The Golden Sparrow on Saturday 06/09/2014

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PUNE, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014 | www.goldensparrow.com

SPORTS Breaking the jinx P 15

CITY

PUNE’S PEOPLE WITH A PURPOSE

When angry Ganeshas evoked spirit of nationalism P4

A home for special children P2

RAHUL RAUT

Zero Stone

restoration begins Pune Municipal Corporation’s Heritage Cell begins work a week after a report in this newspaper

BY ASHOK BHAT @TGSWeekly

(TGS), August 30 edition.

The front page report had highlighted the state of neglect of the site with The Pune Municipal Corporation’s white paint spilled over the stone, a (PMC) Heritage Cell has undertaken broom lying next to it and rubbish restoration of the historic Zero all around. A tea vendor was also Stone heritage site outside the found stationed with his cart next to General Post Office (GPO), a week the stone. This newspaper had urged after a special report in The Golden civic authorities and citizens’ Sparrow on Saturday groups to initiate restoration of the monument.

Reacting to this report, PMC’s executive engineer (Building Development and Heritage Cell), Sham Dhawale, directed his staff to ’s e n store Pu initiate the restoraHelp re e on tion work. On Zero St Thursday, two PMC employees cleaned up the stone and its surrounding area even as Dhawale said that a contractor has been assigned for the beautification of ls a the spot. d n a these m y define “After thoroughly n o th m r a TGS issue nal hon 30 Aug ‘14 commu cleaning the stone, we will install rosity & S LIFE)

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And our members have made it to the prestigious Asian Games. We feel proud about it,” said Vijay Bhave, the president of the gymkhana.

PYC’s three tennis players - Ankita Raina, Prarthana Thombare and Natasha Palha are part of Indian women’s team, while Shireen Limaye has been selected for the women’s basketball team. Hemant Bendrey is the coach of the women’s tennis team, while Sheetal Iyer will be the chief referee of the tennis tournament.

Continued on p 11

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12 India ’s Fabulous 50 BJP sia lhi, city ct Forbes A e D m o je fr t ro r p o o p up etr With s push Pune M keen to MONS

WASHINGTON: The US has expressed concern over the reported creation of a new Al Qaeda wing in the Indian subcontinent, but said it did not regard it as an indication of any new capabilities by the terror group.

The US had not been ‘able to verify those reports yet’, State Department spokesperson Marie Harf told reporters on Thursday.

“But ‘we obviously are concerned about any recruitment or efforts by terrorists or violent extremist groups anywhere in the world’,” she said.

US, she said had ‘remained committed to dismantling Al Qaeda anywhere that it poses a threat to the United States, make sure it doesn’t again pose a threat to the United States, particularly in that region’.

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri announced the creation of a South Asian branch of his outfit to ‘raise the flag of jihad’ in the Indian subcontinent in a 55-minute video posted online Wednesday.

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(From L) Natasha Palha, Ankita Raina and Prarthana Thombare

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The Zero

For the first time in the city, six regulars from a club will represent India at an international event

PYC Hindu Gymkhana has taken centrestage. After years of nurturing and promoting sportspersons, the club has achieved a rare feat.

For the first time, six members of PYC will represent India at the Asian Games to be held at Inceon, South Korea from September 29.

“It is a moment for celebration when six members of any sports club represent the country in various disciplines.

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Sweating it out at PYC Gymkhana leads six to Asian Games

BY ASHISH PHADNIS @phadnis.ashish

MONS

School and college-going girls in rural and urban areas across India are unwittingly falling prey to crimes of passion driven by the camera in smartphones.

Awareness is the first step towards protecting yourself and your family members against such crimes.

See Spotlight on Pg7

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The Zero Stone is a very special milestone as it signifies the geographic location of a city and the point from where distances are established between towns and cities. There are just 80 of such special milestones that were installed across the country during the British Raj as markings for a survey. India’s Zero Stone, meanwhile, is in Nagpur denoting the centre of the country.

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a protective railing around it. If we get more space, we will undertake landscaping and beautification around the stone. Whatever is necessary will be done to grant heritage status to the Zero Stone,” he told this reporter.

Leader of opposition in the PMC and area corporator Arvind Shinde (BJP) visited the spot and said he intends to not only pursue the matter with the civic Heritage Committee but also write to union communications minister Ravi Shankar Prasad requesting an allotment of space from the GPO for the beautification of the site.

Last week, this newspaper had stressed that this heritage site ought to be restored, fenced and beautified so that the children of this city, citizens and tourists can reflect on the time when Pune was taking shape under the British.

Interestingly, the stone mentions road connectivity between Pune and other towns and cities such as Bangalore, Solapur, Ahmednagar, Nashik and even smaller places like Purandar, Sinhagad, Paud and Alandi.

Surprisingly, Mumbai and Kolhapur are not mentioned on the stone.

Asked about this, city historian Pandurang Balkawade said that in the late 1800s the railway link between Pune and Thane was the primary connectivity between Pune and Bombay. “There was no road connectivity between Pune and Bombay when the Zero Stone was installed. Kolhapur is also missing from the stone as it is located off the highway,” he said.

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Give us a call and you will know why.

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THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Indo-Japan body sees bright future P3

PUNE

“I am “Th e rich working in India towards need toestablishing find their own a system conscience; through Maharashtra can the to give awhich little ofeverybody what theyinearn.

We must learn receive blood before free of the cost.” art of giving art of living!”

—Bindeshwar —Ram Bangad,Pathak, Founder founder, President of Raktache Nate, a charitable trust for blood donation Sulabh International

The Instagram rage P6

Fondly called Ganpu dada, Pankaj Mitbhakare’s ‘Ab’normal school is a home away from home for handicapped children

BY ANJALI SHETTY @shetty_anjali Children are God’s gift and every child should have the right to a respectable life, believes Pankaj Mitbhakare. To him every child is born equal, even if he or she is mentally or physically challenged.

Founding ‘Ab’normal, meaning ‘now normal’ in Hindi, a school that caters to children between 6 and 16 years of age, who are affl icted by autism, borderline mental retardation, learning disability, hyperactivity and slow learning.

Mitbhakare aka Ganpu dada, set up the school in Kothrud in 2012, along with counsellor and administrator Kishori Pathak and psychologist Anagha Adoni. “‘Ab’normal means now everything is okay and this is home. Such children face rejection and disapproval from society. Their parents and relatives also sometimes give up on them.

I wanted to create a comfortable space that they can call their own.

Our curriculum suits their needs and educates them to appear for the X standard exam as an external student,” said Pankaj.

Kishori said that do not expect the children to accept a mould or follow a plan. “People fail to understand that every child is different. We do not group them based on their IQ or behavioural pattern but observe, analyse and let the child decide what s/he wants to do. For example, if the

“If a child is good with art, we teach other subjects through art work only”

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

A home for special children - KISHORI PATHAK

child is good with art work, we teach other subjects through art work only,” said Kishori.

With a student-teacher ratio of 3:1, the school conducts regular classes from 10 am to 3 pm, and special sessions between 2 pm and

5 pm to help children reduce their dependence on families.

“We help them to look after themselves and be independent.

People notice their weak points but we try to identify their strengths and encourage them to

realise their potential. Groups are formed of children with similar interests to help them grow with confidence,” Kishori said.

CCTVs installed on the premise help monitor the children’s daily activities.

Anagha said, “We don’t use the blackboard as they feel bad when we turn our backs to them in the class. You have to make them feel that they always have our attention. Our teaching methods help them lead a normal life like us.”

Pankaj is planning a home and large space for the children after they turn 16.

“There are many issues that need to be explained and taught to them as they grow. The home that I plan will have everything they need for a routine life plus they will earn for themselves through farming and dairy,” he said. anjali.shetty@goldensparrow.com

Riding safe is BOLT priority

At 26, Pratik Shinde is spreading the message of safe riding through his biking group

BY ANJALI SHETTY @shetty_anjali Doing something you enjoy makes you happy.

But making others happy is even better than that.

Pratik Shinde, 26, launched BOLT (Bikers of Low Tolerance) in December 2013, with just such a serious but philanthropic motive.

Pratik’s riding hobby began with a Honda Hornet 600 and CBR600R before he graduated to the serious heavyweight Yamaha V-Max and a BMW K1300R. Being the founder of the youngest group of superbikers in Pune, Pratik wants to be an inspiration for others and follows road safety rules.

“Helmets are an essential element of bike safety, and all the more important while riding powerful bikes. We should always think about our dear and near ones who wish for our well-being.

We spread awareness among fellow riders. We try to carry forward the key role that parents and caregivers play in educating us about road safety to society,” he said.

A class apart The group of 30 includes a 20-year-old girl, who is the youngest member and rides a Honda CB1000R. Trained and mentored by their fathers and BOLT seniors, Arvind Shinde, Nain Israni and Jimmy Patel, the group’s inspiration is famous biker racer Rafiq aka Raju Sheikh.

The members of BOLT organises bike rallies to spread the message of safe driving. (Right) Pratik Shinde wants more bikers to join the group for the good cause

“I motivate fellow bikers to be responsible when they hit the roads. To do what makes them happy, meet on weekends, enjoy life and not get sucked into it. We share videos, articles, thoughts and our passion — biking,” Pratik said.

About the group’s name, he said, “The low tolerance bit of the name is inspired from our evergrowing belief in safe riding. Unfortunately, we have been associated with those who meet with accidents due to speeding or rash riding. BOLT has zero tolerance towards those who do not follow safety measures while riding a bike.”

The group had organised a bike rally on Independence Day. “Living a passion that does good to others gives a pleasant feeling. We gave joyrides to people with physical disability and kids who are star-struck of super bikes on August 15.

I think these memorable rides are more valuable than donations and other social gestures,” he said. anjali.shetty@goldensparrow.com

Pankaj Mitbhakare makes it a point to spend time with the children and they love their Ganpu dada. (Left) Caretakers and parents visit the school and take part in various activities

Youngster defies diabetes to scale Peru peak

Teenager Eshaan Shevate climbs Machu Picchu to spread message on the lifestyle disease TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly

Pune engineering student Eshaan Shevate was the youngest of a 13-member international team of trekkers that scaled Machu Picchu, 13,800 feet above sea level, in the land of Peru.

What makes Shevate’s feat so remarkable is that he is affl icted with type 1 diabetes, and the trek was part of the Sanofi and World Diabetes tour. He was supported by diabetologist Dr Abhay Mutha.

“I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of twelve. I was thrilled to see a high number mentioned on the medical report after undergoing certain tests. It was only when I saw the tearyeyed Dr Mutha that I realised that the figure was not something to be happy about,” said Eshaan, who is currently pursuing mechanical engineering at Sinhagad Institute.

Eshaan hopes his trip to Peru will help spread the message that one can live a long, healthy life despite diabetes, by following the doctor’s advice and treatment plans. The tour was aimed at underlining the fact to the Type 1 diabetes community that the ailment can be managed.

In India, diabetes is a major public health challenge with the country ranked second in the world. While Type 2 diabetes has received considerable attention in interventions, it has not been so for Juvenile or Type 1 diabetes. One out of five children with Type 1 diabetes in the world is an Indian.

Eshaan said “I enjoyed interacting with my team members, all diabetics, from countries like China, Brazil, USA, Canada, France, Spain and Peru. We trekked for over eight hours each day and managed our sugar levels under these tough circumstances with temperature dipping to 5 degree Celsius. After five days of strenuous hiking from the city of Cusco into the subtropical jungle of the Andes and ascending mountain terrain up to 4,600 metres, our team succeeded in reaching our goal, Machu Picchu.” editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com

Eshaan Shevate finds the expedition with fellow diabetics a learning and memorable experience

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

PUNE

According to the Maharashtra Government, the cost of Pune Metro project has escalated to Rs 10,183 crore.

Signposts Photo expo raises Rs 5.46L for SOFOSH An exhibition of photographs by marketing strategist Prakash Bang has helped raised Rs 5.46 lakhs for Shrivatsa Orphanage, managed by the Society of Friends of Sassoon Hospitals (SOFOSH), Pune. The exhibition was held at the Balgandharva Kala Dalan, J M road last week. At the exhibition, 52 landscape photographs clicked by Bang from around the world were displayed. Patrons offered a donation of Rs 21,000 per picture to SOFOSH, thus helping raise the sizeable amount for the orphanage.

‘Achhe Din for PMPML?’ debate on Sunday PMPML, the only Public Transport service for 60 lakhs citizens of Pune & Pimpri Chinchwad, is in very bad and precarious state. Lakhs of citizens face severe inconvenience and hardship due to this. The PMP Pravasi Manch has organised a debate on ‘Achhe Din for PMPML?’, on Sunday Spetember 7 at 4.45pm at IMDR. This debate is open for all. MP of Pune and officials of PMPML will be participating in the debate.

Dr Chordiya gets World Peace Award Founder and chairman of Suryadatta Group of Institutes, Dr Sanjay Chordiya was conferredthe International Spiritual and World Peace Dr Sanjay Chordiya Award 2014 by Dr Madhusudan Ghanekar. His contribution to spirituality and world peace activities were lauded during the first International Spiritual and World Peace Conference held in Pune.

TGS Quiz Contest

A

No. 12

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

1. What is Lakshwadeep tourism planning to start in the coming year?

2. Which project is assistant fi lm director Abhay Raha working on?

3. Which highest peak did Eshaan Shevate climb during his diabetes 1 tour?

4. How is Pankaj Mitbhakare’s Ab normal different from other special schools?

5. What form of art has Deepal Doshi got to India?

6. Where does Kalki Koechlin want to travel too?

7. Which oil is best to use in winter?

8. Where does chef Hoa Be hail from?

9. What binds brothers Alexander and Arthur Fernandes?

10. What is actor Upendra Limaye’s fitness regimen?

Contest Contest # 11 # winners 8 1. Chandan Rathod winners 2. Pramila Chirukandan

For the love for high seas P8

‘I am driven by desire to create’ P9

Indo-Japan body sees bright future Following prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan, India should seize the opportunity of working closely with the Japanese to use technology for national development, says Y H Gharpure, president of the city-based Indo-Japan Business Council

BY ABHAY VAIDYA @vaidya_abhay Prime minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Japan “goes well beyond flute and drum diplomacy and can be called a historic game-changer,” Yashwant H Gharpure, president of the city-based Indo-Japan Business Council said in an interview to this newspaper.

Former managing director of Hindustan Antibiotics, Gharpure noted that Modi’s visit would result in a “fantastic impact” as it goes well beyond Indo-Japan economic cooperation.

Even as Japan has committed to invest $ 35 billion (Rs 210,000 crore) over a five-year period, the Modi visit has resulted in ‘spectacular results’ in the

“There are at least 100 Japanese companies in Pune, the biggest of which is Bridgestone with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore.

This is the second largest Japanese company in India.”

— Y H Gharpure

areas of strategic, economic and defence cooperation, Gharpure noted. He said that the deepening relationship based on mutual trust is vitally important in view of the expansionist ambitions of China.

Modi’s visit would pave the way for co-operation in building the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet train, the

File photo of Y H Gharpure, president of Indo-Japan Business Council, Pune, felicitating Koji Sato, founder of Gateways Fairs Private Limited (GIIP), during a programme on ‘Doing Business with Japan’ in the city last year. Also present were Shekhar Agharkar (centre), CEO, Arthtech and industrialist Shriram Bhat

setting up of an Industrial Electrical Park, cooperation in the production of rare casting products and on-going cooperation in the $90 billion megainfrastructure project - the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), recognised as the world’s largest project of its kind.

Chairman of the Gharpure group of companies, he said that while Japan has become disillusioned with China and has been looking for alternatives in recent years, “India has emerged as the best alternative at the moment.” It is now important for India to seize the opportunity that has opened with the prime minister’s visit, he said.

He regretted India’s historically “inward looking” approach and resistance to the entry of foreign firms and technology. “Our business council

City’s Japanese residents happy with NaMo visit

BY PRACHI BARI @prachibari Reacting to prime minister Narendra Modi’s Japan visit and his efforts to build stronger bonds with their country, Japanese expats in the city have expressed happiness and optimism over the development.

Here’s how they reacted: I think we, Japan and India, should maintain good relations with each other for national security and the economy.

— Japanese Master Chef, Shintaro Fujisaki, Miyuki at the Double Tree by Hilton We know of his achievements as Gujarat chief minister and I am looking forward to equally great success as India’s prime minister. Modi is very energetic and active and is a good speaker. I feel proud to belong to

this great nation.

—Yoko Deshmukh, Japanese language translator With India to receive an investment of 3.5 trillion Yen over the next five years, a solid relationship is being established between India and Japan. It will be great if India gets to introduce the Japanese fast train, Shinkansen.

— Yoshie Kaneko, Homemaker If Japanese technology is used to set up the Pune Metro, the traffic woes will be less.

- Mai Watanabe Pendse, Software professional at Vertex The economic links between the two countries will definitely become stronger and I hope to see better services come up to facilitate companies in India.

- Kenji Adachi, professional prachibari@gmail.com

Highlighting issues of global taxation TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly “In order to face the global challenges in the field of taxation, chartered accountants are required to put in efforts to enrich and strengthen their knowledge and skills,” said Central Council member SB Zaware, at the inaugural function of ‘National Conference on Direct Taxes’. The event was hosted by the Pune Branch of WIRC of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) at hotel Le Méridien on August 30 and 31.

