12-08-10

Festival Sale: By Vulcal Boutique. Sarees, blouses, chaniya cholies, salwar kameez, kurtis. At Marble Arch, Opposite Vanijya Bhavan, Race Course Circle. Ph: 2358609. Till August 20.

Women's Clothing, Famous International Brands: By Izzaa, August 30-31, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, 62 Vishwas Colony, Opposite Swagat Restaurant, Jetalpur Road. Brands like Forever XXI, Express, BCBG, DKNY, Annabelle, Jonathan Martin, Calvin Klein, Nine West. All original labels hand-picked by the Izzaa team, so none of the usual export surplus fare that the city is flooded with. Garments priced from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 5,000.

Police Sports Complex: Baroda’s police personnel are building themselves a vast sports complex featuring tennis, badminton, volleyball and basketball courts, a skating rink and an amphitheatre in their Pratapnagar headquarters. It will not be restricted only to the police force. Though the funding is from the government, private donors have also chipped in.

Local Motocross Champ: Barodian supercross champ Veer Patel has started his own private supercross Team Lilleria Racing, the first in Gujarat. It will formally kick off in October in Baroda during the fourth round of the national supercross championship. His is a single-rider team and he has two mechanics and two crew members. He has a test track at Umeta near Baroda.

J. Krishnamurti Study Centre: Video screening of talks/dialogues of J. Krishnamurti, followed by discussion. Open to all. No entry fee. Venue: J. Krishnamurti Study Centre, C/o Presage Chakra, Pink Bungalow, Opposite Vaibhav Apartment, Behind Natubhai Centre, Off Race Course Circle. Time: 6 p.m. onwards, every 2nd and 4th Saturday.

Study Of Bhagvad Geeta: Organised by Abhigam, every Monday, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon. Discussions are in Gujarati. Venue: 26, Alkapuri (Flat # 202). Ph: 2322739. Entry free, but please ring up in advance. Email: kalpana0306@yahoo.co.in

12-07-10

Tax Sops For NRIs: Under the ‘India Development Foundation for Overseas Indians’, set up by the Ministry of Overseas Indians, Indians in USA may soon be able to get tax concessions if they want to build schools, primary health centres and other infrastructure in their village and places of origin in India. The ministry has initiated the process of registering the foundation in USA. The foundation is a ‘not-for-profit’ trust being set up under the Indian Trust Act, 1882; it will be the nodal agency to implement projects in cooperation with state governments and selected NGOs.

08-07-10

Milk Prices Up Again: Milk prices have increased again in Gujarat, for the 11th time since 2006, and for the second time in 2010. All six varieties of Amul milk will cost more, a hike of Rs. 2 per litre for premium varieties and Rs. 1 per litre for the others. The new prices per litre in Baroda: Amul Gold (Rs. 30); Amul Shakti and Amul Tea Special (Rs. 28); Amul Cow Milk (Rs. 26); Amul Taaza (Rs. 24); Amul Slim & Trim (Rs. 22).

New Venue For United Way Garba: The city’s famous United Way Garba ground near the Atladra junction has been sold by its owners and the popular cultural event will have to move to another location. The likely new location seems to be the old Sarabhai Group’s land near Genda Circle. The new venue is almost twice the area, but it will only be a temporary arrangement because this plot too has been taken over by commercial developers.

IVF Unit In City: Baroda’s latest In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) centre has started at the Surajben Gordhanbhai Patel Women’s Hospital in Karelibaug. This trust hospital will provide the facility at 40 per cent of the prevailing rate. Mr. Jagdish Patel, secretary of the trust, which also runs KGP Children’s Hospital in Karelibaug, says: “The IVF procedure involves several laboratory investigations. The drugs are costly, and so is the IVF technology. Nearly Rs. 80,000 is spent on a patient till the time she conceives.” The hospital also plans to start surrogacy services.

Power Plant In Savli: Vadnagar in Mehsana and Savli in Vadodara are likely to get a 1,000-MW power plant each. Both will be gas-fired plants built by the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC), a Central government undertaking. About 150 hectares of land have been set aside for the project in Savli. The plant will consume 500,000 cubic metres of gas daily. Work is likely to start next year and should be completed in three years.

Grant For MSU Institute: The Gujarat government has sanctioned Rs. 10 million to MS University’s Faculty of Science to set up the Institute of Cellular and Molecular Biology. The seven-year course is expected to start next year. The grant has been sanctioned after Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan’s father C.V. Ramakrishnan proposed the setting up of an autonomous Institute of Cellular Microbiology. The initial grant will be utilised to set up the institute.

Surgical Equipment Testing Lab: The Drug & Cosmetics Act now makes the testing of surgical devices mandatory. The Gujarat Food & Drug Control Administration is therefore planning to set up a facility to test medical and surgical equipment and devices at the Food & Drug Laboratory in Baroda. The facility will start with the testing of ferrous and non-ferrous devices like surgical rods and other items such as artificial valves used in heart operations. The state government has given a start-up grant of Rs. 300,000.

Gujarati Play: ‘Chal Mann Moj Karile’, at Gandhi Nagargruh, Till July 9, 9.30 p.m. Ph: 9825060871.

05-06-10

Kids Karnival: At Rooftop, Sayaji Hotel, Sayajigunj. Daily 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

28-05-10

Gujarati Play: ‘Bharat Bhagya Vidhata’. May 29 & 30, 8 p.m. At Prasang Party Plot, Opposite M.S. Hostel, Sama-Savli Road. Ph: 2713676.

SNOWBOUND: An exhibition of photographs by US based photographer Lisa M. Robinson. Organised By Rahul Gajjar. 14th to 22nd May, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. At Raaga Numerique, 203, Mangaldhara Complex, 83 Sampatrao Colony. Ph: 2396450. Email: rahul@rahulgajjar.com

12-05-10

Dandia Bazar-Akota Road: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has finally been handed over the land for the Dandia Bazar-Akota Road. The new road will include a bridge over the Vishwamitri River and the railway tracks. The Gujarat government has acquired roughly 69,000 square metres of land for this project, including areas in the Rajmahal compound, Maharaja slums and hutments in the Akota area. The stretch of land acquired for the project is 40 metres wide and 1.75 kms long. The road will connect Dandia Bazar tri-junction to Akota.

More Work For MSU VC: University vice-chancellor Ramesh Goyal has been appointed the regional chairman of All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) to monitor engineering, pharmacy and management colleges in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh. He will also be responsible for approving applications to set up new engineering, pharmacy and management colleges in these three states.

ISO Certificate For Copy Centre: Sainath Copy Centre in GIDC Makarpura, Baroda, was recently given the ISO 9001: 2008 certification. This is for the first time in India that a photocopying centre has received such a certification. The certification will be valid till 2013.

21-04-10

Honour For Nirav Joshi: Teaching assistant Niraj Josh from MS University's Zoology Department has been selected by Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), USA, for a six-week 'Frontier in Reproduction (FIR)' scholarship programme. The brief stint will help him to improve the skills required for a career in reproductive sciences. He will also read a presentation on male reproductive toxicity and the protective role of melatonin and give details of his doctoral thesis on the impact of environmental and lifestyle changes on male fertility.

Narendra Tiwari Wins Again: Narendra Tiwari has been elected president of the Baroda Bar Association (BBA) for the 19th year in a row. He said that he got 1,405 votes out of the 1,773 that were cast.

Honour For Nirav Joshi: Teaching assistant Niraj Josh from MS University's Zoology Department has been selected by Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), USA, for a six-week 'Frontier in Reproduction (FIR)' scholarship programme. The brief stint will help him to improve the skills required for a career in reproductive sciences. He will also read a presentation on male reproductive toxicity and the protective role of melatonin and give details of his doctoral thesis on the impact of environmental and lifestyle changes on male fertility.

Narendra Tiwari Wins Again: Narendra Tiwari has been elected president of the Baroda Bar Association (BBA) for the 19th year in a row. He said that he got 1,405 votes out of the 1,773 that were cast.

Chocolate Festival: At The Chocolate Room, Jetalpur Road, Alkapuri, till May 15, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Ph: 6645555, 6649999, 2330303.

J. Krishnamurti Study Centre: Video presentation and discussion. At 6 p.m. every second and fourth Saturday. Pink Bungalow, Opposite Vaibhav Apt., Next to Dada-Dadi Garden, Behind Natubhai Circle.

Gujarati Play: 'Kona Didha Ne Tamara Rahi Gaya', at Gandhi Nagargruh, May 25 to 28.

Gujarati Play: 'Kanji Viruddha Kanji', at Gandhi Nagargruh, June 15 to 20.

16-04-10

Kamalnayan Inamdar Offers Scholarships: Baroda-Online has received the following message from Kamalnayan Inamdar:

"I came from a needy family, and I would like to help 2 students per year on behalf of my father's name. I would like to offer 2 annual scholarships to needy students willing to go to Engineering School, MS University of Baroda. The conditions to get the scholarship are as follows:
a. The family income has to be below Rs. 25,000 per month.
b. Student must have secured at least an admission to Faculty of Technology/Engineering and be willing to go for degree in Metallurgical Engineering.
c. The student must have passed 2nd year of the college and be ready to go in Metallurgical Engineering discipline.
d. The scholarship will include: tuition and funds to purchase stationery items.
For more information, contact: Dr. Kamal Vinayak Inamdar kamalinamdar@gmail.com?

15-04-10

Dandia Bazaar-Akota Flyover: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has started the land acquisition procedures for the Dandia Bazaar-Akota Road flyover. The flyover will ease the traffic problems at Kala Ghoda, Sayajigunj and Alkapuri. The proposed road will start at the Dandia Bazaar crossroads near Maharani Shantadevi Nursing Home and end at Akota, crossing the Vishwamitri River and the railway tracks. The project may cost Rs. 650 million, Rs. 500 million for the 850-metre flyover and Rs. 150 million for the 1.5-km road.

Vadsar Overbridge: The Dindayal Upadhyay Overbridge in the Vadsar area of the city is now open to traffic. Spanning the busy Mumbai-Vadodara railway line at Makarpura, the overbridge took over three years to build. The cost of construction was Rs. 130 million. Over 622 metres long and 20 metres wide, it has two carriages of 7.5 metres on either side of the divider and two 1.5-metre-wide footpaths.


Continuing Adult Education: MS University's Centre for Continuing Adult Education (CCAE) is among the 18 centres in India which recently received a University Grants Commission (UGC) grant to carry out the lifelong learning programme (LLP). The centre offers 58 courses and about 1,000 students benefit each year.

08-04-10

Exhibition & Sale: By Tejal Boutique. Till April 10, 10 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. At 54, Vishwas Colony, Near Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road. Ph: 6535382.

Summer Collection: By Aakriti (Pune). Suits and Kurtis designed with brocades, goats, laces, etc. Till April 10, at Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. Ph: 9824043158.

Paintings Exhibition: 'Spiritual Odyssey', paintings by Pratiksha Apurv. At Allure Art Gallery, 203, Payal Complex, Near Stock Exchange Building, Sayajigunj. 11.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. Till April 10.

Meditation Classes: By Maa Krishna. April 11, 5 p.m. Onwards. At Maa Krishna Ashram, 303, Nityanand Park Apartments, Sussen-Tarsali Road, Tarsali.

Gujarati Play: 'Dikri Vhal No Dariyo', at Gandhi Nagargruh, April 10. Ph: 9825120583, 9825192597.

Gujarati Play: 'Preet, Piyu Ne Panetar', at Gandhi Nagargruh, April 11. Ph: 9825120583, 9825192597.

Gujarati Play: 'Maa-Baap Ne Bhulso Nahi', at Gandhi Nagargruh, April 12. Ph: 9825120583, 9825192597.

18-03-10

Photo Exhibition: Photographs of Marcel Marceau by Hemendra Shah. At Alliance Francaise, Baroda, Vasna Road, till March 26, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Art Exhibition: Bhupen Barman ... A Retrospective. At Red Earth Art Gallery, ABS Tower, Old Padra Road, till March 26, 4.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Gujarati Play: 'Mane Mara Mrs. Nathi Gamta', at Gandhi Nagargruh, March 30 & 31, 9.30 p.m. Ph: 9824056652.

Painting Exhibition: By Damodar Gajjar. At Sarjan Art Gallery, Vishwas Colony, till March 26, 3.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Yoga Classes: Arvind Society, Dandia Bazar. March 16 to 31, daily 5.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Ph: 2412685.

Daawat -E- Biryani: Food festival at Cambay Pavilion, WelcomHotel Vadodara, R.C. Dutt Road. Till March 28, 7.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. For reservation call: 6677044.

Furniture Sale: At L-Wood Furniture Mall. Till March 30. Furniture for home office, kitchen, garden, modular furniture, etc. At Zenith Compound, Chhani Road. Ph: 2771034. At Earth Complex, Akshar Chowk. Ph: 2354128. At 362, GIDC, Makarpura.

