The Observer An IIJNM publication
Thousandth bone marrow transplant performed at Narayana Health City | P 2
Vol 18, Issue 13
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
The Observer
@theweeklyobserver On the Web: issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs/ the_observer
Laying of Cauvery pipeline by BWSSB damages Haralur main road | P 4
Organ donation picks up in Bengaluru People get over societal pressures to sign up for it Akanksha Kashyap
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rgan donation, once a taboo, has gained ground in Bengaluru, according to an NGO that works in the field of deceased organ donation and transplantation. “My father went brain dead just last month. It was a hard time for us, but we did not want to let his death go waste. We donated six of his organs as soon as we came to know of his condition,” Rasika S.S., informed The Observer. Sachithanandam A, Rasika’s father, gave life to seven people. Mahesan J.B., a nephew of Sachithanandam, said: “We had heard about organ donation and felt that donating his organs would serve a greater purpose. Donating the organs also meant he would live somewhere, somehow.” The Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, states that
organ donation is legal. There are two basic ways in which organ donation can happen in India: by signing a donation form voluntarily (a living donation); or when the family of a brain-dead person decides to donate his/her organs (a deceased donation). Rajani Shahi, whose husband received a liver a year ago, said: “It was a huge step. We struggled to find the right organ. It is a long process. We got lucky that we received the organ right on time.” “Societal pressure generally does not let you donate your organs. (There is) a weird notion that it is really harmful and a taboo,” Shahi added. MOHAN Foundation says donors have increased a lot in recent years. Meena Gupta, who has signed up for organ donation, said: “I signed up for voluntary donation a long time ago. At that point of
time, my family reacted as if I had done something really serious and unforgivable, but as time progressed, my family members asked for the procedure because they, too, wanted to do the same.” Another such potential donor, Rekha Prasad, said: “I will complete the formalities the following week. I always wanted to go for it. I faced no restrictions. A lot of my family members have joined me.” Shahi added: “We know the value of it after having gone through it. Thus, if we have to donate, we would not hesitate to do so.” Lalith Raghuram, spokesman of MOHAN Foundation, said: “We have progressed well with respect to organ donation in the southern part of the country. 32%-35% of our donations are volunteer donations.” Atanu Deb Roy, a surgeon at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, said: “The change is seen all over the country, and it is so overwhelming. The importance of donating organs is now being understood by people. Just by signing a form, they give life to someone, even though they themselves are no longer alive. And that’s a great move.” akanksha.k@iijnm.org
In Karnataka, 58 dead people gave organs in 11 years
Sindhuja Michael
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engaluru has seen 58 deceased organ donations between 2007 and 2018, according to the Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka (ZCCK), a government body that regulates organ donations in the state. Sreeharshika D, a professor at the department of community medicine, Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences, explained: “Transplantation is the transfer of human cells, tissues or organs from a donor to a recipient to restore function(s) in the body.” She informed The Observer: “The prevalence of chronic kidney disease, heart failure and chronic viral hepatitis decreases functioning in patients with endstage organ failure…. Organ transplantation is the only cure for such patients.” Sunil Shroff, author of the
paper ‘Legal and ethical aspects of organ donation and transplantation’, published in the Indian Journal of Urology, informed The Observer: “The Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994, accepted brain death, which made kidney transplantations as well as solid organ transplants like liver, heart, lungs, and pancreas possible. It also made sales of organ a punishable offence.” Dr. Aneesh Srivastava, a urologist, said: “In the Indian scenario, many cultural and religious beliefs influence the decision regarding deceased organ donation. Challenges to organ donation include an interplay of socio-cultural factors, beliefs, superstitions, lack of communication, organizational support, and negative views by media, which is extremely problematic .” ZCCK was founded on April 13, 2004. sindhuja.m@iijnm.org
News Briefs lNational Almost exactly 34 years after anti-Sikh riots shook Delhi, a city court, in a “rarest-of-rare” judgment on Tuesday, sentenced a 55yearold man to death and sent another to prison for life after having held them guilty last week of killing two Sikh youths and other heinous crimes during the 1984 violence. lLocal Two former joint commissioners and 12 engineers from Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone are under scanner for allegedly misappropriating funds to the tune of Rs 150 crore by issuing fake bills and documents.
DAY OF CELEBRATION: Milad Mehfils and Seerat Conferences highlighting the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad were held across Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka on Eid Milad-un-Nabi | Credit: Kapil Kajal
lInternational Amid international uproar over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, some members of Saudi Arabia’s ruling family are
agitating to prevent Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from becoming king, three sources close to the royal court said. lBusiness Bosch Home Appliances will invest 100 million euros (about Rs 800 crore) over the next three to four years to set up a refrigerator factory in the country and strengthen its local R&D centre. The maiden manufacturing is expected to begin from 2021. Currently, the company imports all refrigerators. lSports Steve Smith and David Warner will not be available for Australia’s upcoming Test series against India after the year-long ball-tampering bans on them were upheld by Cricket Australia on Tuesday after a review.