The conference deliberated on contemporary topics such

(From L) SB Zaware, CV Chitale and Kishore Phadke sharing the dias at the ‘National Conference on Direct Taxes’ held in the city recently

as latest amendments to the Income Tax Act, Report, Tax Audit International taxation, Taxation of NRI’s, etc.

Over 625 CAs from all over the India attended the event. Rajeshkumar Patil, chairman, ICAI,

expressed happiness on organising the event.

Girish Kulkarni, treasurer WIRC, ICAI, Yashwant Kasar, vice chairman, Pune Branch, Sarvesh Joshi, SG Mudada, Dhinal Shah were present on the occasion.

wants to break this shell,” he said, adding that India must allow foreign companies to establish manufacturing facilities “so that jobs get created and there is technology transfer for our benefit. We must allow FDI on our terms,” he stressed.

He said that India needs foreign direct investment (FDI) instead of foreign institutional investment (FII).

Under FDI, plants and technology are

introduced in the country and even if the companies leave, the plants and technology continue to benefit the nation.

In the case of FII, however, the money can evaporate in n o time and the share market can collapse in a day once the money moves to another market. “Prime Minister Modi is clear that he wants FDI,” he said. Gharpure said it is extremely important that India and Japan pay greater attention to understanding each other’s culture and ethos as the “differences are striking but not insurmountable”.

He said that the Japanese ethos has evolved due to the tremendous difficulties that the Japanese faced due to ea r t hqua kes, tsunamis or volcanoes. In his view, the Japanese cultural ethos stands best represented by the picture of a speeding bullet train in front

of Mount Fuji, representing “the technological and organisational excellence shown by the Japanese to overcome nature’s challenges.

The Sakura tree which blooms and blossoms during spring for a very short time also reflects Japanese culture beautifully,” he said.

“Our approach should be to get the technology, absorb the technology, improve the technology and use it massively and export. This is what the Chinese have done and this is what the Japanese did earlier,” he stressed. abhay.vaidya@goldensparrow.com

A TGS MARKETING INITIATIVE

Making a difference through social message creatives Dear Readers, The Golden Sparrow on Saturday has invited Pune’s advertising and creative fraternity to participate in

a Social Message Creatives initiative.

Seagull Advertising’s creative on safe sex, HIV/AIDS screening is

prepared by the team comprising creative director Sanju Ayyar, creative director (art) Debashish Sinha, and Tanishtha Motilal.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Shining ability in disability P 10

Vishrambaug Wada was built between 1803 and 1809 by Baji Rao II, at a cost of `75,000. Presently, it houses a post office on the ground floor.

When angry Ganeshas evoked

Signposts

spirit of nationalism

RAHUL RAUT

‘Nirmalaya Daan’ drive Lions Club of District 323 D2 will launch ‘Nirmalaya Daan’ at the 15 ghats of river Mutha in Pune and rivers in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ahmednagar and Nashik, as part of the river conservation drive on September 8. In all, 1,600 volunteers will take part in the campaign that will start from 9.30 am to 6 pm in Pune and 4 pm to 9.30 pm in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Bhau Rangari’s papier mache idols proclaimed the message of freedom in the 1890s. He also introduced the practice of immersion passes followed to this day

Call for volunteers SWaCH has urged citizens to join their nirmalaya collection drive. Contact Aparna Susarla on 9765405481/Claire Thompson on 9168078483/ toswachcoop@gmail. com for details. Registration is open till September 8.

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke The ‘angry Ganesh’ papier mache idols made by Bhausaheb Laxman Javale aka Bhau Rangari in the 1890s were a key element of Ganeshotsav, before Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati on Shivaji Road took centre stage.

A royal physician (raj-vaidya) who ran a charitable dispensary, Bhausaheb earned the nickname Bhau ‘Rangari’ being a popular artist. He was one of the pioneers of making Ganeshotsav a public festival and Shrimant Bhausaheb

Toilets for women Businessman Vinayak Raskar has launched an initiative to provide toilets for women during the Ganesh festival. The mobile toilets are put up at Alka Talkies Chowk, Deccan Corner, Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya Chowk, Nava Vishnu Chowk-Sadashiv Peth and Huzurpaga School.

Statue of Bhau Rangari

Rangari Ganapati was the first Ganesh mandal in the country.

Freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who popularised the festival, was inspired by Bhau Rangari.

Bhausaheb, who also helped freedom fighters by storing their arms and weapons, was known for his aggressive and ferocious style and works depicting the freedom movement.

Through the idols, he spread the message of freedom.

Of the five idols made

by Bhau Rangari, two still exist at the city’s oldest mandals — Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganapati Trust off Shivaji Road in Budhwar Peth and Chhatrapati Rajaram Mandal Trust off Kumthekar Road. Both mandals were formed in 1892.

The idols at Budhwar Peth and Kumthekar Road depict the elephant god killing the demon (The British Government).

Bhau Rangari also introduced the distribution of ‘immersion pass’ for smooth movement of processions and immersion in 1892.

The practice is now followed by the city police, that run a ‘one window’ sys-

tem and give registration forms and immersion passes to over 3,700 Ganapati mandals in the city. The passes are issued from Vishrambaug and Faraskhana police stations. Mandals having tableaus with electric illumination and decorations are given late hour passes and others can immerse during the day time.

“Bhausaheb Rangari used to distribute immersion passes to about 500 mandals. Each pass carried a serial number, year and name of the mandal to whom it was issued. Only mandals carrying these passes could participate in the immersion procession,” said Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganapati Trust president Baba Dafal.

Bhausaheb passed away in 1905 and his successor Kashinath Thakuji Jadhav continued the practice till India attained independence. The municipal corporation adopted the system in 1948.

Yuvraj Nimbalkar of Chhatrapati Rajaram Mandal Trust said that despite being one of the oldest mandals, they could not preserve the passes that were distributed by Bhausaheb. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

TILL WE MEET AGAIN NEXT YEAR

RAHUL RAUT

DSK initiative The nirmalaya collection drive of DS Kulkarni Foundation, SWaCH and Rotary Club of Pune-Kothrud at various immersion sites, that started on Thursday, will continue till Monday, said the foundation’s acting president Sham Bhurake. Around 250 volunteers will be offering services at 17 places on the banks of rivers Mula and Mutha between 3 pm and 11.30 pm.

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The Ganesh idols made by Bhau Rangari are major attractions at Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganapati Trust (top) and Chhatrapati Rajaram Mandal Trust mandals

The inspiration Bhausaheb Laxman Javale belonged to the Javale family that was involved in dyeing shalus (ethnic Maharashtrian sarees) and the lane where they lived became famous as shalukaracha bol (alley of the shalu artisans). He ran a charitable dispensary at his two-storey home located behind Shaniwarwada. Shrimant Bhausaheb Rangari Ganapati Trust this year has put up a notice board at the window of this building from where Bhausaheb used to distribute immersion passes to popularise the historical fact. The wada where Bhausaheb lived was renovated a few years back and many of the documents and photographs have been restored.

RAHUL RAUT

Lakshadweep banks on higher connectivity to boost tourism TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly

A girl chanting Ganapati Bappa Morya leads families carrying the idols of Ganesh for immersion on the seventh day of the festival near Mutha river bed at SM Joshi bridge in the city on Thursday.

A road show by the Lakshadweep tourism department in the city on August 27 showcased the destinations that Puneites can visit in the islands.

The Union territory is known for its water tourism and corals, and the tourism industry is planning to augment the transportation and hospitality sectors to attract more tourists.

“Commissioning two more ships from Kochi, we will be able to carry more passengers during one trip,” said D Karthikeyan, director, Lakshadweep Tourism and Sports. The authorities have forwarded a request for a seaplane service to the Centre and expect the facility to be sanctioned soon.

The islands offer a variety of adventure activities, from snorkelling, deep sea fishing to kayaking and glass bottom boat rides.

“Many tourists might get lucky

(From left) D Karthikeyan, Shubankar Ghosh, Lakshadweep tourism assistant director AM Hussain and Simas Travels director Vishwas Kelkar at the promotion event

with a sight of ship wreckages from the 18th and 19th centuries near the islands,” said Shubankar Ghosh, general manager, sports department.

Around 6,500 tourists visit

Letters to the Editor

TGS is interactive Our newspaper is interactive and you are welcome to write in to our various segments: • Letters to the Editor email: editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com; editor_tgs@gmail.com By post: The Editor, The Golden Sparrow on Saturday, 1641 Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411030, (Best letter gets a weekly prize) • Articles for the Relationships page: relationships@goldensparrow.com, relationships.tgs@gmail.com • The Way Forward with Compassion & Hope: wayforward@goldensparrow.com • Want to become an entrepreneur? For mentoring advice, write to our associates: mentoring@pune.tie.org • Get weekly events listed: listings.tgslife@gmail.com

Lakshadweep every year. The number is expected to increase by 2,000 this year, with higher connectivity and better infrastructure at the islands. editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com

editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com

Private sector should join hands to save heritage structures Heritage is about something being inherited and preserved for a reason.

Every great city has roots and, however a modern life we are leading, the past should linger with a pleasant feeling.

The wadas of Pune are unique but to see the neglect is more about economics.

If the PMC is not concerned about the preservation then the cash rich IT sector should step in. If money is available for the Pune Festival and even the Youth Commonwealth Games, then certainly funds can be made available for restoring the past.

Pune has a mix of the ancient and the modern, but strangely, citizens have ignored it. They travel all over the world but are not concerned about their own city. Pune has to be promoted as a tourist city and not just as an IT hub and educational centre. Schools and colleges have

Garbage disposal needs immediate attention

to encourage students to visit these unique spots and also generate revenue.

Heritage is meaningless if it lies in ruins, waiting for an ultimate demise.

These structures can be modernised without losing the old charm. This may seem harsh but time is running out.

Private funds have to be sought to save our heritage structures. This city has nurtured many great lives and needs to be treated with respect. Great cities survive because of inclusive growth and the convergence of inhabitants.

- Sunil Melwani (Gets prize for best letter)

Garbage disposal has become one of the major concerns for the city. As of now only ad hoc and makeshift methods are being adopted which leaves quite a stink behind. The persons who collect the garbage early in the morning do not have protective gear. They are not supplied with gloves, boots and suitable clothing. Moreover, the common habit of spitting, littering etc are a constant hazard. Thus these workers are exposed and target for all kinds of bacterial/viral attacks. The PMC does not bother or care for the health of these ill-paid workers. Has anyone from the health department seen the way garbage is collected? The corporators too turn a blind eye to the

dangers these garbage collectors face, as they are more interested in matters which bring them profit. The WHO has issued a worldwide warning about the Ebola virus, but the PMC seems to be unperturbed about the seriousness of the issue.

- Shanmugam Mudaliar

The man who portrayed Gandhi on silver screen

Sir Richard Attenborough’s characterisation of Ben Kingsley as Gandhi, Roshan Seth as Nehru and Alyque Padamsee as Barrister Jinnah will forever remain etched in our minds whenever we think of those personalities. Sir Richard’s demise is the end of an era of classic fi lm making. His great works will continue to inspire many and we

will cherish his works through his masterpiece movies.

- Pandithar Sivakumar Perumal

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

The Best Letter of the Week will receive a special gift from Venus Traders, Pune’s finest stationery departmental.

TGS Marketing Initiative THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY September 6, 2014

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Revise price rise increase expected in Pune

Economic slowdown has finally started showing in Pune real estate numbers over the last 6 months Barnalee Handique A report on Pune realty market reflects that the impact of the overall economic slowdown has finally started showing on the Pune real estate numbers over the last 6 months and clearly indicates that the same has had a bearing on the demand in the market place. The assessment of the overall gross stock (defined as projects under construction and ready projects with more than 5% unsold stock and more than 10 units)reveals that the rate of market expansion has come down

in the last 12 months i.e. June’13 to June’14. This period saw the gross stock rise from 200,944 units to 245,674 units, an increase of 22% as compared to the preceding 12 months from June ’12 to June ’13.Pune realty market has expanded by only 22% in the calendar year June 2013–2014 as compared to 31.9% in the corresponding period of June 2012 – 2013.The average price across the city is pegged at Rs. 4910 per square foot. Inventory has reached an all-time high of66,279 units which translated into 29% increase over the past year.

Rohit Gera, Vice President of CREDAI, Pune

Metro says “We have studied and evaluated the Pune realty market to realize that on the surface there seems to be a slowdown in the rate of increase of realty prices.

However the quantum of slow down needs to be viewed with total cost of purchase rather than the traditional rate per sq. ft. model that has been used to value property. The increase in the extra costs like club house charges, infrastructure etc. has risen more than the rates themselves thereby having a positive impact on the overall cost that the consumer pays for the home.”

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

In 1978, Indian American VA Shiva Ayyadurai, aged 14, developed a fullscale emulation of the inter-office mail system which he called ‘E-mail’.

Thailand’s surrogacy market, profit and a moral quagmire P 13

Galvanise state cadre to topple Cong-NCP govt: Amit Shah to Maharashtra BJP P 11

The Instagram rage

TECH GURU

BY SORAB GHASWALLA This is an interactive column. Like today, every week, we will be replying to technology and internet related queries sent in by readers. You may email your questions with the subject line ‘Tech Guru query’ to tgstechguru@gmail.com

Getting more popular by the minute, Instagram allows users to share pictures and videos friends but I think I get most followers due to the photos of the cats I post.”

Belonging to a family in Pune that rescues kittens and cats gave Navghani his first original hashtag (#) #CluGram, where Clu refers to his family’s cat. “I post a lot of photos of Clu and for obvious reasons, people love photos of big eyed kittens and cats!” he adds.

Tes Yuphin, who is from Thailand, made India her home over 10 years ago. She began her foray into active social media with a blog where she posts recipes and photos of the food she cooks. In 2013 September she joined Instagram and her avatar testerfly is gaining popularity as she posts photos of food, fashion and herself (selfies).

She now has 633 followers, “More than my blog” she quips.

To Yuphin and Navghani, the instantaneous gratification in

terms of ‘Likes’ and comments are the attributes that make Instagram a favourable medium of social exchange. “Pictures draw more attention. Whenever I post a photo of a tempting dish, people immediately respond” says Yuphin.

As of March 2014, Instagram had 200 million global users of which 2.7% users are from India Source: Alexa.com Instagram also allows users to enhance and edit the photos and videos through a series of filters and tools. Navghani admits to editing his photos heavily to get the right look. While both of these popular Instagrammers from Pune

post photos about food, Navghani also shares photos of his travels, especially to New York City. He says, “To generate interest it is essential to avoid monotony in the photographs.” He also adds humourous quotes to his photos to engage his followers.

Not just individuals, but Instagram has also inspired groups of photographers to get together in the pursuit of social connections and inspirations. In January 2014 Pune residents Manali Parmar and Umang Oswal started the Pune Instagrammers group, “To bring the mobile photographers of the city together, make friends and have fun.” To social media aficionados Instagram is yet another medium that fulfils their urge to get connected with likeminded people across the world, and remain connected! ritugoyalharish@gmail.com

Shrinath and Testerfly on one of their food outings

BY RITU GOYAL HARISH @ritugh As if sharing bits and pieces of our lives on Facebook, Twitter and the all-intrusive WhatsApp were not enough, netizens are now hooked to a photo-sharing app (application) called Instagram.

Instagram is an app that allows users to post and share photos and short videos with other users. The uploaded media can also be shared across platforms such as Twitter, Facebook etc. Instagram started in 2010 and the potential of this

medium was harnessed by Facebook when it purchased the app for a whopping $US 1 billion in 2012.

Since then Instagram has steadily become one of the most popular social media after Facebook.

When investment banker Shrinath Navghani joined Instagram, he was intrigued by the app. In the three years that he has been on the medium as ‘mrshri’, he has garnered more than 26,000 followers! Confessing that the figure is astounding even to him, Navghani says, “I started off initially just interacting with

Bharti Airtel launches music streaming app Wynk NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel has launched Wynk Music, a carrier agnostic music streaming mobile application, with a music library of over 1.7 million songs including Hindi, regional and international hits, an official said Tuesday.

“In India, Internet is predominantly on mobile. This music application Wynk can be used in both Android and iOS platforms from today,” Srinivasan Gopalan, director, consumer business of the

company told reporters With this launch, Airtel has now become the first operator to introduce an over-thetop (OTT) mobile application in the Indian market, which will work across mobile operators, enabling customers to stream, download and buy songs, Gopalan said.

For the success of this paid app, the company will look forward to the smartphone consumers. He said the company has 200 million customers, out of which 35-40 million use

App that can delete an sms before it is read

smartphones. “With the proliferation of smartphones in the country, mobile phones have emerged as the most preferred platform when it comes to experiencing music on the go and accounts for almost 85-90 percent of total digital consumption,” he said.

“We are introducing this segment to Wynk - an innovative platform that blends technology and music and present a whole new dimension to music uptake in the country,” Gopalan added.

IANS

WASHINGTON: If you have erroneously sent a message to your dad and wish that it should not be seen, here comes a unique app that will help you delete that instantly.