Yoga Shibir: March 15 to 24, daily 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. Organised by Vivekanand Kendra, Aaram Apartment, 12, Sampatrao Colony.

Sale @home: Flat 15 % off on furniture. Till March 28, at @home, Centre Square Mall, Near Sarabhai Circle. Ph: 3926662, 3926666.

Gujarati Play: 'Bharat Bhagya Vidhata' . March 25 & 26, 8.30 p.m. At C.C. Mehta Auditorium. Contact: 9712971082.

Pyramid Vastu: Course by Dr. Jiten Bhatt, March 27 & 28, 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Taj Gateway Hotel. In Hindi. Ph: 2652037.

Hyderabadi Embroidery: Exhibition by Vishveshwari Jadeja, May 1 to 3, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road. Hyderabadi Hand Embroidery on platinum, chiffon and georgette sarees, block printed/shadow work/Madhubani painted salwaar suits, Lucknowi Mukesh work sarees, vegetable dyed block printed sarees. Ph: 09885166522. Email: wish_s11@yahoo.co.in

Cooking Classes: By Varsha Patel, Variant Cooking Class, Opposite Parivar School, Ajwa Road. Ph: 2516482. Email: variantclass@gmail.com. Learn over 150 vegetarian varieties. Courses are from 3 days to 3 months, depending upon syllabus.

Gujarati Play: 'Lage Raho Gujjubhai', at Gandhi Nagargruh, March 22. Ph: 9825045707, 9825007659.

Gujarati Play: 'Ek Chhokri Sav Anokhi', at Gandhi Nagargruh, April 1 to 4. Ph: 9825045707, 9825007659.

19-02-10

Semester System At MSU: MS University's Faculty of Commerce has accepted the recommendation of the Gujarat state education department to introduce a semester and credit based system. The new system is likely to be implemented after the 2011-12 academic year.

NRG Centre: A Non Resident Gujarati (NRG) Centre is planned to be started in Vadodara to cater to the needs of NRGs. The Vadodara district administration has teamed up the Vadodara Chamber for Commerce and Industries (VCCI) to set up the centre at the VCCI office in Makarpura.

'Unrecognised' Indian Languages: People speaking in as many as 250 languages which are not recognised by the Indian constitution, will meet at a confluence to be hosted by the Vadodara based Bhasha Research Centre from March 8 to 10. Over 800 participants are expected to attend, from the United Nations, national universities, Sahitya Akademi and the Central Institute of Indian Languages.

18-02-10

Village Infrastructure: The Gujarat has sanctioned over Rs. 2 billion for infrastructure development projects in villages on the basis of public-private partnership. Vadodara district's share of the kitty will be Rs. 89 million distributed over its 1,513 villages.

Jay Brahmbhatt's Achievement: Twenty-year-old Jay Brahmbhatt, who is supposed to be the world's youngest software security specialist, had also become the world's youngest certified systems engineer at the age of 11. Jay was a student of Bhavan's School, Vadodara, and passed his higher secondary exams two years ago.

Floodlit Hockey Ground: Baroda District Hockey Association (BDHA) will install international-standard floodlights at the Kala Bhavan hockey ground. The money will be contributed by an individual who wishes to remain anonymous. The lighting arrangement will enable the hosting of professional day-night tournaments.

Traditional Writing Instruments: Barodian Vasudev Soni has been a collector of traditional writing instruments for over 35 years. The Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery has organised an exhibition of his collection. The exhibition, from 10.30 a.m. to 5 p.m., will continue till February 22. He built up his collection from scrap dealers and shukravari bazaars in several cities. The exhibits include ink pots (khadiyo) made in several shapes and in a wide variety of materials - mud, stones, coconuts, silver, iron and bronze.

13-02-10

Chhattisgarh Utsav-2010: Exhibition and sale of dhokara arts, wrought iron, wood carving, terracotta, bamboo crafts and kosha silk and dress materials. Oganised by Shabari, a unit of Chhattisgarh Hastshilp Vikas Board. Till February 21, 10.30 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj.

Flowers, Fruits & Vegetables Exhibition: Oganised by Baroda Agricultural Horticulture Committee. Till February 15, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Model Farm, Near Genda Circle.

Exclusive Jaipuri Cotton Stuff: By Color-Fab. Tunics, kurtis, stitched suits, suit materials, patiyala salwar/chudidar set, nighty/leggings, bedsheets, covers. Till February 15, 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road.

Rajasthani & Gujarati Specialities: At Rajdhani, The Vegetarian Thali Restaurant, Kshitij Mall, Opposite Vadodara Central, Sarabhai Circle, Ellora Park. Till February 28. Ph: 3248188, 9925270614.

A Magnificent Masque: An exhibition of recent works by K.G. Subramanyan. At Sarjan Art Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Alkapuri, till February 20.

Paintings By Surendra C. Patel: Exhibition at Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University. Till February 16, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

12-02-10

Crocodiles In Vishwamitri: The Vishwamitri river passing through Baroda seems to be a suitable breeding place for crocodiles. A census in 2001 had shown that the river had 72 crocodiles. A recent census pegged the figure at 205 crocodiles over a stretch of 23 km. The census was conducted on January 23 and January 25. Over 80 crocodiles were found in the stretch between Kala Ghoda and Mujmahuda.

05-02-10

SSC & HSC Exams: The Gujarat Secondary & Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) has announced that the examinations of science and general streams of SSC and HSC will be held from March 4. This year 872,616 students will appear for SSC, 384,850 students for HSC general stream and 75,299 for HSC science stream. The HSC results for science stream will be announced on May 20 and that of the general stream on May 27. The SSC results will be announced on June 3. The Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GUJCET) will be conducted on April 8.

Fund-Raiser For Ayurvedic Hospital: The Baroda Nair Welfare Association (BNWA) has organised a fund raising music event to set up a multi-speciality ayurvedic hospital and research centre in the city. Scheduled for February 20, the programme - 'Legends In Concert' - will feature Sivamani, Louiz Banks, Fazal Qureshi, Shankara Marar, Balabhaskar, Giridhar Uduppa, Karl Peters and Gino Banks. It will be held at Vaccine Institute ground on Old Padra Road. BNWA has acquired land at Undera to construct a 40-bed ayurvedic hospital spread over 12,000 square feet' The facility will cost Rs. 10 million and it will be ready in 18 months. BNWA has collaborated with Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala in Kerala, which was founded by Padma Shri Ashtavaidyan E. T. Neelakandan Mooss. For donor passes contact 0265-2784382 and 0265-2711515.

Dental Implants At SSG Hospital: The department of dental surgery at Baroda's SSG Hospital now has the facilities to perform dental implant surgeries, a first for a government medical college. A grant of Rs. 500,000 was used to buy a dental implant kit. Poor patients will be given this treatment free of cost, and others will have to pay only for the implant cost. Dental implants benefit patients with tooth loss. The procedure takes only 45 to 60 minutes, and the patient can go home straight away. Post-procedure precautions are not required. A dental implant is considered to be better option than a denture since it is claimed that it is a lifetime solution.

Industry-Academia Interface: To facilitate an industry-academia interface, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MS University of Baroda to establish an ONGC Chair at MSU's department of geology. ONGC has contributed Rs. 5 million towards the corpus. MSU already conducts a specialised course in petroleum geology.

Kabir Utsav: Organised by Ghargharika and Micro Inks. At Jyoti Garden, next to Shastri Bridge, Nanubhai Amin Marg. 5th February (8.30 p.m.), 6th February (8 p.m.), 7th February (7 p.m.).

Madhubani Paintings: By Shrimati Bauva Devi. At Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University. February 4 & 5, 10 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

MACHTECH 2010: Exhibition of engineering machinery, machine tools, automation and automotive technology and products. At Akota Stadium, February 4 to 7.

Khadi & Village Industries Exhibition: At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., till February 7.

Rudraksha Mahotsav: Organised by Rudralife, Mumbai. At Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road, February 7 to 11, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ph: 09320077017, 09322791218.

Zodiac Annual Sale: Till February 9, at Centre Square Mall and at Siddharth Complex.

Legends In Concert: Organised by Baroda Nair Welfare Association. February 20, 7 p.m., at Vaccine institute Ground, Old Padra Road. For donor passes: 0265-2784382, 0265-2711515.

Hakoba Sale: Up to 50 % off. Till February 5, at Sampatrao Colony, Alkapuri.

Sale @home: Up to 50 % off. Furniture, furnishings, accessories, lighting, kitchens. At @home, Centre Square Mall, Near Sarabhai Circle. Ph: 3926662, 3926666.

Raj Dance Show: Live Orchestra, DJs & Dance. At C.C. Mehta Hall. February 11, 7 p.m. For Tickets Ring 9825337271, 2432700.

South Indian Food Festival: At Blue Coriander, Revival Lords Inn, Near Sayaji Garden, University Road, 7 p.m. onwards, February 4 to 14. Ph: 9374217277, 3013545.

Garden Vareli Mega Sale: At Marble Arch Display Centre, Opposite Vanijya Bhavan, Race Course Circle. Till February 15, 10 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. daily.

07-01-10

Hyderabadi Food Festival: At Kala Ghoda Restaurant, Sayaji Hotel, till January 17, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Traditional ambience with live ghazal, shayari and quawali. Phone: 2363030.

International Seminar On Buddhist Heritage: Organised by MS University of Baroda and Government of India. Inauguration at 2.30 p.m. on January 15, at Union Pavilion, MSU. Academic sessions on January 16 and 17, at C.C. Mehta Auditorium. Exhibitions on January 16 and 17 at Department of Archaeology & Ancient History, Faculty of Arts, MSU. This seminar is meant to share the archaeology and history of the Buddhist past of Gujarat with the academic world and also to introduce people to the Buddhist heritage sites of Gujarat. The seminar will focus on four major areas: Archeology and History of Buddhism; Philosophy of Buddhism; Conserving the Buddhist Heritage; Developing Buddhist Tourism in Gujarat. For further information: http://buddhistgujarat.org

Drawing Competition: On the theme 'MOTION'. Organised by Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC), Baroda. On January 17, 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Amphitheatre, Kamatibaug. Competition open for all, surprising gifts for all the winners, no fee for participation. Only drawing papers will be provided at the venue. Topic will be provided on the spot. certificate for all the winners. Ph: 6625933/3253134. Email: baroda@maacmail.com

Exhibition Of Handloom Garments: Organised by Madhya Pradesh Rajya Hathkargha Bunker Sahakari Sangh. Till January 11, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Trisha Art Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

Seminar On Clay Animation & Visual Effects: On the theme of 'MOTION'. Organised by Maya Academy Of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC). On January 30, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Sanskriti Auditorium, Manjalpur. Seminar open for all. VIP passes on payment of Rs. 100 for those who want to interact and participate in the live workshop. Enroll January 28. Ph: 6625933/3253134. Email: baroda@maacmail.com

Stock Market Practical Workshop: Conducted by Mr. Vijaysinh. At Vanijya Bhavan, Race Course, Near Pizza Hut, January 7, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free entry. Ph: 9825953039, 9275174646.

Winter Sale: By Garvi-Gurjari. At Garvi-Gurjari Emporium, Panorama Complex, Alkapuri, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sarees & Dress Material: Exhibition and sale by Jaipur Saree Kendra. Also chaniya-choli in bandhej work, hand-block printed and traditional embroidery. At Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road, January 4 to 6, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Rhythmic Breathing Exercises: Free training programme by Soleji Yog Foundation, January 4 and 5, 6.45 p.m. At Jagdish Hall, Behind Sardar Baug, Wadi Wadi.

Saaz Ensemble: Music and fashion show. Creations inspired by musical instruments. January 10, 7.30 p.m., at Lilleria Lawns, Sama-Savli Road. For passes contact InSync Events (Ph: 2351265).

Sale At Westside: Up to 50 % off. Till January 26. At Westside, Monalisa Centrum, Next to Inox, Race Course Circle. Ph: 6623101/2.

Discount Sale: Sarees, Ready-mades, Dress Materials. At Kala Niketan, Panorama Complex, R.C. Dutt Road, Alkapuri, January 2 to 9, 2010. Ph: 2335885.

Paintings Exhibition: By Apurva Desai. At Sarjan Art Gallery, 1, Vishwas Colony, Alkapuri, December 26 to January 5, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Sarees, Jewellery: Exhibition of Sarees, Jewellery, Kidswear, Kurtis, Bed Sheets and Decoratives. Till January 3, at Trisha Art Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

Exhibition Of Hand Embroidery & Classic Applique: By Purvi Doshi. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. December 28 to 29, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Photographs Exhibition: By Johnes Manjrekar. Till December 29, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University.

Books Exhibition: Organised by Navneet Publications (India) Ltd.. At Kirti Mandir, till December 27, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

All Brid Championship Dog Show: Organised by Gujarat Kennel Club. At Navrachana School Ground, Sama, December 27, 10.30 a.m.

