning for these symbols of the state’s bygone era to be included as World Heritage sites maintained by the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Though this sounds good and impressive on paper, in reality, the scenario is totally different. Most of the forts are in a state of ruin due to the lack of maintenance, long years of neglect, the lethargic approach of the local villagers, and commercialisation of trekking groups. As per the rules, even camping or staying, cooking, swimming in ponds or selling food products is prohibited on the protected forts. But such things are common at most of the forts.

Trekkers pitch their tents, cook food, and some villagers even provide them food while charging extra money. Due to the lack of sanitation facilities, they are forced to use open land, thus creating an unhygienic situation. In the worst cases, such groups litter the area with plastic bottles, dishes and glasses, waste food and even liquor bottles and cigarette butts.

The issue became a hot topic recently when a trekker was fined

by the Maharashtra State Archaeologic for violating the sanctity of Rajgad fort department manages other forts like Si in Pune, and Rangna, Bhudargad and V district as state protected monuments.

These forts are hot destinations for On weekends, these forts are overcrowd archaeological department are freely vio fails to keep tabs on such activities due and funds. In 2011, a state budget of R for the development and conservation o including Sinhagad, Shivneri, Pratapga developed under the scheme. These fort alluring with plans for audio visual sho centres and other facilities to attract mo However, nothing has happened so far.

Team TGS takes a close look which are protected by the s

Visitors prefer an overnight stay to have the time to explore all th

Rajgad fort, the undisputed king of all in Maratha history and still occupies a heart. The fort is situated near Bhor (48 honoured as the first capital of Swarajy numerous key incidents in Shivaji’s life almost 26 years at this fort.

The fort is a significant site for trek This place becomes one of the most sou especially after the monsoons. As it is a sights and spots on the fort is really not visitors prefer an overnight stay on the

Experts Say

‘For World Heritage status, the fort must have outstanding value’ The Maharashtra state department is planning to include some of the forts as World Heritage sites maintained by United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

However, it’s not an easy task. It needs years of meticulous planning and hard work.

Currently 42 sites in India are listed as World Heritage sites, out of which four are from Maharashtra, including Ajanta and Ellora caves, Elephanta caves and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus).

Recently five forts from Rajasthan have made the cut. So, if we want our forts to be in the list, we must first have proper documentation.

There should be a defined policy about the management, tourism development and report of ground work that has been done. It takes nearly two years to have a properly documented proposal.

For a site to qualify for the World Heritage

tag, the most basic requirement is that it must have outstanding value. With the changed rules, a set of monuments is now listed. So keeping aside the pride and emotions, these forts should be identified. Secondly, we have to compare them with Anand Kanitkar other forts in Europe and other continents. We must prove that there is something unique in these forts and should be ready for queries and team inspections after the submission of proposals.

Even the forts in Rajasthan didn’t get the tag in one go, but they had to repeat the process after one year, and they passed the test after completing all the norms. So, we must be preparing for that.

- Anand Kanitkar, Project Manager at UNESCO

‘Preserving these forts is not just our job, it’s everyone’s job’ The Pune division of Maharashtra State Archaeological and Museum Department is making efforts to maintain the sanctity of these forts, but due to a lack of manpower and funds they are left with few options.

It’s difficult to manage these forts with such a limited staff. Let’s take the example of Rajgad.

There are four entry points to fort. So, if we really want to keep a check on trekkers and visitors, we would need at least four security guards, who won’t allow anyone to litter on the fort, and they will also close the entry points after dark. No one is allowed to stay on the fort, as per the rules.

However, currently we can’t afford four guards for one fort. We are planning to put up boards to inform trekkers of what is prohibited on the fort.

They will be installed in couple of months.

I feel that awareness is the key factor. The villagers, the trekkers, and the tourists should understand that preserving these forts is not just our job, it’s their job too. There is no need to keep security personnel if people behave

properly and not damage the fort. But that doesn’t happen.

We would like to involve locals in our task, but it’s not possible every time.

We have observed that the local villagers provide food and plastic water bottles to trekkers to earn extra money.

Vilas Wahane They should understand that they are ruining their own heritage. Otherwise just laying down rules and regulation won’t solve the problem.

Even trekkers should do their part. Despite knowing the rules, they violate them as there is no one to keep check. The increase in the number of rescue operations, and deaths while taking selfies by drowning in ponds clearly indicate that awareness should be generated amongst the trekkers.

-Vilas Wahane, Assistant director of the Archaeological Department, Pune

Forts sh VILAS WAHANE

YOGESH JAGTAP

The forts ar and cultura them with t structures o different sty methods.

It’s unfo long to und Rajgad, the palace were ruined. The them. They have allowe of that sort archaeolog positive ste from everyo Secondl keeping the emulate the

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

ASHISH PHADNIS

Torna Fort

The first step in the building of the Maratha empire

k at these forts, state department.

y at Rajgad he parts of the fort

forts, played a major role special place in everybody’s 8km away from Pune) and was ya, having been the venue for . The legendary king spent

kers and adventurous tourists. ught after trekking destinations a huge fort, exploring all the t possible in a day. Hence fort to have the time to

Rajgad Fort explore all the parts of the fort. The Padmavati temple on the fort can accommodate around 50 people. Water tanks provide fresh water all throughout the year. Villagers from the foothills of Rajgad sell useful stuff to the tourists, who are there for an overnight stay. Even the Maharashtra Government has built two guest rooms for visiting trekkers.

However, ignorant trekkers have misused the facilities. The surrounding area of Padmavati machi is always littered, utensils and plates are washed near the pond, while the source of fresh water near the temple is so damaged, that it can’t be used for drinking purposes anymore. The archaeological department along with a few NGOs and trekking groups recently undertook a cleaning drive on several forts. The members cleaned the garbage on the fort, but that’s just a temporary solution.

Th is fort could have been built 2000 years ago

Sinhagad fort is on the most popular destinations for the people of Pune. Located roughly 30 kilometres southwest of the city, the fort has been the site of many important battles, most notably the Battle of Sinhagad in 1671. It was also strategically located at the centre of a string of other forts such as Rajgad, Purandar and Torna. Given natural protection by its very steep slopes, the walls and bastions were

ortunate that we have taken ever so derstand their importance. Earlier on e wooden pillars of Shivaji Maharaj’s e seen. But now they have been e government should have preserved should have covered it and shouldn’t ed anyone to go there. But nothing t happened. It’s good that now the gical department is taking some eps. But, it needs tremendous support one. ly, these forts should be promoted, e tourism aspect in view. We should e way Rajasthan has maintained its

Sinhagad Fort

Korigad Fort

Swimming is prohibited in the large ponds on the forts, but no one pays heed

Korigad is a hill fort located about 20 km south of Lonavala in Pune district. Its date of construction is not known but it likely predates 1500. The township of Aamby Valley is built over the fort’s southern and eastern foothills. The closest village is Peth Shahpur.

A temple to its patron goddess Koraidevi also exists along with several smaller temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. The former has been recently renovated. The interesting part of the fort is that its defence wall is completely intact and one can walk along its entire perimeter. Its massive gate is also intact. Several ruins of older structures within the fort still exist. It has six cannons, the largest of which is called the Laxmi Toph, and it’s located near the Korai Devi temple.

However, just like Sinhagad, the fort gets overcrowded during the monsoons. Though it swimming is prohibited in the large ponds on the forts, no one pays heed. The deaths of two Mumbai trekkers by drowning in the pond a few months ago was a prime example of ignorance of the rules. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

ASHISH PHADNIS ASHISH PHADNIS

hould be promoted without commercial purpose

re an essential part of our historical al heritage and we must preserve the topmost priority. Several on these forts tell us about the yles of architectures and their

constructed at only key places. Some of the information available at this fort suggests that it could have been built 2000 years ago. The caves and the carvings in the Kaundinyeshwar temple stand proof for the same.

Cadets from the National Defence Academy are regularly sent on hikes and runs to Sinhagad in full battle gear, to build endurance and stamina. The fort also houses a television tower for broadcasting local TV signals. Currently not many well-constructed rooms and bungalows are available for a stay at the top.

However, the fort has lost its tranquility and beauty due to increasing number of visitors. Due to the road access, it has become easy to get to the top for everyone. During the monsoons, throngs of tourists visit the fort, eventually leading to traffic chaos. As the authorities were not prepared to handle such huge crowds, many tourists have to leave the fort.

To cope up with the crowds, many of villagers have constructed permanent restaurants on the fort, which has had to a degenerative effect on the beauty of the fort.

SHARDDHA MEHTA

NARESH PARAB

ONKAR OAK

Torna fort is considered as the fi rst step in the building of the Maratha empire. At the age of 16, Shivaji Maharaj captured this fort and named it Prachandgad. Due to its strategic location, the fort soon became the most secure place in their battles.

Th is is one of the tallest forts in Maharashtra. So, this has always been a centre of attraction for trekkers. Th is fort is located about 60 km from Pune. Though the fort houses two temples, Toranjai and Menghai, only the latter can be used for staying purposes. The fort is huge and tougher than Rajgad to climb and thus attracts fewer people.

There is absolutely no maintenance of the fort, as there are no guards to protect the monuments. Th is sprawling fort possesses two ‘machi’. One is Budhla machi, while the other one is Jhunjar machi.

The latter one is known for its magnificent defensive structure.

However, it needs to be maintained otherwise, just like other forts it may get ruined over the passing of time.

cal and Museum department t. Along with Rajgad, the state inhagad, Torna and Koraigad Vishalgad forts in Kolhapur

trekkers and picnickers. ded and the rules of the olated. Yet, the department to the lack of manpower Rs 85 crore was sanctioned of the forts. Four major forts, ad and Raigad were to be ts were to be made even more ows, information and guidance ore tourists and trekkers. .

NARESH PARAB

forts and converted them into popular touring spots.

Our forts are a matter of immense pride for every Maharashtrian, but not everyone manages to visit the forts. Without commercial purposes, these forts can be promoted Anurag Vaidya as our heritage and even attract foreign tourists, the way Shivneri is preserved.

Of course, the way Sinhagad has become overcrowded and unmanageable should be avoided. But, we must provide quality service to the tourists, make the route safer, provide route maps and information boards, and most importantly, the generated income should be used for the development of the fort.

- Anurag Vaidya, Pune-based trekker

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

TECH/START-UP

“Just rode JRE’s Yamanote line with Apple Pay. Can’t wait for our customers in Japan to start using it later this month.”

-Tim Cook, CEO Apple

Burning of waste discolouring Taj P 12

Two eyes are better than one!

Mobile phone-cameras now use two lenses to enable nearprofessional photos. Huawei’s Honor 8 is the latest example

to shoot old fashioned black and white pictures. But the P9 could combine information from both sensors to make photos better especially in low light. One can create the so called bokeh effect by blurring the out—of—focus parts or background of a picture The new Apple iPhone 7 Plus also features two cameras on the rear. Both are 12-megapixels, with different focal lengths.

The first camera is a 23mm which rates as a wide angle. The second camera is zoomed at 56mm.

Huawei has now brought its 2-lens camera technology to its more

BY ANAND PARTHASARATHY We see things better with two eyes rather than one. Why should things be different with that mechanical eye, the camera? Yet incredibly there is no dedicated camera available that actually works with two lenses, side by side. Even the best and costliest Single Lens Reflex or SLRs used by professionals, shoot through one set of lenses only—though admittedly that lens system can be interchanged, choosing from a macro to a wide angle to a telephoto zoom.

It took the mobile phone camera to force the optical industry to start thinking of two lenses to shoot from a single camera.

Makers were prodded to do this, because buyers demanded better and better cameras on phones—indeed they wanted the quality that a semi-professional SLR digital camera delivered. It is extremely difficult, if not quite impossible to introduce zoom into a phone camera. In other words, to vary the depth of field that is in focus. But subjects can be close by or at the horizon and a single lens is at best a compromise —like some of the cheap point and shoot digicams which have a fixed focus.

3-D phone cameras

It is to overcome this limitation that phone makers tried to put two lenses, side by side into their rear or main camera. Historically, though, phone cameras with 2 lenses, first appeared in 2011—in the LG Optimus and the HTC Evo. Both these phones, used the twin lenses to create a stereoscopic effect—and shoot in 3-D. This gave the required depth for the resulting image to have the feel of 3-D, but without special glasses. However, 3-D never took off either on phones or on TV and the 3-D dual lens phone camera withered away.

uses a laser technology, to achieve precise depth focus even in complex lighting conditions. But to really exploit the twolens combo, you must switch to professional mode. This lets you choose various modes macro, black light, low-light etc. The wide aperture mode enables you to blur backgrounds fashionably for bokeh. But for my money, the most useful by-product of the Honor 8’s twin lenses is that you can readjust the focus even after the photo has been taken. In other words, shoot first, focus later! The camera lets

That was till LG dusted the technology and deployed it last year on the LG G5 , not for 3-D but for heightened 2-D imagery.

The G5 came with a main 16-megapixel sensor and a second 8-megapixel sensor.

The 16 megapixel camera took regular photos, but the second is wide-angle with 135-degree lens. You could switch from one lens to the other by tapping the button in the app.

Phone with Leica optics

The technology advanced further when Huawei launched the P9 phone with dual Leica 12 MP lenses. One lens captured RGB colour and the second lens captured monochrome. Software allowed the user

affordable Honor brand. The Honor 8 launched last week again offers twin 12-megapixel lenses (not Leica, but Sony), one with a colour (“RGB”) sensor, the other with a monochrome sensor. The data is combined to result in sharper images, with better colour and monochrome detail.

Unlike the P9 you cannot shoot with the mono lens alone.

Shoot first, focus later!

You can stick to the autofocus mode which

Samsung launches fleet of 500+ vans to reach customers who have no service centre in their town

you manually select the point of focus in a shot image anywhere in the field of view.

The other specs of Honor 8 are all fairly standard in a 4G phone with Android 6: 4GB RAM, 32 or 64GB storage, 5.2 inch full HD display, 8MP selfie camera, 3000 mAh battery and the ARM cortex chip.

But, the things you can do with 2 lenses are what makes the Honor 8 a compelling buy.

And at Rs 29,999, it is Rs 10,000 cheaper than the Huawei P9.

IndiaTechOnline

Samsung Service vans, ready to move out to different states, are equipped with gen sets to work anywhere without electricity

is traditionally called Bharat, rather than India, the Korea-based company which is also the maker of the top selling mobile

phone brand in India, last week put on road, the first few dozens of what will be 535 van-mounted service stations that

will ply regularly in the vast hinterland, covering 6000 talukas across 29 states and 7 union territories.

Each van is manned by trained engineers and equipped with service spares, DG sets and key jigs/fixtures for providing quick response and on-spot resolution of product complaints. Samsung is now focused on the 69 percent that live in rural India This is in addition to the existing service network which is also being ramped up to to over 3,000 within a month. Last week, at its Noida factory, the company flagged off a symbolic 29 vans -- one for each state. And soon all 535 will be positioned to move out on regular service tours everywhere—including the villages around Pune.

IndiaTechOnline

Cisco launches manufacturing operations in Pune Maharshtra-wide digital outreach will touch Nagpur, Dharavi

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, presents Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis a unit of Cisco’s Made in India hardware to mark the company’s manufacturing operations in Pune.

Shubh yatra! Cab booking made easy It is becoming easier than ever to book a taxi from your mobile phone. Here are some recent advances in the technology

BY V. SUDHAKSHINA Ever since cab aggregators like Uber, Ola, Meru etc launched their services life has become easier in many metros, including Pune, for those who need a quick ride and can’t get auto rickshaws to go where they want to go. The mobile cab booking service has become more user friendly thanks to some recent innovations:

“Hey Siri, get me an Olacab”

Now, iPhone and iPad users with iOS 10 or later on their devices, can use the phone’s smart assistant, Siri, to book a cab ride. They need only say, “Hey Siri, get me an Olacab”. They can select from a range of options, including Micro, Mini, Prime and Luxe cars.

No Internet? No worry!

Phone servicing at the doorstep, for rural customers Still reeling from the global impact of the recall of its flagship phone, Galaxy Note 7 due to some—literally—incendiary issues, Samsung has launched an India initiative unlike anything that other geographies have seen: It has decided to reach out to its customers who are away from the big metros and hence do not have the convenience of a local service centre for Samsung products like mobile phones, TV, AC, fridge etc. Now mobile servicing, takes on a double meaning!