‘Invisible Text’ app works by allowing the user to delete a sent message as long as it has not already been opened, eWeek reported. Users can send videos, texts, voice messages and picture messages and also set a timer for a message to self-destruct if it is not read after the stated amount of time.

The app, available on Android, iOS and BlackBerry devices, uses technology that combines message encryption with device pairing. “To date, no other solution can ensure secure data transmission between two devices, including a smartphone, smart TV, computer, tablet, radio or webcam,” the company said in a statement. The recipient of the text you want to delete must also have ‘Invisible Text’ app on his phone.

IANS

Why be afraid of success or failure?

Follow your creative pursuits sincerely and flashes of genius will visit you from time to time. Creative people should not feel trapped by their success – or failure- as society places high expectations on them, said American author Elizabeth Gilbert in a highly acclaimed TED Talk presentation TED is a global platform where people from different fields come together and speak for 18 minutes or less about their respective disciplines.

It was started in 1984 by a non-profit organisation called Sapling Foundation, under the slogan — Ideas worth sharing. Initially it organised conferences where matters related to technology, design and entertainment merged, but today it includes varied topics such as business, photography, art, science and the like.

BY RITU GOYAL HARISH @ritugh Best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia, Elizabeth Gilbert in a TED Talk, spoke of how she learnt to deal with unrealistic expectations of the world from highly successful creative people.

After the roaring success of her 2006 book which she wrote after a painful divorce at 32, a failed relationship and a journey to find peace, Gilbert was often asked, “Aren’t you afraid you’re never going to have any success?”

She explained that it is almost always creative people who are made to feel anxious almost afraid whether they would be able to repeat

PUNE

their success. She did not remember such a thing happening with her father who was a chemical engineer with 40 years of experience.

According to her, managing one’s creative success becomes easier if one stops accepting the title of a ‘genius’. Instead, one should imagine that it’s an unknown force that visits us when we do something that qualifies as extraordinarily creative.

“In ancient Greece and ancient Rome, people did not happen to believe that creativity came from human beings back then. Socrates, famously, believed that he had a daemon who spoke wisdom to him from afar. The Romans had the same idea, but they called that sort of disembodied creative spirit a genius” she pointed out.

“And then the Renaissance came and everything changed, and we had this big idea, to put the individual human being at the centre

of the universe above all gods and mysteries. People started to believe that creativity came completely from the self of the individual. And for the first time in history, you start to hear people referring to this or that artist as being a genius rather than having a genius.” She talks about the hard work and labour that goes into the writing that makes her feel like a mule.

It is always better to plod on, do the hard work and hope that what we turn out will be immensely creative. It if is so, well and good. If not, it doesn’t matter and we should nevertheless continue with the hard work, said Gilbert. Managing success and failure then becomes much easier to handle and people’s expectations don’t weigh that much more on you, she said.

Her talk can be viewed on: http://www.ted.com/talks/ elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius ritugoyalharish@gmail.com

Why you need to fiddle with your WiFi router WiFi, or the method of connecting your computer to the Internet without a cable, is fast catching on.

WiFi routers, till recently to be found only in offices, IT and media companies, are now a popular buy. And, like any piece of hardware, routers come with their own bag of trouble.

As many of you who own a router will vouch for, uninterrupted WiFi connection is something that only web dreams are made of. You are lucky if you can get even a day’s supply of unbroken Internet. Sometimes, the problem does not lie with your router but someplace else, like your Internet service provider. But often, your router, too, is to be blamed for the jerky web connectivity.

Money will not get rid of the problem. Buying the most expensive router is not the solution, though the machine may come bundled with some add-ons that its low-priced counterparts may lack.

Though there are various brands of home variety routers in the market, ranging from Rs 1000 to as high as Rs 5000, there are some basic rules governing the use of routers to eke out the best performances from them.

These days, unlike earlier times, most wireless routers are modem-cum-routers. Though to be frank, I still use a modem provided by good old MTNL and a separate router. Helps when the latter starts hiccupping, all I do is plug in the modem wire directly into my computer, bypassing the router.

But since you have paid for it, you might as well use it right. For that, you need to think of the router as a simple transmitter.

If you are having trouble with your WiFi signal, here are some things you may do: • Try repositioning the router • Nothing must block the signal, including physical objects made of metal or even a brick wall; certain type of electronics, too, like cordless phones and microwave ovens • Ensure the router’s antenna is positioned vertically and not horizontally • Position your router on high ground since the wireless signal radiates down • If there are several wireless routers around you, they may interfere with your signal.

Find out the optimal wireless channel for your area and change your router to operate on that wireless channel. You may need some tech help on this one.

• Check that all cables are secure in their respective slots and not loose.

Slack cables often lead to the dropping of a signal • Check for overheating. Can be caused by vents being partially blocked or just too many computers being connected If you want to extend the range of your WiFi router, there’s a piece of hardware called a ‘Repeater’. It tends to increase the ‘throw’ of your router by over 10 feet. Several are available in the Indian market, from the garden variety type to the real sophisticated ones.

E-com sites offer Repeaters ranging from Rs 2000 and Rs 4000. (http://bit.ly/1otUYV9). There’s one universal repeater by NetGear available for about Rs2,600. (http://bit.ly/1kLok2W).

Then, there are even apps that turn your smartphone into a WiFi router- check out this Android app

by NG6 (http://bit.ly/1qReArx).

Before I wind up, here’s something very basic you may do to ensure your PC is re-united with your router - just re-boot the router. Almost all need an occasional re-boot. Don’t ask me why but it does often work.

(Sorab Ghaswalla is a former old-world journalist who now wears many hats, entrepreneur, Internet consultant, Online Marketer, new media and technology journalist, and the Editor/publisher of four sites of his own, all related to the Internet, smartphones, start-ups and the Internet of things. You may find him at www.newagecontentservices.com) (Disclaimer: The Tech Guru column is more in the nature of a reader-initiated, advisory feature. Readers are urged to check or confirm for themselves the features of all hardware/software mentioned here before making a purchase. Prices quoted are indicative and not final, and subject to availability of product/service. This newspaper nor this column shall, in any way, be liable for any physical, personal or monetary damage/losses arising out of advice given herein).

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

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When a 12-year-old was asked,

Here’s what “How much for a night?” could happen...

The calls on 12-years-old Kavita Chapekar’s* cellphone started at about 2 pm one afternoon and went on till 2 am. At 11 pm, unable to handle the onslaught, she woke up her parents and told them that men from all over had been calling her. They were asking for details like “How much for a night?”

Her shocked father answered a few calls but eventually threw away the SIM card because he got tired of explaining that the number belonged to a 12-yearold. It so happened that Kavita had innocently posted her selfie on the wrong website along with her mobile number.

What Kavita experienced is the murky side of owning a smartphone with Internet connectivity, which gave her access to the world but also left her vulnerable to attacks from others.

Smartphones have become “lifelines” for teens and young adults.

Their clamour to own the most superior technology has been met neck-to-neck by phone companies and the most expensive of these handsets are now available on easy EMIs and student discounts. Parents too encourage cell phones for their children for their own security and in the hope that they stay well connected.

But it is not just when boys and girls share photos online that the problems begin. Photos and videos shot clandestinely, in metros, on buses and trains, in changing rooms and ladies toilets are proving to be another big menace for women and girls. Coupled with cyber bullying and disseminating consensually shot content on social media, the seemingly harmless instrument used primarily to make calls

X E S E H T D N A

has been turned into an instrument to terrorise, blackmail and exploit women sexually. Many psychologists point out that the seemingly harmless mobile phone which is used by anyone and everyone today, is also one of the ‘biggest weapons’ around.

Prachla Malhotra, a training consultant and mother to two girls aged 14 and 10, echoes this thought: “We cannot stop technology or cage the children. We need to let the children know the dangers of technology so that they can protect themselves.”

Chapekar’s parents didn’t talk to her about the ramifications of unbridled interactions and presence on social media. She wasn’t aware of how an innocent mistake could snowball into a hellish incident.

Malhotra strongly believes that the onus of teaching children to be cautious lies with the parents.

“When parents explain the dangers to children and leave the choice on them, believe me, they end up making the right choice,” she avers.

She points out that curiosity cannot be quelled and 24x7 Internet connectivity proffers them the opportunity to explore the unknown. “This especially happens when parents are squeamish about talking to their children openly,” says Malhotra, who believes that to meet the challenge of changing times and rapidly changing social norms, parents need to shed the veils of discomfort and taboo.

Indeed, in today’s age and time, it’s all the more necessary to make your growing up children aware of the dangers of sexual exploitation and the darker possibilities resulting from the misuse of your child’s smartphone, that of her boyfriend or strangers at large.

E N O H P L L CE

School and college-going girls in rural and urban areas across India are unwittingly falling prey to crimes of passion driven by the camera in smartphones.

Awareness is the first step towards protecting yourself and your family members against such crimes.

Experts say that mobile phones are one of the ‘biggest weapons’ around

ritugoyalharish@gmail.com

‘Parents should educate their girls about the reality’ Renowned child and family psychiatrist Dr Bhooshan Shukla highlights the need for parents to keep pace with their children as the first step to understand that technology cannot be controlled. They need to understand that individual responsibility must be taught when it comes to crimes originating from the misuse of cellphones.

Excerpts from an interview with Ritu Goyal Harish

IS DIGITAL SPACE UNSAFE FOR GIRLS? Information Technology Act 2000

Children must be made to understand that anything that goes on the Net is there permanently

BY RITU GOYAL HARISH @ritugh

Love is all about trust. Unfortunately, a number of teenaged girls and young women have had to face harrowing times because of their images in compromising situations being filmed or photographed by their boyfriends and posted on the internet.

This is what the various MMS and mobile phonedriven sex scandals are all about and this phenomena is widespread in rural and urban areas.

Often, in the rush for revenge, sexually explicit content (both p h ot o g r a p h s and videos) taken either consensually or without permission is posted on mobile phone networks or the internet to spite a former lover/ partner or friend.

Called as ‘revenge porn’, this phenomenon is perhaps one of the biggest challenges our young adults face today.

This aim of such acts is to embarrass and harass a former partner in public.

Coupled with cyber bullying, revenge porn is the leading menace that threatens to tear into the social fabric of India’s largely sexist society.

With the penetration of smartphones in India reaching an all time high, (see box for figures) capturing lurid content on devices has become easier than ever before.

Increasingly, young adults also surrender to photographing or video recording each other in the throes of passion and intimacy, entrapping themselves. Sending nude or seminude photographs of themselves (selfies) or videos of strip teases etc. are other ways in which young adults seek

to endorse their commitment to one another.

Love can be blinding and all is hunky dory until the bubble bursts when their naivete (or stupidity) is misused and the content they had shared in utter secrecy is revealed to the world through social media or chat services such as WhatsApp. A cycle of embarrassment and shame is inevitable when such images are made public and eventually it is the victim- almost always a young girl- who is slandered and even ostracised.

Young Adults need to protect themselves from being caught in a conundrum that can leave deep psychological scars if not dealt with properly.

Says psychiatrist Dr Bhooshan Shukla, “When our celebrities are not free from such content going public, our children have little chance. The only safeguard for them is to not generate any content.”

The easy availability of web cams, spy cams and such have been found installed in changing rooms, ladies rooms and even bedrooms (where husbands have shot their wives only to misuse the content later) has aided the rise of such cases.

Children are the most vulnerable of all, especially if their computers or laptops are hacked and web cams switched on to shoot clandestinely.

A lot of “experimentation” is done over Skype in long distance relationships, all with the possibility of dangerous and unpleasant consequences for young women. It is also very easy to use objectionable content to bully and blackmail a child leading to dire consequences.

Educating children and adults about the ramifications of posting any content on the Internet is the first step towards preventing such situations.

sham e defame r e d

n a l s

Young adults surrender to photographing, and entrapping themselves

(* Some names have been changed to protect privacy)

What has been your experience with the have sessions with parents without assault of smartphones on our children reservations. Children must be taught and youth?” to dig information on each other Dr Bhooshan Shukla: “I have had or their parents online. Digging up cases of teenagers who have fallen in exposes vulnerability. trouble with phones – from bringing a phone How can we protect to school to taking nude our children from selfies and sending it to being targets of such a boyfriend, etc. I do misuse? hear about cases of boys Dr Shukla: “We who shoot up skirts of have no defence other girls and inside ladies’ than ensuring that rooms also.” data is not generated.

There are two issues We cannot neutralise that such behaviour camera phones or brings to light. One is keep any other form that children’s interest in of technology from DR SHUKLA sex is not being properly reaching our children. channelised and second is of commoditisation of What is your take on the female body, which voyeurism? is due to our sexist Dr Shukla: society. I’ve had cases Voyeurism has always where a young child has existed.

Children accidentally discovered have always been porn on the phones or curious. Many years laptops of their parent. ago, boys used to In such cases, children carry mirrors to will do what they learn.” look up skirts and sarees. We cannot What should parents tell stop the tide. But their children when they we have to educate hand them a smartphone our children with Internet and make them connectivity? differentiate between Dr Shukla: a mistake and a crime.

Children must be made Shooting someone to understand that anything that clandestinely is a crime. goes on the Internet is for good, it is Also, if such an incident there forever. It cannot be retrieved occurs, what we need to do is a) tell or changed and becomes public our girls that these things happen property. Anything on the Internet is and b) support your girls. Give the responsibility of the individual. So them the courage to face and rise children must be wary of posting their above it. Making the episode or photos and videos online. happening irrelevant is the only way.

It is important that schools start There is no need to overreact and make talking about this from class VII and it an issue of morality.

Incidents of ‘revenge porn’ are on the rise

Under section 67 of the IT Act, publishing or transmitting of obscene material in electronic form is a punishable crime with a sentence of up to

three years in prison and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakhs. The quantum of punishment goes up to Rs 10 lakhs under 67A if a scene of sexually explicit act has been published or transmitted in electronic form.

Victims under 18 years of age fall in the “child pornography” category.

BANNING MOBILE PHONES IS NO SOLUTION In July, a house committee of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly recommended that mobile phones be banned in schools and colleges. The committee sought to blame the phone for rise in crimes against women including rape.

According to the city-based child and family psychiatrist Dr Bhooshan Shukla, such as move would be stupid.

“The problem is not the mobile phone, the problem lies in the lack of education and awareness of its use and misuse,” he said. According to Dr Shukla, parents must talk to their children about smartphones and the Internet and lawmakers must stop trying to control the access to technology.

“If you deny them, they will find other ways of doing things” he cautioned adding that the curiosity of boys and girls must be addressed instead of brushing issues of sexuality and safety under the carpet.

BY GITESH SHELKE @gitesh_shelke When love affairs go sour, jilted loversnot always boys- turn to social media to defame their ex-lovers. Twenty per cent of all the cases registered at the Pune Police Cyber Cell fall in this category.

Statistics from Pune Police indicate that it is not just boys but also girls who

Smartphone Usage Across Genders within Age Groups

MALES FEMALES

23% boys below 18yrs use smartphones.

This goes up to 26% in the 18-30 age group.

SOURCE: NEILSON INFORMATE MOBILE INSIGHTS

ritugoyalharish@gmail.com

20% offences at Pune Police Cyber Cell are smartphone sex crimes

WIKI COMMONS

BY RITU GOYAL HARISH @ritugh

use social media to express their anger and frustration with an ex-lover.

In May 2014, a 22-year-old girl from an affluent family in Wanavdi uploaded obscene photographs of a porn star and some pornographic clips on the Facebook account of her best friend. The two girls had a crush on their classmate in college. The girl concerned was jealous that the boy she was infatuated with met her girl friend. The mischief played by the girl was detected after the young collegian whose Facebook account had been compromised complained to the police.

In a similar case, a female student of a school in Pune edited the photographs of their class party and circulated them on WhatsApp. The photographs showed her best friend kissing a classmate, whom this girl liked very much.

Cyber Cell officials of Pune police said it was generally young boys and men who uploaded photographs of their lovers (taken in compromising positions) after the relationship ended on a bitter note. In some cases, such pictures have even been sent to the fiancée’ of the girl in question.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shahji Solunke said these cases are primarily prevalent among school and college going students.

“It has been observed that the children who are booked or warned by the police for such acts belonged to the higher middle class or wealthy families.

Often, the parents of such children don’t have time for them,” Salunke said.

Police Inspector Sushma Chavan said that children today know how to download obscene material from different sites. This material is used when their relationship with the person they are in love with breaks up. gitesh.shelke@goldensparrow.com

ED UCATION “We cannot impact the medical education here (in India) because it is different from the American pattern but we can share ideas on hospital management.”

— Pradeep Khosla, chancellor of California University, San Diego (UCSD)

Schools violate RTE, refund fee to parents The complaints submitted by the parents of Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat (KKPKP) against violations by schools under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 have been addresses. Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) had organised a hearing on August 30. Acting on the complaints, primary education director Mahavir Mane had issued a clarification on June 30 stating that schools should not ask parents to buy material from them or collect money for uniforms, books or transportation. “PCMC Shikshan Mandal has acted against the schools who unnecessarily charge students admitted under the Act. Even the education commissioner showed interest in the issue. Schools refunded the money to parents,” said KKPKP activist Sonali Kunjir.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta lecture on Sept 26 Yashwantrao Chavan National Centre of International Security and Defence Analysis (YCNISDA) will hold the second Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Lecture at the auditorium of Department of Management Sciences (PUMBA) at 11.30 am on September 26. Centre for Policy Research (New Delhi) president Pratap Bhanu Mehta will talk on ‘Crafting Foreign Policy in an Uncertain World’.