CITY
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Gym trainer had many enemies, says brother
‘He took threat calls lightly’
that he would come home and have dinner. At around 12am he called his wife, and informed that he was injured and was taken to Bowring Hospital where he breathed his last at 1.40am. The Observer was informed that three men wearing helmet followed and attacked the victim after which the perpretrators left the incident spot. Sunny Joseph,
Around the City •BIF Opening Act & The Monkey Project - An Improv Show @ MyBoTree, South Bangalore, Thu, 22 Nov 6:00PM - 7:30PM
•Core Strengthening & Agility By The Circular Square @ The Circular Square, South Bangalore, Thu, 22 Nov 7:30AM - 8:30AM
•Stagefright & the Adamant EvesAn Improv show @MyBoTree, South Bangalore, Thu, 22 Nov 8:00PM - 9:30PM
•The Almost weekend - Curated Stand up comedy show By Somnath Padhy @Eddys Cafe, Thu, 22 Nov 8:00PM - 9:30PM
•Mediterranean Winter Workshop- with Natasha Celmi @ Infinitea, Thu, 22 Nov 11:30AM 2:00PM
•Content Writing Course by Henry Harvin education @ Koramangala, Bengaluru, Sun,25 Nov 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
•Calligraphy course @ The Circular Square, South Bangalore, Wed, 21 Nov 10:30AM - 12:30PM
•Just Scribble: Informal Meet-up for writer by Avinash Bhaisa @ Chalk street, garden layout, Sat 11:00AM to 12:30PM
•Portrait Workshop- Konsult Art Academy @Konsult Art and Design Academy, East Bangalore, Wed, 21 Nov 11:00AM - 4:00PM •Sociocracy: working together with ease and fun - With John Buck @ The United Theological College, Bangalore, Thu, 22 Nov 9:00AM - Sat, 24 Nov 12:30PM
Some purchase seats for students, others vanish
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•Handicrafts and Interiors Expo2018 @ Neelakanta Convention Centre, West Bangalore, Thu, 22 Nov 10:00AM - Sun, 25 Nov 9:00PM
Beware of education touts: Cops & experts
Renuka Thakare
Shrabona Ghosh yed Irfan, a gym trainer and a business man who was slashed to death on Tuesday morning, had been receiving threats calls for the past two weeks. My brother had been receiving threats over call from the past two week, Syed Mubarak, 35, the brother of the deceased, informed The Observer. When The Observer enquired why didn't the victim lodge an FIR regarding threats, Syed Mubarak confided that “My brother thought it to be prank calls, and took it on a lighter note." His brother added, people were jealous about Irfan's success. He was doing well in business, my usually reserved brother once informed, how things were not rolling good as he ended up making enemies. On Monday night, Syed Irfan returned home at around 10:30pm, but soon he left the house on receiving a call. After an hour, he called his wife and said
The Observer Wednesday, November 21, 2018
•CAT workshop by Career Launcher @ Career Launcher, Malleshwaram Centre, Bengaluru, Sun 25 Nov-Fri 30 Dec 1.30 pm onwards. •Traveller's Meet : Spiritual Tourism by Lahe Lahe @ Lahe, Indiranagar, Near Golden Daffodils, Bengaluru, Thu, 22 Nov 7:30PM - 9:30PM •Wall Climbing by Escape2explore @Ramanagara,Wed, 21 Nov 9:00AM - 5:00PM
•Effective Time Management @ The Lalit Ashok, Central Bangalore, Thu, 22 Nov 9:30AM 5:00PM
•Paramotoring by Aero Adventures @Jakkur Aerodrome Premises,North Bangalore Thu, 22 Nov 8:30AM - 10:00AM
•Comedy Open Mic By Manish Jain @ Enerjuvate studio & cafe, Jayanagar, South Bangalore, Thu, 22 Nov 7:30PM - 9:00PM
•Core Strengthening & Agility By The Circular Square @ The Circular square, Thu, 22 Nov 7:30AM - 8:30AM
an expert in forensic psychology informed The Observer that the motive of the attackers was to seek vengeance, and not to reform the victim. Tabriz. S, Police Inspector, Shivajinagar told The Observer "there is no new development in the case as of now, we are investigating and the accused is yet to be nabbed." shrabona.g@iijnm.org
he number of cases against agents who promise to secure seats for students in their desired colleges has spiked. According to records of the west division police, 22 cases of fraud were registered against agents in the past three months. The agents accepted large amounts of cash in return for seats in medical and engineering colleges. The Observer spoke with a victim, Yashika Sharma, 22, has lost a year in college because she couldn’t pay fees. Her father paid Rs 10 lakh to a person named Arun, who promised her admission in BGS Institute of Technology. She got back only Rs 4 lakh after realizing the fraud.“He approached me when I was looking to get into BGS. He asked me to pay the full amount in advance, and my father agreed. After taking the money, he started ignoring my calls. I later managed to contact him and got Rs 4 lakh back. He is not giving me the rest of the money” Yashika said. DCP, west division, Ravi D. Channan-
navar said: “We are trying our best to catch these agents. Many people still come to us asking for justice. Parents must know that this is not the right way to educate their children.” Police have registered cases pertaining to fraudulent transactions worth more than Rs 4.5 crore by these agents. Education experts and teachers advise students to start preparing for competitive exams from class 10. Sandeep Joge, an educationist, said: “These are the most important years of a student’s life. It is unethical to give a bribe to get into your desired college. Entrance exams are conducted to know the capability of a student to survive in the respective field, but if you are cheating in this step, there’s no point in studying further.” A student at Raja Rajeshwari Medical College and Hospital, said: “This is unfair for students like us who get through with hard work and dedication. I believe that one should get into a college with hard work.” He said he has a batchmate who got into the college through his “contacts”. Another friend of his tried to buy his way into the college, but the deal fell through because his parents refused to pay in one instalment the Rs 25 lakh demanded by a tout. renuka.t@iijnm.org
Narayana Health City celebrates success of its 1,000th bone marrow transplant Sounak Das
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arayana Health City gathered to dwell upon the success of its state of art bone-marrow transplant (BMT) unit at Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Centre. According to Marrow Donor Registry India, there are about 3000 patients searching for a donor for a Stem Cell transplant and only about 30% find a suitable donor within their family. Khazara, a woman who has survived chronic leukaemia, said: ‘’I am grateful to God and this team of doctors from Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Center. They gave me a new life. Also, my family and my husband’s family extended great support when I was going through this tormenting crisis. Dr Nataraj, I think, acted as God for me.’’ A patient’s father became emotional while saying, ‘’My daughter has learned to believe that miracles do happen. At one point of time we had given up hope. But Dr Sunil Bhat rekindled our sagging spirits. He saved my Snigdha.’’ BMT is a complicated and costly process. It sometimes becomes very difficult to find a matching donor. The cost of a transplant could go up to Rs 10 lac. So, it is not possible for everyone to receive best possible treatment. “We decided to build an
Patients who underwent bone marrow transplant were felicitated at the Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Centreon Wednesday | Credit:Sounak Das institution which would deal specifically with cancer. Our goal is to provide the best treatment at affordable costs. I, for one, believe that constant research and advancement of science will help materialise this dream,’’Dr Kiran Mazumdar Shaw informed The Observer. BMT has evolved over time and has become safer in comparison to the past. Dr Devi Shetty said: ‘’In India there are over 1 lac patients with serious blood related
disorders who are diagnosed every year and the only long-lasting line of treatment for them is Bone Marrow Transplant.’’ Tarun, who was the first patient to undergo BMT was felicitated along with Harsh Kumar, the 500th patient and Master Sam, the 100th patient. ‘’We want 1000 transplants a year. We can eliminate cancer from the face of this world with a united effort,’’ signed off Dr Shaw. sounak.d@iijnm.org
CITY
The Observer Wednesday, November 21, 2018
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Metro’s ban on some items Much grain allocated to Karnataka inconveniences commuters goes undistributed
It’s for people’s security, says BMRCL
Pranay Prakash
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Renuka Thakare
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ban on carrying certain items on Namma Metro has caused great inconvenience to travellers. It has forced them to take slower and more expensive modes of travel. The problems are faced mostly by students or people who need to carry prohibited items like knives and scissors. P. Sangeetha, a fashion designer, informed The Observer: “I have faced this problem a few times. One day, I bought a new pair of scissors. While travelling back home, the baggage scanner at a Metro station detected them. The staff asked me to leave the scissors there. I got out and took a bus from MG Road to Jayanagar which was very long journey.” Rahul Tiwari, a biology student from Jain University, faced a similar problem. “I had to carry a dissection box for my exam. But I was not allowed to travel in the Metro and hence took a cab. I reached late as because of heavy traffic.” The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) says