To reach customers who stay in what

MOBILE CAB APS

The world’s largest maker of networking equipment—Cisco—has launched its India manufacturing operations—from Pune. The formal launch took place last week at an event in Mumbai, at the hands of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins.

The US—based company says it will manufacture and roll out a diverse product portfolio in India to support the government’s Make in India initiative. Cisco will use its India manufacturing operations to produce and ship orders for customers in India, as well as for testing, development, logistics, and inhouse repair capabilities.

“The manufacturing of our diverse product portfolio will bring advance manufacturing capabilities to our operations in India”, said Jun Kim, Vice President, Cisco Supply Chain and Manufacturing Operations.

The Golden Sparrow had given readers a heads up on this development, on this page on July 9 while reporting that Cisco had made its unit in Hinjewadi, Pune its second Indiabased Global Development Centre We had reported Cisco Chairman John Chambers’ remark: “We are committed to Pune. We see India as a fast innovation leader. First, you manufacture in India, for India—and then, in India for the world.”

Even as it makes Pune, the lynchpin of its Make in India thrust, Cisco is all set to widen its digital outreach to the rest of Maharashtra, with a slew of state-centred initiatives: Nagpur has been chosen for India’s First city-wide deployment of a Smart City framework enabled by Cisco’s “City Digital Platform”. This will enable city-wide network connectivity, Smart & Secure WiFi hotspots, and Smart safety & surveillance solutions. Citizen services enabled by this architecture will include smart transport, solid waste management, smart lighting, environmental sensors and smart parking.

Dharavi once known as Asia’s largest shanty town, is to become an e-commerce hub. Cisco is helping the local Sri Ganesh Vidya Mandir High School by providing the students with a virtual classroom, digital learning and Internet connectivity. After school hours, entrepreneurs and start-ups will be able to use the school as a platform for local innovation to help make Dharavi an e-biz hub.

As part of Cisco’s commitment to accelerating Digital Maharashtra and supporting the Maharashtra State Education Digitization agenda, the company announced plans to establish up to 25 Cisco Networking Academies to train approximately 10,000 students in Maharashtra by 2020.

Also announced, was an new initiative to digitize Fetri village in the Kato Tehsil of Nagpur district through key technologies including Wi-Fi, smart healthcare—and smart education in an upper primary government school in the village And in a state-wide initiative, Cisco will collaborate on the rollout of broadband infrastructure to accelerate the Digital Maharashtra vision.

Said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis: ‘‘My vision for digital Maharashtra is to digitally empower every citizen, increase the state’s global competitiveness by creating a highly skilled workforce ready for the jobs of the future, build an environment that stimulates exceptional companies, and enable outstanding public services for citizens. We are happy to partner with Cisco in the Digital Maharashtra initiative and we believe Cisco’s global experience and expertise in digitization will benefit Maharashtra immensely and accelerate the digitization of the state.”

Added Dinesh Malkani, President, Cisco India & SAARC: “These announcements underscores India’s strategic importance to Cisco’s global operations.

We have made significant investments in India since we established operations in the country in 1995.”

IndiaTechOnline

With Ola Cabs it is no longer essential to have an Internet connection to book a cab from mobile phones.

So often your data plan has expired or no WiFi hotspots are available. Ola users need to select the option: Book via SMS. They will see a pre-entered text message requesting Ola to book a cab. On sending the text message, they will get an SMS with the particulars of the nearest available cabs across categories.

On choosing their preferred cab category, they will receive driver and cab details by SMS. The driver will receive customer contact details and the GPS triangulated location of the user. In point of fact, another cab aggregator, ixigo, who works across multiple service providers—Meru, Ola, Mega, Easycabs, Jugnu—came out with its own solution called “1-Tap Cab Booking” that allows booking the nearest available cab even in the absence of Internet. Currently available for Android only, the app uses a combination of intelligence about the user’s location through existing PNR confirmations on a user’s phone and SMSes.

Book cab from Google Search

Three days ago, Google made cab commuting even easier, letting you book your Ola or Uber directly from Google Search.

You can ask Google for directions, and book rides from the Google Search box. You will see a tab for ride services, both Uber and Ola, with fare estimates and pick up times if a car is available near your location. On a search like “Taxi to Pune airport” or “Uber to Shivajinagar station”, or “Ola to Deccan Gymkhana”, the app/ browser automatically opens the app to book the ride. If the Uber/Ola app is not already installed on your device, Google Search will show a link to install the app.

IndiaTechOnline

IT is like that...

ENVIRONMENT “The global movement to protect tigers just got one million acres stronger. Unfortunately, our cameras have captured the fragile state of much of the world and its animals.”

- David Zaslav, President & CEO of Discovery Communications

H EALTH

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

“I think the biggest problem is a false mindset which has been there not only in India, but in the United States, China and other places that there is a choice between the environment, affluence and development. ” - Erik Solheim, Head, United Nations Environment Programme

Holidays may boost your immune system

Scientists suggest that even a few days off may relax your mind and improve overall health

Going on a two-week holiday could boost our immune system and help fight infection, suggest scientists who found that alterations to living space of mice dramatically changed their white blood cells.

The research at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in the UK provides the first evidence that an enriched environment influences the function of T cells - a type of white blood cell that is essential for immunity, and involved in HIV, rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic diseases.

The study found that a simple set of

alterations to a living space of mice for a brief period of time caused dramatic changes to their T cells which made them more prone to having a protective inflammatory effect.

For the study, mice were housed either in normal or ‘enriched’ environments for two weeks. The normal environment consisted of a standard mouse cage filled with sawdust and nesting material.

To provide a richer, ‘multisensorial’ standard of living, the enriched environment had a wider cage with wood shavings and toys, including a coloured nest-box, fabric tube, running wheel and swing.

“After only two weeks in an enriched environment with plenty of toys and space, the mice’s immune systems were completely different and seemed to be better prepared

It may not be possible to extend the human life span beyond the ages already attained by the oldest people on record, a new study has found. Since the 19th century, average life expectancy has risen almost continuously thanks to improvements in public health, diet, the environment and other areas, researchers said.

According to the researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the US, this upward arc for maximal lifespan has a ceiling - and we have already touched it.

“Demographers as well as biologists have contended there is no reason to think

20% Indians suffer from chronic diseases Over 20 per cent of the country’s population suffers from at least one of the non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which are estimated to cost India USD 6.2 trillion during the period 2012-2030, according to a report released.

As per the World Health Organisation, noncommunicable diseases or chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart ailments, respiratory diseases and diabetes, kill 38 million people globally every year.

The advocacy paper, NCDs in the Development Agenda, has been prepared by global non-profit organisation Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) with technical support from the National Health Systems Resource

Centre (NHSRC), an agency under the National Health Mission.

The report is an attempt to sensitise decisionmakers at all levels towards the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases and help shape their opinion towards a multi-stakeholder approach, an official of PFCD India said.

“Of the estimated 98.16 lakh deaths in India in 2014, NCDs hold over 60 per cent share (5,869,000). It accounts for 53 per cent of the disease burden,” Executive Director of NHSRC, Sanjiv Kumar said.

“Evidence demonstrates that NCDs not only affect health and quality of life, but also productivity and economic growth,” Kumar added.

PTI

Struggle over dengue vaccines

BY PALLAVA BAGLA Dengue is a dangerous debilitating disease that occasionally kills people and has no known cure or treatment.

Two vaccines against the dreaded disease - one foreign and one Indian - await regulatory clearances. A multinational pharma giant seeks waiver for a large clinical trial to be done so that the vaccine can be introduced as soon as possible looking at the emergency.

A promising Indian candidate vaccine rusts on the shelf of a laboratory in Delhi even as millions suffer. So should India bite the bullet and go ahead tough and not easy choices need to be made? But how big is the dengue problem, occasionally the authorities have behaved like ostriches. A landmark 2014 study by the government’s National Institute of Health and family Welfare (NIHFW), New Delhi, found that India could have had “an annual average of 5,778,406 clinically diagnosed dengue cases, or 282 times the reported number per year” between 2006-2012.

The study reported that the “National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme captures only 0.35 per cent of the annual number of clinically diagnosed dengue cases in India”.

In 2013, an assessment by a team of 18 researchers from seven countries, published in the British journal Nature,

environment, which would give a better response to infection.

The T cells also had a unique genetic fingerprint, with 56 genes that were boosted, many of which are involved in healing and fighting infections.

“Although this clearly still needs to be tested in humans, it raises an interesting possibility. What if doctors were able to change a patient’s environment and prescribe a two week holiday?” said D’Acquisto.

“Perhaps we could boost the effects of standard drug treatments that deal with the mechanics of infection, by also offering something environmental that improves a patient’s more general wellbeing. That might be a promising approach for treating chronic diseases,” he said.

PTI

Max human lifespan already achieved

Additional drug may cut c-section infection rates by half Scientists, including one of Indian origin, have discovered that administering the antibiotic azithromycin alongside a standard recommended drugs reduces infection rates by 50 per cent for women who undergo a cesarean delivery.

Physicians at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) showed that adding the dose of 500 milligrammes of azithromycin during a C-section also significantly decreases the use of health care resources, including re-admissions, emergency room visits and clinic visits.

“Infection during pregnancy and during the postpregnancy period is a major health problem for both mom and baby, and a common underlying cause of death,” said Alan TN Tita, professor at UAB. “Women who have a C-section are at significantly increased risk for infection compared to those who deliver vaginally,” Tita said. A clinical trial was conducted across 14 hospitals in the US with 2,013 women who were more than 24 weeks’ pregnant and undergoing a C-section.

A randomised group of patients received either the standard antibiotic regimen to prevent infection or a modified regimen with the additional azithromycin.

Researchers analysed data gathered from 14 participating hospitals to show that the frequency of endometritis, an infection of the lining of the uterus, and infection of the cesarean wound were decreased by 50 per cent in the women who received the adjunctive azithromycin compared to women who received the standard single antibiotic.

PTI

for fighting infections,” said lead researcher Professor Fulvio D’Acquisto from QMUL. “This effect is remarkable because we haven’t given them any drugs, all we’ve done is change their housing conditions,” said D’Acquisto.

“You could say that we’ve just put them in their equivalent of a holiday resort for two weeks and let them enjoy their new and stimulating surroundings,” he said.

T cells were extracted from the mice and stimulated with an agent that mimics infection. T cells from mice living in the enriched environment showed a unique pattern in the release of certain signalling molecules that play a role in immunity.

This included higher levels of Interleukin 10 and Interleukin 17, compared to mice in a normal

said “India alone contributed 22-44 million dengue infections” in the world - which suggested that the Ministry’s estimate could be lower by a 1,000 times.

It is a bite from the blood sucking tiger mosquito that causes dengue, India has been fighting a losing battle against this disease. There are at least two vaccines in the pipeline that can help.

Globally the most advanced is a vaccine made by pharma giant Sanofi and recommended by the WHO that is only effective in the age group 9 years to 45 as a tool to tackle dengue.

Earlier this year the Indian health ministry rejected the introduction of the Sanofi dengue vaccine to India as the company wanted fast track introduction and sought a waiver of the Phase III

clinical trial in India.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare noted that “the evidence was not sufficient to waive conducting a clinical trial in India.”

The vaccine has been extensively studied in 40,000 people in 15 different countries including India. The results of the study in India are very similar to the global results worldwide, running more clinical trials in India would delay the introduction of the vaccine by another three years and the suffering in India would continue.

In India, Sanofi did a limited Phase II trial among adults aged 18-45 years across five sites — Delhi, Ludhiana, Bengaluru, Pune and Kolkata.

Sanofi says they found the vaccine to be well tolerated and producing antibodies against all 4 dengue serotypes - which is consistent with the global trial results. India is taking a precautionary approach on the introduction of the Sanofi dengue vaccine.

Swaminathan says, “In fact in younger children there was reverse effect which was found to increase the severity slightly. So we felt that is the scientists who evaluated it felt that it might be safe to wait for a little more data to get generated and to see its uptake and experience in other countries before we proceed in India.”

PTI

that the ongoing increase in maximum lifespan will end soon,” said Jan Vijg, professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

“But our data strongly suggests that it has already been attained and that this happened in the 1990s,” he said. Researchers analysed data from the Human Mortality Database, which compiles mortality and population data from more than 40 countries. Since 1900, those countries generally show a decline in late-life mortality: The fraction of each birth cohort (ie people born in a particular year) who survive to old age (defined as 70

and up) increased with their calendar year of birth, pointing towards a continuing increase in average life expectancy.

However, when researchers looked at survival improvements since 1900 for people aged 100 and above, they found that gains in survival peaked at around 100 and then declined rapidly, regardless of the year people were born.

“This finding indicates diminishing gains in reducing late-life mortality and a possible limit to human lifespan,” said Vijg. Researchers then looked at “maximum reported age at death” data from the International Database on

Longevity. Researchers put the average maximum human life span at 115 years - a calculation allowing for record-oldest individuals occasionally living longer or shorter than 115 years. They calculated 125 years as the absolute limit of human lifespan. Expressed another way, this means that the probability in a given year of seeing one person live to 125 anywhere in the world is less than 1 in 10,000.

“Further progress against infectious and chronic diseases may continue boosting average life expectancy, but not maximum lifespan,” said Vijg.

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“India has initiated peace process several times, be it during Vajpayee’s regime or recently when Modi-Nawaz held talks. But, every single time Pakistan puts the obstacle of Kashmir. Look at the sequence of events, it is Pakistan, which raised the issue time and again.”

- Munir Saami, Political Analyst

Weapon snatching in Kashmir cause for concern

Militants are encouraging youth to snatch weapons from security forces and joined the Hizb ranks

BY ANIL BHATT

JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Spurt in the incidents of gun-snatching by militants in Kashmir has triggered concern in the security establishment, prompting the army to say that it is working with police to tackle the new strategy of the ultras.

Over the last three months, 67 weapons, including AK-47, INSAS, Carbine, SLR, .303 rifles, have been looted and snatched from police personnel in 12 such incidents.

“It is a new strategy and plan of the militants with twin objective of making new recruits prove their loyalty and commitment towards gun culture and also to create public perception about demoralisation in the police forces,” a senior police officer said.

The officer, however, dismissed the theory that the snatching is done to arm militants, arguing that the weapons like INSAS, Carbines, SLR rifles are not of much use to the militants unlike the AK rifles.

“Rifle snatching incidents witnessed recently in the valley, particularly in south Kashmir, is a cause of concern, said Srinagar-based Army Commander Lt Gen Satish Dua. “There are some small pickets of the

A video shows a group of Hizbul militants displaying weapons snatched from the J & K security forces in an orchard in south Kashmir. PTI Photo / (Courtesy: India Today)

police where they are not able to take care of the situation if the militants come in. It is being addressed jointly with the police, he added. Among the steps that are being taken by the forces is to increase the number of men at pickets, including those guarding minority community members in south Kashmir.

Hizbul Mujahideen commander Zakir Rashid Bhat, who was close to slain militant commander Burhan Wani, in a recent video message has said that several youth have snatched weapons from security forces and have joined the Hizb ranks.

“Anyone who wants to join us, he should snatch a weapon and join us. We welcome them all wholeheartedly, said Zakir, a former engineering student of

Only three hospitals meet fire safety norm NEW DELHI: Only three of Odisha’s 568 hospitals have fire safety clearance, the National Human Rights Commission said and issued a notice to the state government over the fire incident at a hospital in Bhubaneswar which has left 21 people dead so far.

The Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of media reports that at least 21 persons died and more than 100 others were injured in the blaze that broke out at the SUM Hospital and Medical College recently.

“In Odisha, out of 568 hospitals, only three have clearance of the department of fire safety,” the NHRC said in a statement. The Commission has issued the notice to the Odisha government’s Chief Secretary and sought a report in the matter within six weeks, including on the relief and rehabilitation efforts for the next of kin of the deceased and the injured, an NHRC official said.

“He has also been asked to inform about the steps or precautions taken or proposed to be taken by the state government to prevent recurrence of such mishaps,” the official said.