State level elocution competition Kaveri College of Science and Commerce will be organising a state level elocution competition at the Shakuntala Jagannath Shetty auditorium at 10 am on September 11.

Kaveri Sangh chairperson Kushal Hegde will inaugurate the contest.

Contact 9823159280 or visit www. kaveri.edu.in for details.

Gandhi Memorial Society awards Gandhi National Memorial Society, Pune, invites applications for their annual awards. Four awards will be given to candidates for their contribution to the society. The applicants are requested to submit the entries along with their two photographs to Gandhi National Memorial Society, Aga Khan Palace, Pune – 411006 before September 10. The awards will be presented at a function on October 2.

For the love for high seas Ocean Cadet Academy, Nigdi, has trained over 4,000 students for naval careers

BY ARCHANA DAHIWAL @ArchanaDahiwal Head to the Ocean Cadet Academy in Nigdi if your child’s age is between 8 and 12 years and he or she aspires a naval career. For over 12 years, the NGO has been giving the young a firm foundation to realise their dream career.

Gopi Shetty, the academy’s founder, said, “Many parents whose children want to make a career on the high seas are unaware of the options available. To fi ll the gap, I took voluntary retirement from INS-Shivaji 10 years ago to open an institute to train children.”

Beginning with the first batch of 250 cadets at Adarsh Vidya Mandir, Talegaon Dabhade, in June 30, 2002, Shetty also trained a second batch of 100 cadets at Jnanaprabodhini Navnagar Vidyalaya, Pradhikaran Nigdi, the same year.

The Academy’s boat club used for training is at Kamshet, on the Indrayani river. The first batch of 100 cadets passed out in December 2006 after four years of training.

Shetty’s Academy has been involved in the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) campaigns, and its efforts have been acknowledged by the

Rotary Club of Pune.

According to Shetty, retired merchant navy officials guide the candidates, and 22 regular staffers teach them as volunteers during the holidays. Children from Pune, Talegaon and Pimpri-Chinchwad visit the Nigdi centre on Sundays and summer holidays for training.

The course includes fire prevention drills, rope training, seamanship, parade drill, guard duty, expedition training, meteorology, personality development, first aid and more.

The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) disaster management personnel also lend a hand in the training.

Impressive facts FUTURE PLANS “We will soon start kayak training courses and have purchased two boats.

The entire training is managed by us and we charge nominal fees. Our students have to undergo swimming training at the Indrayani river or get limited time at municipal pools. Pune could have a centre in future if the government extends support,” Shetty said. archana.dahiwal@goldensparrow.com

• The institute’s fee is an allinclusive `500 per month • Holding awareness camps in Baramati since May 2007 • Published first souvenir in December 2007 • Cadets visit Naval Dockyard Mumbai and INS Vikrant, besides attending in-house camps

Ocean Cadet Academy founded by Gopi Shetty has been turning children into naval men and women for the past 12 years

‘Book History’ has few takers at Pune varsity

The course covers evolution of book-making from medieval age to digital publishing

BY YASH DAIV @yash009 The Book History course, introduced four years ago at Savitribai Phule Pune University, has few takers. The subject that covers the history and growth of book production was first prescribed in the country at Jadhavpur University (Kolkata) in the nineties. Assistant professor Chandrani Chatterjee has been conducting the course since its launch in Pune university in 2010, and it the second varsity in the country to start the course.

Chandrani cites lack of awareness, information and importance about the course as the prime reasons for the lack of student response.

Citing the importance of the subject in a literary-rich city like Pune, she said, “It is sad that the subject is still new in the state. People who read books seem to be unconcerned about what goes into the making of a book.”

To promote the subject, Chandrani has roped in postgraduates to take up research. The dissertations and presentations made by postgraduates

and research students on circulation of translated Bibles, consumption of popular books, estimation of readerships and piracy laws have received positive response.

The seminar ‘Journey of the book from manuscript to digital’ organised at the university recently saw papers read by several book history scholars. Abhijeet Gupta (co-editor of ‘Book History in India volumes’) and Rekha Natrajan (senior editorial manager, Oxford University Press) talked about book circulation, authorship, book-related scams and forgeries etc. Many students and faculty from humanities and science departments alike attended the threeday event.

Highlighting the rich archives and body of research of foreign countries, Chandrani said that India is yet to publish a work that documents the country’s history of book-making.

Symbiosis College of Arts students have shown an interest in replicating the old models of wood-block printing after the course was introduced in the BA syllabus, she said. yashdaiv@gmail.com

Film-making is my passion For a shoot, I have to put together music, costumes and everything that is required on the set. For this, one requires good reference skills and contacts. It is nothing fancy or grand as it may sound. It is simple and you just need to know who to get in touch with. I am currently the third assistant director on the fi lm Dil Dhadakne Do, directed by Zoya Akhtar.

My advice to aspiring directors is that you should do your research well and not jump and accept any shoot. Make sure you start out with decent shoots.

Make friends, be competitive but don’t try and outdo others. Target your work and choose right.

Th is is a good line and pays well too, besides offering enough scope to travel in the country and abroad. Adequate experience will enable you to make progress in the field. One should not give up after one or two projects, but wait the right break.

You have to wait and see how it works.

(As told to Anjali Shetty)

Indian-born researcher wins US award

BY FAKIR BALAJI

Assistant professor Chandrani Chatterjee is inspiring students to undertake research covering their local environment

Object of the subject Book History as an academic discipline involves literature and media.

Censorship, politics of publishing, hypertext, change in the art of book-making, rise of printing presses and publication in British-India.

Archival and retrieval of rich research materials tell the story of books covering the literary and physical aspects of book-making, from the Shakespearean age to digital publishing.

Assistant director Abhay Raha wanted to be a part of the entertainment industry since he was in school

After completing class XII from The Bishop’s School in Pune Camp, I joined Wilson College in Mumbai to major in advertising.

I always wanted to be a fi lm director and would assist in casting whenever I got an opportunity in Pune. These projects gave me a fi rst-hand experience of what goes into the making of a fi lm and understand the working of the industry.

I also befriended people from the advertising world when they came for shoots to Pune.

After initial exposure, I started getting projects while I was studying in Mumbai. Th is included projects like Cadbury’s Shubh Aarambh, Titan Raga and Flipkart campaigns. Working with these popular brands helped me bag more projects.

I started out as a freelancer. Now I am a fi rst assistant director in the advertising industry and I am responsible for sorting out the director’s priorities.

PUNE

“India had introduced Japanese as a language option in schools, but there was a shortage of teachers. I urge Japan to take the initiative to introduce teaching of Japanese language online.”

— PM Narendra Modi, during his Japan visit

Pursuing My Career

BY ABHAY RAHA

SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

RAHUL RAUT

Signposts

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

CARE ER

BANGALORE: Himanshu Asnani, 27, an Indian-born mathematics researcher at Stanford University Electrical Engineering School in the US, is the winner of the Marconi Society Paul Baran young scholar award for 2014. “ T h e prestigious award will Himanshu Asnani be presented to Asnani at our annual event on October 2 at the National Academies of Sciences in Washington, DC,” Society’s young scholar selection committee Bob Tkach told IANS through email.

Asnani, who hails from Kota in Rajasthan, is also a system engineer at the Swedish telecom major’s R&D centre in the Silicon Valley, off the US west coast. He had secured fourth rank in the IIT joint entrance exam. fakir.b@ians.in

Life’s Lessons

Stepping out of comfort zone “Nothing ventured, nothing win” is a familiar adage on the topic of comfort zone. Whatever be the stage of career we may be in, unless we take risks and confront the fear of failure, we are unlikely to achieve great success.

All great endeavours are inherent with the risk of failure. Unless we are willing to accept the possibility of failure, we are unlikely to know what great success looks like. Therefore, as one progresses in life, never be afraid of taking risks and attempting to handle something big.

Experts point out that stepping out of your comfort zone is not the same as behaving foolishly or recklessly. It means doing something after thinking things through, planning well and taking whatever help is necessary for success in the chosen field.

The first point to remember is not to be afraid of making mistakes. Do not worry about “what will people think”. As the great writer George Bernard Shaw said: “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

Learn to take risks by attempting difficult things and facing the consequences of failure. Even if you fail, you’ll realise that the consequences were not as bad as one imagined. If you succeed, the success could be sweeter and inspire you to set bigger goals.

Steppng out of your comfort zone helps you push the boundaries of your achievement. It helps you realise your true potential.

The majority loves the comfort zone because it minimises risks and stress while making one feel safe, but not necessarily contented. That is also the reason why leaders are always in a minority and the rest are in the majority.

Experts say that stepping out of your comfort zone makes you more productive, more competent in dealing with challenges and helps you achieve more.

It therefore helps when you step out of your comfort zone from time to time and go after what your heart desires most. editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY PUNE

“We e-tailers have to work to build the right products and also provide vendors with design support.”

—Ashish Goel, Founder and CEO, Urban Ladder

Naya Ventures, a $50 million start-up entrepreneur-venture fund, is set to invest in seven companies in India in the next one to two years. Founded

by Dayakar Puskoor, who owned P&L for the Hosting and Mobility Solutions business at Microsoft, it is looking to invest in the firms in incubation, development and management of new mobility, Cloud and big data solutions. Naya Ventures focuses on providing access to additional growth capital and strategic exit partners. He feels the high growth sectors such as big data, cloud computing and mobile applications have potential to create billions of dollars in wealth and thousands of jobs.

Sushma’s Bahrain visit to boost trade

START-UP MENTOR

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Bahrain on September 6 is the first Indian diaspora engagement meet of the year in Manama, the ministry said. The meet is organised by the Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre (OIFC), a public private partnership between the overseas Indian affairs ministry and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) formed to facilitate the economic engagement of the Indian diaspora with India. The statement said it was for the first time the government was organising a programme for the Indian business community and Indian officials living or working in Bahrain.

Vishwas Mahajan

‘I am driven by desire to create’ The founder of three start-ups, Arun Prabhudesai says he always had an entrepreneurial bent of mind

BY RITU GOYAL HARISH @ritugh It isn’t often that one comes across an individual who ideated and executed three start-up ventures, all three successful in their own right, in a short span of seven years. Pune-based Arun Prabhudesai is an entrepreneur and a tech-whiz who has done just that!

When Prabhudesai passed out of College of Engineering Pune in 1996, all he knew was that he is interested in information technology (IT) despite a degree in civil engineering. Little did he know then that his passion for technology would one day catapult him into a league known as ‘Entrepreneurs’.

Early in his career he worked for an IT company that posted him in the United States and United Kingdom for about eight years. He returned to India in 2008.

The economy was on an upward swing in India and Prabhudesai and his partner started Hover Technologies Pvt. Ltd. which launched Hover.in, ‘an in-text advertising platform that enabled web publishers to monetise their content in innovative ways’.

Meanwhile, his blog Trak.in became popular and is a mainstay of another company he started - Armoks Interactive Labs. This portal attracts over one million pageviews a month!

Investing in right sales and marketing tools

This feature is a collaboration between The Golden Sparrow on Saturday and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), the world’s largest nonprofit network of entrepreneurs. For additional questions about your entrepreneurial challenges, write to mentoring@pune.tie.org

We have been selling our products domestically, however we are thinking of launching a website so we are able to reach the global customers. In time to come, we expect substantial portion of our business to come from export sales. We have been trying to evaluate a vendor for building our website and negotiate a deal with them over last several months. Can you advise on things we should look for?

—Rajesh Pherwani Website: an important marketing tool Based on what you are saying, your push in the International market place is a critical part of your business strategy and your website seems to be a prime tool to make that happen. My suggestion is not to look for saving money in trying to build these tools. Website as a tool is a very scalable marketing tool and a world class website goes a long way in enhancing your product and your company’s image as they sell your products. However, if you are a non-technical person; building a website can also be a bit complex and intimidating project. Combined with the fact that there are several competitors vying for your business makes it even more challenging to choose one vendor over other.

Choosing a vendor to build website The pricing offered by different vendors can vary greatly and it is hard for you to understand why one is changing more from the other. For this purpose, I would suggest that you hire a consultant who can help you to come to the decision quickly. However, be prepared to spend more for world class and properly executed website.

Underinvesting in marketing – a costly choice?

Let us zoom out of this particular situation. I find that underinvesting Sale and Marketing, a common challenge among Indian companies. We can negotiate with vendors who develops our collaterals or websites to get a better deal and save a few thousands. We can delay a project like this by procastrinating and not deciding. What we dont realize is

that we are losing out a large opportunity by not having such a tool in the International market. You have yourself said that the International business is going to be a substantial portion of your business eventually. So instead of penny pinching and underinvesting I would recommend you go all out spend money and build good website.

Hiring and managing sales teams Same thing happens when you hire a sales team. As technology companies at many times we readily hire more technology people who are able to develop and deliver product. But when it comes to hiring a sales people and compensating them we don’t take those steps. The role of sales person is assumed by the founder initialy. Setting a professional sales team can,in fact, increase your cost in the short run. Many founders do not have skills to manage the sales team and hence they choose a comfort zone by hiring technology people whom they can control. But building a sales team is a very vital decision and as soon as you are looking to expand ,you should start investing in sales. This is the only known way to make your product reach the market place.

How large companies spend on sales and marketing If you look at large companies and look at their R&D cost versus Sales (SG&A) costs, you will find that once the products are made, the proportion of sales costs increases.

Advice Finally, as founder, if you are technical person then your mantra is to morph into sales role as quickly as possible. However, if you feel that is not going to be easy, hire a co-founder who has sales as his/her primary responsibility and build a team around that. And do not underinvest in this critical part of your venture.

Vishwas Mahajan, president of TiE Pune Chapter, answers real life questions of entrepreneurs

Prabhudesai’s Hover.in gained enough popularity to have Alok Kejriwal, CEO and co-founder of Games2win, to invest in it. In 2011, the company was acquired by Mumbai-based digital media agency Media2Win. In 2011, he co-founded his current start up – My Open Campus. He is also the chief technology officer (CTO) of the free collaboration platform on Cloud that makes communicating and learning within a college secure and easy.

My Open Campus offers several features, including seamless real-time communication between students, teachers and administrators, secure uploads and storage of study material, online tests and assessments, student database creation and management, campus placement management and feedback management.

Looking back, Prabhudesai says, “I always had an entrepreneurial bent of mind.” After working for 10-12 years for others, he felt dissatisfied because he was unable to do the kind of projects that he liked and found challenging.

“The need to create something was growing steadily.”

As a first generation entrepreneur, the risk of leaving a steady and secure job was high. “I am a family man and in 2007 my children were very young. But

my wife supported me and I was able to take the plunge.”

Prabhudesai is aware that the startup space is tough, “Maybe 1 or 2 out of 20 succeed. But to me just the process of creating is important.”

He is also enthused by the idea of creating jobs when a start-up or an entrepreneurial venture is born. “A hole

in the wall restaurant also creates jobs!

At the micro level creating even a single job is a big thing” he adds.

A self-admitted workaholic he says, “I am driven by the desire to create something out of nothing. It is also exciting to know that you could be creating something that can go global and has the potential to grow big.”

Despite having three start-ups to his credit, Prabhudesai still doesn’t like to call himself ‘successful’ because he believes that this is a journey.

“And though the journey towards this goal is a roller coaster, it is very satisfying and boosts morale” he said. ritugoyalharish@gmail.com

British firm to open 3D printing unit in Pune Renishaw designs and makes industrial machines which ‘print’ parts from metal powder BANGALORE: Visiting British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg on Wednesday announced that Britain’s engineering major Renishaw plc would set up a metal 3D printing centre at Pune to supply products used for applications as diverse as jet engines and wind turbines.

“Renishaw is the only British fi rm that designs and makes industrial machines which ‘print’ parts from metal powder. Its Pune centre will collaborate with its key locations at Gloucestershire and Miskin in South Wales,” Clegg said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of unveiling a new tech hub and a joint business centre in Bangalore early this week to facilitate Indo-British businesses to share expertise and

boost trade between India’s prowess in the two countries. aerospace and hi-tech “India is at a ma- Clegg said that is growing fast. Th is jor crossroads in its a fertile ground for Bangalore was isBritish economic destiny, and and Indian Bangalore is a shining among the top firms to do business, example of how techas evident from the nological expertise can 10 preferred deals by our firms to be harnessed to creset up their shop here,” ate a powerhouse for destinations for Clegg asserted. growth,” Clegg said.

The tech hub aims entrepreneurs to grow Lauding the 1,000 start-ups technical prowess of in the next three years globally Bangalore, Clegg said and link them with the city was among British fi rms in Britain, the top 10 preferred destinations for while the business centre, second entrepreneurs globally and home to in the country after the fi rst such more start-ups than any other city in centre was set up in New Delhi, will the Indian sub-continent. provide support to British businesses “What I see in Bangalore is that expanding their operations in India.