Pepper spray and knives are among the prohibited items |Courtesy: KPN the safety of passengers is its main concern. BMRCL security officer Shiva Kumar said: “We hear about these issues daily. The matter is under our consideration. We are doing as much as possible. But we fear that there will be problems after allowing these prohibited items. We are planning to deal with such problems, but passengers’ safety is our priority.” “We don’t want to risk anyone’s life by allowing passengers to carry knives and scissors,” Sumithra, a security guard posted at the MG Road station, said. Asked about people suffering from contagious diseases, she said: “We don’t allow them because the other passengers can catch the disease.” BMRCL allows passengers to carry alcohol and cigarettes, but has banned smoking and drink-
ing alcohol in Metro stations or on trains. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), whose personnel are deployed at Metro stations, lets women carry small knives while travelling on Metro trains. But pepper spray, another item women use for their safety, is a no-no. Among the items banned by BMRCL are liquor bottles, explosives substances, poison, pesticide, acids, radioactive material, rags, birds and animals, blood, human ashes, bones, and decaying animals and plants. No person suffering from any of the following infections/ contagious diseases can travel on a Namma Metro train: chickenpox, cholera, diphtheria, measles, scarlet fever, typhus fever, typhoid, whooping cough and leprosy. renuka.t@iijnm.org
n average of 23% of foodgrain allocated to Bengaluru under different schemes of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) goes undistributed. According to data available on the official website of the Department of Food and Public Distribution for the month of August and September 2018, out of the 2,389 tonnes of rice allotted, only 1,850 tonnes was distributed. Deputy director, food and civil supplies department, north Bengaluru, Nagabhoosan H., informed The Observer: “The monthly distribution crosses 80%. The information on the website is not updated regularly. We sometimes distribute more food than required, and hence people don’t take their allocation in the next months.” The same trend is observed across the state. Of the 4.67 lakh tonnes of grains allocated to Karnataka for September, only 2.05 lakh tonnes was distributed. The NFSA, or the Right to Food Act, was passed by the Lok Sabha in 2013. It was adopted by Karnataka in 2013 as ‘Anna Bhagya Yojna’. Officials claim that there is no leakage in the system. Raju, manager, food and civil supplies department, north Bengaluru, said: “The system is robust, and there is no leakage in the system. We get the allocation from the Food Corporation of India, and
then it is distributed among various dealers and fair price shops.” Tabrej, a resident of Guddahalli, said: “I am not able to buy my rations from the shop nearby as the address on my ration card is not from here.” The ration shop owner called people in the locality to get their rations from the fair price shops,but he could not get it since his house is far away. An evaluation report by the department of food and public distribution defines a leakage as the amount of foodgrain not reaching beneficiaries. The magnitude of leakage is highest in Karnataka among the three states under study. Naseem added that the fair shop beside them opened recently. “I used to get my rations from the shop when it was on a different street. It has moved twice since then.” Many people stop going to a fair price shop after it moves to a different place. The evaluators also found that “Most of the elected representatives of the gram panchayat or city corporations from the study area in Karnataka were not even aware that they had an important role to play in the functioning of the PDS.” The report also throws light on the different aspects of the Public Distribution System. It talks about an ineffective grievance redressal system. pranay.p@iijnm.org
Residents angry as pipeline work damages Haralur road Ajay Biradar
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Bengaluru police gathered more than 200 personnel as a precautionary measure for smooth celebration of Jashn-e-Eid-Milad-un-Nabi at Young Men ChristianAssosciation (YMCA) ground. (Top) A volunteer puts up a flag before the arrival of 3,000 worshippers who gathered to perform festive rituals | Credit: Shashank Dipankar
he laying of a Cauvery pipeline by the BWSSB has left Haralur Main Road, near HSR Layout, in a terrible condition. People residing in the area say that the damage caused to the road is intolerable. “First, they (BBMP) didn’t handle the road work assigned to them properly. They damaged the road. We common people are suffering,” Amar Deshmukh, a resident, said. “They keep experimenting with the road and forget about it.” There is no traffic signal on the road which, in turn, results in traffic jams. The absence of a road divider adds to the confusion. Many drivers say that since it is a busy road, a traffic signal must be installed. There is no footpath, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road. Road and transport expert M.N. Sreehari said: “The BBMP doesn’t do its work properly. They were given 3-4 days to fill potholes in Bengaluru, but they filled them with mud and gravel. The court extended the time till Dasara, and gave more extensions.”
Lack of traffic lights adds to the misery of commuters | Credit: Ajay Biradar
“They are cheating the government and the high court,” Sreehari said of the municipal authorities. Kempaiah Swamy, a resident of the area, said: “It is difficult for children who go to nearby schools and colleges.” His daughter Nayana and her friends find it difficult to cross the road while going to Cambridge Public School in HSR Layout. BWSSB executive engineer Arvind Kumar: “The roads are not in a good condition, and we still have to install sanitation
pipelines.” It took people of the area some time to “adjust” when the pipeline was being laid, but now it is not a problem, he claimed. Sanjeev Kumar, assistant executive engineer, road Infrastructure, BBMP, said: “We are starting some new projects and trying to solve road problems.” In upcoming road projects, the content of tar would be 90-90.2 % and plaster would be 8-10%. The plaster would last a long time, he said. According to a report published in The Economic Times, the main aim of the project was to supply water to 110 villages in Bengaluru’s municipal limits. The 12 lakh people of five BBMP zones – Mahadevapura, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Dasarahalli, Byataraynapura and Bommanahalli – lack basic necessities like drinking water and sanitation. The project was expected to be funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), but it refused because the BWSSB failed to show it the source of the extra water required for this population. ajay.b@iijnm.org
CITY
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Skill certificates given to 1,000 Vishwakarmas
Sayantan Sarkar
TAURIAN will bring M Fest, big music platform, to Bengaluru Sindhuja Michael
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radhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna (PMKVY), handed out certificates to more than 1000 people from the Vishwakarma community today in Benguluru. BJP MLA, Uday Garudachar who was present at the event spoke about the welfare of the community. “The PMKVY scheme was launched by the Prime Minister in 2015 for recognising unskilled and skilled workers. The scheme helps the community of goldsmiths, blacksmiths and others, extensively.” He added, “It is the first such event held in Bengaluru and certifies the workers from the Viswakarma community and helps them in acquiring loans.” The scheme is a Prime Minister Yojana, which provides employable and certifiable skills based on National Occupational Standards (NOS) to school dropouts, unrecognised workers and people from the community. B.S. Manoharan, a certified goldsmith said, “These certificates are very useful as they protect us from frauds. It certifies our work and also helps in getting loans.” The training and infrastructure provided under this scheme helps in ensuring judicious use of several equipment. “Most of the goldsmiths do not know how to use the equipments and infrastructure properly. The process is difficult and it requires patience. About 2% of the gold is wasted, when we melt the metal. The particular scheme provides training, which teaches them how to use the tools”, said Ravi Kanth,
The Observer Wednesday, November 21, 2018
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The scheme is a PM Yojana, which provides employable and certifiable skills based on NOS | Credit: Jignasa Sinha another goldsmith. The fee for the Training and Assessment is totally paid by the government and the scheme also helps in acquiring mudra loans. BJP MP, P.C. Mohan said, “It will also create employment opportunities as most of the people from this community have been unrecognised for a long time.” “This event has been held in Tamil Nadu earlier and it is the first time it is happening in Bangalore. It is an important step taken by the central government to recognise our community,” remarked Manoharan.