Hakoba Sale: At Marble Arch Hall, Opposite Vanijya Bhavan, Race Course, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Bridal Diamond Jewellery: By Arihant, at Welcom Hotel, R.C. Dutt Road, till December 21, 9.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m.

Rhythmic Breathing Exercises: Free training programme by Soleji Yog Foundation, Dec 21 and 22, 6.45 p.m. to 8 p.m. At Jagdish Hall, Behind Sardar Baug, Wadi Wadi.


Banarasi Kota Sarees & Dress Materials: By ESN Creations, Kolkata. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. Till December 21, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ph: 09769572485.

Embroidered Sarees & More: By Suchitra, Kolkata. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. December 22 to 24, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ph: 9898016271.

Air Pollution & Climate Change: National Seminar organised by Division of Environment Science, Faculty of Science, MS University of Baroda, in association with Indian Association for Air Pollution Control, Indian Geomatics Society and Indian Environment Association. February 7, 2010. Scientists can send their original research work for presentation in the seminar. For students registration fee is Rs. 150. The seminar will have oral and poster presentations on various aspect of air pollution management and other forms of pollution which affect climate change. The last date for registration is January 26, 2010. Contact Prof Arun Arya, Professor and Head, Department of Botany (Ph: 2791891). Email: aryaarunarya@rediffmail.com

BBA BAAZIGAR: MS University's Bachelor of Business Administration Students Association (BBASA) will organise its annual business event 'BBA BAAZIGAR' from January 18 to 31. Registration between December 22 and January 13.

Under 13 Cricket Tournament: Organised by Bal Bhavan, at Bal Bhavan Ground on January 4, 2010. Interested schools should contact Bal Bhavan before December 24.

Vadodara Central Carnival: Shopping Dhamaka, Food Festival, Sweepstakes, etc., at Vadodara Central. Till January 3, 2010.

'This Way': Exhibition of Sculptures by Shitanshu G. Maurya, At Exhibition Hall, Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University, Till December 21, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Digital Paintings Exhibition: By Sanjivani Chaudhuri. At Aakruti Art Gallery, Kirti Mandir. Till December 21, 10 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Indo-West Collection: By 'Gurlz Clothing', Mumbai. Till December 21, at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road. Ph: 9724443499.

Yoga Classes: Arvind Society, Dandia Bazar. December 16 to 31, daily 5.30 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Lecture On Gita: 'Gita in Life, Sure Mantras of Gita for Success'. December 21 to 25, 2009, 6.30 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. At Tejas Vidyalaya, Ellora Park. Organised By Chinmay Mission (D-903/904, Kunj Resi-Cum-Plaza, Palace Road. Ph: 2419640.
Email: chinmayamissionvadodara@yahoo.com).

Handloom & Handicrafts: By Garvi-Gurjari. At Garvi-Gurjari Emporium, Panorama Complex, Alkapuri. Till December 30, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Book Fair: At Marble Arch Hall, Opposite Pizza Hut, Race Course. Till December 21, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Organised by, Ashish Book Centre, Mumbai.

19-12-09

Philatelic Show: By Baroda Philatelic Society. December 18 to 20. At Saurashtra Leuva Patel Seva Samaj Hall, Gorwa.

English Communication: Enhance communication skills by speaking correct and fluent English. Contact Yamini Mehta, Chikoowadi, Vadodara. Ph 9428767129. Email: yaminimehta9@yahoo.co.in

Learn French: Coaching in small batches for French language. Contact Yamini Mehta, Chikoowadi, Vadodara. Ph 9428767129. Email: yaminimehta9@yahoo.co.in

Career Opportunities In USA: Free presentation on December 20, 11 a.m. to 12 noon. For registration contact: Impel, Productivity Road. Ph: 2323396, 9723346000.

Exhibition Of Home Appliances: Organised by Maheshwari Mahila Mandal. Till December 20, 2009, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj.

Sunehri Yaadein: Mehta Arts presents filmy songs by young artists. December 20, 7.30 p.m. At C.C. Mehta Auditorium, MS University. Contact: 9374961833, 9824843492, 9376933989.

Photo Exhibition: On the life and teachings of J. Krishanmurti. Organised by Krishnamurti Study Centre. At Baroda High School, Alkapuri, till December 20, 10 a.m. onwards.

Workshop on Autism: Workshop for teachers and parents on 'Applied Behaviour Analysis and Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Children with Autism'. Conducted by Indu Chaswal and Viveka Chattopadhyay. At Disha Special School & Autism Centre, 62 Sampatrao Colony, Alkapuri. Till December 19, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

NISV Fun Fair: Hi5 One World, December 18, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., at Navrachana International School, Bhayali Campus. Entry free for all.

L'il Champs of Baroda: 'Swarsetu' presents Hindi songs by little children. December 19, 8 p.m., at Sayaji Vihar Club, Behind Kirti Stambh. Contact for more details: Mangesh Ph: 9825949280, Nandkishor Ph: 9825084449.

Hand Crafted Designer Sarees: By Rangoli Hyderabad. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. December 18 & 19, 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.

Best Collector Award: Vadodara collector Vijay Nehra has received an award for being the Best Collector in Gujarat in the urban district category. The award recognises the work done by him under the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme. He secured first place in the country in implementation of the scheme. His work on streamlining core revenue administration and land records promulgation has also been appreciated. He contributed significantly in the work of the Antyodaya Scheme, in plugging loopholes in the Public Distribution System (PDS) by cancelling 45,000 fake ration cards, and in tackling the malpractices associated with kerosene quotas.

Solar-Powered A/C Plant: Deepak Gadhia and Dr Vikram Patel have developed a 100-ton solar-powered air-conditioning system for a 160-bed hospital of Muni Seva Ashram (MSA) in Goraj, near Baroda. They have already installed a solar steam cooking system in MSA, and they wondered whether the solar energy used for cooking can also be used to cool the air. In the past there really were refrigerators running on the heat from kerosene lamps. With some help from the Indian government and the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) MSA was able to get a part of the funding of Rs. 13 million. Gadhia and Patel have also successfully installed a solar crematorium at Waghodia.

Back To School: Alumni Meet Organised by ROSA (Rosary Old Students Association Alumni) and Rosary School. One-day festival on January 9, 2010, 8 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. At Rosary School, Pratapganj, Baroda. All alumni will get the opportunity to meet current students, other alumni, old teachers and old principals. Please contact Sanjeev Joshi on 91-265-2794137. Email: sun.jeeves@gmail.com. For details refer to www.rosa.org.in, www.rosaryschoolbaroda.com

Investor Awareness Programme: By Institute of Company Secretaries of India (Vadodara Chapter). At Trading Hall, Vadodara Stock Exchange, Fortune Tower, Sayajigunj. December 12, at 3 p.m. Investor education material will be provided free of cost. To register ring up 2331498. Email: csmas.brd@gmail.com

Sarees & Dress Materials: By Zairaa. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. Till December 15.

Painting Exhibition: By Students of Mudra School of Fine Arts. At Exhibition Hall, Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University. December 14, 5 p.m.

Art Show: By Harish Parmar. At Aakruti Art Gallery, Kirti Mandir. December 11 to 14, 10.30 a.m. onwards.

Raj Dance Show: Salsa, Hip-Hop, Filmy, Break Dance. by Rupeshraj & Vijayaraj. At Sanskrit Hall, Manjalpur. December 13, 7 p.m. For Tickets Ring 9825337271, 2432700.

Classical Dance Programme: By Purva School of Bharatnatyam. At C.C. Mehta Auditorium, MS University. December 11, 7.45 p.m.

Cultural Programme: By Mook Dhwani Trust. At Shri Kamalaben Badhir Vidyalaya, Karelibaug. December 12, 4.00 p.m. onwards.

Orissa Crafts Festival: At Aditi Gallery, Race Course Circle. Till December 18. 11 a.m. to 9.00 p.m.

Kashiba Embroideries: Sale at Aavkar Hall, Near Water Tank, Karelibaug. Till December 14, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

09-12-09

Guest Lecture: Chhaap (Baroda Print Making Workshop) has organised a lecture by visiting artist Jenny Smith on 10th December, 2009, between 6.30 and 8.00 p.m., at D-8 Vrindavan Bungalows, Opposite Mathura Nagri, Behind Aims Oxygen. Jenny Smith is based in Scotland and has won a number of awards. Her work is currently being exhibited in the Royal Scottish Academy Annual Exhibition in Edinburgh and she is an invited artist for the Originals Print exhibition in London in February 2010. Her work is in public and private collections around the world including Tate Gallery, London, and the National Galleries of Scotland. She had conducted a workshop at Chhaap in early December. (See www.jennysmith.org.uk).

North:East Crafts Fair: Exhibition-cum-sale organised by Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India & NEHHDC. Till December 6, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Parsi Agiyari Ground, Opposite Surya Palace Hotel, Sayajigunj.

Trade Fair 2009: Exhibition & Sale of home appliances and office equipment. Till December 10, 2009, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj. Organised by Aashirwad Marketing.

Handloom & Handicrafts Exhibition: Exhibition-cum-sale organised by Aum Education & Charitable Trust. Till December 14, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Kala Bhavan Ground, Rajmahal Road.

Arts & Crafts Fair: Exhibition-cum-sale organised by Purbashree Emporium NEHHDC Ltd.. Till December 16, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Pancharatna Gallery, Ellorapark.

Book Sale: Till December 13, 10.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. At Crossword, Arunodaya Society, Alkapuri. Ph: 2333338, 2339484.

Designer Sarees & Kurtas: By Sonal Gandhi, December 11 & 12. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road.

21-11-09

British Council's Education UK Exhibition: The British Council's Education UK Exhibition will be held at The Gateway Hotel, Akota, Baroda, on November 24, 2009 (12 noon to 7 p.m.). The exhibition will provide an opportunity for students to directly interact with UK academics and solve their queries regarding admission procedures, entry requirements, credit transfers, scholarships, etc. It will feature over 30 academics from 25 leading UK institutions. Special seminars will be conducted on a variety of subjects: Postgraduate Courses, IT & Engineering, MBA, IELTS, Student Visas, etc. Free Entry for All! For more details visit www.educationuk-in.org

29-09-09

New Sports Complexes: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) may appoint an agency to design and manage the outdoor sports complex project which planned for the Manjalpur area. VMC has received a grant for this project from Gujarat Municipal Finance Board (GMFB). The complex will have a gymnasium and facilities for athletics, football, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho, lawn tennis and a gymnasium. An indoor stadium has been suggested for Sama with facilities for table tennis, basketball, badminton, volleyball, swimming.

Vadodara Darshan: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation, District Tourism Development Committee (DTDC) and Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) have joined hands to start the 'Vadodara Darshan' tourist bus for local sightseeing. The route includes Laxmi Vilas Palace, Fatehsinhrao Museum, EME Temple, Kirti Mandir, Kamatibaug, coin museum, Nimeta, Ajwa, etc. Trained tourist guides provide interesting details.

Scholarship Programme: ABB Baroda and MS University have signed a MoU for a global scholarship programme in which three financially needy students will be supported by the ABB Jugen Dormann Foundation for Engineering Education. The annual scholarship will be awarded to students for the next five years.

Importance of Technical Analysis: Organised by InvestarIndia.com. October 1, 2009, 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. At Vanijya Bhavan, Race Course, Near Pizza Hut, Ph: 9725010401. FREE Seminar that will help you understand how using technical analysis can help you gain better returns in the stock market.

Trade Fair 2009: Exhibition & Sale of home appliances and office equipment. Till October 4, 2009, 12 Noon to 10 p.m. At Kalabhuvan Ground, Rajmahal Road. Organised by Aashirwad Marketing.

21-09-09

Rainwater Harvesting Mandatory: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation has announced that all new constructions must have percolating wells for rainwater harvesting. Rainwater harvesting is now mandatory. Builders who construct new buildings by demolishing old ones in the walled city areas will also have to follow the new rules. This decision has been taken in order to increase the groundwater level.

'Cutting Chai' - An Exhibition: Sarjan Art Gallery (Behind Alkapuri Petrol Pump, Vishwas Colony) has organised an exhibition of more than 100 artworks by 71 artists, called ?Cutting Chai?. It will remain open till October 1, 2009 (3 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily). The exhibition is conceptualised, organised and curated by Sandhya Bordewekar. All artists have worked around the idea of getting together to have cutting chai at tea laris around the Fine Arts Faculty such as Vishnu's, Dolabhai's, Salim's, and Masi's.


Art Attack: Photographs by Piyush Parmar. Till September 22, 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., at Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University.

Art & Craft Festival: Organised by All India Dastkari Hastshilp Hastkargha Society. Till September 28, 2009, 10.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Opposite Surya Palace Hotel, Sayajigunj.

Kashiba Embroideries: Sale at Aavkar Hall, Near Water Tank, Karelibaug. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

12-09-09

Exhibition By 34 Artists: 'Hub 2, A Contemporary Parampara'. Till September 15, 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., at Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University.