The Wakefield-based Rhodes has recently signed a 2-million pounds (Rs.20 crore) contract with the staterun Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) defence behemoth for the joint development of aerospace projects.

Leading British aerospace and defence supply chain service provider Pattonair plc will open its office in Bangalore by this year-end to help boost its supply chain in India and provide real-time services to its Indian clients. Clegg later visited the Airbus India facility in the city for a fi rsthand view of its advanced simulation to test aircraft parts. The French aerospace major does computer modelling at the facility and links up live to its teams in Britain to run the tests on actual parts such as wings.

IANS

Workshop to tap into opportunities in Envibusiness TGS NEWS SERVICE @TGSWeekly Shrishti Environment and Sustainability Society (SESS) is holding a business meet and workshop on opportunities available in environmental assessment, waste management and carbon credit.

SESS, the organisation that trains professionals working for healthy environment in tandem with economic development, has invited participants for the workshop ‘Business meet on Global Opportunity in Environmental Sector (GO-ES 2014)’ that will be organised at Aquarius Resort, Gorhe Budruk, Khirid Vasti, Near Khadakwasla Dam on Sinhgad Road.

The two-day event will take place between 10 am and 6 pm, beginning September 22.

Envibusiness, the emerging field of environmental business, is one of the major businesses of the century. It ensures

resource extraction to waste treatment through processing and production, diminishing the waste generated by growing infrastructures.

Professionals will be required to minimise the negative impacts on environment caused due to improper waste disposal.

There is a shortage of qualified professionals in this field for lack of well structured courses.

Despite a specialised degree, potential candidates could join this business. For instance, an environmental business professional can be an advocate of sustainable development, waste management advisor etc. Or they can join the technical field as a naturalist, analyst or technologist.

Day 1 will focus on conceptual discussion and brainstorming regarding Envibusiness followed by a workshop on ‘recycling of treated sewage from construction sector’. Day 2 will cover discussion. editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com

With this issue

D

GE PA

Family Matters

S PAGE EW I V

In the issue ON TH EI N

Naya Ventures to invest in seven firms

ON TH ER E

Signposts

I remember my father telling me: “I want you to use your knowledge to do something meaningful.”

— Kiran Shaw-Mazumdar, CMD, Biocon Ltd

ON T HE TO

SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Magnificient Mary?

PAGE GE UL D

Namaskar Vietnam

RE LATIONSHIPS “Young men think old men are fools; but old men know young men are fools.”

— George Chapman

With Compassion & Hope

Taking up responsibility

One of the successful personalities covered by Sudha Menon (right) in her book ‘Gifted’ (below) is international para-athlete and Arjuna and Padma Shri awardee Malathi Krishnamurthy Holla

take for granted, they nurture.

For me, it was an eye-opener.

The experience of interacting with them has made me more appreciative and grateful for the things I have,” she said.

Menon said that the idea behind the book was to show that disabled people are no different and can connect with us if we allow them to.

“There is a lot to learn from them,” she said.

THE HEROES Eighteen-year-old Aisha Chaudhary has a rare condition of pulmonary fibrosis that keeps her wheelchair-bound and o life

supporting oxygen cylinder. But the indomitable spirit, courageous attitude and enthusiasm with which she delivered the 18-20 minute motivational talk at TEDx, Pune evoked a standing ovation.

International para-athlete Malathi Krishnamurthy Holla was conferred with Arjuna and Padma Shri awards for winning several national and international medals. A manager at Syndicate Bank, Holla takes care of children with various disabilities at Mathru Foundation, the charitable trust formed with her friends. ishani.bose@goldensparrow.com

Is a problem bothering you and you are unable to decide what to do? Write in to us at wayforward@goldensparrow.com for advice and suggestions from C Ravindranath ‘We’ is a wonderful word. It signifies unity, commonness and a host of other positive feelings. It embraces and encompasses others and opens up our private space. The word is held in high esteem by philosophers and saints, with good reasons too. ‘We’ is not individual. It is social. Yet, how do we use the word ‘we’? Are we manipulating it to suit our convenience? Do we really include ourselves every time we say ‘we’?

For example, we often say that we are a nation of corrupt people. In this case, is the ‘I’ included in the ‘we’? ‘We’ don’t follow traffic discipline, but the ‘we’ does not apply to me. I am somehow exempted and excluded from the ‘we’ and get away with the guilt (if any) of breaking traffic rules. Indirectly, I feel I’m a cut above the flotsam and jetsam that constitute the ‘we.’

Is that however, really the case? How long can I keep running away from myself? When do I take up ownership for my action or inaction?

Conscience is a funny thing. It is not just flexible but also malleable and ductile. It bends to any shape we choose to give it. It stretches as far as our imagination. It makes us creative, at least as far as excuses and justifications are concerned. Somehow, when we say ‘we,’ the onus is never on us as individuals.

On an outbound training programme, our team had made a mess of the task assigned to us.

Later, when we sat down to share our experiences and cull some learning from the process, the facilitator asked a general question: What did you do? Several of us kept quiet. A few hesitantly said, “We failed.” I said, “We did not plan well.”

The facilitator then asked, “Who is the ‘we’? Are you not part of it? Who made you the spokesperson or advocate for the team? Are you

Impotency and marital discord NEW DELHI Keeping impotency or frigidity under wraps at the time of tying the knot that causes marital discord and break-ups, has triggered a debate, following a high court question to the government asking why not punish the guilty.

Observing it is an avoidable human tragedy, Justice N Kirubakaran of the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, suggested, “If pre-marital clinical examination by doctors are done, it will not only prevent impotents from getting married, but (also) prevent marriages of people suffering from dangerous and incurable diseases”.

He was hearing a petition seeking to quash proceedings against a man on a complaint by his wife under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

A Bangalore-based NGO said enacting law for both the groom and the bride is a must.

President of the NGO, Child Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP), Kumar V. Jahgirdar told IANS: “We welcome the high court interim observation that potency tests should be made mandatory before marriage with the condition that the couple should be included in the test.”

Justice Kirubakaran said: “The governments (both the central and the Tamil Nadu governments) could also think of including a provision for awarding compensation or punishment for suppression of impotency or frigidity.”

Noting that women were the worst sufferers in such cases, the court said, “It violated the very basic human rights and right to decent and meaningful life.”

Jahgirdar said: “I have seen a lot of couples filing impotency cases with one spouse complaining of being cheated.

The pain lasts a lifetime since a majority of such cases are unreported and the victim suffers in silence.”

He added, “However, enacting a law

only for men to do the potency test is unconstitutional and gender-biased.”

Swarup Sircar, head of Save Indian Family, Delhi, said impotency is related to psychological condition and hormone imbalance.

“In the Hindu Marriage Act, if the marriage is not consummated, the court can also make a decree declaring the marriage as null and void. But nobody believes that the wife can suffer due to impotency,” he said.

Radha Krishna, a gynaecologist based in Bangalore, said many wives suffer silently about their husband’s impotency due to social stigma. “The wife is always targeted for infertility, mainly by in-laws. So, examination of the couple before marriage is a must.”

She, however, said infertility is different from impotency and added premarital counselling is needed since India lacks sex education at the school level.

Observing the high rate of impotency-related marriage failures, Justice Kirubakaran asked: “Are state

and central governments aware of the social scourge and are they ready to amend marriage laws to fast-track matrimonial disputes?”

Quoting data of the Chennai family court, Justice Kirubakaran, who posted the matter for the next hearing, said the number of failed marriages due to impotency has increased to 715 in 2013 from 88 in 2009.

The court asked the government about steps being contemplated to address the “serious problem/human tragedy”.

Jahgirdar said pre-marital counselling should be made mandatory to bring down the number of divorces, adding that divorce cases are increasing in Bangalore due to stress that leads to impotency.

“The government should not grant marriage certificate without premarriage counselling. It should take responsibility to save marriages,” he said.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

using ‘we’ as a convenient umbrella to shelter under, to shirk your responsibility as a member of the team? You were also there. What did you do? Who prevented you from coming up with a better plan? Now, can each one speak only for himself and not hide under the ‘we’ canopy? I’d like to hear about what ‘I’ did or did not. I’d like to hear from each of the seven ‘I’s in the team.”

I felt cornered. I felt uncomfortable.

Rationally, I knew the facilitator had a point.

Emotionally, I was reluctant to accept it. I could not bear to look at the image on the mirror he was holding in front of me. It was so much easier to look away.

It was then that I remembered what some great person had said: It does not matter where you’ve been. It only matters where you are going.

Here I was, trying to run away from facts, run away from responsibility, escape from taking up ownership of what I did. This attitude was not helping me in any way. It was pushing me deeper into a morass of smug, intellectual complacency.

I started taking up ownership.

People get the government they deserve, says an adage. Who elected the government? If you and I elected the government, shouldn’t we too bear responsibility for what they do and don’t?

Cribbing and complaining has almost become a national pastime now. It is time each one of us faced himself or herself in the mirror. If I don’t like what I see, can I do something about it?

More importantly, will I? (The writer is a multi-faceted personality who believes in responding with compassion and hope to the difficult situations in life.)

A NOBLE VISION IANS

ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR

BY ISHANI BOSE @ishani_bose

BY VISHAL GULATI

Children participated in the on-the-spot art competition organised on the occasion of 29th National Eye Donation Fortnight at Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya Eye Bank as an awareness programme of eye donation in Guwahati on August 30

Relationships and the obstacle of the ego

BY SUMIT PAUL

Johnny was a sturdy, robust kid of three.

He made friends with a billy goat next door. Each morning he’d pull up some grass and lettuce and take them over as breakfast for Billy. So deep was their friendship that Johnny would spend hours in Billy’s company.

One day it occurred to Johnny that a change of diet would do Billy a lot of good. So he went to visit his four-legged friend with rhubarb instead of lettuce.

Billy nibbled a bit of the rhubarb, decided he didn’t want it, and moved back. Johnny caught Billy by one of his horns and tried to force him to eat the leaves. This time Billy butted Johnny, gently at first, but as Johnny persisted, quite firmly so that Johnny stumbled and fell with a thump on his backside.

Johnny was so offended by this that he brushed himself off, glared at Billy and walked away, never to return.

Some days later when his father asked him why he never went over to chat with Billy, Johnny replied, “Because he rejected me.” The surest way to kill a relationship: Insist on having things your way. Gen eral Douglas MacArthur, one of the most decorated soldiers in the history of modern warfare and the Supreme Commander of the allied forces in the Pacific during the Second World War, had a pen friend when he was young. She a girl from country England. The overzealous young MacArthur immediately sent his photo to her and waited for her to return the favour. She didn’t send her photo and it hurt the male ego of the great MacArthur.

He sent a letter stating he wasn’t interested in her. “I sent my photo and she couldn’t send hers! That bloody bitch!!!” he used to say as a young cadet at the America’s famed West Point, not realising that the girl died before

PUNE

The Way Forward

Sudha Menon, co-author of ‘Gifted’, finds the disabled to be fiercely independent and averse to any special treatment

enviable,” she said.

The duo interviewed about 30 people and selected 15 from different walks of life for the book.

The others are likely to be featured in a sequel.

“They are the most fiercely independent, mature and proud people.

They have taken disability in their stride and risen above it. They don’t complain and whine the way we do when we injure ourselves. What we

SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

“Relationships, if you want them to work, take work. The biggest thing that I learned growing up, and even now, is if it’s right, it’s worth it. It’s just a matter of finding that person you want to be with.”

— Josh Duhamel

Shining ability in disability Flowers that bloom in adversity are the rarest and the most beautiful of them all’.

‘Gifted’, is a book that documents the experience of people with physical and mental disability in India.

“Capturing the lives of these inspiring people for the book has changed my life,” said Sudha Menon, who co-authored ‘Gifted’ with SAP Labs India managing director VR Ferose, who met at an event in Bangalore.

“We both shared an interest in writing a book on the disabled.

The need to write a book stemmed from Ferose’s vision of inclusivity. Ferose is the founder of India Inclusion Summit that promotes people with disabilities in mainstream life,” said Menon, the author of two nonfiction books ‘Legacy’ and ‘Leading Ladies: Women who Inspire India’.

For Ferose, his five-year-old autistic son has been the best inspiration. “Ferose says that more than his academic education, he has learnt a lot from the indomitable spirit of his son who, despite his disability, leads his life with enthusiasm, which is not only rare but also

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY

she could send her photo to the future general. We always think from our viewpoint. We do not understand that our expectations and assumptions of a person are unlikely to be reciprocated in the same manner. We insist on having things our way.

What I do spontaneously, others should do with the same passion and fervour. This is wrong. We condition a relationship, we straightjacket it and want that things must happen the way we want them to.

Someone came to Buddha and said, “Whenever I see a particular person, I bow to him but he doesn’t even seem to acknowledge my gesture of veneration to him. I’m getting irritated.” Buddha smiled. “So what will you do now?” asked Buddha. “I’ll abuse him now,” said the man. Buddha said, “Just now you were saying that you had a sense of profound respect for that man and now you’re so angry that you want

to abuse him? Wasn’t your so-called veneration based on conceived mutual admiration? And when you didn’t get it, you’re so angry?” The man realised his mistake and didn’t say anything. We’re all like that. We’re the best people when things are going our way and we’re the worst when the opposite happens. We are conditioned beings. Our actions and acts are extensions of ourselves.

We expect too much to be ultimately disillusioned. And we presume the whole world thinks the way we think.

Who has time for anyone else other than oneself? Who sheds tears for anybody else, one cries for oneself. So expect nothing. Insist on nothing.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

PUNE

Sensex in bubble zone?

Not at all, by this valuation metric P 14

“It is a matter of great pride that over the decades, we have transformed from a ‘buyer’s navy’ to a ‘builder’s navy’.”

— Chief of Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan

BY R JAGANNATHAN

When the religion-based population census for 2011 is unveiled, it is likely to generate another bout of hand-wringing among Hindu groups.

While it is fairly certain that the official Hindu population will fall below 80 per cent for the first time ever, thanks to higher birth rates among Muslims relative to Hindus for more than a century, of particular interest will be the trends in Assam, West Bengal and Bihar – three states where normal growth in population is exacerbated by a possible influx from Bangladesh.

The Assam Tribune claims that in several districts of the state, especially the areas bordering Bangladesh, Muslim growth rates are higher than the state’s average of just under 17 per cent between 2001 and 2011. The Assam Tribune’s man in Delhi, quoting anonymous home ministry sources, says that seven or eight Muslim-dominated districts – including Dhubri, Goalpara, Nagaon, Hailakandi, Barpeta and Morigaon – recorded “growth rates ranging from 20 per cent to 24 per cent during the last decade. On the other hand, the eastern Assam districts, mostly in upper Assam, registered around a nine per cent population growth.” One other district with near-50 per cent Muslim concentrations is Karimganj but the report does not talk about this district.

If the Assam Tribune has got it right, it would explain why the BJP is gaining traction in upper Assam, the traditional Assamese bastion. With

IANS

Assam’s religious demography data may come as a shocker

Army personnel carry on flag march amidst rain in the tension-gripped Golaghat district in Assam on August 23

seven out of 14 seats in the states, the BJP won largely in the Assamese (and Hindu) majority areas of north and central Assam, while the Muslim AUDF won three in the Muslimdominated districts. The Congress won three and an independent won in Kokrajhar, the heart of Bodoland, but which is facing demographic pressures from Dhubri, which is three-quarters Muslim. Interestingly, Nagaon is with

the BJP since 1999, thanks to its MP Ramen Deka. This assumes significance as places like Moirabari and Hojai often claim headlines for alleged explosion of population due to constant influx of illegal Muslim immigrants. Hojai is also home to AUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal.

A few things can be speculated upon, if the 2011 census figures reported by the Assam Tribune are anywhere near correct. First, it is unlikely that the influx

Galvanise state cadre to topple Cong-NCP govt: Amit Shah MUMBAI: BJP president Amit Shah has told the party’s Maharashtra leadership to galvanise the state cadre and make a determined effort to topple the 15-year-old Congress-NCP government in the state. Shah, who attended the core group meeting at the residence of leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Vinod Tawde in suburban Vile Parle here, told the state leaders that the party has to fight the upcoming assembly polls to win and defeat the incumbent government.

A BJP leader, who did not want to be identified, said Shah took a detailed assembly constituency wise review of the party’s poll preparations.

“He also took details about the candidate selection process and also asked to expedite the seat sharing talks with ally Shiv sena,” the leader said.

According to the leader, Shah stressed the need to build up the campaign movement aggressively.

“Shah said the joint campaign with

Shiv Sena will be worked out after the seat sharing talks are concluded. Prime minister Narendra Modi’s rally in the state will be worked out considering his overseas official trips,” he informed.

The leader said the issue of BJP’s insistence for more seats was also discussed. Refusing to divulge details, the leader said, “whatever we have demanded is appropriate.”

The meeting was attended by leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly Eknath Khadse, former state BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar, current state president Devendra Phadanvis, Pankaja Munde besides Tawde. The meeting lasted for over an hour. Later, Shah visited late Gopinath Munde’s wife Pradnya Munde in Worli and had lunch at the residence of BJP MP Poonam Mahajan’s home.