Anil Babu. B, the owner of Modern Jewellers Tool, said, “Earlier workers from the community did not know about specific tools and machineries. The concerned scheme gives them knowledge of using such tools to manufacture gold.” Manoharan also remarked, “Though the scheme is great news for people from our community, it does not solve the problem of frauds. People come to us with stolen gold and we do not have any means to detect or mitigate such issues.” sayantan.s@iijnm.org
usic Fest, organized by TAURIAN will be held from January 18 to 20, 2019 at the lake side Orion Mall to commemorate the spirit of music across the globe over multiple genres. Music Fest promoter of KIMA,(Kannada International Music Awards) hosts the music expo which compromises of music gigs, musicon, music magazine, and music awards. They are inviting registrations from Music Brands and Manufactures of music exposition from November 24, 2018 for the 5th KIMA awards and Battle of Bands. The KIMA award has 12 categories with 5 to 6 nominees under each .. The most prestigious award is the‘Life Time Achievement Award’. Dr. SP Balasuburamaniam,a singer received Life Time Achievement award, in KIMA 2017, he said that, ‘This is the most novel appreciating stage, I have ever come across in India” V. Nagendra Prasad a lyric writer, director and actor and Indu Vishwanath, music composer and singer are being selected as the jury for the 5th KIMA awards. KIMA not only recognizes the music director but also, the technicians.. KIMA awards, has emerged as the most definite platform to honor and recognize talent in Karnataka Music Industry. “Spanning in three days, M Fest will comprise of Music Expo dedicated to facilitate a face to face dialogue between music makers and audience. We are excited to introduceeven bigger platform in addi-
Music feast, the biggest music platform, being organized in B’luru|Credit Sindhuja M tion to KIMA Awards for budding and professional Musicianswhere they can to showcase their talent across multiple genres.” Says V K Lokesh, Music show producer ,promoter, founder and chief executive of TAURIAN entertainment and Media PVT LTD. This unique event will have the ‘Public Drum Circle’, which will give the audience an experience to learn Music and interact with the Musicians at the same time. Music Fest aims to cummulate music bands and manufactures, musicians and music enthusiasts, providing them with the platform to interact and learn on a common ground that was never possible before on any other traditional platforms, especially in Bengaluru. sindhuja.m@iijnm.org
Kumaraswamy asked to apologise for his remarks BJP hits streets, says govt has not met any promises Sahana S
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fter the derogatory remarks made by the chief minister to the woman farmer, the situation has stirred up in the city with the opposition BJP staging a protest against the government. BJP members, led by Karnataka unit president, B.S Yeddyurappa staged a protest in Bengaluru against Kumaraswamy’s remarks on woman farmer Jayashree Gurannavar and asked the chief minister to apologize to the woman for his remarks otherwise they would continue the protest until he steps down from his position. Yeddyurappa, a former chief minister, remarked: “We have given enough time for the coalition party to take charge of the government, but they have neglected all their promises made to the farmers”.
BJP protest against he CM’s remarks against women and farmers | Credit: Sahana S “Kumaraswamy insults woman farmer by asking her ‘where were you sleeping all this while? And instead of apologizing to the woman farmer, he claims to step down from the position,” Yeddyurappa said. Apart from humiliating the woman farmer, the party also upheld the grievances by the sugarcane farmers in North Karnataka and implementation of the farmers' loan waiver in the state.
The party also alleged the chief minister for branding farmers as ‘goondas’ at the farmer's protest and asks the minister to solve the problems of sugarcane farmers just like Maharashtra Government did. “We are not paid by the sugarcane factories, nor have our loans been waived yet. It is very difficult for us to cope up with the current situation. Its better the chief minister comes to a conclusion otherwise we have to continue the protest until our demands are met by the government, says Kurub Hanumathaiah who owns sugarcane farm in Gokak. Another woman farmer Gangamma who had staged the protest against the government says that “The chief minister needs to help us, by keeping up with his promise and ensuring justice by getting them arrears released soon.” She also demands the chief minister to ask for an apology in front of the farmers for insulting a woman farmer. sahana.s@iijnm.org
‘He should not have abused ryots, woman’ R Yohanjali
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arnataka Karmika Kalyana Prathishtana HAS demanded an apology from chief minister H D Kumaraswamy for the derogatory remarks he made against the women and farmers of Belgaum. “If the CM would not have said such things, we wouldn’t have been protesting,”says Malikarjuna Raju, President of KKKP. “He shouldn’t have called us ‘goondas’ and spoken badly about our women. He should apologize to us as soon as possible.” said another member of KKKP. A complaint has been filed against the CM under section 504 and section 509 with Justice D H Waghela, Chairman of Karnataka State Human Rights Commission; Kumari Nagalakshmi, Chairperson; Commissioner for Women in Kar-
CM was accused of violating human rights | Credit: R.Yohanjali nataka and Smt. Neelamani Raju, DG IGP, Karnataka.The opposition leader, B.S.Yeddyurappa, in a statement asked the CM to resign. To it, a member of KKKP said “They don’t care about us. BJP keeps blaming JDS and Congress, and vice versa. What they do is drama for votes.They make everything political and they don’t find a solution”. yohanjali.r@iijnm.org
RURAL KARNATAKA
The Observer Wednesday, November 21, 2018
2 anganwadi branches have just one teacher No recruitment has happened in five years Anuradha Sriram
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he Government Lower Primary School in Shantinagar village of Harapanahalli taluk in Davanagere district of Karnataka has a shortage of teachers. No new teachers have been recruited in past five years, resulting in one teacher teaching in two branches of the schools. The branches at Shantinagar and Kadithi run on alternate days. Headmaster KM Mallikarjun informed The Observer: “Recruitment of teachers is a major problem in our village. Lack of teachers makes it difficult for us to provide proper education to children.” A lack of continuity of coursework has affected the children badly and disappointed their parents, who sent them to school