Dinesh Mill's Bachat Mahotsov: Sale of suiting fabrics and shirts. Till October 16, 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., at Mill's Show Room, Akota-Padra Road. Ph: 2330060-65.

Kids' Chaniya Cholies & Kurtas: By Neha Patel. September 13, 14, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

Handlooms & Handicrafts Fair: Exhibition-cum-sale organised by Kulamani Creative Handicrafts Co-operative Society Ltd., Puri, Orissa. Till September 19, at Trident Complex, Opposite S.T. Workshop, Race Course.

Navratri Special: Exhibition & Sale by Meeta M. Mehta. Festive collection of traditional and fusion chaniya cholis for all age groups. Tunics, bandhanis, blouses, salwar kameez. Till September 14, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at 3, Bell-e-Vista, Next to D'damas, below Copper Chimney Restaurant, Bird Circle. Ph: 9377762988.

Navratri Exhibition & Sale: At Hemali's Design Studio. Till September 27, 10.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Colourful chania cholis, dupattas, male kurtas. At 1/2, Haribhakti Colony, Near Bird Circle, Opposite Race Course Post Office. Ph: 2350637, 9924944311.

Navratri Collection: Salwar kameez, chaniya cholies, men's kurtas, tunics. By Poonam Patel, Womenza Design Studio, at Trisha Gallery, September 14, 15. Ph: 2340807.

Navratri Sale: By Shree Kala Designing Studio. Salwar kameez, tunics, chania choli, at G/2, Astha Flats, near Baroda Heart Institute, 45, Haribhakti Colony. Ph: 2322069. Till September 19, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Chaniya Cholis: By Trinetra. Specially for Navratri. At 40 (Basement), Vishwas Colony. Ph: 2333842, 3053200. Till September 27, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Spin Academy: Registrations open for new batch of dancing courses, at Jetalpur Road. Age group 3 to 60 yrs. Contact Akash Karnatki (Mumbai 9712919007, 9825419007).

11-09-09

Piped Gas Connections: The Gujarat government has given approval to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) to set up a joint venture to make piped gas connections available to the entire city. VMC currently supplies 100,000 cubic metres to 74,000 customers. The objective is to supply 400,000 cubic metres to 400,000 customers. The joint venture partner may be Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL).

Half Marathon: The 21-km half marathon, 'Go Vadodara Go', to be organised in the city on November 22, is the fifth such international event in India that has been accredited by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). The race will be an annual event conducted by a non-profit company called Vadodara Marathon. This year the proceeds will go to the Vadodara Traffic Police Trust. Cricketers Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan will be the brand ambassadors for the event. Formal accreditation is awaited from AIMS.

Counselor Training At MSU: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has given a grant of Rs. 2.3 million each to MS University of Baroda (MSU) and Gujarat Vidyapeeth to train counselors in the effort against AIDS, TB and malaria. TISS has selected 36 institutes in India for this project. The training module has been developed by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO).

Half Marathon: 21-km race on November 22.

Navratri Special: By Color-Fab. Tunics, kurtis, stitched suits, suit materials, patiyala aalwar/chudidar set, nighty/leggings, bedsheets, covers. Till September 13, 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road.

Sarees & Dress Materials: By Zairaa. At Signature Gallery, Meghdhanush Complex, Near Bird Circle, Race Course. September 10 to 12.

Navratri Garba Mahotsav: Organised by United Way of Baroda. September 19 to 27.

Book Fair: At Marble Arch Hall, Opposite Pizza Hut, Race Course. Till September 21, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Organised by, Ashish Book Centre, Mumbai.

Chaat Festival: At Kala Patthar, Revival Lords Inn, University Road, 7:00 p.m. onwards, till September 13. Ph: 9374217277.

26-08-09

Medicinal Plants At MSU Campus: MS University's Botany department has taken up a project to identify the medicinal plants on the MSU campus and Dhanvantri (the official residence of the university vice-chancellor, after the botanical significance of the plants has come to light. Dhanvantri alone has 104 varieties planted during the rule of the Gaikwads; in fact, the royal vaid stayed in this building. The Gujarat government's Medicinal Plant Board has sanctioned a grant of Rs. 1.1 million for the cataloguing project.

Students' Union Elections: The MSU Students' Union (MSUSU) elections for the post of university general secretary (UGS), vice-president (VP) and faculty representatives (FRs) will be held on September 9. Counting of votes will be done on the same day.

Australian Education Fair: By Neptune Educational Consultants, September 11, 2009, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. At Taj Gateway, Akota, Vadodara. Entry Free. For Registrations, call 3057314. 2323122.

25-08-09

Shopping Festival: By Sahaj, an organisation for women's development. Till September 3, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. At Trisha Gallery, Opposite Swagat Restaurant, Jetalpur Road. Live demo of craftsmanship by tribal artisans. Beaded jewellery, bamboo baskets, lamps, bags, wooden clocks, festive decoration for homes and offices, bamboo furniture, chaniya cholis, tops, salwar kameez, dupattas.

21-08-09

Seventh Platform At Railway Station: The Vadodara railway station will soon have an additional platform, the seventh. This platform will have an entry near the Alkapuri underpass. It is expected to be ready in a few months. Once the monsoon is over, the underpass will be made one-way to facilitate construction work.

Drinking Water For Army: The Applied Chemistry department of MS University (MSU) has received a project grant from India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to figure out how clean drinking water can be made available to army personnel stationed in inhospitable areas. The specific 30-month. Rs. two-million project is to develop a Carbon Nano Tubes (CNTs) membrane to filter water. CNTs consume less energy than reverse osmosis or distillation processes and allow for better throughput compared to other membrane filters. No chemicals are used, and they can filter chemicals as well as biological organisms.

Indo-West Collection: By 'Gurlz Clothing', Mumbai. Till August 24, at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road Vadodara. Ph: 9724443499.

Book Sale: Till September13, 2009. At Crossword, Arunodaya Society, Alkapuri. Ph: 2333338, 2339484.

Annual Sale: Sarees, Ready-mades, Dress Materials. At Kala Niketan, Panorama Complex, R.C. Dutt Road, Alkapuri. Ph: 2335885.

Italian Food Festival: At Machu Picchu, Bihari Apartment, Next to WelcomHotel. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Ph: 2356376.

19-08-09

CCTVs In The City: The claim is that Vadodara will be the first Indian city to be monitored by closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs) round the clock. About 150 CCTV cameras will be placed in many places, especially in sensitive areas, and also in all entry and exit points. The total cost: Rs. 30 million. The objective is to improve security and control the flow of traffic. Thus far, 29 CCTVs have already been installed. Each all-weather proof camera has a range of 600 metres and it can clearly pick up any person or object. It can be rotated 360 degrees. The monitors are at the Police Control Room.

City NGO Bags World Bank Project: Deepak Foundation, a Baroda based NGO, drew up a plan to boost nutrition among children in tribal areas. The project has now won a grant funded by the World Bank (WB). A competition had been organised to select a suitable project and 1,000 applications had been received by the funding agency from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Assessment was done by a panel of international development experts. Deepak Foundation's project 'Community involvement in promoting neonatal and infant nutrition in tribal Vadodara' was one of nine projects selected from India. The NGO will implement the scheme in 200 tribal villages in Vadodara.

List Of Blood Donors: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has uploaded the names, telephone numbers and addresses of about 10,000 blood donors in the city and adjacent towns on its website www.vadodaracity.com.

Sarees & Dress Materials: By Suchitra, Kolkata. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. August 19, 2009. Ph: 9898016271.

Laughter Show: By Parag Kansara, Kalpesh Kumar, Mayuri Patel, etc. August 20, 8.30 p.m., at C.C. Mehta Auditorium. Tickets available at Hot Bite, Opposite MS University, Sayajigunj. Ph: Shailesh Sukla, 9879134134.

Annual Sale: At Seasons, Near Masonic Hall, Jetalpur Road, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ph: 2341187, 6622527.

Mega Sale: At Vee Vaa, Concord Complex, Opposite Alkapuri Petrol Pump. Sarees, chaniya cholies, salwar kameez, bridal wear, shervani, kurta pyjama, designer suits.11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ph: 2350686, 6581396

17-08-09


Phytochemistry Laboratory: MS University's Botany Department plans to set up Gujarat's first phytochemistry laboratory to test herbal and ayurvedic products. Manufacturers will be able to test raw materials, extracts, tablets, syrups and powders before taking up commercial production. Permission for the facility is awaited from the National Medicinal Plants Board. The laboratory will also train people in manufacturing traditional and alternative medicines.

28-07-09

Hygienic Food For Schools: Akshaypatra Foundation, an organisation run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), plans to provide hygienic food to children in Vadodara's municipal schools. The organisation will conduct the programme with funds provided by three public sector corporate houses - Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd. (GSFC), Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd. (GACL) and Gujarat Industries Power Corporation Ltd. (GIPCL). About 41,000 students attend municipal schools. Akshaypatra Foundation conducts this programme in six other states in India. The three companies will contribute over Rs. 42 million for the infrastructure, including mechanised kitchens and vehicles.

Saroj Khan's Dance Academy: Choreographer Saroj Khan has launched the Saroj Khan Dance Academy at Vadodara. The emphasis will be on teaching dance styles normally seen in Mumbai's Hindi films. The first batch has 120 students. Though Saroj Khan is based in Mumbai, she expects to visit Vadodara frequently to monitor the progress of her academy. The duration of the courses ranges from three months to one year.

New Dyestuff Facility: The world's second largest reactive dyestuff manufacturing plant has been set up near Vadodara. Set up at Dudhwada in the Padra taluka of Vadodara district, the unit is a joint venture between Ahmedabad based Kiri Dyes & Chemicals Ltd. (KDCL) and Zhejiang Longsheng Dyestuff Chemicals Company Ltd. of China. Named Lonsen Kiri Industries, the Rs. 2.5-billion plant will cater only to the international dyestuff market. It will employ 500 persons and is expected to have a turnover of Rs. 5 billion. The company claims that roughly 90 per cent of the water used in the manufacturing process will be re-used with the help of an effluent treatment plant.

Kusum Collection: Designer wedding sarees, suits, kurtis. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. July 28, 29.

Springs' Collection: Bedsheets, designer/ethnic salwar kameez, home decor, home-made chocolates. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. August 3, 4. Contact: Sheela Chandan (Ph: 9898577968).

Big Loot: Sale at Jade Blue, Productivity Road, till August 3. Ph: 2353166.

Creative Garments: Sale by Rachana. For women and little girls. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. July 26, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Western Outfits: Sale at City Girl, Siddharth Complex, R.C. Dutt Road. Till August 5. Ph: 6641856.

Rakshabandhan Sale: At Friendship, Opposite Jubilee Baug, and also on Productivity Road, till 5th August. Fabrics, sarees and garments. Ph: 2414877, 2337284.

Sale @home: Till August 16. Centre Square Mall, Near Sarabhai Circle. 11 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. Ph: 3926662, 3926666.

24-07-09

More BBA Seats: The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programme of MS University's Faculty of Commerce will add 60 seats to the existing 120. It will also offer 18 seats as a special quota to foreign students. From this academic year, the programme will be conducted in the new building at Donor's Plaza. The building has an air-conditioned library, a computer lab and an auditorium with a capacity for 300 people. There are nine classrooms, common rooms for boys and girls, a room for the student's association and a canteen. The building has been constructed only with donations and funds generated by the BBA programme.

New FGI Office-Bearers: The Federation of Gujarat Industries (FGI) has a new team of office-bearers for 2009-11. Shivinder Singh Chawla, managing director of Baroda Polyform Pvt. Ltd., has taken over as president from Ashok Patel. Chawla was president of FGI between 2001 and 2003. The new senior vice-president is Geeta Goradia, managing director of Jewel Consumer Care Pvt. Ltd., and the new vice-president is Amit Patel, partner of Danke Products. The honorary treasurer is Manohar Chawla, Director of Ashwin Vanaspati Industries Pvt. Ltd.

MSU Anniversary: The 'Alumni of Baroda University', Silver Spring, MD, USA, has sent a press note regarding 'Celebration of 60th Anniversary of MSU'. The press note states: Alumni of All colleges of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda will get together in Washington DC to celebrate the 60th anniversary of MSU on May 24, 2009 (Memorial Day Weekend). For more information, please visit www.msuabu.org or e-mail msuabu@yahoo.com <mailto:msuabu@yahoo.com>.

Gujarati Play: 'Maa-Baap Ne Bhulso Nahi', at Gandhi Nagargruh, April 16, 9.30 p.m. Ph: 9825120583, 9825192597.

Gujarati Play: 'Lage Raho Gujjubhai', at Gandhi Nagargruh, April 20, 9.30 p.m. Ph: 9428305957.

Musical Night: By playback singer Anvar & Hetal Munshi, at Gandhi Nagargruh, April 24, 9.30 p.m. Ph: 9824042911, 9429100765.