The Commission has observed that “callous attitude” and “lapses of the authorities”, if any, amount to violation of right to life of the patients, and expressed shock as to how the state authorities “allowed” such a large number of hospitals to function without proper fire safety clearance.

The NHRC has also observed that

reportedly the hospital in question was warned as early as in 2013 for not having adequate safety measures but the hospital authorities “ignored” it.

The Director General of Fire Service in Odisha Binay Behera submitted a report to the state government on the fire that reportedly started in the Operation Theatre of the Dialysis Ward and spread to ICU and nearby wards. Behera has mentioned in the report that fire safety norms as per the 2013 guidelines were not followed by the hospital authorities, a government official said.

“40 patients in a critical condition were admitted to different hospitals,” the statement said. Detecting serious lapses in safety measures, Union Health Minister JP Nadda, who inspected the fire-ravaged hospital, said all those responsible for the incident should be punished.

PTI

Vol-III* lssue No.: 19 Editor: Tushar Burman (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.

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Chandigarh, in the video.

Police feels his video message will further incite and encourage youth to snatch and loot weapons from police and other forces in Kashmir in days to come.

Former Army officer Brig (retd) Anil Gupta said the security agencies have to stop this, otherwise the number of the armed militants in Kashmir will increase.

“It is concern. Weapon-snatching is being done because militants cannot now smuggle in weapons from across the LoC due to high degree of security. So they go for snatching and looting of weapons,” he said.

Brig Gupta, who has served at 16 Crops headquarters and various other formations in J&K, said, “although police

has taken some measures to use digital chips-based GRP tracking system, my suggestion is to put in place Radio Frequency Identification Disc (RFID).

“The RFID should be embedded on the weapon and a code given to weapon handler. The weapon can fire only when both the codes match, otherwise it is of no use,” he said.

The snatching incidents started soon after Burhan’s killing, when people attacked police station Damhal Hanjipora in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on July 11 and potential militants looted 39 rifles including 21 INSAS rifles, 12 SLRs, One LMG and 2 AK rifles. On October 16 night, militants decamped with five rifles from policemen guarding a broadcast tower in Davlach village in Dooru-Shahabad area of this South Kashmir district.

The militants managed their entry into a room at Lower Power Transmitter Station of public service broadcaster Doordarshan in Davlash village where weapons were kept and escaped with the weapons, including 3 SLRs, one INSAS and a Carbine without any resistance.

Earlier on October 8, militants snatched two service rifles from a minority police post in TumlihalLassipora in Pulwama district.

A day prior to that, weapons were snatch from policemen guarding a minority picket in Jamnagri village of Shopian. In the fire fight, one cop was killed, two others including a Kashmiri Pandit were injured.

PTI

Burning of waste discolouring Taj WASHINGTON: Burning of municipal solid waste in the vicinity of the iconic Taj Mahal is significantly contributing to the discolouring of the world heritage monument, an IndoAmerican research team has found.

The research compared the impact of dung cake burning versus the burning of municipal solid waste (MSW) on browning of Taj Mahal and on the health of people living nearby.

Using new field methods, researchers, including Ajay Nagpure from the University of Minnesota and Raj Lal of Georgia Institute of Technology in the US, provide scientific evidence that the burning of MSW in the vicinity of the monument could be contributing harmful levels of airborne particulate matter (PM).

The scientists found that open MSW burning leads to about 150 milligramme per square metre (mg m-2) per year of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) being deposited on the surface of the Taj Mahal compared to about 12 mg m-2 per year from dung cake burning.

Researchers highlight that these two sources combined represent a serious health concern based on estimates of premature mortality associated with PM2.5 exposure. “Our early explorations find that just decreeing a blanket ban on MSW-burning is not effective as residents may have no other options,” said Armistead Russell, from Georgia Institute of Technology.

“Instead, finding new ways to serve underserved and poor areas with waste pick up, potentially involving neighbourhood associations - appears to be a more promising route for authorities

to pursue,” said Russell.

The analysis involved characterising MSW burning and emissions in different neighbourhoods-wealthy, poor and middle-income-in multiple Indian cities.

Airborne particulate matter in cities poses a range of problems including degradation in air quality leading to health concerns and also the discolouration of ancient buildings, said researchers including Sachchida Tripathi from IIT-Kanpur and Anu Ramaswami from University of Minnesota.

In Agra, home to the Taj Mahal, authorities have taken measures to curb the impact of local air pollution on the world heritage site, they wrote in the journal Environmental Research Letters. These steps include restricting vehicles near the complex, requiring iron foundries to install scrubbers and filters on their smokestacks, prohibiting new polluting enterprises from being built within a defined buffer zone around the mausoleum, and - most recently banning the burning of cow dung cake as cooking fuel, researchers said.

PTI PTI

Developer must respect contractual commitment: SC NEW DELHI: Unitech Resorts Ltd was directed by Supreme Court to refund Rs 15 crore to 39 homebuyers in its Gurgaon project, saying a property developer must respect the contractual commitment and live up to the terms of the contract.

The apex court while directing Unitech Resorts Ltd to deposit Rs 2 crore in four weeks with Supreme Court registry said the firm by “delaying or procrastinating” the completion of the flats cannot base its stand on “excuses or any subterfuge” to advance the stand that constructions take time.

“It needs no special emphasis to state that the property developer has to respect the contractual commitment. It has to live up to the terms of the contract and gain trust so that the people who dream of houses can repose faith in him. Not for nothing, it has been said, ‘the foundation of any economy is faith and if faith is lost, everything is lost,” a bench of Justices Dipak Misra, Amitava Roy and AM Khanwilkar said.

Levy cess on demerit goods a departure from GST concept P 14

THE POTTER AND THE CLAY

A potter makes diyas in preparation of the upcoming Diwali festival in Jodhpur

Changes in child labour law for good?

The amendments demonstrate a lack of national commitment to abolishing all forms of child labour

BY SUBHASHIS MITTRA Quite recently, Parliament gave its nod to changes in the existing Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. But was it for good or bad?

On the face of it, the amendments prohibit the entry of children below the age of 14 in all occupations and processes so that they can enjoy their fundamental right to education, under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act of 2009 (RTE).

However, on a closer scrutiny, the amendments have snatched away the dignity of children by allowing them to work after school hours to help in ‘family enterprises’.

As per the new law, those employing children below 14 years of age for any work, except where a child is helping his family post school hours or during vacation, can get up to two-year imprisonment and maximum fine of Rs 50,000.

The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016, bars employment of “adolescent” — a person between 14 and 18 years of age — in hazardous occupations like mines and inflammable

substance or explosives. The law, however, is not applicable for a child working in films, advertisement or television industry. The new law amends the original Act to enhance the punishment for employing any child in an occupation besides penalty.

It empowers the government to carry out periodic inspection of the places at which the employment of children is prohibited and hazardous occupations.

The amended Act provides for enhanced punishment for violators. The penalty for employing a child will now be imprisonment between six months and two years

(from three months to one year) or a fine of Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 (from Rs 10,000-20,000) or both. The second time offence will attract imprisonment of one year to three years, the Act says.

The amendments, however, demonstrate a lack of national commitment to abolishing all forms of child labour. Instead of attempting an overhaul of legislation that has proved ineffective in curbing the phenomenon, Parliament has allowed children up to the age of 14 to be employed in ‘family enterprises’, and created a new category of ‘adolescents’ (the 14-18 age group) who can be employed in ‘non-hazardous’ occupations.

In the name of acknowledging the socioeconomic realities of India, the amendments tweak the law in such a way that children are in some form or other available for employment. The only concession to their educational rights is that they are permitted to work in family enterprises only outside school hours and during vacations.

But, one cannot ignore the fact that working outside of school hours and earning valuable income for the family will surely have a deleterious effect on the children’s health as well as their aptitude for learning.

Indicating the extent of exploitation involved in child labour, latest government statistics show that over 25 per cent of rapes on children last year were committed by their employers and co-workers.

PTI Feature

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

Golden chance for city players P 16

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“We must reassure our citizens — those all around the world who are very concerned about our inability to put an end to the tragedy in Syria. We must also be ready to use the tools at our disposal to apply pressure: a resolution or an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly are such options.”

- Stephane Dion, Foreign Minister, Canada

Losing ground, IS looks for new money sources Islamic State group had generated some USD 30 million per month in Iraq from taxation and extortion in 2015

WASHINGTON: As ISIS sees its territory shrink to half its original size and its dreams of a caliphate evaporate, the extremist fighters are losing access to the sources of revenue that once gave them their power, prompting them to turn to extortion, kidnapping or foreign donations like their predecessors, the militant group al-Qaida.

The Islamic State group had a unique ability to capitalise on the natural resources of its territory in

Iraq and Syria and swiftly implement a system of taxation and governance that allowed it to rule an area that once was the size of Switzerland.

As the battle gets underway to retake Mosul, the group’s largest stronghold in Iraq, the Islamic State group is being denied access to revenue sources such as oil and gas and cash reserves that once amounted to more than USD 1 billion in 2014, said Daniel Glaser, the Treasury Department’s assistant secretary for terrorist financing.

With those resources slipping away, the Islamic State group is expected to revert to “traditional methods we see al-Qaida using whether it’s deeppocket donors, whether it’s charities, whether it’s NGOs, whether it’s criminal activity,” Glaser said in a

recent discussion at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Beyond oil and gas sales, the Islamic State group also generated some USD 30 million per month in Iraq from taxation and extortion in 2015. Hisham al-Hashimi, an expert on IS who advises the Iraqi government, said the militant group currently makes about USD 4 million per month from taxes in Mosul alone.

Al-Hashimi said the group charges a 4 per cent income tax on salaries less than USD 600 per month, and 5 per cent on monthly salaries between USD 600 and USD 1,000.

Bank robberies made up the Islamic State group’s third biggest source of revenue, mainly in Mosul, where there was more than USD 500 million in state-owned bank vaults

when they captured the city in June 2014, but that was “a one-time take for them,” Glaser noted, and they are quickly burning through that cash.

Glaser says the Islamic State group is under financial duress. Fighter salaries have been cut in half in some areas, including in Raqqa, Syria, its de facto capital. The group also set up an internal corruption agency, suggesting corruption may be a factor, Glaser and al-Hashimi said.

To compensate, there’s been a noticeable spike in the IS group’s revenue from criminal activity, such as extortion the Paris-based Center for the Analysis of Terrorism says extortion accounted for a third of its revenue in 2015, compared to 12 per cent in 2014.

AP

A Peshmerga convoy drives towards a frontline in Khazer, about 30 kilometres east of Mosul, Iraq. Iraqi government and Kurdish forces, backed by US-led coalition air and ground support, launched coordinated military operations as the long-awaited fight to wrest the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters got underway

UK hails Pakistan’s London tops Global Power City Index ‘significant sacrifices’ LONDON: London has topped the 2016 Global Power City Index for the fifth consecutive year with Mumbai ranked 39th on the list of the world’s leading global cities for business, innovation and culture, according to a report released recently.

The 2016 Global Power City Index (GPCI) report, which was released by the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies, ranked London as the leading overall city, highlighting the capital’s strong cultural offering, ease of doing business and global transport links.

The report ranks 42 major cities of

BY ADITI KHANNA LONDON: Days ahead of Prime Minister Theresa May’s India visit, the UK hailed Pakistan’s “significant sacrifices” in combating terror while responding to a petition calling on the British government to “strongly condemn” Pakistan for providing a safe haven for terrorists.

The petition titled ‘UK Government to strongly condemn Pakistan or providing safe haven for terrorists’ on the official government website had crossed the 10,000 signatures required to make it incumbent upon the UK government to respond.

“Pakistan has made significant sacrifices in opposing terrorism. The UK has regularly raised with Pakistan the need to take consistent action against all terrorist groups operating within its borders,” the response from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) read.

“The UK regularly highlights to Pakistan, at the highest level, the importance of taking effective action against all terrorist groups operating in Pakistan, as Pakistan has committed to do,” the response said.

“We recognise the significant

perceived decrease in the levels of cultural interaction and research and development. The terrorist attacks of November 2015 are also likely to have influenced those ratings.

Tokyo overtook Paris and moved into third place. The increase was due to a number of factors, including a reduction in Japan’s rate of corporate taxation, an increase in the number of visitors to the city from abroad and an increase in the number of direct flight connections to overseas destinations.

Singapore completes the top 5 cities in the annual ranking.

PTI

sacrifices that Pakistan and its people have made in combating terrorism.

We are helping Pakistan develop its capacity to protect itself and prosecute those who plan and commit terrorist attacks,” it said.

The petition, authored by an Indianorigin professional Naman Paropkari, was launched with the aim of gathering as many as 100,000 signatures by the March 29, 2017, deadline so that the issue is considered for a parliamentary debate in the House of Commons.

“Pakistan continues to double speak on issue of terrorism. It has aided and abetted enemies of the international coalition (of which Britain is a leading partner with the US) against terrorism.

Osama Bin Laden’s hideout was in Pakistan. Pakistan continues to harbour UN sanctioned terror networks,” the petition said.

The 19,429 signatures gathered so far on the UK-wide petition have come largely from London and northern regions of England with heavy Indianorigin populations. May is scheduled to arrive in India on November 6 for a three-day visit, which will include a bilateral dialogue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

PTI

Lanka military officer pays compensation to LTTE family COLOMBO: A retired army Lieutenant who was charged with murdering an LTTE member in 1998 paid Rs 2 million to the victim’s family as per a High Court ruling.

The Colombo High Court in August had sentenced the officer for a two years rigorous imprisonment and suspended him for ten years over the death of Robert Velinthan in custody in 1998.

The officer was accused of shooting carelessly and murdering handcuffed Velinthan in Point Pedro town in Jaffna district as he was trying to flee the army’s custody. The money was collected on his behalf by the Joint Opposition backers of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

According to the UN estimates, more than 40,000 civilians were killed in Sri Lanka during the final phase of the three-decade long Tamil conflict in 2009. The Sri Lankan government disputes the UN figure.

PTI

Regardless of what bike you ride, your knees and thighs are typically going to come into contact with the fuel tank/airbox cover, which is usually made of painted metal or plastic. The problem is that metal and plastic don’t stick very well to textile, nylon or any material that you’d typically wear as pants on a motorcycle ride. Anchoring to your bike with your knees and thighs is critical for safety and confidence.

Most sport riders are familiar with grippy stickers that you can put in place on the sides of your tank to alleviate this.

Techspec is one such brand, which makes a unique ‘snakeskin’ pattern rubber material that can be applied to your tank with adhesive.

Unlike some other brands of grip pads that look like organic globs or some sort of acupressure surface, the Techspec item is a fairly basic,

AUGUST 6, 2016 PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

TGS LIFE JULY 9, 2016 PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

By Tushar Burman

Road-tripping in Thailand

T

here are many legends surrounding the birth of the Ford Mustang, one of America’s most well-known performance cars. I will avoid the word “iconic” because it’s so overused in this context that I challenge you to find a launch or drive report without it. One such legend has its name inspired by the legendary P51 Mustang fighter aircraft used by the USAF, which makes sense seeing its “aviation inspired” interior on this 2015 model we drove. Other stories tell of how the entire allocation of the original run of the Ford Mustang sold out in just a few months. It has been an immensely popular vehicle since its birth in 1964-65, and this is its 52nd year in continuous production, despite the challenges of the ‘70s oil crisis, various downturns and such. Other muscle cars have come, gone and been resurrected, but the Mustang has been a constant.

The model Ford has launched in India is the Mustang GT and it wears all-new bodywork compared to the outgoing model. The previous generation started the “retro-futuristic” craze back in 2005 and has served the company well, spawning innumerable special editions and variations on performance and body style. This new model bears the same basic shape, but has a much more stylish, swoopy visage. The front is more aggressive with a wider grille and three slashes in each headlamp, while the rear looks more old-school with the same three-segment design following through.

The classic long bonnet and short boot with a fastback roofline remains, covering a 2+2 cabin and a surprisingly roomy boot! It’s all very well executed, betraying no irony or cheesy nostalgia. This truly does look like many decades of progress have been made to get to this handsome shape.