PTI

from Bangladesh has abated, though several academics have claimed that is the case. Second, given the communal tensions generated by this influx, the chances are Muslims and non-Muslims are consolidating in the areas where they dominate for safety.

Three, the Congress – which has traditionally based its dominance in state politics on a mix of Assamese and Bengali Muslim support, is in danger of falling between two stools.

The Muslim support is heading for the Assam United Democratic Front headed by businessman Badruddin Ajmal, who is also eyeing neighbouring West Bengal for growth.

Four, the BJP will find stronger roots as the traditional non-Muslim Assamese vote drifts towards national parties rather than regional parties such as the AGP – which was a complete noshow in the Lok Sabha polls. Five, the census results in Assam may come as a shocker, but of equal importance will be the religious demography changes in West Bengal and Bihar, where too the Bangladeshi influx has been significant.

Both Lalu Prasad and Mamata Banerjee depend on this votebank. It is worth recalling that most of the RJD’s seats were won in eastern Bihar, which is closer to Bangladesh.

The religious census is going to stir up a hornets’ nest. Little wonder the UPA was in no hurry to release it before it went. Now it can blame the BJP for stirring up communalism.

(By special arrangement with Firstpost.com)

‘Modi’s ‘100-day’ success is transition from CM to PM’

BY FP POLITICS After nearly 15 years in Gandhinagar, prime minister Narendra Modi’s real challenge was to deliver in New Delhi and that too in his first 100 days in office.

And now that the occasion has past, both admirers and critics view his tenure as prime minister so far very differently with some saying that his biggest achievement is the transition from leading a state to leading the country.

“After a long time we have a prime minister who is a people’s person like Indira Gandhi. Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee was reserved as a prime minister. The biggest success that he had achieved in the first 100 days is his transition from a chief minister to prime minister,” author and analyst Sanjaya Baru said on a discussion on NDTV. The main reason for Modi coming under intense scrutiny in the first 100 days of taking charge is because of the high hopes he gave people during the course of his long and sustained campaign trail prior to Lok Sabha polls. And some like author and former corporate leader Gurcharan Das feel he has delivered.

“In 100 days you get a sense of the strengths and weaknesses of a leader. What I liked about Modi in his first 100 days as prime minister is the quiet implementation. We are a country of talkers and not doers. But in that case the prime minister has been

debottlenecking projects worth Rs 4 lakh crore. There is a right positive spirit in the bureaucracy. The results will finally tell the tale,” said the former CEO of P&G India said.

“Modi is the product of an image making machinery which has made him a larger man than the real Modi himself. He had talked about sabka saath, sabka vikas. He also spoke a moratorium on divisive politics for 10 years. But have those promises translated into reality? Why can’t he stop a vitriolic Yogi Adityanath from making those communally charged speeches. Please remember that the real Modi had won the polls in Uttar Pradesh through communal politics.

The gap between the image and real is quite big,” senior journalist Bharat Bhushan said.

Representing the BJP on the panel, party spokesperson Sambit Patra felt that the biggest asset of the Modi government is the ability to win people’s trust.

(Copyright: Firstpost.com)

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Sweating it out at PYC leads six to Asian Games Contd from p1

“PYC has always nurtured and supported sports activities and we have been conducting large number of internal, local and national tournaments to support our coaches in various disciplines. We will ensure more support to these activities and ensure that many others will also represent our nation in future too,” said Vijay Kumar Tamhane, the secretary of PYC. He also added that the players would henceforth be authorised to all facilities in the club gratis.

Current India no1, Ankita, has been playing at the PYC for the last 10 years with coach Bendrey. The national champion had represented India in the women’s Fed cup and will be playing her first ever Asian Games.

“PYC is more like a second home for us. We spend more time at the club, then our homes. The club members were always supportive and

granted easy access to any facility including swimming pool and gymnasium,” said Ankita.

Joining Ankita, is India No2 Prarthana from Barshi, and Goa girl Natasha (India No 3), who also train with Bendrey at PYC for the last five years.

Bendrey, one of the senior most coaches in the city have been producing numerous tennis champions at the club for more than 20 years. It will be his first assignment with a senior team.

“Sania (Mirza) is also part of the team, and these girls will be benefitted of her experience,” he said.

Shireen is the only Maharashtra basketball player and also the youngest member of the team in the Asian games squad. Shireen is coached by her mother Suvarna, who is also a regular member of the club.

“I think she (Shireen) started coming to gymkhana with me, since

she was five. Now she is quite attached to the club. Though, she plays for India, she always tries to come here and play for the club. It’s like we have a big family here,” said Suvarna.

Meanwhile, Asia’s only women’s gold badge referee Sheetal Iyer, who is also closely associated with PYC, will be taking part in her fourth successive Asian Games.

Interestingly, the members of PYC’s tennis department voluntarily contributed Rs2 lakh for these players and each player received a cheque of Rs51,000.

“The amount may not be big for international player. But, I feel it’s a nice gesture to say that we are with you and we support you. Such motivations play a major role in player’s career,” said Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association secretary Sunder Iyer. ashish.phadnis@goldensparrow.com

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TH E EDIT PAGE “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”

— Franklin D Roosevelt, Great Speeches

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

PUNE

Editor’s pick

SEX & CELLPHONES

Report crime, create awareness A jilted lover or people in failed relationships have deliberately posted private moments with their former lovers on the Internet as a form of revenge. As the Cyber Cell of Pune Police told this newspaper, such videos have also been forwarded to the future in-laws or the man engaged to be married to a former girlfriend.

Such sex-related and smartphonedriven crimes have been happening across India, perhaps far more frequently in rural areas because of the lack of awareness among unsuspecting rural girls.

It is almost always the girl who has to bear the brunt of such dastardly acts, which play havoc with their lives and have also driven some in the past to commit suicide.

Given this situation, there are some things that can be done and some that cannot.

For example, the march of technology cannot be stopped; cell phones cannot be banned or restricted and neither can the process of liberal attitudes be reversed in Indian society.

The only thing that our societyand primarily, parents- can do is create awareness among our children and young adults about the consequences of unguarded behaviour. We need to promote a culture where other people’s privacy is respected. We need to promote a culture where young people are alert to the possibility of hidden recording devices in the room, especially cell phones. One need not be paranoid about this, but one certainly needs to be guarded.

It is only through such measures will our young adults and our society at large be able to deal with perverse and criminally-minded elements in our midst.

We need to promote a culture where other people’s privacy is respected

Zero Stone restoration, a welcome step It brings us immense satisfaction to note that the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Heritage Cell has finally initiated the restoration of the Zero Stone, a much-neglected heritage landmark of this city.

The Golden Sparrow on Saturday in its August 30 edition had highlighted the plight of this zero milestone located on the footpath outside the General Post Office. The report graphically pointed out to the neglect of this piece of heritage and the care with which other cities had taken care of similar milestones, most notably Nagpur where the Zero Stone of India is located.

It is now heartening to note that taking cognisance of the report in this newspaper, the PMC has initiated restoration work. As suggested by TGS, the area around the stone would be barricaded and beautified. It would then become a spot worthy of being visited by the children of Pune, citizens and tourists. The city’s historians and

chroniclers could throw greater light on the history of this stone, thereby enriching our knowledge about the city.

As suggested by this newspaper, it would be worthwhile for heritagerelated institutions and establishments in the city to appreciate the good work undertaken by the PMC and offer assistance in whatever form possible.

Thus, for example, organisations such as the MCCIA’s Janwani could include the Zero Stone in their Heritage Walk.

Other institutions such as the Symbiosis Institute of Design, the Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Sanstha’s Dr Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture for Women, DSK International School of Design or the MIT Institute of Design could draw a beautification plan for the restoration of this small yet beautiful piece of history.

Any such initiative would certainly not be in vain and would indeed be appreciated by the people of Pune.

Vol-1* lssue No.: 12 Printed and Published by: PRI – Media Services Private Limited CIN: U22222MH2012PTC232006 on behalf of Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. CIN:U22200PN2014PTC151382 Printed at Diligent Media Corporation Ltd., Plot No. EL-201, TTC Industrial Area, MIDC, Mahape, Navi Mumbai.

Published at Golden Sparrow Publishing Pvt. Ltd. 1641, Madhav Heritage, Tilak Road, Pune-411 030, Tel: 020-2432 4332/33.

Editor: Abhay Vaidya (Responsible for the selection of news under the PRB Act, 1867)

Cartoon by: Keshav in The Hindu

Terrorism a diplomatic asset: Fair is foul, foul is fair

By Saeed Naqvi

The ISIS threat has been around for months. Why was it not nipped in the bud? Obama’s response in the course of a conversation with Thomas Friedman of the New York Times is revealing. “We did not start airstrikes all across Iraq as soon as the ISIS came in because that would have taken the pressure off Nouri al-Maliki”, the then Shia prime minister in Baghdad.

In other words Obama’s immediate priority was to get rid of Nouri al-Maliki. According to this logic, a terrorist outfit like the ISIS can, on some occasions, play a useful role. That is why Obama allowed the ISIS to grow in size to frighten the obstinate prime minister in Baghdad. Here the president of the US is giving an example of how terrorism can be placed at the disposal of diplomacy.

In the early stages of the insurrection in Syria, US Ambassador to Damascus, Robert Stephen Ford and his French counterpart drove around the country’s major trouble spots - Derra, Homs and Hama. In each city they contacted opposition leaders.

In Damascus some of us exchanged views with a veteran US diplomat and Arabist, Edward Lionel Peck who was privately visiting the country. He was quite as astonished at this new, aggressive style of diplomacy, more akin to special operations.

After returning to the US, Peck wrote on what he described as “a very unsettling subject”. He wrote: “I have been dismayed by the accolades and support given to Ambassador Ford, our man in - and now out of Syria, for stepping well out of the traditional and appropriate role of a diplomat and actively encouraging the revolt/insurrection/sectarian strife/ outside meddling, call it what you will. It is easy to imagine the US reaction if an ambassador from anywhere were to engage in even distantly related activities here. I fear my country remains somewhat

expatfinancial.com/terrorism-war-risk-insurance

Every teenager today wants a smartphone and doting parents are only too obliging. These phones now routinely come with front and rear cameras, video recorders and Internet connectivity. Taking pictures and videos and sharing them instantly on social media, is now, literally child’s play. We and our children do it all the time, primarily because the cell phone is a small device that fits into our pockets and we carry it round the clock.

The technology is indeed a blessing but it’s now time for us to wake up and pay greater attention to the darker side of how the cell phone is being misused, compromising the sense and sensibility of our children, our society.

We and our growing up children, teenagers and young adults need to be extra watchful when it comes to smartphones.

Without showing any respect for the privacy of others, pictures get clicked and videos shot at public and private events.

With long life batteries and smarter technology, it is now possible to shot videos secretly by hiding the camera at some vantage point. Thus, as young people begin to get intimate and explore their sexuality, there’s the real danger of the havoc that smartphones can play in their lives.

A trusting girl may allow her boyfriend to take selfies of them kissing or doing things more intimate.

A boyfriend or someone else might do it with or without informing his partner. In many cases, such sensational videos have found them way on social media- first amongst a closed network of friends and soon on the Internet, available freely to the world at large.

more than merely insensitive, and is sliding into plain rampant and offensive arrogance”.

Later that year, former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright spoke on US foreign policy at New Delhi’s India International Centre.

During Q and A, I cited Peck as an outstanding example of the liberal American conscience. Albright was not impressed. She mounted an effective endorsement of Ford.

The escalating terrorism in Syria, helped by “outside meddling” from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar has morphed into this beast called the ISIS. Of course, Russia, Iran and Iraq dug their heels in for the regime.

But does that make them worthy of equal blame?

There is no space left to touch on jihadist militancy let loose in Libya, traversing Mali, uniting with Nigeria’s monstrous Boko Haram.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, president Carter’s National Security Adviser considers global terrorism a small

price for breeding Islamic Jehad which helped topple Soviet power. The aftermath of that Jehad, however, is still hovering over the heads of the principal actors in Kabul, indeed, in every concerned capital.

Soon after the Taliban were ousted from Kabul, Hamid Karzai was nominated “interim president” in December 2001. A pulverised “international community” has been stuck with him all these years.

The Constitution does not allow him to carry on endlessly. The occupying power organized elections in which one of the candidates, Abdullah Abdullah has alleged “industrial scale fraud” and pulled out, leaving Obama and John Kerry with the prospect of turning up at the NATO summit in Wales Sep 4, empty handed. Will jaw jaw on Ukraine and the ISIS disguise their embarrassment in Afghanistan?

(Saeed Naqvi is a commentator on political and diplomatic affairs. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached on saeednaqvi@hotmail.com)

Live a purposeful life

BY Swami Chaitanya Keerti

period when she was totally involved in this work. She was visualising bhikkhus Patrick Hill, a researcher at Carleton meditating in the hall in the presence University, Canada, published a very of the Buddha, their faces glowing significant study in the Psychological with divine energy and she sitting in Science journal in May. His findings satsang with them. This visualisation show that a sense of purpose in life, transformed Rohini’s entire being. and setting overarching goals to achieve When the construction of the hall that target may help us live longer, was completed, the Buddha and his no matter what our age. He concludes bhikkhus were invited for alms-food. that the earlier someone comes to a After the meal, the Buddha asked for the direction for life, the earlier its protective donor of the building and alms-food, but effects begin.

Rohini was not there. The Buddha sent A beautiful story of Rohini for her. When she came he asked from the days of Gautama Buddha her whether she knew why she proves this fact. On one occasion, was inflicted with this dreaded Buddha’s disciple Anuruddha disease. She did not. Buddha visited Kapilavastu. While he was told her that she had done an evil staying at the monastery there, all deed in one of her past lives. his relatives, with the exception Rohini was, at one time, of his sister Rohini, came to see the chief queen of the king of him. On learning from them that Varanasi. It so happened that Rohini did not come because she THINK the king had a favourite dancer was suffering from leprosy, he sent and the chief queen was very for her. Rohini came to see her brother, jealous of her. The queen wanted to but covered her head in shame. Feeling punish the dancer. Thus, one day, she very sorry for his sister, Anuruddha had her attendants put some itching advised her to do some meritorious deed. powder made from cow-hage pods in the He suggested that she should sell some dancer’s bed, her blankets, etc. of her jewellery, and with the money Next they called the dancer and, gained, build a refectory for bhikkhus. as though in jest, threw some itching Rohini agreed to do as told. powder on her. The girl itched all Anuruddha also asked his other relatives over and ran to her room and her bed, to help in the construction of the hall. which made her suffer even more. As Further, he told Rohini to sweep the a result of that evil deed Rohini had floor and fill the water-pots daily, even become a leper in this life. The Buddha while the construction was on. She did then exhorted the congregation not to as instructed and she began to get better. act foolishly in anger and not to bear any This inspired her to put her whole energy ill-will towards others. into this noble work.

Then the Buddha gave the following A miracle happened. Ninety per cent sutra to his bhikkhus: “Give up anger, of her leprosy disappeared during this abandon conceit, overcome all fetters.

Ills of life (dukkha) do not befall one who does not cling to mind and body and is free from moral defilements.”

At that moment, Rohini also attained total freedom — her skin disease disappeared, and her complexion became fair, smooth and attractive.

There are many such spiritual stories that prove the researches done by modern scientists in the West. The ancient Gurukulas and ashramas run by the enlightened sages in India did not give only bookish knowledge to students, but also taught the art and the inner science of transformation through yoga and meditation.

The education was of self-realisation and finding a real purpose of life, which is to expand one’s consciousness and reach out to all. In brief, it was Dhyan and Karuna, meditation and compassion. If all the students and seekers of truth understand these two words along with education, they will have a direction for life and their existence on earth will be fruitful. This has to start very early in our life for a solid foundation and then our life will take a wholesome shape.

Patrick Hill confirms: “Our findings point to the fact that finding a direction for life, and setting overarching goals for what you want to achieve can help you actually live longer, regardless of when you find your purpose. So the earlier someone comes to a direction for life, the earlier these protective effects may be able to occur.”

Osho concludes: Man is not what he can be, and unless he is that which he can be he cannot be at ease. This dis-ease is man, and health is in wholeness.

Limericks of the week

BY C Ravindranath

Here’s the news from Japan Post the visit of Modi-san In his brain Is the bullet train Man, I hope, I do hope he can.

TV ads have a villain new Guess who - I’ll give you a clue He’s here, he’s there He’s almost everywhere Got it? His name is ‘Kitanu!’

From cricket - the latest In ODIs, we’re the best Our team we thank For the No.1 rank Forget what we do in a test!

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

PUNE

Records in the bag, but the job is far from done P 15

“NATO must make concrete commitments to help Ukraine modernise and strengthen its security forces. We must do more to help other NATO partners, including Georgia and Moldova, strengthen their defenses as well.”

—US President Barack Obama, on Ukraine crisis

Thailand’s surrogacy market, profit and a moral quagmire

BY THOMAS FULLER PAK OK, THAILAND: Soon after the first surrogate mother from this remote village gave birth, neighbours noticed her new car and conspicuous home renovations, sending ripples of envy through the wooden houses beside rice paddies and tamarind groves.