Students of Government Lower Primary School in Shantinagar wait for their class to begin | Credit: Anuradha Sriram with great hopes. S.Thanuja, a teacher at the Shantinagar school, said: “It is too much on my plate when I have to teach and complete coursework in two different schools in a year.Teachers on the job are very few and have been allotted two schools to handle.” Students who come to school don’t know when classes will be held. They are seen waiting for
Citizen’s Voice HDK’s comment
If the Chief Minister of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy makes such remarks about women of the state, I really do not know what kind of example these leaders are setting for the people of the state. A small apology after such a disgraceful statement makes the whole situation look even more disgraceful. Swagata Banerjee
Farmer’s Protests
People vote for a person or the party based on the work that they have done and will do. Looking at the recent farmer’s protests, one can only come to the conclusion that our Chief Minister was lying just to win people’s votes. There are still thousands of farmers who are facing immense problems and the most prominent one is regarding farm loans. If the Chief Minister continues to keep quiet, the problem will only snowball and lead to immeasurable consequences. Webley Prabodh
Construction Debris
This is to bring to light the lack of proper management of construction debris along the metro construction line from Nayanadalli to Kumbalgodu. The debris from the construction of the huge metro pillars is just kept lying there for days. This increases the dust in the air and other pollution as well. Ayanti Bera
Vehicular Pollution
Due to increase in vehicular pollution , a new initiative has been taken up by a. startup that
focusses on providing electric bikes .To take the initiative of cleaner technologies and improvising Information Technology with transportation, Fae Bikes has introduced around 120 scooters in the city that run on electricity plug-in and electric batteries that contributes in reducing air pollution. Gayatri Sriaadhibhatla
Sewage Problem
There is sewage flowing on to the streets from the construction site of Bowring Medical College. There are street vendors who have shops on the pavement. These shop keepers sit right next to the place where the sewage flows. They have health issues because of this. Praveena P
Give us streetlights
I am a resident living at Kumbalgodu has faced multi issues for the lack of street lights. I have been threatened by a group of guys and was terrified. Kindly request you to take an action regarding the street lights and get them fixed. Esther Esha
Sports campaigns needed
Sports has always been something which unites people and doesn’t differentiate between them hence we should bat for its inclusion in school curriculum. Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar also spoke on the same in an event organized to celebrate World Children’s Day. We should push for campaigns like Khelo India. Rudrankar Raha
teachers to come and take classes. Helpers at the anganwadi informed The Observer: “This situation is not new; we have been facing it for some years now.” The government is doing anything to solve the problem. The school children’s future is in a jeopardy, they added.Their parents can’t afford to send their children to private pre-schools. anuradha.s@iijnm.org
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Lack of gynaec in taluk hospital affects women Sahana S
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he absence of a gynaecologist in the taluk government hospital at Lingsugur, Raichur district, has forced women with complex cases like caesarean and excessive bleeding to travel to the district headquarters. “When I visited government hospital for delivery, the doctor asked me to go to the Raichur government hospital as they don’t have a gynaecologist to handle Caesarean cases,” Ramjan Bi from Kasba in Lingsugur taluk informed The Observer. There is just one general physician to attend to all patients, including pregnant women. The number of beds are limited.Chanamma, a pregnant woman who was awaiting her turn, said: “I came early in the morning as there is a huge rush in the village hospital.”Taking pregnant women to Raichur is a challenge because of inadequate transport facilities in the area. “I had to wait for an hour to travel to Raichur to admit my pregnant wife in the hospital there. Sometimes, women with
Hospitals face trouble due to lack of gynaecs. | Credit: Sahana S severe issues are shifted to other hospitals,” said Kaja Hussain, who had to travel 23 km from their village.Taluk medical officer Dr Rudragowda admitted that there is a shortage of gynecologist doctors in Lingsugur taluk as most general physicians avoid working in rural areas.Reason: They are not provided proper accommodation in the villages. “We are helpless as physicians do most of the deliveries. They have more pressure than the others. Despite having proper facilities in the hospital, we don’t have workforce,” Dr Rudragowda said. sahana.s@iijnm.org
Manvi taluk in Raichur district eagerly waits for clean drinking water supply Project might be completed within 6 months: MLA Ileena Dutta
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eople of Manvi taluk in Raichur district are hoping a Rs 88-crore drinking water project will ease their distress. The taluk has a huge scarcity of clean drinking water. “The work initiated by the government that is going on in the Rabinnakallu area, 6 km from Manvi town. If it progresses swiftly, drinking water will be available after six months,” Rajavenkatappa Nayak, a JD(S) legislator, informed The Observer. The work was interrupted due to a political clash in the area a few years ago. The condition of drinking water in the area deteriorated with time. People started depending on borewell water that wasn’t healthy. “Initially, the Congress was supposed to complete the project, but due to several inconveniences, it was held back and might have been completed after an year or so,” Rajavenkatappa Nayak added. “Manvi is a drought-prone taluk, and rainfall is scarce. This leads to unavailability of water for our farming crops, vegetables and fruits. Though paddy is one of the main crops grown here, others like jowar and bajra require abundant water. We will defi-
The work initiated by the government is going on in the Rabinnakallu area in Manvi taluk | Credit: Raveena Bhati nitely benefit from the water supply project that is expected to be completed soon,” Azhar Ali, who has been into farming in Manvi taluk for three decades, said. The locals largely depend on borewells for drinking water that is unhealthy, leading to waterborne ailments. The degree of suffering is high for the poor as they are unable to get treatment even at the government hospital of the area. “Almost every day people queue up with stomach infections, throat diseases and liver issues caused by unclean water from the borewells,” Dr Venkash Y Nayak, chief medical officer of Manvi taluk informed The Observer.