The Mustang is only available in the V8 engine option for India, which makes

Perfect roads as far as the eye can see

TGS LIFE

Our Honda CB500X proved an able, fun and comfortable ride for our trip

TANKED-UP TGS LIFE

JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE

JUNE 11, 2016

THRILL OF DRIVING

By Tushar Burman

W

that Himachal Pradesh is likely to make more of a dent in your bank balance. Food, boarding and infrastructure are organised and consistent, typical of a nation that takes tourism seriously, and with pride. You never pass a street stall without a sing-song “Sawatdi-khaaaa” (Thai for namaste, quite literally), friendly smiles and a disarming lack of guile. Thailand also has strong cultural connects to India, having a Hindu and Buddhist history. It occasionally surprises the uninformed when encountering names and iconography from the Ramayan and other Hindu mythology. There is, in fact, a Thai version of the Ramayan on TV, with Ram played

are present and are best used in sport mode or one of the sharper driving modes. There Mustang, but the saving grace was that those are four of those, including a “Track” mode were around the lauded Buddh International that turns off the traction control, unleashing Circuit, India’s only F1 track. As you’d al expect, the Mustang is pretty fast in a straight line. This time round, it isn’t too bad around the corners either, having an independent rear suspension instead of an ancient liveaxle type found in most generations of the car. This is clearly a grand-tourer sort of car.

The suspension feels quite plush, there’s perceptible body roll when you’re hustling around the corners and things are generally smooth at speed. I suppose we should be pleased as consumers that we’ve come to a point where we can actually buy much harder-core performance cars in this price bracket.

The V8 sounds nice inside the cabin, but isn’t particularly evocative insideChiang or out. It’s butjump-off muted burble Maia isdeep your point for motorcycle that comes to the ear; no snap crackle and adventures pop drama of European tyre-burners. The India edition only comes with the 6-speed

west of Chiang Mai which is considered one of the best riding roads in Asia. Among the first stopovers on this route is a popular, but still tiny town called Pai, which we visited. If Chiang Mai were Pune, think of Pai as Wai, except 140km away.

Nestled in a valley replete with waterfalls and lush greenery, Pai is a small town with a growing tourist population, pioneered by backpackers. It’s close enough to the border with Myanmar to have cultural influences of the hill tribes in terms of food and clothing, but significant enough to have all the infrastructural

The TUV300 urban SUV gets more punch with a 100hp motor

MOTORS IN THAILAND Riding or driving in the country is bound to feel familiar to an Indian tourist. For one thing, they drive on the left side of the road — a colonial vestige similar to ours. They accept International Driving Permits issued in India.

Being part of the ASEAN region with a large contract manufacturing industry also means Shima a recently-released Polish brand of that vehicles tend to be similaris to what you’ll see on Indian roads. Toyota Innovas and Corollas,far less known than the typical motorcycle apparel, Suzuki Swifts, Nissans and familiar European gear you’ll see on your mates on a Sunday ride. luxury cars in urban areas. What you’re likely to they aren’t be unprepared for However, is the automotive culture of scrimping on their debut. customisation that If seems the is country. theto pervade catalog anything to go by, the lineup is It’s ridiculous! On my first day in Bangkok, I was thorough and top-notch betraying no cost-cutting. passed by a courier delivery truck with massive tested the D-Tour WP (waterproof) gloves oversize rims and We’ve tyres. Even cabs — whether licensed or Uber —and are seldom without an impressed. To begin with, have seen come away obligatory level of customisation. the price isis right: Rs 4800 for a pair of this kind Automotive enthusiasm even more is a good the dealThai indeed. evident in the two-wheelers ride. There are several things to Unlike in India, where culturally, we’re about Key is the fused liner, which like about the gloves. “bigger is better”, the Thai have a different take Shima calls NextFit/NextDry. What this means on their commuter vehicles.

Step-thrus and

SHIMA D-TOUR WP GLOVES

THOROUGHBRED @tburman

MOTO GEAR

PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

hen we last drove the TUV300 shortly after its launch, it was a pleasant surprise in its package, refinement and general ability around the city. At the time, we didn’t really take it on an extended highway jaunt and probably just as well; you see, in it’s previous guise, the TUV300 came with a modest 75hp output motor, which was fine in urban environs, but didn’t really have punch anywhere in the rev range.

That has now changed with Mahindra calling this iteration the mHawk100 motor -- essentially the same thing but now putting out considerably more power and torque, up to 100hp and 240Nm. If you’ve read our previous assessment of the TUV300, not much has changed, save for our experience with other, more recent SUVs in and around the same segment. The TUV300 crossover/hatchback which was globally unveiled in is surprising in its nice interior accoutrements. A great AC, Out back are the jump seats that make this he SUV,urban technically, a very decent infotainment system with Bluetooth and iPod a 7-seater. It’s doable, but not comfortable for long journeys.

Then April, Datsun’s Redi-GO finally makes its way to Indian roads. connectivity that works flawlessly, a nice two-tone Dash that again, have you seen how many passengers tourist cabs can pack The Redi-GO runs on a three-cylinder i-SAT engine mated looks contemporary and a quiet cabin that belies the intrinsic into a Scorpio these days? The jump seats fold 799 up andccrear seats nature of a three-cylinder Diesel engine. It should sound and feel fold down to liberate a lot of extra cargo room, you need it.manual transmission. It produces 53 hp, 72Nm of to ashould five-speed rough, but it doesn’t. Nothing in the SUV does.

Call us picky but this author is not a fan of the TUV’s torque and delivers a fuel efficiency of 25.17 kmpl. The top speed Of particular interest to us in this new 100hp guise of the aesthetic. I’d prefer the front of the NuvoSport with a squat stance is 140 Kmph and the ground clearance is 185mm. The vehicle on TUV, was the suspension. You see, the Mahindra NuvoSport, instead of sharp corners and the face of Bane, Batman’s formidable which we also recently tested, uses the same engine, but has a foe. That said, with a top-end model, you do get at a nice display thefinish, press launch looked solid, with most details standing up problem with considerable body roll. Not so much with the TUV, decent looking alloys and wheels that fill their wells properly. to scrutiny. While it may be built to a cost, it looks good in the flesh which is controlled and feels more secure at highway speeds. It There are even some nice extras like a start-stop system (well, not andextends doesn’t also feels a bit firmer, but that’s a trade-off we’re willing to make: really nice in our traffic), an eco mode that rangebetray while it’s budget category. some more jerks to the spine in exchange of careening off a cliff sacrificing power, and static cornering lamps, Safety which are aisboon courtesy “Datsun PRO-SAFE7” which includes on a sharp bend. Engine performance is also on par with the when turning the wide vehicle in darkness. In fact, we’re confused braking NuvoSport, but after using the TUV’s manual transmission, we about why these features don’t make it toshortest the NuvoSport, whichdistance, high strength body shell to absorb impacts, ended up missing the AMT of the NuvoSport, which somehow gets cruise control as consolation. But thegood TUV doesn’t.

Strange. visibility and wider view of the road, high bolster support while managed to keep things feeling sprightly.

Still, it’s evident from the quality of thecornering, interior that the TUV absorbing steering and a driver airbag. energy With the benefit of hindsight and experience, we can also is meant to be a bit more upmarket. But it costs between 10 and Five personalized kit options are available: Urban, Style, Kool, say that the current TUV300 feels a bit heavy to steer compared 16,000 rupees LESS than the NuvoSport. Confused?

So are we. to peers like the Vitara Brezza and NuvoSport, but retains the On our extended time with the TUV300, urban and Easy Kit - Premium. Colour options available Easywe’ve Kit done - Sporty surprisingly, far better than the NuvoSport practical turning radius we enjoyed previously. It’s squared-off commuting, Mumbai-Pune highway runs, multi-passenger are: White, Silver, Interior Grey,is,Ruby and Lime. The Datsun Redi-GO design (tank-like, according to Mahindra) has the benefit of outings and cargo runs, and we were unable to run the comes with warranty of 2 years/unlimited km andandthe car allowing excellent visibility while squeezing into tight tank dry, so anecdotally, the mHawk100 engine ais also with follow-me-home lamps, parking sensor other bellscan and be spaces, which the TUV can do despite its width. The quite efficient. Highway runs were usually whistles one expects in a India modern App’. vehicle. Mahindra is churning Verdict booked via cruising mobile app called ‘Datsun breadth manifests in internal space as well, with the between 100 and 120, which is where the vehicle out vehicles rapidly based on what are fast turning out to be + Refinement, front passenger having plenty of shoulder space. feels most comfortable. We’re sure the 240Nm is proven platforms. Perhaps at some point they will also consolidate performance, The rear seat is wide enough for three passengers capable of more sprightly performance, but the vehicles to be less confusing. As a parting googly: you can still buy price as well, though we did hear the odd complaint TUV300 weights 2.2 tonnes, so there’s only so the old, less powerful engine with the TUV300, but the new one - Heavy steering much it can do. The rest of it is up-to-date. Dual costs just Rs 8,000 more, so why would you? about jerks being transmitted up into the spine from rear passengers. airbags and ABS are present, as are keyless entry tushar@goldensparrow.com TGS rating ;;;`2

Datsun Redi-GO launched, starting at Rs 2.38 lac

VW launches Ameo compact sedan Sub-4m three-box starts at Rs 5.14 lac

the palm area and a reinforced, soft pad on the knuckle. There’s a rubber screen wiper on each thumb, which worked very well on our rainy rides.

Waterproofing is good, with light showers being repelled entirely. The D Tour WP do seem to run a bit large, so you might need to order one size smaller than your typical glove. Recommended.

Shima D-Tour WP gloves PRICE: Rs 4800 BUY AT: Kombustion Imports & Exports Pvt Ltd (+91 87938 84215)

is that there’s no inner lining flapping about behind the exterior shell. Those can be infuriating to put on and take off.

Shima’s solution is to fuse the waterproof liner with the exterior shell. This makes for a slightly stiff feel, but far more comfortable in the long run.

Fasteners are good, with a velcro cinch at the wrist and a larger velcro pad to secure the cuff, which is extra roomy to accommodate your sleeve, should you choose to wear the gloves over them. The velcro Hondapads themselves are CB500X not the typical sort, with the + Refinement, base (hooked) part being Fueling, practicality a - much Bland flatter, smoother material that catches less on TGS rating dri-fit material. Protection ;;;;2 is adequate for this sort of glove, with some leather in

PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

MIDDLE CHILD Hardcore performance is great for track days. Audi has a more everyday option @tburman

Minimal badging on the sides and at either end

W has finally put a price tag on its sub-4m sedan — the Ameo, and it’s very competitive. Evidently, the company has taken steps to address its reputation in making cars that are costlier to own than the competition.

In this case, the Ameo ends up being cheaper than their own Polo hatchback, Currently, the Ameo is availabel only with a petrol engine — the same 1.2l MPI three-cylinder motor we’ve seen before in the Skoda Fabia and VW Polo.

A diesel is promised soon. Volkswagen is touting several segment-firsts: rain-sensing wipers, static cornering lamps, cruise control and a centre armrest up front, but the kicker for us is that two airbags and ABS are standard on all variants, which is a big step forward at this price point.

Visually, the Ameo looks very similar to its Polo and Vento cousins, with a slightly stubby-looking front and

back. The rear boot is expectedly short, but allows a bit more cargo volume than the Polo hatchback. It’s not the Large plenty prettiest integration of a boot thatboot we’vestores seen, but VW and is easy to access have been understated in their styling of the rear. In a front three-quarter view, the boot does not draw attention to itself, which is probably a good thing.

Watch for a detailed review of the made-in-India Ameo next week. Prices:

A

udi’s S line of cars don’t get the recognition they deserve. Sitting in between the standard models and the totally performance-oriented RS cars, they sit as the middle child, often overlooked. We have, on occasion, driven the RS5, RS7, even the R8 and come away impressed by the raw power they pack into seemingly standard body styles. But let’s face it: a wolf in sheep’s clothing isn’t likely to make you a nice wool coat. It’d rather eat the coat with you in it. Not so much the car on this page: the S5, which is what Audi calls a “sportback”, basically a sedan with a hatchback rear and more rakish roofline. In terms of size, it sits somewhere between an A4 and an A6 but ends up feeling surprisingly compact.

Even in terms of performance potential, you could consider the S5 the middle child. There are sportscars in the lineup that make less power.

Why then did Audi feel the need to paint the media car in this lurid yellow, we have no idea. It’s a unique shade for sure, akin to pure printer’s ink

R is equipped with Brembo monobloc callipers, Showa big piston forks, Öhlins rear suspension and Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa Tyres.

The Thruxton R is priced at Rs 10.90 lac ex-showroom, Delhi. That’s a lot of bike for the money, and should appeal to a wide swath of motorcyclists with it’s “modern classic” vibe. This rounds out the new Bonneville platform with the Speed Twin, Bonneville T120 and Thruxton R coming in at attractive prices and all immediately available. Triumph continues to push aggressively forward in terms of models and marketing.

There are more than a few lessons for some other manufacturers to learn.

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MERCEDES-BENZ GLC LAUNCHED AT RS 50.7 LAC JUNE 18, 2016 PUNE

JUNE 4, 2016 PUNE

expanse of nice, flat luggage area and very easy to access thanks to the hatch opening. It’s a bit like THRILL the Skoda Octavias of old -- looking like sedansOF DRIVING with hatches hiding huge boots.

On the go, the S5 is a refined experience. The 7-speed dual-clutch transmission is quick and smooth, and shifts gears with digital efficiency.

Press the throttle with aggression and the gearbox quickly shifts down, releasing a nice V6 roar from the quad pipes out back. It’s a chatty car in that it likes to make nice growly noises when provoked, but never overpowers. The sound is enough for feedback and kicks, but does not cause discomfort.

High-rev gearshifts release a nice crackle from the exhaust. Paddle shifters are present for those times when you think you know better than the car’s electronics. Driving modes can be chosen Dash is usual Audi fare. Dark two-tone upholstery between comfort, dynamic, efficiency or tailored and carbon trim look sporty to your individual tastes. Ride quality is where the generally luxurious experience breaks, with than anything else and it drew attention wherever the large wheels and relatively low profile tyres it went. Though, we suspect, it would pass under transmitting road imperfections to the passenger. the radar in a more sedate paint job. Few, if any Setting the car in ‘Comfort’ mode didn’t do much external features stand out. You have a typical in this regard.

Audi front grille, headlamps and design language On our favourite, winding hill road, the S5 tweaked slightly to accommodate the curvaceous shone with its Quattro permanent all-wheel rear hatch. The red ‘S’ badges are also discreet on drive system. There’s always more grip than you the front and the back. need, and it works well with the performance of Step inside and the treatment is typical Audi. the motor. The specifications will surprise you if “Butat mom! my friends have SUVs with lower and the GL-class). Mercedes provides two If you’ve been in a recent A-type sedan, everything you drive the car before looking theAllbrochure: coefficients!”. IsV6! this a common refrain in engine options: the diesel GLC 220 d outputs is familiar. There’s the MMI screen, central console 329hp and 440Nm from thedrag supercharged your household? Tired of doing the school run 170hp and 400Nm of torque while the petrol and ergonomics as expected, but with a small, We’ve driven much angrier-feeling carsright angles? Mercedes GLC 300 outputs 245hp and 370Nm of torque. in an SUV that has only beendelivers listening tothis you and your burgeoning Officially, Mercedes has launched the fiddly jog dial. The steering wheel also with less power. Thhas e S5 ilk and is readyDespite to address this sticky problem.

GLC ‘Edition 1’, which is their traditional was doesn’t have explicitly labelled phone capability with little drama.

Verdict One is no longer stuck with the BMW X6 as of saying ‘first batch’. As they’ve done before, controls, which is something that being 4.7 metresthelong, the that S5 slices feelsthrough the air rather the Edition 1 cars come into the country as only SUV + Refinement, bashes itfootprint into submission.

CBUs (fully imported). This is Mercedes’ sixth will confuse those coming from compact with than a small performance, The Mercedes-Benz other car brands. Upholstery is in width-wise. Visibility is good andGLC class of vehicles luxury SUV in the country, making their lineup was launched on 2 June, conveniently slotting the most comprehensive among the luxury car unique black and dark brown and there the flat-bottomed feels into thesteering sliver of space left between the GLEpurveyors.