“There was a lot of excitement, and many people were jealous,” said Thongchan Inchan, 50, a shopkeeper here. In the two years since, carrying babies for foreigners, mainly couples from wealthier Asian nations, quickly became a lucrative cottage industry in the farming communities around Pak Ok, a six-hour drive from Bangkok.

Officials say at least 24 women out of a population of about 13,000 people have since become paid surrogate mothers.

“If I weren’t this old, maybe I would have done it myself,” Thongchan said.

“This is a poor village. We make money by day and it’s gone by evening.”

The baby boomlet here was just one of several bizarre and often ethically charged iterations of Thailand’s freewheeling venture into what detractors call the womb rental business, an unguided experiment that the country’s military government now says it is planning to end.

Commercial surrogacy has been available for at least a decade in Thailand, one of only a handful of countries where it is allowed, and one of only two in Asia, making it a prime destination for couples in the region from countries where the practice is banned. Officials estimate that there are several hundred surrogate births here each year, a number that does not include foreign surrogates, including many hired by Chinese couples, who come to Thailand for the embryo implantation then return home to carry out the pregnancy. But a pair of recent scandals have focused scrutiny on the largely unregulated industry, raising ethical questions and prompting the government’s crackdown. In late July, the Thai news media reported that an Australian couple who had paid a woman to carry twins returned home with only one of their children, leaving behind the other, who had Down syndrome.

GIORGIO TARASCHI/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Commercial surrogacy has been available for at least a decade in Thailand

Pakson Thongda, whose daughter has sold eggs to a fertility clinic twice, said she understood a family’s desire to have a child

Pleas for assistance by the surrogate mother helped produce a sustained national outcry that was further stoked by comments by the boy’s biological father that were deemed insensitive at best. The father, David John Farnell, told an Australian television programme that he would have preferred that the pregnancy had been terminated.

He also said that he and his wife had told the agency in Bangkok that served as an intermediary to “give us back our money.” The Australian news media raised questions about his fitness as a father after finding court records showing that he was convicted and imprisoned for 22 counts of child sex abuse in the 1990s.

More recently, police raids on surrogacy clinics in Bangkok uncovered the case of a Japanese man who had fathered around a dozen babies

through surrogates - the exact number is not known - whose births were only weeks or months apart. In August the global police agency, Interpol, said it had begun an investigation into the motives and background of the Japanese man.

Commentators have lamented that Thailand, which already had a reputation for prostitution, was now becoming, as one television anchor called it, the “womb of Asia.”

Others described surrogacy as the exploitation of the weak and poor by wealthy couples from more developed nations.

Thai officials say surrogates are paid about $10,000 for a successful pregnancy, more for twins, in addition to a monthly allowance of around $450 and free lodging in Bangkok, where the women are either instructed or choose to carry out their

Surrogates are paid about $10,000 for a successful pregnancy

pregnancies. The surrogates, some of whom are still pregnant, fled to the anonymity of Bangkok in August when officials and a phalanx of the Thai news media descended on the area to publicise what they portrayed as a national scandal.

Among the villagers, there is sympathy for the surrogates and anger at what is seen as a witch hunt by the authorities for women who took part in a practice that is not yet illegal.

“There’s nothing wrong with surrogacy - you are helping people who can’t have a baby,” said Pakson Thongda, 42, whose daughter twice sold eggs to a fertility clinic for about $1,000 each time.

The surrogacy business in Thailand has provided a low-cost alternative to the US, the world’s largest paid surrogacy destination, and was an outgrowth of the country’s effort to promote itself as a destination for medical tourism.

The Thai industry also benefited from regulations in India, which prohibit same-sex couples from hiring surrogate mothers. India is the only other Asian country where surrogacy is legal. © 2014 New York Times News Service

Technology, human factor: Future could work, if we let it

BY FARHAD MANJOO

technology. And once we begin to do that, we’ll open up technologies that are equally large as the invention of the airplane,” Rogers said during a recent interview.

Rogers, a consultant for McKinsey who also spent a stint at the federal Energy Department, and Heck, a former McKinsey consultant who is now a professor at Stanford, say that sectors of the economy that are most ripe for reinvention are those that are now extremely inefficient. Automobile transportation is near the top of the list.

Heck and Rogers argue that technology will improve transportation in a way that substantially reduces the costs. Sharing services like Uber and Lyft, for example, may make it easier to rent rides when they are needed, which could lead both to fewer cars being purchased to be parked, and now that ride-sharing services are experimenting with carpooling, perhaps a rise in average vehicle occupancy. Companies like Tesla are pushing toward an electriccar infrastructure that would vastly improve the efficiency of our vehicles.

That’s because electric motors convert more than 90 per cent of energy into movement, while gas engines can’t manage more than 45 per cent efficiency.

Finally, there are cars that drive themselves. Autonomous vehicles like the ones Google is building will be able to pack roads more efficiently. We could get eight times as many cars on a freeway without slowing down, letting us get around faster and, in time, build and maintain fewer roads. It’s when you put electric engines, ride-sharing and selfdriving vehicles together that Heck and Rogers see the biggest payoff.

“What we don’t know is how we humans might change our behaviour and our lifestyles in response to these vehicles,” said Chandra R Bhat, the director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Texas at Austin, who is studying how people might live with these cars. © 2014 New York Times News Service

One persistent criticism of the tech industry is that it no longer works on big ideas. For all of Silicon Valley’s talk of changing the world, critics say, Google and Facebook mainly hire armies of coders to figure out how to serve you more relevant ads, while Apple and Amazon just want to keep selling you new stuff.

These are crude takes, but they get at the disillusionment with an industry whose recent innovations do not seem to have resulted in measurably more prosperous lives for most Americans.

Yes, the phone you carry today is far more powerful than the one you had a decade ago. But if your wages haven’t climbed and your job is imperiled because of some of the very technologies in that phone, should you rejoice?

Matt Rogers and Stefan Heck say you should. Rogers and Heck are management consultants who have long studied how technology shapes business, and in a provocative new book they put forward the ultimate o p t i m i s t ’s case for why the tech industry m i g h t substantially improve most of our lives.

If you’re feeling down about the world, the book, “Resource Revolution: How to Capture the Biggest Business Opportunity in a Century,” is an antidote. Rogers and Heck outline how various emerging advances - among them 3-D printing, autonomous vehicles, modular construction systems and home automation - might in time alter some of the world’s largest industries and bring prosperity to billions of people.

They put forward a rigorous argument bolstered by mountains of data and recent case studies. And once you start looking at Silicon Valley their way, your mind reels at the far-reaching potential of the innovations now spreading through society.

“What we haven’t yet done is put information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology into industrial

Is South Korea censoring artistic expression?

JEAN CHUNG/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Hong Sung-dam is rebuked for casting South Korea’s leader in an unflattering light

BY CHOE SANG-HUN

the painting. Under Park Geun-hye, the country is reverting to the old practices GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA: After of her father’s era, repressing freedom of 250 South Korean high school students expression.” died in the sinking of the Sewol ferry in Park’s administration has come unApril, the artist Hong Sung-dam lashed der withering criticism since the disasout at a political and business elite he ter, first for a botched rescue effort, then considers responsible for for resisting the kind of the disaster, doing so in broad independent investhe way he knows best. tigation the victims’ famHe painted, pouring ilies have demanded into his protest on to canvas the muddled emergency just as he did during the response and the lax govcountry’s long years of ernment regulatory sysmilitary dictatorship. tem many say helped lead He was not to the sinking. imprisoned this time, The painting, which as he was in the waning Hong painted with years of military-backed other artists he invited rule. But Hong’s nearly 10 to participate, shows the 1/2-metre-by-2 1/2 metre doomed ship at its cen- Hong Sung-dam canvas, which includes tre, upside down. Two a caricature of President enormous figures have Park Geun-hye, was pulled from South lifted it out of the water, and - in an Korea’s best-known international art imagined happier ending - the passenfestival in a type of censorship usually gers are emerging from the boat, smiling reserved for those accused of supporting and waving. Surrounding that scene is communist North Korea. a phantasmagoria of politically charged “This is a ridiculous insult to an images from South Korean history, some artist,” Hong said of the treatment of the dating from the country’s years of milipainting, in which Park is depicted as a tary rule. A prisoner is tortured under puppet controlled by her late father, who interrogation, and sinister figures lurk, led the country for nearly two decades wearing sunglasses and army uniforms. after engineering a coup. “What they Gwangju’s leaders defended their did was proof of what I tried to say in initial refusal to allow the painting in

“What they did was proof of what I tried to say in the painting.”

“Satirising political power should not be a crime,” said artist Hong, criticising the elite

the festival, the Gwangju Biennale, an act that was unexpected in a city with a long history of resistance to conservative political power.

“We demanded the exclusion of Mr. Hong’s painting because of its explicit political intention, such as the parodying of the president,” Oh Hyeong-guk, a vice mayor of Gwangju, told reporters

in August, adding that the city could not tolerate such a work in an art exhibition it helped finance. But as criticism mounted, the city later backtracked a bit, leaving the final decision to the festival’s authorities, who banned the painting.

Some artists pulled out of the biennale in protest, and a few of its top officials resigned, saying they were torn

between defending Hong’s freedom of expression and respecting the wishes of the city, one of the event’s main financial backers.

South Korean artists are vastly freer than they were under military rule, when a brand of crayon called Picasso was once banned because of the artist’s Communist associations. But artists who

venture into political satire - like other government critics - often say they feel ostracised and harassed, and unflattering depictions of political leaders can lead to lawsuits and even criminal defamation charges.

For Hong, a 59-year-old painter who decades ago was jailed and tortured for his political expression, the fight over the painting is the latest skirmish in a long battle with repressive forces he believes are still at work.

“He is the last standing artist of resistance from the days of dictatorship,” said Gim Jong-gil, an art critic.

As a young man, Hong studied art in Gwangju, which in the 1970s was a center of activism against the dictatorship of Park Chung-hee, Park Geun-hye’s father. By the time Park Chung-hee’s rule ended with his assassination in late 1979, Hong was an award-winning painter and a participant in the city’s underground pro-democracy movement.

After the city’s original rejection of his work, he retooled the painting, slightly. He replaced the caricature of the president with a chicken, a reference to a nickname used by critics: Geunhye, the chicken. Startled city officials rejected that version as well. Hong sees the reaction to the Sewol painting as symptomatic of a dysfunctional society that cannot discuss its problems openly.

Such a society, he said, is prone to disasters. “Satirising political power should not be a crime,” he said. © 2014 New York Times News Service

MONEY MATT ER S “To encourage investments, two things are important. First is a change in perception while second is reaching a higher level of economic activity, which is a long-term process.”

— Saugata Gupta, MD and CEO, Marico

Signposts Watchdog seeks public comments on Sun-Ranbaxy deal The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Thursday invited comments from all stakeholders, including the general public, on the merger of pharma companies Ranbaxy Laboratories and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, signalling the first public scrutiny of a merger and acquisition (M&A) agreement in the country.

Government to release additional installment of DA The government on Thursday said it will release an additional installment of dearness allowance (DA) to central government employees and dearness relief (DR) to pensioners from July 1, 2014. “This is an increase of seven per cent over the existing rate of 100 per cent of the basic pay, pension, to compensate for price rise,” the union cabinet said in a statement.

‘Onus on Indian industries to develop skills’ Industries have greater responsibility towards skill development that will promote the country and meet local aspirations, demand and conditions, union Minister of State for Skill Development Sarbananda Sonowal said Thursday. “The industries should focus on inclusive skilling and reach out to areas affected by left-wing extremism, the northeastern region and hill states,” Sonowal said at the ‘Global Skills Summit’ organised by FICCI.

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

PUNE

“We will look to expand into areas where government intervention is minimum, where investments are low and where people are the capital.”

— GV Krishna Reddy, CMD, GVK Group

Sensex in bubble zone? Not at all, by this valuation metric With the market shooting up vertically to all-time highs, is it time to be fearful that a top has been made? Not, by a very important valuation metric MONEYLIFE DIGITAL TEAM The S&P BSE Sensex and the NSE CNX Nifty are currently trading at their all-time highs. The Sensex has breached the psychological 27,000mark and the Nifty has breached the 8,000-mark. Valuations too, have shot up compared to the past few months.

With the market hitting newer highs and valuations inching higher, investors fear whether the market is entering a bubble zone. Are these fears validated or just plain ‘bubble’ talk?

Over the past year, the Nifty has gained 46.19 per cent as on 3 September 2014. While all major global indices have been trading in the black over the past year, this is the highest return over the year compared to other global indices. The US Nasdaq which gained 31.09 per cent and the Indonesian IDX Composite which gained 28.25 per cent were the next best performing global indices after the Nifty and the Sensex. This would make one wonder, whether the price-level of the Nifty and Sensex has reached a peak.

In terms of valuation, the priceto-earnings (PE) of the Nifty has grown by 32.63 per cent to 21.22 times from 16 times over the same period. That means earnings have contributed approximately 14 per cent to this growth. The long-term average of the Nifty PE works out to 18 times.

However, the PE of 21.22 times is still 18 per cent below its peak of 25.19 times seen in October 2010 and 24 per cent lower than the peak of 28.29 times seen at the beginning of January 2008. The PE data is as reported by NSE, based on the 12-month trailing earnings. The problem is that past earnings are not always very a reliable guide to market valuation.

Moneylife looked another valuation metric, the price-to-sales ratio (PSR).

PSR was first used and popularise by KenFisher in 1984 in a book called Super Stocks which became a huge best-seller. To get the PSR, you have to divide a stock’s market-cap by its total sales. This would help you identify stocks that are selling cheap relative to sales.

The importance of PSR as a measure of value cannot be overestimated.

The most p o p u l a r measure of value is price/ earnings ratio or P/E. Fisher argued that there were major drawbacks to an earnings-based valuation measure because earnings, even of

PSR

4.00

3.00

Sensex

Is the Sensex overvalued?

5.00

25,000

+2 Std Dev = 3.65 +1 Std Dev = 2.93 Average = 2.19

2.00 -1 Std Dev = 1.48 1.00

-2 Std Dev = 0.75

0.00

2,500 Mar-00

Mar-02

Mar-04

good companies, can fluctuate hugely from year to year. Replacing equipment or facilities, extraordinary income and losses, or writeoffs on research and accounting, d e e p l y inf luence reported earnings. To Fisher, the drawback of P/E was obvious. Also, while profits can be manipulated easily (because it is a small and residual figure),

Mar-06

Mar-08

Mar-10

it is hard to cheat on the reported sales figure in a major way. As Fisher puts it, “Price Sales Ratios are the most powerful single valuation method which I am familiar with. They are not well known, less well understood, and seldom used within Wall Street. They work much, much better than priceearnings ratios.”

So where is the Sensex as per PSR? We calculated the quarterly PSR of the Sensex over the past 15 years.

According to this metric, the Sensex is currently quoting a PSR of 2.88 times.

At the peak period, in December 2007, the PSR was 4.29 times. As the market crashed, the PSR fell to a low of 1.99 times in March 2009 and then it went on to hit a peak of 3.09

Mar-12

Mar-14

times in September 2010. So, even as Sensex is 4,000 points above the level of November 2010, PSR is lower today.

In December 2011, the PSR fell to 2.06 times when the Sensex then had fallen to around 15,500. Since then the PSR has not moved much until March this year. From March 2014 to now, the PSR has increased from 2.22 times to 2.88 times as on 1 September 2014.

Considering the average PSR, which works out to 2.19 times, the current PSR is approximately 31 per cent higher, but still below the previous bubble high. Nothing in the market, of course, is hard and fast but at a PSR of 2.88, Sensex is not cheap but it is not horribly expensive either.

RBI asked to keep Market view: A short-term dip possible close watch on fund diversion If you take a longer view, good stocks still have room to go up, but in the short term a dip seems quite likely

BY DEBASHIS BASU

There are a few instances where defaulting borrowers diverted funds by opening multiple current accounts outside the members of the consortium that provided the debt MONEYLIFE DIGITAL TEAM The Finance Ministry has asked Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to tighten lending norms to prevent borrowers from opening multiple current account outside their consortium of banks.

The Finance Ministry has asked Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to tighten lending norms to prevent borrowers from opening multiple current account outside their consortium of banks.

There are a few instances where defaulting borrowers indulged in diversion of funds by opening of multiple current accounts outside the members of the consortium.

Therefore, sources said, the Finance Ministry has urged RBI to tighten the norms and monitoring system so that such activities could be prevented.

According to sources, Kingfisher Airlines allegedly diverted funds by opening a current account in HDFC Bank and has a balance of Rs 7.5 crore as on date.

This fact was not known to the consortium of lenders headed by State Bank of India (SBI). These banks have an outstanding debt of Rs 6,521 crore from the now-grounded carrier.

Such diversion can be monitored by Reserve Bank as it is sector regulator and there is a need to strengthen the monitoring mechanism.

There has been a spate of defau lts taking

place in the banking system. A majority of them are due to slow economic growth but there is small proportion of cases where defaults are intentional.

Recently, the Finance Ministry had ordered limited forensic audit into some non-performing accounts of Kolkata based UCO Bank to find out whether there were any irregularities in sanction of loans.

Forensic audit is being conducted against Dena Bank and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), where some officials were suspected of misappropriating funds worth Rs 436 crore from their fi xed deposit customers. Gross NPA of the public sector banks increased to Rs 2.27 lakh crore at the end of March 2014 from Rs 1.64 lakh crore a year ago.