Appu Hosmane, a resident of Manvi, said: “I am grateful to JD(S) members and the MLA for thinking about the essential needs of the people of Manvi and their situation.” The local people are hoping for fast progress of the drinking water supply project which will make their lives easier. “We sincerely hope the situation changes at the earliest. We have been for it since long but the results only dissapoint us,” added Nayak. The Tungabhadra, about 140 km from the town, is the only constant source of water for irrigation, drinking and industries. ileena.d@iijnm.org
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RURAL KARNATAKA
The Observer Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Poor seeds crush hopes A water-purifying plant languishes of Shahapur farmers
without water in it
Only 1 case has been filed against a firm in five years
Sounak Das
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Yajush Gupta
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nferior seeds have flooded markets in Shahapur taluk, known as the “daal bowl of Karnataka”. The apparent reason for this is an absence of proper monitoring by authorities concerned, but farmers continue to blame water scarcity for their losses. Kallappa P, assistant registrar, Consumer District Forum, Yadgir district, spoke to The Observer about extent of inferior seeds being sold in the area. “More than 70% of seeds sold to farmers from the taluk are of inferior quality. However 99% of them go unreported due to lack of awareness and fear of legal costs.” “There has only been one case registered in the past five years in the entire Yadgir district,” he added. Since 2013, 72 cases have been reported from 152 villages. Of these, 23 have been solved. In 2016, a lone case was registered by a farmer against a seed-distri-
Market flooded with inferior seeds however, farmers remain to be clueless. | Credit: Yajush Gupta bution company called Ajeet Seed Ltd; the affected farmer was compensated. Rameshwar Jagatap, a second division assistant, explained: “In a majority of cases, farmers lack of awareness and fear the procedural harassment and fees in filing cases in courts. We have been involved in a number of awareness programmes for their children.” Maiuddin R. of Dorunhalli village said: “I own 15 acres of land which has remained unused for the past two years. In 2016, I incurred a huge loss due to crop failure. I even had to purchase cotton seeds twice as the yield had failed the first time”. Asked if the seeds he used were checked before purchase, he replied: “I
purchase seeds through local vendors from where others purchase.” The Karnataka State Seed Certification Agency (KSSCA) checks the quality of seeds being sold in the market. In all, around 4,300 farmers committed suicide in Karnataka between 2013 and 2016 primarily due to crop failure, according to the State Crime Records Bureau.“We need to continue to encourage our farmer brothers to report cases against such corporations. Unless they don’t come forward, we are helpless. We will continue to spread awareness among their children if not the farmers,”said assistant registrar Kallappa. yajush.g@iijnm.org
n RO water purifying plant, installed to supply drinkable water to residents of Naikal village in Shahpur taluk, has now been found to be of no use as the groundwater here is below the required level for such construction. ‘’The tank was installed by a joint effort of the gram panchayat and villagers. We had contributed to its construction. The experts came to assess the land and said it was quite alright to construct the tank there,’’ Shekhar, a resident, informed The Observer. The plant was installed in the SC ward of the village. The village itself is a drought-prone area. Groundwater levels are very low here. It is quite difficult to extract water from the ground. Borewells dry up rather quickly. ‘’The area itself is water scarce. We had dug several borewells, one after the other, to extract water. But none lasted for more than a couple of years. The government had built a tank with a capacity of 50000l. Water was drawn from the nearby Bheema
Huvina Hadagalli Kushtagi taluk has had rejoices on getting one surgeon for 26 years its first theatre K R R. Yohanjali
Shashank Dipankar
esidents of Huvina Hadagali in Ballari district are rejoicing over the opening of Rang Mandira, the first theatre in the taluk. It was constructed by MP Prakash, a former deputy chief minister of Karnataka last month. The theatre has good architecture and a seating capacity of 400. “The theatre is well-constructed and has all things necessary for plays and performances. The first performance was held on November 4, by a local theatre group,” caretaker Ningappa S. Informed The Observer. Jagadeesh D., owner of Spandan hotel in Huvina Hadagali, said: “We now have another source for quality entertainment.” Residents of the taluk praised Prakash for building the theatre. “We are grateful to late MP Prakash for this gift. He was one of the gems of our district and was loved and respected by all,” said Priyadarshini, headmaster of a private school in the Taluk. Prakash was deputy chief minister during 2005-06. A theatre enthusiast, he directed and acted in several Kannada plays.
Rang Mandira has seating capacity of 400| Credit: Murlidhara Shetty
Theatre artists say the inauguration of the theatre has enabled them to reach new audiences in rural Karnataka. “Theatre can be a great community-building tool. It addresses problems while introducing new ideas in a fun, easy and entertaining manner,” Divya Rani, an artiste with a theatre group, informed The Observer. shashank.d@iijnm.org
ushtagi taluk in Koppal district has had only one general surgeon for 26 years. Dr K.S. Reddy, who is from the town, has worked at the taluk hospital since 1992. “I have been doing all kinds of surgeries from the time I took charge. Normal deliveries, Csections, sterilization surgeries, transplants, cardiac surgeries, I have been doing them all. I perform 500 to 600 surgeries a month,” the surgeon said. Kusthtagi town has only one government hospital for 170 villages, leaving the entire taluk to being treated by one surgeon. The problem is apparently because of a Karnataka government rule that only government taluk hospitals are allowed to have a functioning surgeon. Community service centres cannot have surgeons. Private hospitals in Kushtagi have no surgeons. The non-availability of surgeons has taken a toll on people. “My sterilization surgery has been delayed by two days as the doctor was busy with a delivery,” said Veeramala, who was at the hospital for a tubectomy. Sivanappa, who had undergone heart surgery at the hospital, said: “My surgery was done
on time. But I have to come here every week to get my dressing changed. Since the doctor is busy, it gets delayed. It is difficult for me to come every time from Hulagera as it is really far from Kushtagi town; it takes two hours to reach the hospital.” “The number of surgeries done here are numerous. We have to make sure no surgery clashes with another,” said Nirmala, the receptionist at the hospital. Things get difficult in case of emergencies because Dr Reddy is always busy in the operation theatre. Prakash Gowda, programme manager at the hospital, said: “The situation has changed a lot in the past years. Now we have ten doctors from different departments. If it’s a minor surgery, department doctors… can take care of it.” Dr Reddy agreed concurred with Gowda. “Now we have ten doctors. Several years ago, there were only three of us. We did everything. Consultation, therapies, surgeries, even postmortems were done by us. Because of this, I couldn’t concentrate on surgeries. But now there are a few more doctors, so that helps in reducing the pressure and focusing on surgeries.” yohanjali.r@gmail.com
river but even this did not go well. The water was unclean.So, we decided to construct an RO purifier plant,’’ said Mahboob Rangapet, a resident of the SC ward in the village, who had appealed to the panchayat for a plant like this. Another resident, Nagappa Berigeri,complained: ‘’The plant stands at a place where people come to defecate. When it was first installed, electricity was a big issue; the supply is very sporadic. Now it does not matter because it has stopped functioning.’’ Ramesh Naidu, like Berigeri, talked about how the contractors failed to ascertain the water level and cost of construction. The Observer contacted the Chairman of the Gram Panchayat, Khaja Moinuddin, for clarification. He said: ‘’We admit it was our fault. The people we hired did a very shoddy job. Their assessment was flawed. It is a waste of public money indeed. We have installed another plant near our office. We hope this will survive and mitigate the problems of our villagers.’’ sounak.d@iijnm.org
WEATHER Forecast- Generally cloudy sky with light rain Minimum- 19 degree celsius Maximum- 30 degree celsius Humidity- 45% Precipitation- NIL
Observer Team Editor- Pranay Prakash Reporters- Abbinaya K, Akansha Kashyap, Ajay Biradar, Anuradha S, Ileena Dutta, Renuka Thakare, Sahana S, Shashank Dipankar, Sayantan Sarkar, Shrabona Ghosh, Sindhuja M, Sounak Das, Yajush Gupta. Copy Editors: Akanksha Kashyap, Anuradha S. Desk- Ajay Biradar, Illena Dutta, Oisika Dev, Raveena Bhati Supplements: A.Gaytri, Priyanka D, Ajay Biradar, Saloni Arora, Anurag Maan, Shashank Dipankar.