It’s just “nice” class and GLS-class (previously, the ML-class Expectedly, equipment levels are high. is much leather on display. There nice to till around good surfaces. are some lacquered carbon fibre The ORVMs could have done a TGS rating trim pieces along the door and other better job showing the sides and rear ;;;`2 surfaces as well, though we’re not sure if of the vehicle, but that could be down it’s the real thing. The seats are comfortable to personal preference. and supportive one-piece units for the front, lending The Audi S5 has plenty ofIn performance a surprise move, Mahindra launched vehicle from 0-80% charge in 1 hour and an all-electric feeling version of its Verito sedan, 45 minutes, is reserved only for the top (D6) a sporty look without being uncompromisingly potential, but keeps everything the eVerito, on 2 June. Mahindra variant. Fast charging needs to be done hardcore like the near-race seats you’d find in a comfortable and luxurious. It isdubbed an odd, middle claims that the sedan can go 110km on a at one of Mahindra’s designated charging sports car. child and we imagine it will have takers than fullless charge.

The manufacturer is claiming stations, while a standard full charge takes costsbecause as low as Rs 1.15/km.

8 hours and 45 minutes using a 15-amp Rear legroom is good for a person of my size more overt sportscars or luxuryrunning sedans e eVerito also phones home home plug. Other features include (5’9”) but then, few grown men are actually my of the niche it occupies. That’sThan opportunity with a variety of information regenerative braking and a Claims a size, so we’d suggest a seating capacity of four for for the buyer who wants something diff erent.

(Telematics).

Fleet sales seem feature called REVIVE, which range of to becomes a likely target, especially is basically an 8km power maximum comfort. At least one passenger we rode Certainly no other car we’ve seen in this considering the aging Verito/ reserve for emergencies. You 110km on a with commented on how his i20 felt more spacious shade. At just north of Rs 69 lac ex-showroom, Logan platform. The eVerito don’t get airbags in any variant. full charge in the back. Again, apart from the “sport” theatre, the price will give you pause. You can buy more in key is available immediately Performance is about New Delhi, adequate for city use, which is there is little else to talk about. Open the hatch spacious luxury cars for less, or cities: more overt sports Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, where Mahindra is pitching the and it’s another world. Literally! Audi claims 480 cars for as much. Stuck in the middle again. Pune, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and eVerito. Top speed is claimed at 86kmph tushar@goldensparrow.com litres of cargo space, and we believe them. It’s a vast Nagpur. and the 110km range is dependent on load.

THRILL OF DRIVING

Marks the sixth luxury SUV that Mercedes sells in India

AMEO=POLO PLUS

By Tushar Burman

bottomed steering wheel which feels nice to manipulate.

If we were to nitpick, we’d say that the touchack in 2009, when Volkswagen introduced screen infotainment system is a bit smaller than the Polo in India, it was a breath of fresh on the hatch, but it serves the purpose perfectly air. At the time, the go-to car for the well and doesn’t end-up looking aftermarket like segment was the Maruti-Suzuki Swift, and some recent cars we’ve driven. You get steeringwhile the Fabia did exist to represent a European mounted controls, cruise control and a cooled contender, it was deemed too odd and expensive glove box for beverages on hot days. A centre for what it offered. Volkswagen was reeling from armrest is available for the driver which is a slim problems with the Skoda brand’s service and unit much like in the Vento. You don’t get rear cost complaints and didn’t want to repeat the AC vents behind it, however. same mistakes with VW. Fast-forward to 2016 Rear seat accommodations are quite and anecdotally, VW cars are still considered comfortable, and the extra knee room over the expensive to run (they’re not; this author owns a Polo hatch is apparent. Headroom at the rear is petrol Polo). VW has taken specific note of this at a premium, much like the Polo hatch, so those sentiment with the Ameo compact sedan, and with long torsos (or generous behinds) may hit has launched it for a very competitive price, even their heads on the roof. slightly undercutting the Polo hatchback!

If you’ve read so far and are wondering where How they’ve achieved this was not the masala begins, well, it doesn’t. The Ameo immediately apparent to us on our long-ish test is striking in its anonymity. Even viewed from drive. The car is fundamentally the same inside the front 3/4 angle, one can barely discern the and out, save for the added boot. We drove the boot sticking slightly out of the rear. It’s a tiny Eighteen-inch alloys areHighline standard.

Mercedes sunroof, lighting switchable petrol variant (the diesel motor will ambient extension of the body, to bewith sure, since the idea during Diwali) and fit, finish and quality and is to fit a sedan within fourbehind metres tothe qualify will provide an optionalcome off-road engineering colours levels, cargo bars rear to be on par with the hatch. Plastics for lower taxes. We’ve always liked the practical package that raises the appeared ride height by 20mm seat that liberate another 30 litres of luggage are just as pleasing to the touch, with no hollow, depth of the Polo boot, and this remains useful in and offers three additional ride modes: - find.space what an up EASYplasticky-feeling spots we off could The two-and the Ameo. Mercedes Only now, the calls volume goes from dashdrive and beige interior remain,PACK and make tailgate.

294 litres inDO the hatch to 330 in the sedan.

It’s a road, incline and slippery.tone Five modes are WE HAVE YOUR the cabin feel airy. Bonus points for the flatminor bump, but it’s there. @tburman

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standard in the GLC: Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. Hill descent control is standard as well. We also see the use of Verdict Mercedes’ new 9G-TRONIC nine-speed + Safety,auto price transmission.

- Marginal enginethe Slotting in below their range-topper, rating GLC understandably gets plentyTGS of comfort ;;;22 and convenience features. There’s a panoramic

ATTENTION YET? Safety is typical Mercedes fare: ABS, ESP, Crosswind-assist, PRE-SAFE, Attention Assist, Active Parking Assist, 7 airbags, LED headlamps and adaptive tail lamps.

All this could be yours at Rs 50.7 lac for the diesel GLC 220 d, and Rs 50.9 lac for the GLC 300 petrol, ex-showroom, Pune.

It’s finally here: the Polo with a boot

The exterior of the boot itself is reasonably well integrated, and not as much of a tack-on like you’d find on the Swift Dzire. Not as good as the Ford Figo Aspire, but not bad. The tail lamps are simple and don’t draw attention to themselves.

Styling seems to be borrowed from the Skoda design language, with a crease running across the otherwise slab-like boot lid. Everything seems to be designed to be anonymous. VW have had to adjust the front and rear overhangs accordingly, and the car ends up looking a bit stubbier than the hatch.

The Ameo at present is only available in a petrol variant, utilising the venerable 1.2l MPI three-cylinder motor that does duty in the hatch.

It generates 75PS and 110Nm of torque, which felt inadequate six years ago, and continues to be. It’s a flexible engine, to be sure, with useful low-end grunt that allows you to have a load of passengers and navigate inclines with grace rather than amateurish slipping of the clutch. However, there’s no getting around the rough sound of the three-cylinder and this author continues to field the same questions he’s had to with his own car: “is this a diesel?”. Once at highway speeds, it’s okay, but overtakes take effort. You do get cruise control, however, so that sort of balances things out a bit. The stiff suspension makes the car fun

Engine and interior mimic the Polo hatch

to drive, but is hard on all passengers. We really wish VW would do something about this.

Perhaps the most important thing about the VW Ameo is the fact that it comes in at such a competitive price, and that it does so with two airbags and ABS as standard across variants.

There are some segment-firsts such as rainsensing wipers, cruise control and auto up/down power windows with anti-pinch all-round, but that’s about it. The Ameo is a competent car at a competitive price about in the middle of the pack. You can get more features for more money with a Hyundai, but you get the secure, Teutonic feel of a well-built car with the VW. The petrol engine is a mixed bag, and we suspect many will wait for the diesel this Diwali. tushar@goldensparrow.com Watch a video overview here:

Mahindra launches all-electric eVerito

Triumph Bonneville Thruxton R launched for Rs 10.90 lac

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while remaining lightweight.

Features are basic but thoughtful.

There’s a water-resistant pocket within the shell at chest level for your phone, and a felt pocket above the waist for your glasses.

Unfortunately, this pocket is unusable when the rain liner is in place. Zippers are of high quality as is the neck fastener, which uses velcro and has a soft pad where your neck meets the textile.

The jacket comes with CEapproved armour in the shoulders, elbows, and along the back. Fit appears to be European, which will work well for slimmer riders.

There are button fasteners on the sleeves to get a more snug fit, and velcro on the cuffs and waist. The RST mesh jacket will be available in this black/red combo, or the inverse: red/black.

RST mesh jacket Price: Rs 9500 Buy at: Bay City Speed Shop (baycityspeedshop@gmail.com)

TGS LIFE

JULY 30, 2016

By Tushar Burman

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RST MESH JACKET

RST is a British manufacturer of motorcycle apparel that has recently become available in India. The distributor pegs them as a mid-tier brand, but we were impressed with the thought behind this jacket and its features.

This is a basic textile/mesh jacket with a supplied, removable rain liner. Some background: it’s very hard to stay entirely dry in motorcycle gear unless you use an impermeable rain jacket over your kit or invest in much more expensive stuff. Rain liners are nice to have, but rarely foolproof.

Thankfully, this RST jacket comes with a liner that zips into the shell using a long U-shaped zipper. Sleeves are held in place with small elasticated loops holding onto buttons on the liner.

It’s a snug fit and doesn’t move around much. This design allows the jacket to be quite resistant to rain in light to medium rain,

TGS LIFE

TGS LIFE

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wo months after the release of the Bonneville T120, Triumph has rolled out Thruxton R in the Indian market.

The 1200cc Thrurxton R runs on a high power, 8-valve, parallel twin engine generating just over 95hp and 112Nm of torque. This is a higher output version of the mill that powers the T120.

The Thruxton R carries feature like ABS, ride-by-wire, traction control, torque assist clutch, LED DRL, LED rear light, an engine immobilizer and a USB charging socket. The bike also has riding modes to choose from: road, rain and sport.

The equipment list continues; the Thruxton

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Riding your motorcycle in the monsoon is a necessity for many, but it also brings out the adventurers. You’ve almost certainly got that Facebook friend who takes his bike to impossibly wet and dirty locations just because she can. If you’d like to follow suit but prefer to stay a bit drier, we have some kit you might want to consider

MOTORCYCLING THROUGH THAILAND niceties of the rest of Thailand. Think perfect 4G If you’re a motorcycling enthusiast, or have connectivity, AirBNB and the most incredible become one in the recent past, you’ve probably gourmet burger I’ve ever eaten on the street. The known or heard of someone who’s ridden a bike Pai river itself is popular for white water rafting around our ASEAN neighbour. In fact, there at various skill levels, and you can even take a is now a land route from North-East India slow boat to Laos, which takes two days and through Myanmar into Thailand. Heck, you costs just 1750 baht, or about 3500 rupees. In can go all the way to Singapore before you hit fact, our overnight stay and jaunt in the night the inevitable shore. There are many reasons to market ended up costing less than Rs 2000 for this, not least of which is the incredible road the two ofconverter us. Try getting that deal in Panchgani automatic. It’s a traditional torque you won’t be banging and down network. You’re very unlikely toso see a badly anyupnight of thetheyear. gearbox like a dual-clutch unit, but it’s okay. In potholed section of tar. In termsterms of distances, And that, in essence, is a microcosm of the of speed, it’s somewhere in the middle the country is about 1600km longofand 1000km experience you’re likely to have on any a economy automatictype and aofperformancedual-clutch. It can be sluggish, we across, so there’s plenty to explore.tuned Of particular road trip in but Thailand — it’s cheap to the point think it matches the character of the engine. note car” is the Mae Hong a long circuit sure, we’ve driven slower. Paddle shifters What else do you call a vehicle that the term “pony was coined for?Son loop --For

By Tushar Burman

MONSOON

So close yet so far. Perfect reasons to take off for a motorcycle trip

by a Gujarati. He has a huge fan following!

Having been (and motorcycled across) the country twice, I almost tend to take it personally when people refer to the country and its sex trade, as if the nation is one giant red light district. It isn’t, and you should definitely avoid visiting it with someone who holds that belief.

This author travelled the length of the country with his spouse, feeling perfectly secure despite being a nervous traveller. It truly is a place where you can hit the road without any specific plan and come off the bike feeling like you’ve explored and seen something new.

@tburman

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till buzzing from what must have been thousands of curves across just over a hundred kilometres of road, it occurred to us that perhaps we should take a break and refuel our bodies, since the Honda CB500X we were riding showed no signs of using any significant quantity of gasoline. We were at Pai canyon, a small lookout point for tourists along the highway with four food and one coffee stall.

My spouse enjoys the occasional coffee, so she requested one. The beans were promptly ground in front of us, mixed with condensed milk, ice and water, and served in a convenient plastic container. All this while, I bit down on a prepackaged Tuna sandwich knowing full well that the nearest fresh tuna was at least 1200km away.

Both the sandwich and coffee were fresh and delicious. If this was roughing it on a road trip, it’s exactly my style.

black rubber piece. We think it goes rather well on our “modern classic” Ducati Scrambler. Grip is excellent, whether seated or standing, and it doesn’t rip up your pants or cause discomfort. Also useful is the fact that the adhesive allows you to remove and reposition the pads a number of times before losing efficacy. It also comes off without leaving residue.

Grippy tank pads are one of the cheapest mods you can do to you bike to allow you to ride safer and more confidently. It certainly helps in the rains to make sure you stay on the bike. The Techspec pads are available for most popular bikes, or you can buy them in self-adhesive panels and cut them to suit your vehicle.

Techspec ‘snakeskin’ tank pads PRICE: Rs 4000 - Rs 7500 depending on application BUY AT: Bay City Speed Shop (baycityspeedshop@gmail.com)

VISHAL KALE

paintings. The students spend 10 hours every day learning how to trace figures in pencil, wield delicate paintbrushes and apply pigment to canvas.

The revival comes after a turbulent past — the Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and the ravages of Mao’s Cultural Revolution laid waste religious tradition and iconography as zealous Red Guards — including Tibetans — sought to destroy the “Four Olds”: customs, culture, habits and ideas.

“Beyond the destruction of artworks and monasteries ransacked, looted or burned, a lot of the expertise was lost,” said Amy Heller, a Tibetologist and art historian based in Switzerland. The censorship had been such for 10 years that people were reluctant to bring out their thangkas, for fear of being denounced.”

Many Tibetans accuse Beijing of wanting to dilute their culture and the Dalai Lama says Tibet is the victim of “cultural genocide”.

Beijing considers the Himalayan region an integral part of its territory.

AFP

TECHSPEC TANK PADS

TGS LIFE

Legroom is decent at the back. Headroom is a bit tight for taller passengers.

The eVerito will be available in three variants with marginal differences between them. Unusually, fast-charging ability, which Mahindra claims can charge the

Prices start at Rs 9.5 lac ex-showroom, Delhi, for the D2 variant after state and FAME subsidies. The D4 and D6 variants cost Rs 9.75 and 10 lac respectively.

VISHAL KALE

In their heyday centuries ago thangkas had patrons and practitioners in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet and northern India, and in 2009, UNESCO added them to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, calling them “an integral part of the artistic life of people” on the Tibetan plateau.

Now there are more than 100 apprentices — including some Han Chinese, the country’s overwhelming ethnic majority — at Wulan’s Danba Raodan school, who get free tuition in return for helping their teachers with their

CARS, BIKES, TRIPS, GEAR HONEST, FUN REVIEWS

@tburman

Tibet’s thangkas find new fans

BEIJING: Her eyes riveted to the canvas, Wulan meticulously applies colour to an image of the Buddha, using pigments made of crushed pearls, turquoise and agate.

The 34-year-old is one of dozens of students at a school in Lhasa learning the medieval Tibetan art of “thangka” — minutely detailed paintings depicting Buddhist deities or symbols, usually on cotton canvas or silk scrolls.

But she is not Tibetan. Ethnically Mongol, she moved 2,500 kilometres to embark on seven years of studies.

Beijing’s forces took over Tibet in 1951 and the Communist government reviles the exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, but the region’s traditional religious art is now increasingly being embraced by outsiders — including from China’s Han ethnic majority — as both buyers and producers.

“Thangkas are captivating a growing number of people,” said Wulan.