Painting Exhibition: 6-Man Show, at Red Earth Gallery, ABS Tower, Old Padra Road, till April 18, 4.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Basketball Coaching Camp: At Gujarat Krida Mandal, near Kirti Stambh, 14th April to 14th May, 6.30 a.m. to 8.00 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. For more information contact Gujarat Krida Mandal between 6.30 p.m. to 8.00 p.m.

Child Yoga Classes: For 7 to 14 years. First batch from 13th April, second batch from 7th May. By Life Spring, Ph: 2343347, 9328273197.

Salsa, Hip Hop, Waltz: Dance classes by Spin Academy. Age group 3 to 60 yrs. From 15th April. At 'Only Paratha's', Jetalpur Road. Also late evening corporate batches. Ph: 9825419007, 9898592432.

Bengali Food Festival: 12th to 19th April, Lunch & Dinner. At Machu Picchu, Alkapuri. Ph: 2356376, 9624252887.

Jaipuri Cotton Exhibition: By Riddhi Siddhi. Kurties, bandhani suit, dress material, patiyala salwar, bedsheets, leggies, nighties. April 13 to 15, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Opposite Swagat Restaurant, Jetalpur Road.

Aagney Fashion Studio Exhibition: Kurtis, designer dresses, tunics, brocade blouses, shrugs, designer sarees. April 13 to 15, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Opposite Swagat Restaurant, Jetalpur Road. Ph: 9727379809, 9879628827.

03-04-09

Hot Spell: Baroda seems to have been hit by a heat wave. On Thursday (2nd April) the temperature touched 42 degrees Celsius, the highest for 2nd April in the last ten years. Normally, the temperature is between 35 degrees and 40 degrees Celsius in this period. The possible reasons for the hot spell: low moisture content in the underground soil due to poor rainfall, increase in vehicular pollution, and the depleting green cover due to the growing urbanisation.

New Areva Plant At Kotambi: Areva T&D India, the transmissionand distribution division of French engineering group Areva SA, has started a large manufacturing plant at Kotambi village on the Vadodara-Halol highway. The company will employ 1,000 workers. Areva has invested Rs. 6 billion in the facility which will produce power and distribution transformers and other power equipment.

Honour For MSU VC: MS University vice-chancellor Dr. Ramesh Goyal has been appointed as director of academic affairs on the board of the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences (IACS) in Winnipeg, Canada. He already is a fellow with IACS. There are several members on its board who are of Indian origin or Indians working abroad, but no one from India has been appointed so far. Goyal was also appointed as member of editorial board in the National Academy of Sciences at Allahabad as well as member of accreditation committee on Indian Association of Management and Technical Institution in New Delhi.


Special Police Teams: The Baroda police department will set up police control reserve (PCR) teams, special groups of trained commandos. Ahmedabad has a similar unit. The PCR teams will be provided with automatic weapons, gas guns, bullet-proof jackets, ropes, search lights, walkie-talkies, fire extinguishers and first aid boxes. During an emergency PCR teams will be issued instructions directly from the police control room or from any police station in the city.

Help For Exploited Children: A Bal Crisis Intervention Centre (BCIC) has been started at the women's police station in Baroda to provide counselling, recreation and rehabilitation facilities to child labourers and other children who are exploited mentally and sexually. Such centres are also in Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Surat.

Gujarati Play: 'Rock On Faiba', at Gandhi Nagargruh, April 3, 4, 5, 9.30 p.m. Booking: 9825450997.

Summer Collection: Exhibition by Rapunzel Boutique, at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road, April 3-4, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Summer Vacation Activity Workshops For Children: For children 5 to 16 years, during April and May 2009. In Creative Arts, Clay modelling, Fun with Science, Music, Dance, Library, Calligraphy, Dramatics, Personality Development and Language Development, Aeromodelling. Enrollments have started. Please contact Bal Bhavan, Behind Sayajibaug, Karelibaug, Baroda.

Sports Coaching Camps For Children: For children 5 to 16 years, during April and May 2009. Squash, Tennis, Cricket, Athletics, Karate, Skating, Basketball, Chess, Table Tennis and Badminton. Enrollments have started. Please contact Bal Bhavan, Behind Sayajibaug, Karelibaug, Baroda.

Kiddies Camp For Children: For children 3 to 5 years. Enrollments have started. Please contact Bal Bhavan, Behind Sayajibaug, Karelibaug, Baroda.

Thai Food Festival: At Sayaji Hotel, Kalaghoda Restaurant, April 3 to 12, 2009, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

28-03-09

Good News For City Children: The powers that be at Baroda are planning to spruce up the toy train at Kamatibaug and also increase the length of the track. The present track is about 3.5 km and this may be increased to 5 km. An extra station may also be added. The train has an engine and four bogies. It gives children a ride through Kamatibaug. Pratapsinh Gaekwad had the train specially made in London so that his children could ride in it from Laxmi Vilas Palace to the palace school. The Baroda royal family subsequently gifted the train to the city, and it was relocated to Kamatibaug.

Gas Pipeline Network: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) wants to increase the piped gas network in the city and adjoining rural areas. The plan is to give about 500,000 new gas connections. Vadodara was the first city in India to set up a network of gas pipelines 35 years ago.

Handicrafts & Handloom Expo: Till April 6, 10.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj.

18-03-09

Course In Bio-Statistics: The Department of Statistics at MS University will introduce a master's programme in bio-statistics next year. This programme will be for graduates from life sciences and mathematical sciences. The two-year self-financed course will cover biology, molecular biology, genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, bioinformatics, ecology, statistical modelling and regression analysis. The employment opportunities are in clinical research organisations, pharmaceutical companies and medical research institutes.

Ceramics And The Pandits: Exhibition, March 21 to 23, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Exhibition Hall, Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University.

Sarees & Suit Pieces: By AAkriti (Pune). March 18 and 19, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road.

17-03-09

SSC/HSC Exams Begin: Gujarat Board school examinations began on March 17, 2009. Over 700,000 students are appearing for the SSC examination, 365,000 students for the HSC General Stream and 90,000 for the HSC Science Stream. The SSC exams are being conducted at 690 centres, while the HSC exams are being held at 360 centres.

Science Park: The civic authorities in Baroda plan to set up a science park at Kamatibaug. The park, a smaller version of the one in Ahmedabad, will come in some of the areas that will be vacated as and when the zoo is shifted to Ajwa. In addition to the zoo and sprawling garden, Kamatibaug has a planetarium, a museum, a health museum and an aquarium.

End-of-Season Sale: At Seasons, till March 21, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aryamann Complex, Near Masonic Hall, Jetalpur Road, Ph: 6622527.

16-03-09

Kangaroo Mother Care: Kashiben Gordhandas Patel Children Hospital (KGP) at Baroda has started a Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) unit for premature and underweight babies at its Karelibaug unit. A similar facility unit exits at SSG Hospital's department of paediatrics. This simple and inexpensive technique whereby mothers are trained to give skin-to-skin care to their babies reduces dependence on an incubator. If the mother is not physically fit then a father or another family member can be trained to give KMC to the baby. KMC increases duration and frequency of breast feeding, prevents infection and strengthens parental bonding. Babies on KMC are discharged earlier from hospital.

MSU's Herbal Garden: The arboretum-cum-medicinal plant garden at MS University has over 300 varieties of herbs. M Sanjappa, an MSU alumnus and currently director of the Botanical Survey of India, has suggested that this facility is suited to be the 'lead garden' of the state. A 'lead garden' is eligible to get financial assistance under the botanical garden scheme. MSU's garden is being developed on a six-acre plot of land.

14-03-09

New Airport Terminal: India's civil aviation ministry has announced that Baroda's Harni Airport may be able to host international flights by September 2010. The new integrated terminal building will also be ready by the same time. It is also proposed to start cargo services from the airport. in the future. The new terminal building will be spread over 18,000 sq mts and will be able to handle 700 passengers. The centrally-air-conditioned building will be equipped with escalators and cost about Rs. 1.3 billion. The apron services will be extended for parking seven aircraft. There is a proposal to rename the airport as Sir Sayajiro Gaekwad Airport.

Expressway Expansion: National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is considering a proposal to widen the 95-km stretch of the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway to six lanes. A six-lane road already being made between Vadodara and Surat.

ITT Facility At Savli: American engineering firm ITT Corporation has opened a production facility at Savli near Baroda to manufacture pumps and valves. The total investment: Rs. 400 million in the first phase and Rs. 600 million in the second. ITT is a large supplier of pumps and systems to transport, treat and control water and other fluids. The company is a supplier of shock absorbers to Indian Railways.

Self-Financed Universities: Three educational institutions in Gujarat have received approval in principle to set up three self-financed universities in the state. The Ahmedabad Education Society, which runs five self-financed colleges affiliated to Gujarat University, will now be amalgamate into a new entity - Ahmedabad University. It will run courses in engineering, biotechnology, life science, marine science, non-conventional energy, media communication and environment science. The Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India (ICFAI) will set up ICFAI University at Ahmedabad to offer a four-year integrated B.Ed programme, MCA, B.Tech, MS (Finance), MBA and Diploma in Port Management. Baroda's Navrachana Education Society (NES) has got approval to set up Navrachana University. The university will start with courses in education studies offering a four-year integrated degree in teachers training. NES plans to offer courses in the field of science and applied engineering in future. NES is already running Navrachana B.Ed College at Sama, affiliated to SNDT, Mumbai.

60 Years Of MSU: On May 1, 2009, MS University of Baroda will complete 60 years of its foundation. MSU alumni in USA will be organising a two-day celebration in Washington DC. MSU has thus far made no significant announcement regarding any special celebration in Baroda.

13-03-09

Change Of Name At Anyonya: Baroda's Anyonya Co-operative Bank has stumbled upon hard times and may soon have to take on the name of the bank with which it may be merged - Saraswat Co-operative Bank. Over 120 years old, Anyonya introduced the concept of co-operative banking to Asia. It was started in 1889 by economist K.L. Kavthekar with help from Sayajirao Gaekwad. The bank once had over 100,000 depositors.

International Campus At Jambusar: US-based Virginia Tech University is in talks with Baroda based Sterling Group to set up an international campus in the city at Sterling SEZ at Jambusar in Bharuch district. The group plans to offer courses in engineering, biological sciences and business management, possibly masters and PhD programmes. Virginia Tech University has activities in Switzerland, Egypt and Dominican Republic also.

Award For Suneel Vanikar: MS University graduate (civil engineering) Suneel Vanikar, in USA since 1964, has been chosen for the Henry C. Turner Medal by the American Concrete Institute (ACI), a non-profit technical and educational society founded in 1904. He works for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Suneel's father Nilkanth Vanikar was from the last batch of ICS and was collector and commissioner of Vadodara. He is an expert in highway design and bridge construction.

Shooting Competition: Over 220 persons participated in Baroda Rifle Club's seventh Ramdas Halwai District Shooting Competition recently. Shooters from Godhra, Kalol and Bharuch also took part. The winners will participate in the Gujarat State Rifle Shooting Competition in September 2009. The contest was held at the NCC Firing Range in MS University's Pavilion Ground. The club is affiliated to National Rifle Association of India and Gujarat State Rifle Association.

Baroda Dairy's Ketchup: Baroda Dairy is toying with the idea of manufacturing tomato ketchup. According to the project report the possible site for the Rs. 70-million plant is at Bodeli in Central Gujarat. Bodeli's surrounding areas -Chhota Udepur, Pavijetpur and Sankeda - grow tomatoes on a large scale. Also on the drawing board are plans to make bottled mineral water.

Jewellery Show: By ArtKarat, Till March 15, Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Cuisine of Rampur: Food Festival till March 22, at Azure Restaurant, Hotel Surya Palace, Sayajigunj. 7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m.

04-03-09

NISV Authorised By IBO: The IB Primary Years Program (Nursery to Grade 5) offered by Navrachana International School Vadodara has been authorised by International Baccalaureate Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland and the school has received the Authorisation Certificate. Visiting the school as part of the authorisation team were Ms. Kathy Derrick, PYP Associate Regional Manager, Asia Pacific and Ms. Premila Sen, Member Authorisation Team and PYP Co-ordinator Indus International School, Pune. An extensive interaction with the PYP co-ordinators and teachers followed wherein the implementation of PYP program in the school was evaluated. The team members also met some parents to see if the pedagogy of the program was understood. This is a major achievement for NISV as it is the third school in India to have authorisation for all three programs - PYP, MYP, DP. International Baccalaureate Organisation of Geneva, Switzerland with its presence all over the world offers three programs viz. PYP Primary Years Program from Nursery to Grade 5, Middle Years Program from Grade 6 to 10 and Diploma Program Grade 11 & 12. For any school to offer any of the programs, it is imperative to be authorised by IBO. NISV offering all three programs from Nursery to Grade 12 is now fully authorised by IBO for the same. This is a very big achievement for the school. SEE CERTIFICATE

28-02-09

L&T's Engineering Hub At Waghodia: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) recently inaugurated an engineering campus at Waghodia on the outskirts of Vadodara. This campus will serve as the headquarters of three out of the 18 operating companies in the L&T group - L&T Power, L&T Hydrocarbon and E-engineering. The campus will have 12,000 engineers by 2020. L&T plans to start an engineering college for its employees.