Agriculture
The Observer SUPPLEMENT
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
7
Storm in a Coffee Cup Recent research questioning the wisdom of intercropping silver oak with coffee seems to fall on deaf ears, says Sri Aadhibhatla Gayatri
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or many years the coffee planters in the Western Ghats of Karnataka have planted exotic silver oak (grevillea robusta),to provide shade for the coffee bushes. Their pole-like trunks are also used as supports for the coffee plants. Planters say there is a benefit in traditional and commercial methods of shade growing. The tree is also is being promoted for afforesting wastelands. But recent research has confirmed earlier suspicions by scientists at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (IISc) that inter-cropping silver oak with coffee could cause irreparable damage to coffeegrowing areas. The researchers claim the trees increase surface temperature, decrease humidity and precipitation on the plantations, and reduce water availability critical for plant growth.The study confirms that silver oak leaves contain compounds of aluminum that damage the soil, making it radioactive and infertile. The research, conducted by
Planters believe growing silver oak actually benefits the coffee crop. Credit: Indian Coffee Estate
scientist and botanist Manjunatha Munishamappa and his team from the Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute, Bengaluru, studied 49 native and exotic agro-sylviculture systems. The study was conducted in 18 forest areas that receive moderate and high rainfall receiving area. They covered several varieties of arabica and robusta coffee which are
commonly grown. In every plot, the team sought to correlate the diversity of the shade trees with the carbon sequestered in them by quantifying their wood, soil components, biomass and litter. In the areas studied, a total of 86 native species were identified and they found that carbon stocks kept increasing where the tree diversity increased.
The trees native to coffee estates and forests showed high and similar carbon stocks, somewhere between 193 and 222 mg of carbon per hectare. Introducing silver oak impacted negatively on both the carbon pool and diversity, they found. Robusta coffee estates that had more silver oaks showed lower tree diversity and lower carbon pools of an average of 65 mg per hectare. However, horticulturists and plantation farmers believe that growing silver oak actually benefits the coffee crop in many ways. According to M. Vasundhara, head of the department of horticulture at the Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra, Bengaluru,” silver oak is a traditional inter-cropping plant for coffee. It has been used for many years, and is the traditional method of shade management.” Sharmila Rebello, a coffee planter from Sakleshpur in Hassan says, “We collect all the oak leaves and put them under the coffee plant to act as manure. We grow species of
both arabica and robusta.” This year, excessive rainfall has put coffee planters in trouble and they expect to suffer huge losses. Planting silver oak has proved beneficial in the circumstances. The tree gives the planters a hasslefree side income as it doesn’t require permission from the forest department to be harvested. Other species of trees on plantations require the department’s permission to be cut down.
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.Parashivamurthy, Deputy director of horticulture in Chikmagaluru was of the opinion, “Coffee planters and the horticulture department believe that the new survey is hampering the old traditional practice of growing these trees. It still needs proper research to show that this practice causes a problem in disaster control and climate control. Yes, we can grow silver oak trees in-between coffee plantation in our district, so the planters get better yields.”
Seeds of Doubt Despite their widespread adoption, a persuasive case for genetically modified foods has yet to be made, says Priyanka Dhaundiyal
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he controversy over genetically modified (GM) food is unlikely to die down anytime soon, even in countries like the United States which have adopted GM food production on an industrial scale. Despite endorsements from the World Health Organisation (WHO) as to its safety for human health, genetic engineering or ‘bioengineering’ our food seems to scare many people. “GM foods can increase crop yield, food quality and the diversity of foods which can be grown in a given area. This in turn can lead to better health and nutrition, which can then help to raise health and living standards,” says a recent WHO report on the subject. Claire Robinson, author of GMO Myths and Truths, and Editor at GMWatch, an independent organisation that writes about genetically modified foods and crops, says that genetic modification in crops does not increase the yield potential but instead ends up reducing it. “While the yield of major crops had increased in recent years, it’s not because of GM but conventional breeding.” she adds.
India is the second largest producer of GM cotton. Credit: Public Radio International
Genetic modification or, according to Scientific India, refers to new methods of breeding plants, animals, or micro organisms, by introducing a copy of gene for a specific trait. The genes can be copied from any organism. In fact, genes from one organism to another unrelated organism can be transferred, producing a “genetically modified organism (GMOs)”. Any food produced this way is called “genetically modified food” or “GM food”. The first GM plant was produced in
1983, using an antibiotic-resistant tobacco plant. Genetically modified microbial enzymes were the first application of GMO in food production and were approved in 1988 by the US Food and Drug Administration. The first GM food approved for release was the Flavr Savr tomato in 1994. According to Phys.org, a web-based science, research and technology news service,“GMOs with health benefits have great potential. In a recent study from Ghent Uni-
versity, not only the impact of GM crops on human health, but also their market potential was convincingly demonstrated.” Despite several promising results and GM’s huge success in providing food to the world’s growing population, GM foods are still not accepted in many countries including several in Europe and India, although they have been used in the US for decades, states Scientific India. “Genetic modification in crops, for example, is beneficial as some new traits are introduced in the crops that help build resistance to pests, environmental conditions etc., which further makes it better than the original crop but there have also been instances where Genetic Modified Crops (GMCs) have wiped out indigenous plants in the area by forming a monoculture,” says Dr. D Jeyakumar, a retired scientist. He also adds that this process of crops being wiped out doesn’t happen overnight, but if GMCs are continued to be used then the indigenous habitat could face that problem in over 10-20 years.