“Traditional cultures are more and more recognised in China, which wasn’t always the case in the past, during the economic boom.”

is the best place in the world to do business.

From start-ups to global enterprises across all industries and sectors, the capital offers the ideal environment for businesses to thrive. I am working with London’s business community to ensure their needs are met as we leave the EU and that our great city maintains its global position,” London mayor Sadiq Khan said.

New York experienced no significant change in its ratings, retaining its No. 2 slot, also for the fifth year running.

Paris dropped out of the top three to fourth position, due largely to a

om ac oss he LOC by Pak s an n v age

VISHAL KALE

V age s show pa s o a mo a she s fi ed Pan g a n Ra ou d s c n Jammu

the world across six key measures of economy, research and development, culture, accessibility, environment and livability.

Mumbai, the only Indian city to feature on the index, was ranked 39th.

London performed well across all areas, retaining its top spot for the fifth year in a row and ranking above other cities such as New York, Tokyo and Paris. The UK capital was first awarded the leading position in 2012, the year it successfully hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“This research shows that despite the recent vote to leave the EU, London

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You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Look for "THRILL OF DRIVING"

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

MONEY MATT ER S

“Greece’s problem isn’t its debt level but it’s problem is its lack in competitiveness and its inability to build up functioning administration.”

—Wolfgang Schäuble, Finance Minister, Germany

Signpost CVC new e-integrity pledge for citizens In a first, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has come out with two ‘eintegrity pledges’ for common people and for those working in private sector in a bid to garner support in its efforts to eradicate corruption. “Both the integrity pledges to be taken by individual citizens as well as by corporates, entities, firms, etc., affirming their commitment to eradicate corruption and to uphold highest standards of ethical conduct, transparency and good governance would be available as an e-pledge on the Commission’s website www.cvc. nic.in,” the probity watchdog said. The pledge need to be taken during vigilance awareness week (Oct 31-Nov 5).

Levy cess on demerit goods a departure from GST concept Experts believe putting additional tax defeats the purpose of unified taxation

The proposed structure of levying cess on ultra-luxury and sin goods is a departure from the GST concept as envisaged initially and the Centre would have absolute powers in future to alter the cess rate, which could go up to 2 per cent, experts said.

The GST Council mooted a four-slab GST tax structure of 6, 12, 18 and 26 per cent with lower rates for essential items and the highest for luxury goods that will also be levied with an additional cess.

“Cesses are being subsumed under GST and hence the levy of a new cess was a complete surprise. Proposal to have five rate structure is not aligned to the concept of simplified tax regime. Multiple slabs lead to complications on compliance and issues on classification,” PwC Partner (Indirect Tax) Anita Rastogi said.

Last year, a panel headed by Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian had suggested 17-18 per cent as the standard rate for bulk of goods and services while recommending 12 per cent for low rate goods and 40 per cent for demerit ones like luxury car, aerated beverages, pan masala and tobacco. For precious metal, it recommended a range of 2-6 per cent.

Experts said that the incidence of cess is likely to be such that luxury goods would attract tax somewhere between 26 to 40 per cent.

Brands can now advertise on trains In an attempt to shore up its non-tariff revenue through advertising and make up for losses in passenger earnings, Indian Railways has sold rights for vinyl advertisments on four trains with an aim to earn over Rs 8 crore in a year.

The rights to put up vinyl wrapping advertisments on Mumbai Rajdhani, August Kranti Rajdhani, MumbaiAhmedabad Shatabdi and AhmedabadMumbai double decker trains have been awarded to Media on Track, a senior Railway Ministry official said.

The contract has been given for five years which can be extended up to another 10 years depending upon the performance.

Media on Track will coordinate with various companies to advertise their brand and finalise it for vinyl wrappings of the whole train.

He said the aim is to earn about Rs 1,500 crore from vinyl wrappings in the next few years, subsequently all premier trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi

“Disorderly deleveraging of private debt could also impact growth. In order to guard against these risks, policy frameworks would have to be strengthened.”

— Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister, India

and Duronto will be covered under the scheme.

Earlier, railways had allowed vinyl wrapping but it failed to attract adequate revenue in the absence of long-term advertising policy framework.

Now a policy has been framed and we are ready to award the contract for as long as 10 years, he added.

Railways will float tender next month inviting bidders for awarding vinyl wrapping contracts for Delhibound Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.

Railway Ministry had asked RITES to do the professional assessment of how much money the railways could earn from selling ad-space and accordingly RITES did the study and came up with encouraging results.

Since earnings from freight and passengers are falling, railways income should not be solely dependent on goods and passenger fare, officials said.

PTI

State Finance Ministers at the 3rd meeting of GST Council at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi

Clear refunds, drawback before GST roll-out: CBEC chairman Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) asked its officials to chalk out action plan for clearing pending refunds and drawback payment for smooth transaction to GST. In a communication to top officials, CBEC Chairman Najib Shah said preparations for introducing GST from the beginning of the next fiscal year are in full swing with the present focus on timely finalisation of its legal and administrative framework.

“It is necessary to continue to focus on reducing the pendency of current items of work as this would have an important bearing on the successful implementation of GST,” Shah said. The pending work relates to

China’s economy grows steadily in third quarter China recorded a “steady” GDP growth rate of 6.7 per cent in the third quarter of this year, thanks to a red hot real estate market and government backed spending and lending that propped up the world’s second- largest economy which witnessed continuous slowdown.

“The general performance was better than expected,” the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement.

“The national economy grew steadily with progress made and quality improved,” it said.

The growth figure of 6.7 per cent remained within the government’s targeted range of GDP growth between 6.5 and 7 per cent for 2016.

On a quarterly basis, the economy rose 1.8 per cent from the second quarter, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

China’s economic performance has a big knock-on impact around the world.

China’s GDP expanded 6.7 per cent year on year in the first three quarters of 2016 to reach 52.997 trillion yuan (USD 7.87 trillion), the NBS said.

PTI

adjudication, and payment of refunds, rebates and drawbacks.

“You would agree that too heavy a burden of legacy work regime would hamper us in giving our undivided attention to GST. The solution is to immediately chalk out plan to reduce the pendencies in the balance months of the current financial year,” Shah said.

Government intends to implement GST from April 1, 2017. GST will subsume most of the indirect taxes and make India a common market.

“I am confident that with the suggested focused approach on reducing pendencies, CBEC would be in an ideal position to ensure the success of GST,” Shah added.

“This cess that the Centre is talking about is likely to be non-creditable.

Because the Centre wants to create a pool for compensation, the cess rate will likely come to between 1-2 per cent,” Nangia & Co Director Rajat Mohan said.

Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP Senior Director (Indirect Tax) MS Mani said that as a concept cess does not go well with the original idea of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

“Possibly they want to avoid a fifth tax slab and hence they brought the concept of cess. Cess would be helpful in a way that the rate of cess can be very easily altered whenever the Centre wants without consultation with state,” Mani said.

“Most demerit goods are currently taxed between 27-40 per cent. If the tax rate in GST is kept closer to that then the inflationary impact will be limited,” Mani said.

PTI

Modified norms to effectively deal with NPAs In order to effectively deal with high NPA problem, the Reserve Bank has said it will come out with a modified guidelines by month-end to allow portion of sustainable bad loans to be treated as a standard asset.

“One of the positives for the banking sector from the regulatory angle is the relaxation given on the treatment of sustainable debt under ‘Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets’ (S4A). Though detailed guidelines are awaited, the move is a big positive for the banking sector,” Dena Bank CMD Ashwani Kumar said.

The Reserve Bank has put in place the ‘Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets’ (S4A) in order to provide an avenue for reworking the financial structure of entities facing genuine difficulties and requiring coordinated deep financial restructuring.

The scheme provides flexibility in restructuring, which may involve material write-down of debt and/or making large provisions, under a credible framework, RBI said in the fourth bimonthly monetary policy review for 2016-17. Banks that have taken up cases for resolution under the S4A have represented that the asset classification norms under the S4A may be reviewed to make the scheme more effective.

It is proposed to allow that portion of debt determined to be sustainable to be treated as a standard asset in all cases, subject to certain conditions, it said.

Detailed guidelines will be issued by end-October 2016, it added. The S4A announcement permitting classification of sustainable portion as standard is quite pragmatic and realistic, Federal Bank MD Shyam Srinivasan said.

PTI PTI

PLAYFUL BOARDROOM

Chairman of Laureus World Sports Academy Sean Fitzpatrick (left) along with MD & CEO Mercedes-Benz India Roland Folger play football with the underprivileged children in Mumbai

RBI optimistic on inflation, warns of risks to growth next year Report notes satisfactory monsoon, implementation of Seventh Pay hike to boost consumption spending

BY DIPANKAR KUMAR The Reserve Bank has warned of risks to growth next year due to muted private investments and weak global demand coupled with geopolitical risks, but sounded optimistic on meeting the Parliament-mandated inflation target of 2-6 per cent in the current financial year.

“The inflation outlook for 201617 has improved, but close vigilance is required to achieve the prospects of reaching 4 per cent. Robust consumption brightens the outlook for real gross value added growth in 2016-17, but muted private investment and weak global demand may restrain the pace of growth in 2017-18,” the central bank said in its Monetary Policy Report.

Despite this warning, the RBI has pegged the GVA growth of 7.6 per cent

for the current fiscal and 7.9 per cent the year after. RBI noted that daily prices of sensitive items under pulses, fruits, vegetables and cereals suggest that the seasonal surge in food prices may have peaked in July.

It expressed optimism that the trend may continue given the subdued momentum in food inflation in Q3 and the usual seasonal softening of food prices in early Q4, despite a reversal of base effect in March 2017, which improves the near-term outlook for inflation considerably.

It also expects the commodity prices to remain in check during the remaining quarters of the year. The central bank is basing its optimism on the improved household expectations on prices. In the September round of inflation expectation survey of RBI, it has found it to be 9.5 per cent in Q3 against 11.4 per cent a year ago. By contrast, producers’ inflation expectations appear to be more forwardlooking.

The September round of RBI’s industrial outlook survey reveals an increase in the proportion of respondents

expecting higher input prices in Q3. The survey also indicates a decline in their expectations of higher selling prices.

The September round of the professional forecasters’ survey also indicates a greater degree of anchoring of their inflation expectations, relative to other agents, around the Reserve Bank’s inflation targets. They expect inflation to ease to 4.7 per cent in Q4 of this fiscal year and to 4.4 per cent by Q2 of 2017-18.

RBI said these projections

incorporate the 7th Pay Commission award relating to salaries and pensions, which will work through aggregate demand and expectation effects that will add around 10 bps to the baseline path from Q4 of 2016-17. The projections also factor in cost-push effect of the proposed increase in minimum wages which would add 5 bps to baseline inflation within two months of implementation.

On the impact of GST on inflation, the report notes that based on the current

reckoning, the pass-through of the goods and services tax will likely commence from April 2017 and last for about 1218 months, going by the cross-country experience.

“While the impact of GST on CPI inflation would largely depend on the standard rate decided by the GST Council, almost 50 per cent of CPI is expected to be exempt.”

“Cross-country experience indicates that GST implementation might have one-off effects, which tend to dissipate after a year of its implementation,” says the MPR. On growth, the report notes that the satisfactory monsoon and the implementation of the Seventh Pay hike are expected to provide a boost to consumption spending, both rural and urban. The Reserve Bank’s survey conducted in August-September 2016 found consumer optimism on the general economic outlook, but somewhat less confidence in future income and employment.

While private investment activity remains sluggish, corporate business

expectations remain upbeat in the Reserve Bank’s industrial outlook survey on improving prospects for production, capacity utilisation, employment and the availability of finance, noted the report.

“Over the medium term, GST implementation should boost business confidence and investment, brightening the environment for an acceleration of growth,” said the report, adding that other initiatives likes steps to attract FDI in defence, civil aviation, pharma and broadcasting, measures to improve infrastructure, and the enactment of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act should also contribute to growth impulses.

On the global headwinds to growth, the report lists the outcome of the November 8 American presidential polls apart from the US Fed rate hikes.

It also spoke of spillovers of volatility to global and domestic financial markets, especially in the foreign exchange, equity and debt segments, with implications for domestic inflation and growth.

PTI

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

WATCH OUT THE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL IN PUNE

SHANIWAR WADA IN LIGHT Pune Walks is conducting the second of the photo walks series - Shaniwar Wada in Light. Every year, on the first day of Diwali, the majestic wada will be lit up by hundreds of lamps. This former palace of the Peshwas and seat of the Maratha Kingdom will turn into a sight worth watching. A photo walk to capture the bright moments of light and happiness of Diwali in this heritage site will be held. The Photo Walk will be conducted by architect and photographer Vaibhavi Agrawal. She has taught at the Bharati Vidyapeeth’s School of Photography and has conducted various workshops and sessions on the subject.

When: October 27, 5.30 pm to 7.00pm Where: Shaniwar Wada, outside Warsaa shop

ENJOY SOME BENGALI DELICACIES The Durga Pujo fervor is still lingering in the atmosphere and everyone is eagerly waiting for Diwali, the festival of lights and all things sweet. But just a day before Diwali comes, Kali Puja.

To set the mood right, Eighty Eight

at Hyatt Pune Kalyani Nagar brings ‘Experience Bengal with Every Bite’, the big Bong food festival which will leave you spoilt for choices. Chef Suvendu Roy and his team will dish out some of the most delicious delicacies.

From Vegetable Chop, Egg Roll, Fish Chop, Mutton Chop and more in starters to Kasha Mangsho (a mutton delicacy), Murgir Jhol (Chicken curry) and Shorshe Bata Mach (fish made in tradition mustard paste). There are also some traditional Bengali sweets to drool over as well.

When: Till October 28, 7.30 pm to 11 pm Where: Eighty Eight, Hyatt Pune, Kalyani Nagar

Vijayalakshmi Film Production has organized the second Rising International Short Film Festival which will be held in the city next week. The RISFF focuses on documentaries and short films mainly and the aim of the festival is to highlight and encourage women film makers across the world.

The two day festival would include more than 250 short films and documentaries from all over India, neighbor country Bangladesh and other countries like America, Brazil, France Germany London, Russia and Spain. The festival would open with the short film ’Joint’ from Uttrarkhand.

Entry to the event is on first-comefirst-serve basis. The festival is coordinated by Vijayalakshmi Jadhav and Atul Tapkir.

When: October 26 & 27, 10 am to 6 pm Where: National Film Archives, Law College Road

PUT SOME BUZZ IN YOUR WEEKDAYS

WEEK THAT WAS

A 31-year-old woman, who was on her way to work, was murdered by a man who she was acquainted with, at Kothrud at around 6 am on Tuesday (October 18). Shubhangi Prakash Khatavkar of Shramik Vasahat, Karvenagar, a housemaid, was attacked by one Vishwas Talekar.

Shubhangi died on the spot after being hit on the head with a weapon. The culprit then fled from the spot on Shubhangi’s Activa scooter. Her husband Prakash Khatavkar filed a case in Alankar police station. They have a 13-year-old son. Alankar Police Station in-charge Senior Police Inspector BG Misal said, “The suspect has already been identified. The suspect and victim knew each other as they lived in the same locality. The suspect was hiding behind a gate on Tuesday morning and as Shubhangi passed, he attacked her.” Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sudhir Hiremath said, “The suspect Vishwas Talekar and victim knew each other well.”

EDITOR

LETTERS TO THE

Foram Hamir Divrania Advertising professional MNS is like the Rakhi Sawant of politics. They will resort to any and every form of controversy to get publicity. They need to be thrown into jail for the threat of vandalism. They’re not the law and they better stop thinking that they are. That movie has every right to become a blockbuster in peace. They’re only hurting Indian cast and crew and investors in the process. If I’d to address them directly, I’d tell them to sit at home quietly and watch another Rohit Shetty film to calm down.

Akhila Anil Fashion PR It’s horrible. I get the whole nationalist vibe and how they want to keep Pakistani talent out for now. But this film began in 2015. How is it fair that for the sake of hatred for one Pakistani talent the efforts of the rest of the crew is supposed to go to waste ? It’s a lot of effort and money that goes into it. I’m all in for keeping Pakistani talent out from now on, because every other field is doing that. But this movie was done way before all the new decisions came into play. I don’t think it’s fair to ban the movie.