New Town Hall: Baroda will soon have a modern centrally air-conditioned town hall with a seating capacity of 1,000. Being built in Akota, it will be equipped with the latest music system and a hi-tech illumination system. It is expected to be functional by the middle of this year. Bank of Baroda has sponsored the entire project. The existing town hall - Mahatma Gandhi Nagargruh - seats 1,000 persons.

Award For Police Commissioner: Vadodara Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana was awarded the President's Police Medal on the eve of the 60th Republic Day. The award was in recognition of his distinguished service and commendable work in the Ahmedabad blasts case, Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarmati Express carnage in Godhra and his work at the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

ART Centre: An Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) centre has been started at the SSG Hospital in Vadodara. This single-window HIV treatment and counselling facility has been set up with the help of the Gujarat State Aids Control Society (GSACS) and the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO). The ART team has a doctor, a laboratory technician, a data manager, a nurse, a counsellor and a nodal officer. Treatment at the centre is free.

Emergency Medicine Course: The Health Ministry in Gujarat has approved the proposal of Baroda Medical College (BMC) to start a two-year postgraduate degree course in Emergency Medicine in collaboration with South Florida University (SFU). The course will include a very brief training programme at SFU.

Plastic Surgery Course: The Baroda Medical College (BMC) superspecialty course in plastic surgery has now been recognised by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The three-year course in Plastic Surgery was started in 1988. It can be taken after completing the master?s degree in surgery. Only two students are taken each year.

24-01-09

BITA Show 2009: January 24 to 26, 2009. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Akota Stadium. Organised by Baroda IT Association.

Trade Fair 2009: Exhibition & Sale of home appliances and office equipment. Till January 26, 2009, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj. Organised by Aashirwad Marketing

VCCI 2009 Exhibition: 6th Mega Industrial Exhibition, February 12 to 16, 2009. At Navlakhi Ground, Laxmi Vilas Palace, Raj Mahal Road. Organised by Vadodara Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Children's Fair: January 24 to 27, 2009, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Sayaji Garden.Organised by Vadodara Municipal Corporation. Also, free entry to museum and aquarium and free show at planetarium.

Punjabi Food Festival: At Havmor Restaurant, Sayajigunj.

Awadh Food Festival: Till January 25, 2009, 7.30 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. at Azure Restaurant, Hotel Surya Palace.

Hyderabadi Food Festival: Hotel Express Towers, R.C. Dutt Road, 7.30 p.m. onwards, at 24 Carats.

Annual Athletic Meet: At Navrachana International School, January 25, 2009, 4.30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

22-01-09

Sports Week At Navrachana: Navrachana International School Vadodara started off the new year with the 'Sports Week'. The athletic and track events were held from 19th to 21st January, 2009. Students from Grade 2 to 12 participated in a variety of events. The winners were awarded prizes on 22nd January; cricketer Irfan Pathan was invited for the prize distribution. ... More >>

Baroda's Historical Gates: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) will receive technical help from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to renovate the city's four historical gates that were built by the erstwhile state of Baroda. The gates - Champaner Darwaja, Gendigate, Panigate and Lehripura Darwaja - were built by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad. A budget of Rs. 4.5 million has sanctioned for the project.

Baroda Museum Renovation: The 114-year-old Baroda Museum is due to go through a major restoration exercise. The state government's museum department's museums department has sanctioned Rs. 32 million for the work. The Baroda Museum is India's fifth largest museum. The three-year project will be carried out in three phases.

New GIDC Estates: The Gujarat government plans to set up four new GIDC (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation) estates in four tribal talukas of Vadodara - Jetpur Pavi, Sankheda, Panvad of Kanvat taluka and Dandhora in Chhotaudepur taluka. These estates will come up in the eastern part of Vadodara district. The GIDC estates that are presently functioning are in Makarpura, Nandesari, Waghodia, Por and Savli talukas of the district.

Workshop On Film-Making: Organised at Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University, in association with Institute of Moving Images. 45 days, bi-weekly, evening course, starts January 9, 2009. For registration, phone 9825471730.

Book Fair: Organised By National Book Trust in collaboration with the District Administration of Vadodara. Till January 4, 2009. At Polo Ground. 11a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sarees & Dress Material: Exhibition and sale by Jaipur Saree Kendra. Also chaniya-choli in bandhej work, hand-block printed and traditional embroidery. At Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road, January 2 & 3, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Co-ordinator: Anuradha Gupta (phone 9898216271).

Pumps, Valves & Systems Expo: January 2, 3, 4. At Parsi Agiari Ground, Sayajigunj.

27-12-08

Celebrate Togetherness: 'Mantranaad' has arranged a programme on January 1 (at 6.30 p.m.) during which the citizens of Baroda can come and light a candle to celebrate our togetherness. The programme seeks to allow citizens to express solidarity in these tense and trying times. The venue is the Donors' Plaza Ground, Opposite MS University Office, Fatehgunj. 'Mantranaad' is an initiative of the Art of Living Foundation. Ph: 2253197, 9925225789.

All-Women Police Station: Did you know that Baroda now has an all-women police station. Located near SSG Hospital, it was started in November 2008. The idea is to get a better grip on the increasing number of crimes against women by setting up a one-stop counter for all such crimes in the city. The station has 37 women police personnel, including a police inspector, three assistant sub-inspectors, nine head constables and 24 constables.

Rosary High Hero: Dishant Shah, 17, a class XI student of Rosary High School, is presently a member of a 12-member men's national basketball representing India in Hong Kong in a seven-day invitation meet. He has a record of sorts in Indian basketball history: the only player to represent India in the Under-16, Under-19 and men's team in a span of only six months. Dishant is six feet 10 inches tall.

Hand Work & Fusion Embroidery: Sarees, skirts, fabrics, kurtis, dupattas, salwar suits, gents wear, trousers. By Manju Jalota, December 19-20, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. Ph: 9898016271.

Designer Candles: December 19-20, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., at Shreem Shalini Mall, R.C. Dutt Road.

18-12-08

Gujarati Play: 'Lage Raho Gujjubhai', actor-director Siddharth Randeria, December 20, 9.30 p.m., at Gandhi Nagargruh, for tickets contact 9825060871.

Sale Of Sarees & Dupattas: Also stoles and kurta sets, at Tejal, 54, Vishwas Colony, Behind Khushboo Corner. Ph: 6535382. December 18 to 24, 10.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. (Sunday Closed).

16-12-08

VMC Wins Energy Conservation Award: The Union Ministry of
Power has given an award to Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) in recognition of the civic body's energy saving efforts. VMC's use of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) to monitor and control electricity consumption has helped to save Rs. 15 million annually over the last three years. Over 90 Indian cities participated in the exercise.

Jagannath Temple In Baroda: Baroda may get its own Jagannath temple, and it may be the biggest in Gujarat (the state has three small shrines, in Jamnagar, Bharuch and Ahmedabad). It is being planned on a plot of 18,600 sq ft at Bhayali. Attempts are being made to create a smaller replica of the famous Jagannath temple of Puri. The total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs. 25 million. For details: www.jagannathtemplebaroda.org.

Honour For MSU Professor: Prof. K. Baba Pai, head of MS University's department of metallurgy and materials in the Faculty of Engineering & Technology, has won the 2008 Hindustan Zinc Gold Medal awarded by the Indian Institute of Metals. He was given the award at the 46th National Metallurgists Day celebrations last month. Having joined MSU as a reader in 1983, he has done substantial research non-ferrous metals.

Exhibition Of Pichoy Paintings: December 15 & 16, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. Ph: 9898016271.

Claymodelling, Terracotta & Wall Hangings Workshop: For children (7 to 14 years), every Saturday and Sunday in January 2009. Contact Bal Bhavan, behind Sayajibaug, Karelibaug, between 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on weekdays (except on Wednesdays). Ph: 2792718.

Tabla Classes: For children (6 to 14 years), from January 2009, every Saturday and Sunday. Contact Bal Bhavan, behind Sayajibaug, Karelibaug, between 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on weekdays (except on Wednesdays). Ph: 2792718.

Karate Coaching Classes: For adults, in the early morning hours. Contact Bal Bhavan, behind Sayajibaug, Karelibaug, between 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. on weekdays (except on Wednesdays). Ph: 2792718.

13-12-08

Board Examinations: The secondary and higher secondary board examinations in Gujarat will start on March 17, 2009. Nearly 770, 000 students will appear for the Class X examinations and 325,000 for the Class XII. The examination will be completed in a fortnight. The final schedule will be announced in the second week of January.

Italian Food Festival: At Havmor Restaurant, Sayajigunj, till December 22.

Handloom Exhibition: At Red Stone Gallery, Near HSBC Bank, Race Course Circle, till December 14, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cane and bamboo products, furniture, woven murals, partitions.


MSU Youth Festival: MS University's Students Union (MSUSU) will hold its annual youth festival 'Spark 09' from January 3 to 12, 2009.

Art & Craft Festival: Till December 16, 2008, 10.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. At Parsi Agiari Ground, Sayajigunj.

08-12-08

Award For City Bus Service: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has received a special award for running its city bus service and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has won two awards - one for the best initiative in urban transport project and another for the most intelligent transportation system project. VMC has received the national award in urban mobility after a private operator, Bhavnagar based Vitcos Transportation Private Ltd., began its buses in the city in May 2008.

Navrachana School: Navrachana School, Sama, has decided to add a new section each in Navrachana Nursery, Std. I, II, III, IV, V & VI. Form Availability & Submission: 13th & 20th December 2008. 8 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Contact: 2791643, 2783766.

Petrol Price Cut: Petrol now costs Rs. 48.18 per litre in Baroda (old price Rs. 53.68); diesel costs have been reduces from Rs. 38.83 per litre to Rs. 36.63. The approximate daily consumption of petrol in Gujarat is 80 million litres and of diesel it is 250 million litres.

Designer Sarees & Suits: An exhibition and sale by Kusum Collection. December 9 to 11, at Trisha Gallery, Opposite Swagat Restaurant Jetalpur Road. Ph: 9377711357.

Apparel Exhibition: Aalamwar textiles from Hyderabad, at Trisha Gallery, Opposite Swagat Restaurant, Jetalpur Road. December 8-9, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Craft Products: Exhibition of craft products awarded the seal of excellence by UNESCO & Crafts Council of India. December 8 to 21, 10.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. At Bodhi, 6-7, Abhishek, Akshar Chowk, Old Padra Road. Ph: 2324268.

Purva School Programme: Silver Jubilee Celebrations of Purva School of Bharatanatyam: seminar, workshop, dance ballet, at C.C. Mehta Auditorium, December 13, 7.30 p.m. Ph: 2486759 / 2321179.

05-12-08

New Police Station: A new police station, the city's 14th, has started functioning at Kishanwadi. Covering some of the areas that were earlier in the existing City and Panigate police stations, the new police station falls under South Zone of the city police in the A division. The city now has seven police stations in the South Zone. The new station will have one police inspector (PI), five sub-inspectors, 17 assistant sub-inspectors, 15 head constables and 65 constables.

Objective Type Question Papers: The MS University Commerce Faculty plans to introduce objective type multiple choice questions in the internal tests for undergraduate students. The objective type question paper will be optional this year, but it will be made compulsory thereafter. Over 14,000 undergraduate students in the faculty may find this system more convenient. Roughly 70 per cent of these students are from schools where the medium of communication is not English.

Best Research Paper: A research paper by Professor N.N. Mishra of the Pharmacy Department at MS University has been recognised to be the best by the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. His paper was on medicines taken through the nose. His paper suggested that doses of migraine medicine administered through the nose can be more effective as the brain is directly joined to the nasal area. The dose can thus be reduced.

Handicraft Fair: At Village Craft, Productivity Road, till December 14, 11 a.m. to 9.00 p.m.

04-12-08

Bird's-Eye View Of Vishwamitri: To get an accurate view of the 28.5-km course of the Vishwamitri river flowing through the city, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation recently did a round of aerial photography using an aircraft of the Gujarat Flying Club. The exercise will be useful in resectioning of the river, relocation of the slums along its banks, and making a contour map. The existing Images in Google Earth cannot serve this purpose adequately as the Images are often old and the image quality is not good enough.

Voters' Photographs: The Vadodara District Collectorate has started a door-to-door campaign to collect photographs of voters to prepare Elector's Photo Identity Cards (EPICs). About 650,000 voters from the 2.8 million voters of Vadodara city and district have not yet submitted their photographs to the authorities.