Prof. Priyank Raha, head of the department of soil sciences and agricultural chemistry at Banaras Hindu University, agrees. “Researchers in India and abroad are giving GM foods a thumbs up, but till now, there have been no positive results. Some farmers want to incorporate GM crops and fruits but what they don’t know is that genetic modification may cause harm to people and animals in the future as nobody knows what side effects gene therapy carries with itself.”
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e gives the example of BT cotton (genetically modified cotton), saying it was supposed to ward ofinsect attack,“but the procedure was not accepted by the scientists in India which was because no good result has been come out of it.” But GM crops aren’t going away. As Scientific India observes, “With an ever-growing population to feed and diminishing land, water and other natural resources, one of the solutions could be the utilization of recent advancement in recombinant technology or biotechnology.”
Sports
The Observer SUPPLEMENT
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
10
Captain Consistent Rohit Sharma has become used to winning ways at home and abroad, writes Anurag Maan
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ohit Sharma has discovered the virtues of consistency. The first cricketer ever to score three double hundreds in ODIs, he’s the cleanest hitter of the cricket ball in modern day cricket. Rohit first caught the eye with his fantastic stroke play and gritty determination. His captaincy skills and charismatic batting style have changed the perception of many cricket pundits over the years, who used to think of him as a one-hit wonder. Over time, this champion from Nagpur has shut up his critics with a string of incredible performances. One of the highlights of his cricketing journey has been his tenure as captain of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians. He took charge of a struggling team in 2013 and completely changed its fate. Mumbai Indians were at the bottom of the points table in the first two editions of the tournament but fought back in later editions to become one of the successful teams in IPL history. They were considered
Defeating West Indies 3-0, India stamped its dominance on home turf and cemented Rohit’s 100% captaincy record. Credit: Rediff
the most unpredictable sides at the time (2010-2012), who’d falter at crucial moments of the tournament. Although they finished off as the table toppers in 2010, secured the third position in 2011 and 2012 editions of the competition, they still had a long way to go. Mumbai Indians were look-
ing for someone who could help them cross that final frontier and lift the coveted IPL trophy. The drought finally ended in 2013 when the captaincy was handed to Rohit Sharma and Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs at Eden Gardens, Kolkata to win their first IPL tournament. Since
then, the team has been one of the consistent performers in the competition and has three IPL and two Champions League titles to its name. Rohit Sharma was recognized as a natural talent ever since his arrival on the international cricket scene. He started off with some eyecatching performances in the 2007 ICC World T20 but could not maintain the consistency required at the international level. He performed well from time to time but struggled to cement his place in the side. This inconsistency also deprived him of a place in India's successful World Cup campaign in 2011. . ut it was Dhoni's masterstroke in the 2013 Champions Trophy that got him a chance to play at the top of the order and changed his fortune. India had tried many experiments for the opening slots after the exit of Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag and were looking for someone to fill their shoes. The opening pair of Shikar Dhawan and Rohit turned out
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to be their perfect successors and played a huge role in securing India’s first Champions Trophy title. Since then, Rohit has not looked back. He has performed in critical moments and has been one of the key elements in India's cricketing dominance in recent years. In 2017, when Virat Kohli was rested against Sri Lanka to focus on the South African Tour, Rohit was rewarded for his brilliant performances with the captaincy for the first time. He comprehensively passed his very first assignment at the international level as India won the ODI series 2-1 and the T20 series 30. His next captaincy assignment was the Nidahas Trophy in March 2018, where India beat Bangladesh (with a heroic performance by Dinesh Karthik) in the dramatic final in Sri Lanka. He also led India for the 2018 Asia Cup title defence and was victorious. He maintained his 100% captaincy record by leading India in T20 series victory against West Indies continuing his form.
The Name of The Game India’s gaming industry is on a roll thanks to the explosion of smartphones and competitive skills, says Shashank Dipankar When the credits roll at the end of Far Cry 5, you might notice some familiar sounding names. The game’s creator is Ubisoft of France, the global gaming giant whose titles include Assassin's Creed, Just Dance, Prince of Persia, Rayman, Raving Rabbids, and Tom Clancy's. But the names you see are of people from Ubisoft India. That gives some indication of the recent evolution of India’s gaming industry.
Video games have become more complex and detailed as simulation capacity has increased over the years thanks to new generations of processors, each more powerful than its predecessor. “Games have become more and more realistic over the years and that is due to the increase in the capabilities of computer hardware,” says Ahmer Khan,one of the founders of MVP, which builds and sells customised personal computers for gaming and content creation located in Hyderabad. “Gaming was considered a luxury for most of the time. This mentality is changing which is good news for Triple-
By 2020, revenue from the global eSports market will reach $1.65 billion, say sources. Credit: Pexels
A (games with highest development budgets and levels of promotion) developers,” adds Ahmer. Lack of local game developers also was a hurdle. “Due to a smaller number of game developers in India, the gaming industry moved at a slow pace for years,” says Rohit Dipankar, a software engineer from Cognizant. But the story is quite different today. According to Forbes magazine, India now has 250 game developers, a leap from
just 10 in 2010. According to an article on DAZEINFO, by end 2018, India is expected to have over 337 million smartphone users. Mobile gaming has expanded the gaming market by introducing a new business model to cater to a diverse consumer base. India is already the world’s fifth-biggest mobile-gaming market and is expected to touch $1.1 billion in revenues by 2020, according to Tech Asia a technology
news website. “Mobiles are with us all the time and hence more accessible as a gaming console. Another plus point is mobile games are cheap,” says Kumar Alok, an engineering graduate from Delhi. Producing a mobile game is cheaper than developing games for other gaming consoles. The mobility factor and affordable data prices have helped grow the mobile-gaming market. Many small mobile-game developer start-ups have been launched started in India in recent years given their lower manpower and capital requirements.
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riple-A game developers (games with highest development budgets and levels of promotion) are also focusing on India because of its large consumer base but also outsourcing their key components to Indian developers, Ubisoft India is a good example. The professional rise of eSports also has a major part in this change. Even educational institutions
hold competitive gaming tournaments which financially rewards winners. “There has been a great rise in demands of gaming desktops,” says Ahmer. “More and more people are now investing in entertainment and gaming is slowly becoming a standard form of entertainment, especially amongst the youth.” Costs of gaming parts and consoles are still high as most of them are imported but with a growing market, they are becoming more affordable. Streaming games on online platforms have also become quite popular. Many content creators stream games on their channels and earn based on number of views and subscribers they garner. Twitch, a game-streaming platform, has built a huge viewer base. The gaming industry in India is clearly on a roll and the investment and employment it is generating is huge.“Indian gaming industry is set to become one of the biggest in the world,” says Ahmer.