Shrawan Banerjee Musician You don’t see Hollywood complaining about non-American actors. As for the argument about Indian actors not getting a chance, I think the film industry will always have that problem.

The film is bigger than the actor. If it’s story and message is told responsibly, then what’s the problem? Banning a movie just because of an actor who’s not Indian is not patriotism, it’s racism. We should make people from all countries, even Pakistan, feel welcome in our country.

ON SATURDAY

PUNE

like Delhi, Bengaluru and others cope with traffic issues and violations and see if the same

VISHAL KALE

PG 15

, OCT PUNE

2016 15-21,

IC exe tra

P1

HC suggests Anshuman Bhadauria traffic Filmmaker violation check Being a North Indian in Pune or to say I will be a little scared to go for in Pune on Maharashtra, the film as I will be one of those who will have lines of metros a bad impact. We all know the history of MNS

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

by five Pune residents.

They have sought that CCTV cameras be

can be implemented in Pune also. installed at major traffic junctions in Pune and The Joint Commissioner of Food and Drug A bench headed by Justice V M Kanade said other measures be taken by the traffic department just as the government initiated the E-Challan to curb violations in Pune and rest of the state.

Administration (FDA), Pune region, has fined a system in Mumbai, whereby traffic violations During the last hearing in August this year, along major stretches are detected by CCTV the bench had directed the state government to sweetmeat manufacturer and a wholesaler who bought the cameras and the violators thus identified through file a reply whether it was “possible to introduce product, without a label mentioning the manufacturing their registered number plates are penalised, it a system for automatic registration of complaints could begin a similar system in Pune. The bench against the owners of such vehicles that flout date. Striking a blow in favour of consumer food safety, directed the government to inform the court traffic norms.” The state today sought additional what measures can be implemented to tackle the time to file its reply.

E SS N IT ‘F the FDA has fined the manufacturer Rs 75,000 and the GOES increasing traffic violations in Pune on October PTI ND Shivsena and North Indians. But as a film lover wholesaler Rs 25,000. The action was taken last year BJUEYSOTKING O O andIN a writer I am ready to take that risk. Just while the judgment was declared on Monday (October LGOOD’ A TANGLE THE WIRES because some people think this film or any film 17). The FDA court has ordered that the fines should be should be boycotted doesn’t mean that they can deposited within eight days, and failure to do so would impose the same feeling on us. I respect their attract more stringent action. On receiving a tip-off, opinion but I would like to have my own opinion and I hope that every FDA officials carried out a raid on the shop of wholesaler Rs 2.6 lakh from the shop of wholesaler Chowdhari.

PARASTE other person should think the same way.BY GUNWANTI Mangalram Jujaji Chowdhari, owner of SK Marketing, After receiving the report from the laboratory, officials @gunwantiparaste ward number 1, Shivaji Chowk, Sangvi Gaothan searched the premises of producer Pramod Kumar, Two years ago, Manoj Pawde, 34, of Pirangut was murdered. His younger brother Mahendra on October 31, 2015. FDA security officer Ganpat Amitabh Patel, Gayatri Dairy, Gozariya, Gujarat, and said that the local police were not serious about investigating his brother’s murder and nailing Yash Thakur Pandurang Kokane was the representative in this case. filed cases against Chowdhari and Patel under various the culprits, and is demanding that the case Filmmakerbe handed over to the Crime Investigation The officials had taken samples of barfi named ‘Gayatri’ sections of TGS the LIFE FDA Act in the court on April 7, Department (CID). Mahendra plans to stage It’s ridiculous. and politics and send it to the Ghaziabad-based laboratory for their 2016. They were also charged under 23(1), 26(1), 26(2) a hungerCinema strike at the Mantralaya in Mumbaihave nothing October 19, in this regard. to do withoneach other and cannot goand demanded that the case report about the quality and credibility of the product. (ii) sections well as FDA (packaging and labelling February 15-16, Mahendra said, “Two years the ago my MNS brother Is PMC turning a blindaseye be transferred to the CID. The government Manoj was returning home from Pune, when around strong arming the public whenever they “The laboratory sent its report to the FDA on February regulation 2011) part 2. towards misuse of octroi lands? had assured our family about a proper he was shot dead by unknown persons near investigation.”

Pirangut. local police havefavour not done them feel. I think we The should not at all 8, 2016, which said that the samples did not adhere to Joint Commissioner and Justice Subhash Desai declared Octroi lands and booths are being encroached upon by vendors, Their father, Ganubhau Baburao Pawde a proper investigation and my brother’s hawkers, gamblers and private transport companies said, “We are a large family and have many murderers are still free.

My family has been in the upcoming elections to give them a clear the FDA standards. Both manufacturer and trader had the judgment, stipulating a fine of Rs 75,000 for the relatives in Pirangut. My son Manoj had greatly disturbed by my brother’s murder. The indication police thatjustthe people still ishave liberty not maintained any record of when they produced it nor manufacturer, and Rs 25,000 for the wholesaler, for demanded land from our relatives but they say that the investigation going the refused. This land dispute is what led to the on whenwe inquire about the case. Manoj of choice whether it comes to voting watching labelled it, violating various sections of FDA Act 2006,” not maintaining records ofFOR the MORE barfi product.

The barfi of Manoj. We want justice. We have was an excellent photographer who was ormurder INFO PLEASE CONTACT MISS. ARSILLA MISHRA given all the suspects’ names to the police, but always taking pictures of forts, and was also CONTACT a film. said a FDA department officer. product will be destroyed and the EMAIL copy order will be9630884357 the police are not doing a proper investigation. involved with the save the forts campaign.

US : MISHRASHON12@GMAIL.COM That is why we want the CID to investigate He was the head of the family and his death During the raid, the officials sealed sweetmeats worth given to both of them. the case.” has left our family in disarray. We are also m sparrow.co .thegolden | www

RNEY A JOUM THE FRO THE TO SMALL SCREEN BIG 3 PG

PG 14

TIVE A FES R AFFAI

Murdered man’s family awa justice wants CID to probe t

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 15-21, 2016

THE METROPOLITAN MAKEOVER

Road accident brings curtain down on doctor couple’s dream life YCMH accused of negligence regarding man in vegetative state, admitted to the hospital for nursing care

BY DNYANESHWAR BHONDE @dnyanesh1

Anita and Santosh Kacheriya

and certain IPC sections against the car driver Kailash Sambhaji Kate, 37, resident of Vadagon Shinde, who had fled from the accident spot. Anita had lost consciousness but Santosh who was conscious, was calling out for help.

Continued on p06

alleges medical Road accident Father brings curtain negligence by YCM down on doctor couple’s dream life Santosh’s father has alleged medical negligence in the case against YCM Hospital doctors. Santosh was admitted to ward 303, bed number 22, on the third floor. “My son died because no doctor came when he was becoming serious at midnighton Sunday. I told the nurses that my son was shivering, and so they stopped the saline. But his body started getting cold but none of the sisters paidany heed, nor rushed him to the ICU,” said a tearful Ravindra. Despite the nurses calling, not a single doctor came the entire night, but they came at around 8:30 am the next day, and then declared him dead. “This hospital is dangerous. Not a single doctor is present here in the night. Duty doctors go to sleep during the night. In the last six days,six patients died in from our ward this way,” said Ravindra Kacheriya.

I was deeply saddened after reading the story about the couple which met with an accident with a car. The fact that for more than half an hour, no passerby helped them or took them to the hospital makes me feel like tearing up from inside. I can’t say that it is appalling. It almost seems like a harsh realisation for me as a being belonging to this highly-moralistic but extremely insensitive society. I am just Santosh’s father Ravindra Kacheriya at YCM Hospital

Wall. The painting and sculpture exhibition will showcase some classic and awe-inspiring collection, curated from the group of 10 acclaimed national and international artists like, Makrand Jadhav (Pune), Kumari Martha (USA), Anil Soni (Banaras), Avinash Mokashi (Mumbai), Surendra Khudapne (Pune), Mukta Gupta (Jharkhand), Vimal Chand (Delhi), Manshi Palshikar (Kolhapur), Anand Tahenguria (Bhopal) and Anuja Sane (Mumbai).

When: October 26 to November 15, 11 am to 8 pm Where: Tilting Art Gallery, Ishanya, Yerawada

OCTOBER 15-21, 2016

Business and industry have always proved to be prime catalysts for change, transforming people and places in a myriad ways. Unfortunately, See p08-09 they sometimes relegate earlier lifestyles and customs to history in the process

The morning of the August 19, 2016 seemed to be a regular one for Dr Santosh Kacheriya, 31, a Casualty Medical Officer (CMO) at Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital and his wife Dr Anita, 28, Medical Officer (MO) at Ruby Hall Clinic. The BAMS degree holders woke up early as per their routine, and were getting ready to report to their respective duties. The couple hurriedly bid adieu their four-year-old son Rajesh, and left their home in Munjaba vasti at Dhanori, at around 7:30 am on a motorcycle. They probably had no inkling of the terrible fate that awaited them.

They had reached near Akash Society and Mhasoba temple on the old airport road at around 7:45 am, when a Maruti Swift car (MH 12 KN 6663) coming from the opposite side dashed their motorcycle. Both Santosh and Anita fell down on the road and sustained serious injuries. The Vimantal police filed an offence of negligent driving

The Pune unit of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has warned all multiplexes and single screen cinema halls not to release Karan Johar’s film ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ (ADHM) which features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.

We ask Punekars how they feel about this

We the Artists is all set to host a workshop on Eco Friendly Paper Lantern Making Workshop this weekend. This workshop will mainly introduce the participants to the art of creating their very own adorable Paper Lanterns which is rich in traditional design and aesthetic. Participants AFFORDABLE WALL ART would have an opportunity to get a hands-on experience with our Tilting Art Gallery at Ishanya is getting professional who will teach this art.

Niyanta Mirjankar set to usher in the festive season as Ajay Kale is an G.D. art diploma holder.THE GOLDEN SPARROW Student of advertising it opens its doors for Punekars to He specializes in corporate gifting and I cannot find reason in anything that the MNS one of the biggest group art show of is expert in customized design and ever does, and this time it’s no different. I would immaculate paintings and exquisite production.

Social what networks “The ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has encouraged through of them genuinely want corruption to ask anyone sculptures. Marking the occasion of When: October 22 & 23 approving short notice resolutions in meetings of standing committee and they civic create this key to acts of they’re thinking when havoc, one of our most celebrated festival, Where: On 22, The Monalisa general body. If needed we will also approach the anti-corruption bureau.” group violence know. I Diwali, Tilting Art Gallery hosts an Kalagram, Koregaon Park, 12 noon to- Seema Savale, Shiv Sena Corporator but I’m sure it’ll either end in a ‘I don’t P 11 was told ‘ or them threatening me. I don’t think exhibition titled, Affordable Art for 3:00 pm India knows anything but extremism anymore.

Is it fair? Not even a little bit.

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court has asked 25. The directions came when the bench was FDA FINES SWEETMEAT MANUFACTURER AND WHOLESALER Maharashtra government to study how metros hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed

PUNE, OCTOBER 15-21, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

WOMAN BRUTALLY MURDERED

BY ACQUAINTANCE

VOX POPULI

LEARN TO MAKE PAPER LANTERNS

Buy One Get One Free on a variety of beers, spirits & cocktails only with INCOSIA’s Happy Hours. Feeling the crunch on your wallet? INCOSIA feels your pain too. Enjoy a variety of domestic beers, spirits and innovative cocktails at INCOSIA with their new BOGO offer during Happy Hours on weekdays. One can choose from a variety of cocktails such as Atom Bomb, Hawaiian Star, Sangrias, Tuna, etc. So what are you waiting for? Bring your drinking mates and buzz with us. Sit back and relax with some chilled beers, drinks and some amazing delicacies from our specially prepared menu of Indian, Continental and Asian cuisines.

When: Monday to Friday, 12 noon to 3pm and 7pm to 9pm Where: INCOSIA, Bavdhan

PUNE

downtrodden. The couple had a 4-year Panshet old son who got orphaned.family The couple alleges could have had such a beautiful their landlife. has In one second, everythingbeen just grabbed turned upside down for the world around them.

See p04 And this happened not because ‘death can come at any point’, but merely because no one helped at the right time.

It makes me weep.

- Govardhan Chitale It seems like the growing insensitivity in our society is becoming a norm. Is this what modern lifestyle aimed for? I am taken aback as to how this happened in Pune too. I had read about the woman not getting help till she succumbed to injuries on the highway in Delhi, but i didn’t think that Pune, a former kasbah and still a small town could have such people with this behaviour. This is our ‘civil society’?

- Nikita Gauri

Walkathon held to create awareness on female foeticide

Gender imbalance in India is one of the worst in the world and seeing people make an effort to counter that is pleasing.

The walkathon to create awareness about

PUNE

‘We trained Sanjay Dutt to make paper bags’

facing a financial problem. We had staged a hunger strike at Azad Maidan, Mumbai on

See p03

Murdered Seeing Google, Yahoo and Microsoft the girl child organised byDIG Crowne Plaza Current Nagpur Yogesh Desai has handled many secret and high-profi le man’sCity familyCentre the three biggest search providers block Pune and Holiday Inn inmates, including Ajmal Kasab and Sanjay Dutt awaiting justice search terms for sex determination seemed like an impressive idea. It is very wants CID to of foetus in India is an impressive important for our nation to recognize probe the case step towards curbing the occurrence. this ill of female foeticide and do away See p06 Technology has a big role to play in our with it. It leads to many undercutting lives as we often use it to make our lives repercussions which result in disastrous easier. Internet is one such technology effects within us as a society.

The electricity department staffers remove the vines and creepers that had invaded an electric pole in which can be used in multifarious ways - Rahul Paranjpe the Swargate area without any restrictions. While i support Walkathon held to create that, i think that searching for terms on the internet can lead to more foeticides awareness on female foeticide by normalising it.

- Gauri Continued fromFor p1 the last two years, the The cause Golden of death as Sparrow ‘multiple injuries’. has Shinde TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly

“Joining the prison service in 1995 was like a dream come true for me,” says Yogesh Desai. The 47-year-old has had an illustrious career, rising to the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police. Desai has worked at Mumbai, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Pune and was posted as DIG at Nagpur jail in 2015. Desai served at Yerwada Jail, Pune from May 2012 to May 2015.

“I was fascinated with the police service and used to dream of joining the uniformed services, even as a child. A prison service job is a very challenging one and we have to be always alert to tackle any situation as it arises. A prison staff of 100 to 150 is responsible for guarding and looking after 2,500 prisoners, which means that there is always an extra work load and responsibility

for each one of us,” Desai said. Desai, who hails from Roha in Raigad, completed his studies at Pune University, now renamed Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), acquiring a MA in sociology.

The senior police officer said that there is a lot more to a job in the prison service than just taking custody of prisoners and ensuring security in the prison. “It is always a huge challenge to reform the prisoners under our care, and persuade them to forsake a life of crime and become a respectable member of society. We have to remember that our prisoners are not just criminals, but that they are human beings fi rst. Our main responsibility is the rehabilitation of prisoners,” Desai said.

Advocating the need to counsel prisoners, he said, “It is difficult if not impossible to reform hardened criminals.

But we always try to counsel prisoners to change their ways and settle into life as lawabiding citizens. We encourage prisoners to complete their studies in jail, and there are lots of prisoners who are interested in getting an education, and some even become graduates or get an MBA. We provide them the means to get an education and also guide them in the choice of a career. Our main responsibility to society is to ensure

that when prisoners are released from jail, they are able to adjust to a life without crime without any problem. We counsel prisoners about what career or business they can pursue after their release. Some prisoners are not habitual criminals, but have landed in jail for something they did on an impulse or in a fit of passion,” said Desai.

Two incidents stand out among Desai’s memorable professional experiences. The hangings of 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts accused Yakub Memon in Nagpur jail on July 30, 2015, and 22/11 Mumbai terrorist attack culprit Pakistani Ajmal Kasab at Yerwada Jail on November 21, 2012. “We had to maintain utmost secrecy and confidentiality about Kasab and his hanging. We also had to keep Kasab’s being housed in Yerwada jail secret from other prisoners. Dealing with such a high-profi le prisoner was an immense responsibility for us all,“ he said. Nobody, not even his close family members knew of his high-profi le charge.