Effective Conversation Programme: Sterling Hoffman Software Consultants Pvt. Ltd. have organised a one-day training session on 'Art Of Effective Conversation' on 21st December 2008 (Sunday) from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. The programme will provide some insights into the effective communication skills that can help a person in personal and professional life. The basic qualities of effective communication and strategies for carrying out the same will be discussed in detail. The fee for the programme will be Rs. 350. Participants will be given certificates at the end of the programme. Please register before December 17, at Sterling Hoffman Software Consultants Pvt. Ltd., 301, Glacier Complex, Beside Pizza In, Jetalpur Road, Baroda. Ph: Tel: 0265-2357356, 2357603 (Monday to Friday). Website: www.sterlinghoffman.com

Book Fair: At Marble Arch, Race Course Circle, Opposite Pizza Hut. Till December 22, 2008. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Organised by Ashish Book Centre

Avadhi Food Festival: Till December 21, At Revival Hotel, Sayajigunj. 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Times Edufest 2008: An education exhibition, December 6 & 7, at The Gateway Hotel (Taj Residency), 10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Free entry.

19-11-08

Education UK Exhibition: The British Council has arranged 'Education UK Exhibition' on November 25, 2008 (12 noon to 7 p.m.) at The Gateway Hotel (formerly Taj Residency), Akota Gardens, Vadodara. The exhibition will feature over 30 academics from 25 leading UK institutions The academics will help students decide on courses and provide advice on admission procedures, entry requirements, credit transfers, scholarships, etc. Students will get the latest information on the range of academic and professional courses offered in the UK. Entry is free. For more details: www.educationuk-in.org. The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations.

Large Order For Jyoti Ltd.: Baroda's Jyoti Limited has received a very large order to supply irrigation pumps, worth Rs. 5.41 billion, to Karnataka Neeravari Nigam Limited (KNNL) for the Upper Bhadra Lift Irrigation Project. The project seeks to irrigate over 100,000 hectares of land and provide drinking water to Tumkur and Kolar districts. This is supposed to be the largest pump order in India, and the largest for Jyoti too. The water lifted by the pumps will be more than five times the total water requirement of Vadodara city. The company's turnover last year was Rs. 2.08 billion. This project will be completed in three years. The Upper Bhadra Lift Irrigation Project will pump water from Bhadra reservoir to two separate reservoirs located 35 kms from the original spot. The pumps, 28 in all and each as big as a large apartment, will be indigenously manufactured, except for some of the ball bearings.

Bombardier's New Unit At Savli: Bombardier Transportation's coach factory at Savli (near Baroda) is expected to begin operations from November 13. The company will manufacture and assemble coaches for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Spread over an area of 140,000 square feet, the company has an order worth Rs. 25 billion to supply the metro coaches between November 2008 and March 2009. The company has invested 25 million Euros in the facility to manufacture coach shells and bogies and make propulsion equipment for metro coaches, each coach costing Rs. 73.5 million. It will supply 424 coaches.

Leprosy Hospital Now An SSGH Unit: The Gujarat government has decided that the Ansuiya Leprosy Hospital will now be administered as a unit of Sir Sayajirao General (SSG) Hospital. The formal approval is now awaited from the state's Health Commissioner. The medical staff of the leprosy hospital will be transferred to the SSG Hospital.

23-09-08

Irani Trophy Cricket: The Z.R. Irani Trophy cricket match between Ranji champions Delhi and the Rest of India team will be played from 24th to 28th September at the Reliance (IPCL) Cricket Stadium, Baroda. Stringent security arrangements have been made: 30 CCTVs; mobile phones, helmets and match boxes banned; medical team in place; no parking inside the stadium premises. The match has been insured for Rs. 24.5 million. The Rest of India team, led by Anil Kumble, includes M.S. Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan. The Delhi team, led by Virendra Sehwag, includes Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma.

Free Screening Camp: Organised by Baroda Heart Institute & Research Centre on the occasion of World Heart Day. On September 28, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. For persons over 35 years. At 44, Haribhakti Colony, Old Padra Road, Vadodara 390 007. Phone: 2322021, 2325444. Email: info@bhirc.com

Trends & Traditions: Sale of chania cholis, sarees, corsets, tunics, shirts and kurtas, created from fabrics from Rajasthan and Gujarat. September 23 and 24, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

20-09-08

Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway: The land acquisition work for extension of the Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway up to Mumbai via Surat will be taken up shortly by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The alignment of the expressway is presently being finalised by the consultants. The stretch between Vadodara and Mumbai via Surat is planned to be completed by 2011.

Book Lunch: By Rashmi Bansal of her book 'Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish' (a story of 25 IIM-Ahmedabad graduates who choose to tread a path of their own making). On September 21, at 11 a.m., at Crossword, Alkapuri. Ph: 2333338.

Chaniya-Choli & Kurta Exhibition: At Redstone Gallery, Near HSBC Bank, Inox Road, Ph: 9276811990, 9879473161. Till September 21.

Garba Programme: Ratri Before Navratri, organised by Vadodara Central, at Shivam Party Plot, Sama-Savli Road, 7:30 p.m. onwards on September 29.

18-09-08

Dilhara Fernando May Play For Baroda: The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) may sign up Sri Lankan pace bowler Dilhara Fernando and fast bowler Munaf Patel. Every cricket association has been allowed to have one international player in their Ranji team. Fernando has agreed, in principle; the contract formalities have to be worked out. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pays Ranji players Rs. 100,000 for a five-day match. Munaf Patel has represented Maharashtra for the last three years; his hometown is in Gujarat's Bharuch district. The other guest players in the team will be off-spinner Rajesh Pawar and batsman Azhar Bilakhia.

Sama Sports Complex: Vadodara Municipal Corporation's sports complex project in Sama has been revived after the Gujarat government sanctioned a grant of Rs. 50 million. The ground breaking ceremony for the complex was done way back in 2004. The grant is a part of the Rs. 250 million released by the government for infrastructure development in the city. The entire complex, covering an area of 333,000 square feet, may cost about Rs. 300 million.

City Artists Felicitated: The Gujarat government has appreciated the contribution of eight artists who have played a significant role in drawing international attention to the Baroda School of Fine Arts and giving a strong foundation to MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts. The artists have been recognised with the Gujarat Rajya Gaurav Puraskar. The artists are: Jeram Patel, Kumud Patel, Ramesh Pandya, Kanti Rana, Jayant Parikh, Girish Khatri, Dhruv Mistry and Suresh Parekh.

Hanuman Langurs At Reliance: Hanuman Langurs throng RIL petrochemical complex: Over 200 Hanuman Langurs are quite a nuisance at the 1263-acre Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) petrochemical complex at Baroda. They have attacked three employees working and can cause very serious harm if they manage to damage the elevated pipelines which carry highly explosive petrochemical products like benzene and acrylonitrile. The Gujarat forest department has been roped in to try and capture and then relocate them. The Hanuman Langur (Semnopithecus entellus) is mainly found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, China, Nepal, Pakistan and India.

Ethnic Navratri Creations: By students of INIFD (International Institute of Fashion Design), September 18 to 20, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at B/901-902, Alkapuri Arcade, Opposite WelcomHotel, R.C. Dutt Road. Ph: 2337951, 2356493. Chaniya choli, male kurta-pyjama, salwar-kameez, tops and accessories, home accessories and paintings.

Irresistible Dosas: Food festival at Cambay Pavilion, WelcomHotel Vadodara, till September 24. Ph: 6677044.

17-09-08

Train To Dabhoi: The Baroda-Dabhoi broad-gauge railway track will be formally inaugurated on October 2. A pilot test has already been done by running an engine on the track, and it has also been inspected by the commissioner of railway safety. The 27-km track, converted from narrow gauge, is a part of the Rs. 1.5 billion project to convert the entire 99.27km route from Pratapnagar to Chhottaudepur, via Dabhoi, Sankheda and Pavijetpur. The narrow gauge from Baroda to the remote areas of Central Gujarat was laid during the rule of the Gaekwads.

Pandya Elected Chairman Of Institution Of Engineers: Mr. Il Pandya, reader at MSU Techo's Applied Mechanics & Structural Engineering Department, has been elected the chairman of Institution of Engineers (Vadodara). He will hold the post for two years. He is also president of Baroda University Teachers Association and an elected member of the MS University syndicate and senate.

Grant For Solid-Waste Disposal: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has received a grant of Rs. 470 million from the Gujarat government for solid-waste disposal. The grant has to be used to buy super suction machinery, JCBs and hydraulic trippers for disposal of solid waste.

Soccer Tournament: Navrachana International School, Vadodara, has organised the first International Inter School Soccer Tournament from 18th to 21st September at the school's Bhayli campus. Eight teams will take part. Pool 'A': Symbiosis International School, Pune (SISP); Podar International School, Mumbai (PISM); Mahatma Gandhi International School, Ahmedabad (MGISA); Navrachana International School, Vadodara (NISV). Pool 'B': B.D. Somani International School, Mumbai (BDSISM); Shri Ram School, Gurgaon (TSRSG); Ahmedabad International School, Ahmedabad (AISA); Calorx School, Ahmedabad (TCSA). See Match Schedule

Brahmi As Memory Aid: It seems that the ayurvedic herb Brahmi can be used to treat depression and improve memory and attention spans, specially for older persons. This is indicated in a study on ageing and mental health problems by the Food & Nutrition Department (FND) of MS University's Faculty of Family & Community Sciences. The geriatric research team consisted of Pallavi Mehta, Komal Chauhan and Tejal Vaishnav.

Red Ribbon Express: The Red Ribbon Express, a special railway train to spread AIDS awareness, is at the Baroda railway station for a three-day (September 17 to 20) exhibition. The seven coaches in the train provide information on HIV/AIDS through exhibition and cultural events. Counselling, testing and medical facilities are also provided. Six cultural groups travel on the train and perform skits and plays in nearby villages; each group covers four villages in a day.

Parental Workshop: At Billabong High International School, September 20, 10 a.m. onwards. For registration contact Ms. Sejal (0265-2633398, 0265-2630800).

Blossoms Boutique Sale: Sarees, chaniya-cholis, tunics, salwar kurtas. September 17 and 18, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

13-09-08

Biometric Attendance Systems: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) plans to install 'Biometric Attendance Systems' in all the schools run by the civic body. The idea is to improve the deteriorating attendance of teachers, working staff and students. The city's 115 municipal schools have a staff of over 1,900 people, including 1,300 teachers.

Grants To Civic Bodies: The Gujarat government has allocated Rs. 250 million to each of six municipal corporations to develop specific infrastructure. The grant is in lieu of octroi abolition by the municipal corporations. Some of the projects:
Ahmedabad: To build a four-lane railway overbridge and a new building for LG Hospital.
Vadodara: To build new overhead tanks at Kalali and Bapod and an indoor complex.
Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar & Junagadh: To create basic civic amenities and other infrastructure facilities.

'Raid De Himalaya': Three Barodians - cardiologist Parvinder Singh, radiologist Jayesh Shah and orthopaedic spine surgeon Yogendra Pundir - will participate in 'Raid de Himalaya' which will start from Shimla on October 2. The 'Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya' is a car rally with a lower level of competition, stress and difficulty; but which allows the adventurous to enjoy the real Himalayas in a stock car, without the expensive modifications that rally cars are compulsorily subject to. This will be a rally open to cars and SUVs and will run as a Regularity Rally as per international norms. The cars will be in a separate group since they are handicapped somewhat in ground clearance when compared to the SUVs on the same event.

Mexican Food Festival: At Kala Ghoda Restaurant, Sayaji Hotel, September 12 to 21, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Ph; 2363030.

Great Maratha Cuisine: Food Festival at Azure, Hotel Surya Palace, Sayajigunj, Ph: 2363366. September 15 to 28, 7.30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Shaadi Festival: Organised by Manubhai Zaveri, September 12 to 14, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Hotel Surya Palace. Jewellers, designers, gift articles, wedding planners, etc.

Wedding Collection: Sarees and salwars, bedcovers, bedsheets, kurtas. September 12 to 14, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road, Organised by Anuradha Gupta (9898016271).

Big Buy Bonanza: Furniture, furnishings, accessories, lighting, flooring, kitchens. Till September 28. At @home, Centre Square Mall, Near Sarabhai Circle. Ph: 3926662/63/64.

Sale At Big Bazaar: At 7 SEAS Mall, Fatehgunj, Ph: 3926902. September 13 to 21.

Book Fair: At Marble Arch, Opposite Pizza Hut, Race Course, September 13 to 29, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Organised by Ashish Book Centre.

05-09-08

Restaurants To Be Open Till 1 A.M.: The Vadodara Police Commissioner has permitted street vendors, shops and restaurants to remain open till 1 a.m. during the current festive season. After the 2002 riots, a ban had been enforced to shut down establishments by 11 p.m. The extended deadline may be allowed even during the coming Navratri festival.