Financial Stability Report released by RBI recently said that infrastructure, iron and steel, textiles, mining and aviation services contributed significantly to the level of stressed advances. The share of these five sub-sectors in total advances is the highest for public sector banks.

The amount of loan restructured rose more than 11-fold between 201011 and 2012-13.

At the end of 2010-11, the restructured loans stood at Rs6,614.40 crore that rose significantly to Rs 76,479.06 crore at the end of 2012-13.

Over two weeks, the Sensex has moved up 450 points, continuing to make new all-time highs, as expected in a bull market. However, we are, once again, nearing a small correction—the inevitable dip that accompanies a bull market.

Last fortnight, I had pointed out that, on Independence Day, prime minister Narendra Modi would announce his big vision and had suggested that a rousing Modi speech would surely mean another round of enthusiasm among the bulls. His speech was rousing for most people and the market was suitably impressed.

The Sensex added almost 400 points the very next day. It is another matter that high valuation is weighing down on the market and a correction would seem imminent. Will the correction be deep or shallow? That brings us to the issue of valuation.

Fund raising via preferential shares dips 34% MONEYLIFE DIGITAL TEAM Funds garnered by companies via preferential allotments declined to Rs 2,159 crore in July 2014 from Rs 3,271 crore a month ago According to latest data available with the stock exchanges, funds garnered by companies via preferential allotments declined to Rs 2,159 crore in July from Rs 3,271 crore in June.

Also, the number of preferential issues dropped to 29 in July from 44 in the previous month.

Market analysts said that companies have opted qualified institutional placement (QIP) route to garner fresh capital instead of preferential mode.

According to media reports, Bloomberg’s consensus (EPS) estimates for the Sensex for 2015-16 is now Rs 1,873, up from Rs 1,791 at the end of the June quarter. Earnings revisions are among the strongest factors behind market rallies at the early stage of a bull run because huge amounts of institutional money follows this one trend.

Of course, estimates are estimates and, sometimes, it is hard to tell whether analysts are just being hopeful (either because of a change of regime) or extrapolating from the past.

After all, earnings upgrades this time coincided with a new strong government at Centre.

Earnings revision is not the only

reason the market seems so bullish.

Valuation is favourable as well. Based on the EPS estimate of Rs 1,565 for 2014-15, the Sensex is trading at a PE of 17. This is not too expensive. Indeed, while it seems that the market has run up a lot, it has been a compounded impact of two factors: rising EPS and correction of the undervaluation that existed in March 2014.

What happens next? That depends on whether you believe the Sensex EPS of 2015-16. Based on the EPS estimate of Rs 1,873 for 2015-16, the Sensex is trading at a PE of 14.1. That is not high. But the problem is that analysts are expecting earnings growth in 201516 will be driven by cyclical stocks, like

Bloomberg’s consensus (EPS) estimates for the Sensex for 2015-16 is now ` 1,873

banks, real estate, construction, capital goods and energy. I am not sure whether this will work out as expected.

Most of these companies are weighed down by debt and corporate governance issues and we are yet to see any action on that front.

However, all this has nothing to do with quality stocks in pharma, software, consumer products sectors.

Moneylife readers have been holding stocks from these sectors for a while and have enjoyed massive returns. If they are wondering whether the gains would last, they should not worry. I do believe that good stocks have a lot of room to run up.

On top of it, the improving macroeconomic situation is bound to push up earnings across the board, especially of the smaller companies that have survived and thrived during the economic slowdown.

The strategy remains the same: buy good stocks, on dips.

MFs break 8-yr record in Aug

Despite the record inflows, mutual funds have recorded net outflow of Rs 3,650 crore over the past year, while FIIs bought Rs 1.32 lakh crore of equities over the same period MONEYLIFE DIGITAL TEAM Mutual funds in August 2014 bought Rs 5,847 crore of equities, the highest in the past eight years, according to data from Securities and Exchange Board of India. The previous highest buying was reported in May 2006, when mutual funds bought Rs 7,573 crore of stocks.

Despite this record purchase in August, mutual funds have been net sellers over the past year.

Over the past year, when Indian equity markets have gone up by nearly 40%, mutual funds have sold Rs 3,650 crore of equities thanks to redemptions by investors, while foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have put in Rs 1.32 lakh crore. In eight of the past 12 months,

mutual funds have been net sellers.

FIIs have been net sellers in just one month over the same period. While the investment by mutual funds for the month, is the highest in the past year, FIIs, have invested a comparatively lower amount of Rs 6,940 crore in August, compared to Rs 22,352 crore invested in March 2014.

Mutual fund investments, MF Inflows, FII investment, FII inflowsMutual fund investment in equities is linked to the purchases and redemptions by investors. Inflows from investors have gained momentum in the past few months. According to AMFI (Association of Mutual Fund in India) data, investors have put in Rs 20,120 crore in the past three months ended 31

July 2014. As seen in the past, investors usually come in when the market has staged a strong rally and is beginning to get overvalued. Here again, the situation seems to be repeated.

Investors poured in Rs 10,945 crore in equity schemes during July 2014, the highest net inflow in six and a half years.

This has been the highest inflow since January 2008, when investors brought in a record high of Rs 13,678 crore in equity schemes. This positive sentiment towards this risky asset class has been seen ever since the Narendra Modi-led government came into power. While the quantum of investments by FIIs has been declining, they have invested Rs 46,799 crore over the past four months beginning May 2014.

SPORTS

THE GOLDEN SPARROW ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

PUNE

Signposts All India rating chess from Sept 13 PUNE: Late Shri Maheshwarand Saraswati Memorial All India Open FIDE Rating Chess Tournament has been organised by Buddhibal Kreeda Trust at Manohar Mangal Karyalaya, Erandwane from September 13. The tournament offers total prize money of Rs 1,60,000.

In open category, the first 225 entries to be eligible for the tournament. Last date for the registration is September 10. Organiser will provide free lodging for the first 50 outstation players. No entry fee will be charged for Grandmasters, Women Grandmasters, Internatioal Masters, Women International Masters and rated players (above 2349). For details, contact Prakash Kunte (9881077293), Abhishek Kelker (9860798978) or Nitin Shenvi (9096698961).

Iyer gets elected as MSLTA secretary PUNE: All India Tennis Association secretary Bharat Oza and Pune’s Sunder Iyer have been unanimously elected as the new president and secretary of the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) for the term 2014-2018. Rajeev Deshpande of Nashik and Sudhir Bhiwapurkar of Nagpur have been elected as the joint secretary and treasurer respectively.

Iyer is the youngest person to hold the post of secretary. Apart from Iyer, Pune will have five more positions in the new council.

Breaking the jinx

“ What I saw at Edgbaston was a joke. A total embarrassment from England’s team, who should have designs on winning a World Cup in six month’s ime.”

— Former England skipper Ian Botham

Aniruddha Rajandekar

“ It’s unfair to compare the captains or the players that have played in different eras. But going by sheer statistical record I think Mahendra Singh Dhoni is tops at the moment. ” — Former cricket captain and legend Sunil Gavaskar

Junior national champion Laa Talar is yet to win a title at PDMBA complex in Pune

By Yash Daiv @yash009 PUNE: Arunachal Pradesh’s junior national champion Laa Talar has been on the badminton courts since he was six, and has performed commendabley on courts all over the country. However, the Pune District Metropolitan Badminton Association’s complex in Shivajinagar has turned out to be unrewarding for him so far.

“I have won several tournaments on other courts. But despite playing for the third time, I haven’t won a title here. I always struggle to get accustom with these courts. It is baffling for me,” said Talar after his first round match of the Sushant Chipalkatti Memorial Indian Junior International Badminton Championship on Friday.

“For some strange reasons, I am not able to give my hundred per cent here. I wasn’t pressurised or nervous before the match, but still most of my lifts were misjudged during the first set.

It becomes difficult to get to your feet, when there is a fumble in the beginning itself,” he said.

To add to his woes, the new scoring

format also posed problem for the national champion.

“The previous 21 -point pattern was leaving scope for rallying unlike this one. The sets are short and the victory depends on what stance you assume right from the beginning,” said Talar.

During the first round, Talar maintained an attacking approach throughout. Although his opponent was quite responsive and took away the first set, Talar made a strong comeback in the second. Eventually his technique enriched with the downward strokes and half smashes won him the first game of the tournament.

“The attacking stance keeps the opponent under pressure and they end up making silly mistakes.

It worked for me this time as it has always,” said Talar.

Talar is ranked second in the U-19 category, is training at the Prakash Padukone Academy, Bangalore, Talar sees a promising career for himself and hopes to feature in the Olympics in future. But for now his focus is on winning this tournament at the PDMBA, once it for all. yashdaiv@gmail.com

Laa Talar returns a shot during his first round match against Sai Raghunadh Dasari at the PDMBA complex on Friday

by Ashish Magotra India lost three Tests in a row. Now, they have won three ODIs in a row. The two don’t compare but just over two weeks back, Mahendra Singh Dhoni couldn’t captain to save his life. Now, suddenly, he (and his team) can’t do a thing wrong.

Do we put it down to a format that England is not comfortable with or to Dhoni’s understanding of not only the format but also his comfort level since he knows he can make a match-winning impact in ODIs? Welcome to the world of one of Indian cricket’s most complex and compelling figures; complex because you never know what’s on his mind and compelling because he makes for required viewing.

From a man who dispassionately watched his team self-destruct during the Test series – Dhoni has – during the ODIs – suddenly morphed into a man who runs a good 15 yards to the fielders to pat their backs after every good fielding effort.

The change is remarkable and perhaps also signals why India do better in the shorter format then they do in Tests.

When Dhoni’s team won the fourth ODI against England, he became India’s most successful skipper in ODI cricket; going past Mohammad Azharuddin’s record of 90 wins.

He is now the Indian record-holder for most wins in all three formats – most Test wins (27), most ODI wins (91) and most T20 wins (27 wins). It is not a record to be scoffed at; it is not a record that has been achieved due to the length of a career; it is not a record that we can take lightly just because a lot of those

IANS

Records in the bag, but the job is far from done When PKL met IPL

wins have come at home.

Yes, India need to prove their ‘away’ record but the value of a home ground cannot and should not be underestimated.

Dhoni’s winning percentage in Tests is 46.55 (58 played, 27 won, 17 lost) – it stands comparison with captains like Clive Lloyd (48.64 per cent) and Graeme Smith (48.62 percent) and is better than Sourav Ganguly (42.85), Allan Border (34.40 per cent) and Stephen Fleming (35.00 per cent). Only Steve Waugh – who had incredible winning percentage of 71.92 (57 Tests, 41 wins) and Ricky Ponting (62.33 per cent) are in a different class.

In ODIs – his record is stellar as well. A winning percentage of 61.18 puts him among the very good captains.

Clive Lloyd (77.71), Ponting (76.14) and Hansie Cronje (73.60) have the best records but Dhoni is pretty good.

But with all these records in the bag, one can’t help but wonder what’s next for 33-year-old from Jharkhand – what does he see as a challenge, as something that drives him to excel. A World Cup in Australia (February 2015) looms large but before that is the daunting prospect of a Test tour Down Under… a tour that last time round led to calls for his resignation; a tour that saw legends like

Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman end their career on a low note.

Does Dhoni – at this late stage of his career – have it in him to rouse his young team for the tough tour? Does he feel the need to prepare differently? Does he, even for the minute, consider going to Australia on his own (like Sourav Ganguly in 2003-04) to work on his technique before the tour? Does he even for a minute think about skipping CLT20 and instead formulating a detailed plan for Australia? Does he think about his tactics when he has to field fast bowlers and not spinners? Does he think of telling the BCCI (as Gary Kirsten did) that the team need to acclimatise better?

More importantly, is Dhoni himself looking beyond the World Cup? The thought of facing an Indian team outside the subcontinent doesn’t command the same kind of respect as it did in the Kirsten years or even under the Ganguly - John Wright combo. There was a time – not very long ago – when India would go into Tests abroad with a good chance of winning. Now, the thoughts often swirl around whether India can last five days.

Surely, for a captain with as storied a record as Dhoni’s, this can’t be comforting. No, this should be something that gnaws at his very soul. It should leave him restless. It should make him question his methods and those of the team. It’s unfinished business in a sense and it should certainly make him want to change things.

(Credit: Firstpost)

Pune FC sign attacker Bineesh Balan Former Federation Cup winner joins Pune after a six-season spell with Churchill Brothers TGS News Service @TGSWeekly PUNE: Pune Football Club has completed the signing of seasoned attacker Bineesh Balan for the upcoming 2014-15 season.

Bineesh, a former I-League and Federation Cup winner, joined Pune FC after a trophy-laden six-season spell with Goan side Churchill Brothers.

The Thissur-born attacker thus becomes the fifth Indian and

seventh overall signing under Coach Karim Bencherifa.

Pune FC Head Operations, Chirag Tanna said: “Bineesh’s explosive pace and eye for goal makes him an important signing for our Club. He played a very important role when Churchill Brothers won the I-League a couple of years back, and I am certain that he will do very well at Pune FC.” After completing the formalities, Bineesh said: “I am extremely happy to be a part of the Pune FC family. I

have won a lot with Churchill Brothers in the last six years, and want to achieve the same success with Pune FC.” Tw e nt yf iv e-y e a r-old Bineesh began his footballing Bineesh Balan career with the famed Tata Football Academy which he joined as a fifteen-year-old in 2004. In the four years he spent at the academy, Bineesh represented TFA in various

competitions at state and national level before graduating in 2008.

At the start of the 2008-09 season, the youngster was snapped up by Churchill Brothers, where he began his professional career and his consistent performances saw him become the mainstay of the side over six seasons.

During this period, Bineesh went on to win the I-League in 200809 and 2012-13, Durand Cup and IFA Shield in 2011, and the Federation Cup in 2014 for the Goan side. The Keralite also played a crucial role in Churchill’s campaign in the AFC Cup in 2013 and 2014. editor_tgs@goldensparrow.com

The newly born Pro Kabaddi League recently ran into its brattier brother Indian Premier League MALAY DESAI

Bollywood actor. Very unique, I agree.”

One is a seven-year-old from the wealthiest of sporting families ever and another is a newly born from a labour of love between i ndu st r ia l ist s and sports entrepreneurs.

The former, the Indian Premier League (IPL), a gold-chainand-glares strutting, sports car driving brat, revels in the attention it gets every summer, and has indulged in several vices after his father was sent to London; while the latter, the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL),is just stepping out of its nappies. Here’s what happened when they ran into each other.

PKL: (sheepish) “Um, you were saying?”

PKL: “Hello big brother, what a pleasant surprise! Good to meet you.”

IPL: (Looks down from over glares) “Who are you?”

PKL: “Um, I’m Pro Kabaddi League! I arrived in July, remember – Patna Pirates, Bengaluru Bulls, U Mumba. I play this ancient Indian game called kabaddi.”

IPL: “Oh right! Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin, SRK and Aamir attended your birthday.” (Removes glares and sizes him up) PKL: (blushes) “Well my folks had to make noise for everyone to know of my uniqueness! Anyway, I’ve wanted to get some tips on growing up from you.

You’ve seen so much in seven years.”

IPL: “Sure kid. But wait, what uniqueness?”

PKL: “Oh! I’ve been conceived to revive our indigenous sport of kabaddi. I’m this game where seven men face off without any gear, use tactics, reflexes and mindbody co-ordination to win points. It’s like chess meets wrestling! ” IPL: “..There are auctions and multi-city franchises playing each other at home and away, and your first League was won by a team from Rajasthan owned by a

IPL: “Here’s what you must know, bacche.

Life will be starry at first, with many people watching you and your telecaster uncle pampering you. You’d be the next big thing in newspapers and your family might plan a sibling..”

PKL: “But... but I’ve just arrived!”

IPL: “That’s how we roll bro. Don’t worry, if a sibling happens, it won’t get as much attention as you do. And besides they’ve already planned to make you play twice a year. Your next show’s in March 2015I hear?”

PKL: “Yes, with grand-uncle ICC World Cup 2015 playing in Australia.”

IPL: “They’ll work something out.

Anyway, things will get difficult when you have teething issues such as franchisees going bankrupt, court cases for defamation, sponsor controversies and worse, fixing. My teething troubles turned out to be a bloody rot and I underwent a root canal and replacement. (shows fake golden teeth) You had cheerleaders on your birthday?”

PKL: “Nope, didn’t need any with Abhishek mamu entertaining by the sidelines, giving more expressions last month than he has in his entire career!

Back to growing up, I’m told my family is this bunch of passionate men of integrity who really want to see me flourish. So why are you scaring me?”

IPL: (chuckles) “Not scaring, just preparing you. Thing is, there are many ‘sports enthusiasts’ who want to kill the golden goose. And even those happy with its eggs, want to make a dozen omelettes out if it. Okay, let me give three pieces of advice –don’t do anything to land a power-hungry stepfather, don’t do bratty things like rave parties and lastly, ban towels from your playing area.”

PKL: “Not sure I got all of that, but thanks! Wish I’d be as cool as you some day!”

IPL: “Believe me, you don’t want to be!”