Talking about the social initiatives undertaken by the prison administration, Desai said, “We were able to launch a lot of social work initiatives at Yerwada and Nagpur jails with the help of NGOs and private companies. I started a community FM radio station at Yerwada jail in 2014,

which was run by the prisoners themselves.

Sanjay Dutt was very co-operative and enthusiastic while he was lodged in Yerwada jail and was involved with several radio programmes. He also was trained to make paper bags.”

Desai was posted at Yerwada jail in the backdrop of the murder of alleged Indian Mujahideen operative Mohammed Qateel Siddiqui in the Anda cell of Yerwada Central Jail. “We had to bring the situation under control. I was also involved in the handling of Kasab’s and Memon’s executions. I joined Nagpur jail when five prisoners had escaped, and we confiscated more than 150 cell phones. I also looked after the computerisation of prison work as state coordinator,” he said.

The senior prison officer credits his family for always supporting him in his challenging profession. “There are times when we have to work round-the-clock and at such times, our families have to cope with the situation as best as they can. Owing to the nature of my job, there are times when I am not able to devote enough time to my family. But they have always been very understanding and supportive,” said Desai, who loves to read, listen to music, and watch movies and theatre. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

Manoj’s mother Bhamabai said, “We have already named the suspects, but the police

are not taking rural police and investigate the my son’s murde case be transfer Manoj’s wi old daughter R asks when he any answer. Ma and we were all After his murd We have a sma of income. The husband’s mur not investigatin gunwan

Purandar airport project oppos PUNE: Hundreds of farmers from at least seven villages in Purandar tehsil in Pune district, where a greenfield international airport is proposed to be set up, staged a protest here claiming the project will hit their livelihood and affect their future generations.

During their protest held at the Council Hall here, they said that they would not give their land for the planned airport.

The Maharashtra government had recently given its go-ahead for carrying out a detailed project report (DRP) for the airport, which

will be spread over 2,400 hectares. The site has been already approved by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had informed.

However, after the state government’s announcement about the airport, the affected villages—Rajewadi, Amble, Waghapur, Pargaon Memane, Khanawadi, Munjawadi and Ikhatpur had passed resolutions that they would not give their land to the project.

In a memorandum, addressed to the Chief Minister, the villagers expressed their

reservations ab upcoming airpo and livestock r the future of th “If our irrig farming activit have no option places for liveli package and g kind of reservat villages,” reads

seen from the perspective of their daily couple’s dre Road accident brings curtain down on doctor income, the lives of the ones who grow PUBLISHING

TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly

India has one of the worst gender imbalances in the world, with 943 females born for every 1,000 males. The census report of India puts child sex ratio at 962 girls per 1,000 boys aged 0 to 6 years in 2001, to 914 girls per 1,000 boys in 2011. Since 2001, the child sex ratio in India, has plunged below this, suggesting that sex selection continues unabated.

To generate awareness against female foeticide and infanticide, Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre along with their sister property Holiday Inn Pune Hinjewadi organised walkathon for the awareness of girl child. They also donated 160 boxes of snacks to the kids The Poona School and Home for the Blind. The walkathon started from Holiday Inn at Wakad and covered a stretch on Wakad Road on October 11 The event was represented by Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre general manager Raju Shreshta and Holiday Inn (Wakad) general manager Vivek Chotalia.

“Sex determination and sex selection is a criminal offence in India but its practice is widespread. Female feticide and infanticide are not just only issues pertaining with girl child but at every stage of life, she is discriminated and abandoned for education, for living standard and basic nutrition,” Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre representative

There were many vehicles passing covered by but none of the drivers or riders bothered to stop and help the gravely injured couple. No one wanted to waste their time or shoulder the responsibility of taking them to hospital for treatment. Half an hour had passed since their crash, when two Samaritans stopped to help Santosh and Anita, put Participants at the walkathon organised at Wakad them in an autorickshaw and rushed said, adding that the illegal practice of Google, Yahoo and Microsoft have them to sexthe emergency ward of Inlaks doctors telling parents the sex of their agreed to block search terms for unborn baby is still occurring in our determination kits in India. These and Budhrani Hospital in Koregaon country. firms blocked 22 words related to The Comptroller and Auditor sex-discrimination kits – used for Park.

General (CAG) of India report raps identifying unborn girls for abortion. In state governments for its “lackadaisical his remarks in July, the Supreme Court reached the hospital in a They attitude” towards implementing judge called the adverts a “social evil” the Pre-Conception and Pre-natal and told the firms that if they weren’t blood-soaked state, which is why Dr Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition able to comply with the law they should Santosh’s of Sex Selection) Act, 1994. The law “get out of the market”.

Sex-selective colleagues in the casualty aims to prevent sex-selective abortions abortion and sex-determination kits ward did not recognise him initially. through regulation and monitoring of have been illegal in India since 1994 clinics using ultrasound equipment. but unborn girls are still killed in areas Santosh was insisting that the doctors Meanwhile, following the where sons are preferred.

Supreme Court order, Internet giants tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com treat his wife first.

“His voice sounded familiar but we were unable to recognise Santosh as his face and body were soaked with blood,” said a doctor from Inlaks Budhrani Hospital. When the doctors checked her pulse, the realised that Anita who had sustained head injuries was dead. The doctors started emergency treatment on Santosh but after some time, he lost consciousness and went into a coma.

The children at Poona School and Home for the Blind were given boxes of snacks TGSWeekly thegoldensparrow.com Being a Medico Legal Case (MLC), Koregaon Park police reported the incident to the Vimantal police, who in turn informed Santosh’s father and conducted the panchanama.

The Vimantal police sent Anita’s body to Sassoon General Hospital for autopsy. The autopsy report revealed

Meanwhile, Santosh Pune like no one else. breathing but not showing any

was signs of consciousness. According to the doctors, his brain nerves were shattered with the force of the impact on the road though he was wearing a helmet. He had lost his left eye and fractured his shoulder, thigh badly. After multiple MRI/CT scans, the doctors diagnosed him with ‘lung parenchymal contusion’ (lung injury), ‘Diffuse axonal injury’ (a distinct form of head injury), femur fracture (thigh), liver damage, rib SPECIAL fractures and more. He was under the treatment of doctors of SUBSCRIPTION neurology and orthopedic department OFFER for near one month and 18 days. He was operated 1 year on and a tracheotomy For (an incision *52 issues in the windpipe made to relieve an obstruction to breathing) was done.

The doctors did everything they could to save him.

Santosh was in a comatose state for about a month and developed vegetative state (a disorder of consciousness).

“He opened his right eye but with no sense of awareness. There were hardly any chances of recovering from this state. He had lost the mental capacity AVAILABLE ON of a doctor,” said Dr Arjun Viegas, Contact: 9011055077 orthopedic surgeon at Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital, who operated on Santosh. “We did MRI of his head multiple times but there was no improvement in him” said Dr Viegas.

Dr Riya Punjabi, medical director of the Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital, said that they did everything they

Purandar airport project opposed SUBSCRIBE AND STAND

food for the rest ofPunjabi. the country, and the said Dr Rajesh. Santosh’s father Ravindra Having run out of money and retired as overseer from a private sugar country’s agricultural with woman atconscious home, Santosh’sitself. factory. He has a brother Sanjay who is father Ravindra and married sister married to Priyanka.

It is discouraging in the first instance Uma, admitted him to Yashwantrao What is vegetative state?

Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) for these groups of people, as the fear Vegetative state is a disorder of on October 5 for nursing care. He consciousness in which patients with breathed his last on October 11 at displacement. around If the government can severe brain damage are in a state 9 am. The family alleged of partial arousal rather than true that the doctors did not give proper ensure providence, there won’t be any awareness. The vegetative state is a treatment and not a single duty doctor chronic or long-term condition. This visited him during the night and wee protests. condition differs from a coma. A coma hours of the fateful day even after his - Dilip Taode is a state that lacks both awareness and condition became critical.

Alleging

A CHANCE TO WIN While it is great to Asee that an 2 NIGHT / 3 DAY VACATION international airport is getting constructed in Purandar, it is important to recognize why the farmers are wakefulness. Patients in a vegetative medical negligence in the treatment protesting. It will seem like a very state may have awoken from a coma, by the hospital, the family has given but still have not regained awareness. an application to Pimpri police to file unusual question but think about it, ‘is Patients can open their eyelids a case against the hospital and doctors. `199 Write to Us occasionally and demonstrate sleepThe news of Santosh’s demise travel and international connectivity the doctors Inlaks Budhrani towake cycles, but completely lack Letters to theshocked Editor mayatbe emailed cognitive function.

Hospital. “He had great emotional so important?’ The issue is not with the bonding with fellow doctors in the editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com, Hospital denies allegations hospital. He wanted to give quality fact that an airport is being constructed tushar@goldensparrow.com YCM hospital medical superintendent education to his son and wanted to but with the acknowledgement of the Dr Manoj Deshmukh denied all make him an MBBS doctor,” said a or mail it who to The allegations of negligence. “The patient’s doctor workedEditor, with him for years.

Dr Anita Kacheriya with her son Rajesh history of such projects wherein people was serious as he had a brain “We miss him a lot,” she said. in happier times Golden Sparrow Publishing PvtInlaks Ltd, condition injury to which he succumbed. We had Santosh had joined have gotten displaced. Land is the only informed his relatives about his critical Budhrani hospital as a CMO on situation.” Asked if the doctor was not best Madhav November 4, Heritage, 2010 after completing thing that makes a farmer and ifcould anfor their colleague. “The1641 available or was sleeping, he replied, treatment was given to Santosh. We the degree in Bachelor of Ayurvedic Tilak Road, Pune-411030 “Dr Sujeet Pawar saw him in the night even paid the entire Rs 12 lakh bill as Medicine Surgery (BAMS) from airport will take that away, it has to be and in the morning.” About the deaths his financial condition was not so good.

Annasaheb Dange Ayurved Medical He was discharged on October 3 as there were chances of him developing other serious infections in hospital.

He just needed nursing care which can be given in a house. His father too demanded discharge and we gave it,”

College, Ashta (Sangli). Anita had passed out from G S Gune Ayurvedic College in Ahmednagar with a BAMS and joined Ruby Hall Clinic as MO. The couple got married on May 18, 2011, and have a four-year-old son

of six patients in the span of a week, Deshmukh said, “People bring their patients in serious condition to our hospital when they run out of money in private hospitals.” dnyaneshwar.bhonde@goldensparrow.com

Dr Santo Budhran

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 22-28, 2016

PUNE

SPORTS

“Untouchable in our team has to be the spirit, the pride, the commitment to the club, the respect to the fans - that has to be untouchable, not players.”

— Jose Mourinho, Manchester United Manager

“It is no secret that I arrived to the Olympic Games short of preparation and not fully recovered, but the goal was to compete and win a medal for Spain. This forced recovery has caused me pain since then.”

— Rafael Nadal, Tennis Player

Signposts

Shorter version of hockey will help Indian players’

Shivajians FC take on PIFA in opener DSK Shivajians FC will begin their campaign in the Under-16 Youth League with a home game against PIFA, Mumbai at the DSK Dream City Football fields on October 22.

This year, the Maharashtra Zone comprises of two groups of four teams each. DSK Shivajians FC is in Group B along with Mumbai FC and Steadfast FC Mumbai Rush SC. The teams will play on a home-away basis among themselves in the round robin stage. The group topper will qualify for the National final round.

The League, which commenced last season as the U-15 Youth League, has been refurbished as the U-16 Youth League keeping an eye on the forthcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017.

Khasnis appointed as Indian coach Pune’s swimming coach Jitendra Khasnis has been appointed coach of the Indian team for the UIPM Biathle and Triathle World Championship to be held in Florida, USA. Five players from Pune have been selected in the Indian squad. Arjun Adkar, Geeta Malusare, Sai Disle, Parth Kharate and Parth Gore performed impressively in the 7th National ranking biathle tournament held at Haryana in July.

Adkar had won two gold medals in this tournament and is expected similar performance from him at the international level.

First national 5-a-side hockey to be held in Balewadi from October 26 TGS NEWS SERVICES @TGSweekly

Golden chance for city players

Jayesh Pungalia and Snehal Mane get wild card entries to ATP and ITF events respectively TGS NEWS NETWORK @TGSweekly

City youngsters Jayesh Pungalia and Snehal Mane have a golden chance to gain valuable international points as they have received wild card entries to the $50,000 KPIT ATP Challenger and $10,000 Women’s ITF tournaments to be held in Pune next week.

Pungalia, who had played in the qualifiers of this tournament’s previous edition, is in superb form and has been honoured with the player of the year award by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association. On the other hand, 16-year-old Snehal has recently won an under-18 ITF title in Mauritius.

“Our aim is give youngsters an opportunity in the big league. This tournament will be a

learning experience for them and eventually it will help them when they will graduate to the next level. We expect at least 8-10 players from Maharashtra to make it to ATP draws in the main and qualifying draw and provide them an opportunity to compete at world class level and that too on the home turf,” said MSLTA secretary Sundar Iyer.

Meanwhile, Saketh Myneni, Ramkumar Ramnathan, former Wimbledon junior doubles winner Sumit Nagal, his Vietnamese partner Nguyen Hoang Thien and Russian Tennis Olympian Evgeny Donskoy are some of the big names that will be seen in action in the men’s event.

“Interestingly, the winner of the tournament has made it to the top 100. In 2014, Yuchi Sugita of Japan won the event and went on to make it to the top 100, while in 2015, Yuki Bhambri won the event that propelled him into the top 100. We hope this year too this event will help the winner to move into the coveted top 100 bracket,” said Kishor Patil, chairman of the organising committee and MD of KPIT.

Snehal Mane

Jayesh Pungalia

Almost all the top Indian women players, with the exception of Ankita Raina will be seen in action at the event, which will be led by former Indian National Champion Prerna Bhambri, current National Champion Riya Bhatia, National runner-up Etee Mehta and Rio Olympian Prarthana Thombare.

The KPIT- MSLTA Tennis Fest will also witness the finals between the winner of the Mumbai Leg of the Junior Tennis League and the winner of the Pune Junior tennis League.

Over 50 children will feature in the event, and clinics will be held by players for tennis players from the city along with the event.

Sheetal Iyer has been appointed as the referee for the ITF women’s event. Carmelo Di Dio of Italy, one of the senior most ATP supervisors, will be the chief of the ATP event. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com

The short format of field hockey played on a half-regulation size hockey pitch, is seen as a possible way for the future development and growth of the sport worldwide. Moreover it’s likely to regenerate the skills and techniques, which are overshadowed by power game.

The experts are of opinion that this 5-a-side format will give Indian subcontinent players a fair chance to revive their dominance in the sport. To promote this new format, Hockey India is conducting fi rst 5-a-side hockey tournament at Shiv Chhatrapati sports complex in Balewadi from October 26.

“Th is short format allows flexibility so that it can be played on any surface and on different sized pitches. A match will consist of three periods of 10 minutes each with an interval of three minutes between the periods. Some of the key differences from field hockey are in terms of the ways goals are scored and penalties imposed,” said Manoj Bhore, Joint Secretary of Hockey India.

Unlike traditional hockey, goals in 5s don’t have to be scored from inside the circle. A goal is awarded when the ball crosses the line from anywhere on the court. In addition, the ball is moved using a push, scoop or fl ick and no hitting is allowed as it is being played at an indoor arena.

In terms of fouls, only free hits and challenges are awarded for respective offences by an attacker or defender.

A challenge is similar to the way shootouts are conducted in modern hockey. Free hits and fouls follow the same rules as modern hockey as well.

Former Indian Team Captain Dhanraj Pillay, who has been named as the brand ambassador of the event, said that the Indian players were struggling to match the fitness and power of European players. But, with this shorter format, they can have a good opportunity to use their skills.

To be hosted by Hockey Maharashtra, the championship will have eight teams, including Association of Indian Universities, Hockey Haryana, Hockey Jharkhand, Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Odisha, Hockey Punjab and Uttar Pradesh Hockey. tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com