Freight Train Corridor: To make way for the dedicated freight rail track between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Mumbai, and Dadri, New Delhi, the Vadodara district collector will acquire 750 hectare of land from 27 villages in three talukas. The 550-km double railway track will pass will pass through 12 districts and need 5,000 hectares of land. The project will cost Rs. 72 billion. Staring from Mumbai, the line will go through Valsad, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Patan and Banaskantha and then go to Rajasthan. The project includes the construction of a train yard at Makarpura station.

Anti-Retroviral Therapy Centre: Baroda will soon have a main anti-retroviral therapy (ART) centre at SSG Hospital for HIV/AIDS patients so that they will not have to travel all the way to Ahmedabad or Surat for first-line treatment. The centre will have a five-member team - a post-graduate doctor, a laboratory technician, a staff nurse, a counselor and a data manager. Gujarat has five such main centres, in Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Mehsana and Bhavnagar. The main centres offer free counseling, medication, clinical advice and basic investigations. Besides these there are link ART centres that provides ART drugs to those patients who have already started their treatment through a main ART centre. There are five link centres in Gujarat, at Himmatnagar, Junagadh, Bhuj, Deesa and Godhra.

04-09-08

Voters' List For Vadodara District: The Vadodara District collectorate has released the final list of voters with photo identity cards in the 13 Assembly constituencies of Vadodara city and district. The list of 2.708 million voters is based on the new Assembly demarcations.

Flexible Fibre Optic Bronchoscope: A Flexible Fibre Optic Bronchoscope is now operational at the Kashiba Gordhandas Patel (KGP) Children's Hospital in Karelibaug. The instrument helps prevent infant deaths caused by abnormalities in the airway (infants often die due to the choking of the air pipe). This bronchoscope, a 3.5 mm thick cord, can easily operate in the 4 mm thin air track of a newborn.

Concessions On Bus Fares: The Vallabhipur Transportation Cooperative Society Pvt. Ltd (ViTCOS) has now decided to give 20 per cent concession in the fares to differently-abled persons using the city bus service. Students get a 50 per cent concession, and daily commuters get 20 per cent. Under state government guidelines, differently-abled persons get 100 per cent concession in state-run buses.

Tsunami Database: MS University has taken up a project for Hyderabad based Indian National Centre For Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) to prepare a database of tsunamis in Western India. The project is a precautionary measure to prevent tsunamigenic earthquakes in Gujarat. MSU has the necessary expertise in quaternary geology. The last tsunami to hit Gujarat was in November 1945, at the Makrana Coast in Kutch.

Mental Health Course: Following a memorandum of understanding between MS University's Faculty of Education & Psychology and Roehampton University (UK), MSU will offer a short-term self-financed certificate course in Mental Health. The course will begin in November 2008 with a batch of 30 students.

03-09-08

Facelift For Baroda Museum: The heritage building which houses the 108-year-old Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery is about to be given a facelift. The Gujarat government has signed up Mumbai based Structwell Designers and Consultants for the assignment at a cost of Rs. 32.2 million. The museum is built of bricks which have been fitted in wooden columns, a fairly unique structure. The consultant is also restoring the Victoria Terminus Station in Mumbai. The museum has over 300,000 visitors annually, and about 60,000 of them are students.

German Firms Set Up Unit In City: Haver IBAU India (HIN), an Indian subsidiary of two German manufacturers - Haver & Boecker and IBAU - will set up a Rs. 200-million cement and building materials manufacturing unit near Baroda. city. The company may begin assembly at the unit by October 2008. Turnover in the first phase will be Rs. 500 million. It will hire 100 persons. The plant will make high-speed machinery and complete storing, packing and shipping lines for bagged cement.

Reema Mehta Tops In CS: Women from Baroda have secured all-India ranks in the final and intermediate examinations of Company Secretaries held in June. Reema Mehta, a CS final student, was eleventh in India and first in the city, with 544 out of 900 marks. She had earlier stood twelfth in CS foundation as well as intermediate examination. Around 30 students from Baroda appeared for the final examination, and three of them passed.

National Award For Teachers: The Principal of Navrachana School, Bijoya Bakshi, has won the National Award for Teachers for the year 2007. The President of India will give her the award on the eve of Teacher's Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan. She will share the honour with another teacher from Jaipur.

New Post For City Mayor: Baroda mayor Balkrishna Shukla was appointed the vice-president and treasurer of the All India Council of Mayors at a meeting of the council held at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on 23rd August.

Exhibition Of Artefacts: By SAHAJ an organisation for women's development. Beaded jewelry, garments with beadwork, bamboo basketry, lamps, bags, etc. Till September 10, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

Sale At Crossword: Till September 14. At 2/1, Arunodaya Society, Alkapuri. Ph: 233338, 2339484.

Theatrical & Debating Competitions: Students from Vasad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Institute of Technology (SVIT) will organise a state-level event on September 13 featuring theatrical and debating competitions. The organisers expect over 700 participants from MS University alone. The event will be held at the C.C. Mehta Auditorium in the MSU campus.

16-07-08

Milk May Cost More: Milk prices are going up again in Baroda. The Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the body that markets Amul, is likely to raise the price of Amul Gold, Amul Shakti, Amul Taaza and Amul Slim by Re. 1 per litre. This is the sixth raise since March 2006 and the second this year.

One More Delhi Flight: With Air India again starting the morning Delhi flight, there are now five daily flights to Delhi (Air India also runs an evening flight). Jet Airways runs a morning and an evening flight, and Indigo runs a morning flight. The city has four flights to Mumbai and one to Bangalore.

Sale At GreenFibre: Till July 13. Shirts, T-Shirts, Trousers, Denims. Siddharth Complex, Vadodara Central.

Sale At Lord's: Till July 14. Footwear for men, women and children. Niharika II, R.C. Dutt Road.

28-06-08

Genda Circle Is Mall Circle Now: The Sarabhai Circle (Genda Circle) now has one more shopping mall to add to the traffic chaos. Close on the heels of Vadodara Central and Spencer's, there is now Centre Square at the same location. Infiniti Retail Limited, a fully-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, has opened its electronics megastore Croma and moulded furniture maker Neelkamal Limited has opened @home at Centre Square. The Croma megastore in is spread across 16,000 square feet and the @home store occupies 12,570 square feet.

Linked Libraries: The Hansa Mehta Library of MS University is among the 22 libraries linked by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to create a networking pool named 'Inter Library Loan' (ILL). Thanks to this pool students with access to any one of these libraries can also access, online, journals and articles in all the other libraries. Among the other participating universities are Annamalai University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jadavpur University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Delhi University and Pune University. MSU students will gain access to over 8000 journals and 385 publications.

Counting Cable Connections: The Baroda district collectorate feels that the city's cable operators are not revealing the exact number of cable connections in order to avoid the payment of entertainment tax. A team of officials has been asked to conduct door-to-door checking of cable connections on a random basis.

Garden For Rare Herbs: MS University's Botany Department has been given Rs. 1.1 million by the National Plants Board to set up a medicinal plants garden. Over 200 medicinal plants from various areas have been included in the garden.

City Lab Gets NABL Accreditation: The Baroda based Food and Drugs Laboratory of the Gujarat government has now received accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (NABL). This is the first government laboratory in India to obtain this accreditation. This accreditation will enable the laboratory to do 44 tests related to drugs and 14 tests related to food.

SEZ Management Course: The Royale Business School (RBS) in Baroda has started a postgraduate diploma course with specialisation in port and SEZ management. Presently, the Gujarat University offers a PGDM port management course. The two-year course will start from July and admit 120 students It has been approved by the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE). Among the course topics: port management, financial issues, logistics and marketing, how to set up an SEZ, laws applicable, permission procedures, etc.


Big Bazaar Launched: Pantaloon Retail (India) Ltd. has opened its ninth hypermarket, Big Bazaar, in Gujarat in the 'Seven Seas Mall' at Fatehgunj in Baroda. Another hypermarket is planned at the Dev Star Mall that is being built near the Kalali crossing near Old Padra Road. The hypermarket at Seven Seas Mall is the company's 89th in India.

81st Marriage Anniversary: A couple in Baroda recently celebrated their 81st marriage anniversary and won their way into the Limca book of Records as India's oldest living married couple. In 1927, at the age of 9, Banwarilal married Phoolvati Devi, then 6, in Karnal, Haryana. The couple is now in Baroda with their son.

Table-Tennis Tournament: The first Open Baroda Major Ranking table-tennis tournament will be held at Hind Vijay Gymkhana (near MS University's Faculty of Technology) from July 3 to 6. The tournament has been organised by Table Tennis Association of Baroda, Hind Vijay Gymkhana and Gujarat Bridge Association.

Baroda Football Club: The Baroda Football Club (BFC) and Thailand's Arsenal Academy have got together to give good training to young footballers in Gujarat. A 27-strong squad recently made a week-long trip to Thailand.

25-06-08

Theatre Workshop by Saumya Joshi: July 4 to 6, two hours daily. At Faculty of Home Science auditorium, MS University. For details: Ph: 9824523485, 9824043084, 9924112595. Following the success of 'Curtains', a theatre workshop for children, Insync Events has announced 'Satvikam', a theatre workshop for persons over 18. The workshop, to be conducted by Saumya Joshi, will cover the basics of dramatics. Insync Events, an Event Management firm run by Sonali Desai, Ashita Limaye and Sharmishtha Chawda, organises musical programmes, plays and theatre related activities.

New Vadodara Mayor: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) General Board has unanimously elected Balu Shukla, 45-year-old BJP councillor from the Khanderao Market area, as the new mayor. He is the 23rd mayor of the 69-year-old civic body. The term of Sunil Solanki ended on June 18. The new mayor represents Ward 18 of VMC. He was born in Vadodara in 1963 and he was elected as a councillor in the 2005 civic polls. He is presently also doing an MBA in Human Resource Development at MS University (MSU). He did BSc in Geology from MSU in 1986. He has a diploma in performing arts, and also a black belt in karate.

One More Sewage Plant: Vadodara is likely to get one more sewage disposal plant, at a cost of Rs. 280 million. To be developed on 40,000 sq metres of land at Kapurai, it will be one of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) projects. For the entire upgradation of the drainage system of Vadodara, JNNURM has allocated over Rs. 1 billion. The sewage plant capacity will be 43 million litres per day.

Tiffin Service For Patient's Relatives: Ahmedabad's Sadlok Kalyan Charitable Trust (SKCT) has started a free tiffin service for the relatives of pregnant ladies admitted to the SSG Hospital in Baroda. This will be of great help for people who come from the distant tribal areas of Vadodara and the neighbouring districts. The trust already delivers such tiffins to the relatives of poor patients admitted to the emergency ward of the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and the Bhuj Hospital.

Wet Lab For Ophthalmologists: Baroda will soon have a modern wet laboratory to train ophthalmologists to conduct eye operations. The laboratory is being set up by the Dr. Thakorbhai V. Patel Eye Institute, the same organisation that also manages the Sheth M.L. Vaduwala Eye Hospital. The facility will help young doctors to learn how to minimise errors and complications while conducting cataract surgeries. In Gujarat, such laboratories are already operational at Ahmedabad and Rajkot.

Salsa Classes: By Spin Academy. Starting June 25. Contact Akash Karnatki (9825419007, 9898592432).


Sarees, Salwars, Bedcovers: Sale, June 23 to 25, at Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Opposite Swagat Restaurant, Jetalpur Road.

31-05-08

Direct Flight To Bangalore: Kingfisher Airlines has announced a daily direct flight between Vadodara and Bangalore from June 1. The flights will use a new Airbus A320, departing from Baroda at 12.15 p.m., reaching Bangalore at 2.10 p.m. It will depart from Bangalore at 9.50 a.m. and arrive in Baroda at 11.45 a.m.

HSC General Stream Results: In the General Stream of the Gujarat Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations, the first four rankers are girls and 12 of the 21 students in the top-10 list are girls. The pass percentage for girls was 92.87, and for boys it was 82.30. 80,749 students had opted for the science stream, compared to 302,182 students for the general stream. Out of the 302,182 students, 285,837 took the examination in Gujarati medium. Their pass percentage was 87.18. Only 13,374 students opted for English medium. Their pass percentage was 88.41. In Baroda, the top-ten list has girls only, with Disha Patwa ranked at No. 1.

HSC General Stream Results (Baroda Schools)

Rank Name
School

1
Disha Patwa
8th in Gujarat Maharani Kanya Vidyalaya
2 Rutu Pancholi
10th in Gujarat Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya
3 Saptati Pandya Alembic Vidyalaya
4 Jigisha Thakkar Shri Vidya Vikas Vidyalaya
5 Lata Hingorani Shivam Vidyalaya
6 Shashwati Pawar The M.C. High School
7 Rinal Shah Maharani Kanya Vidyalaya
8 Divya Chauhan Heaven Vidyalaya
8 Monika Rajpal Hari Seva H.S. Girls Vidyalaya
9 Heta Dave Utkarsh Vidyalaya
10 Kesha Gadesha Utkarsh Vidyalaya


23-05-08

New MSU Vice-Chancellor: Dr. Ramesh Goyal, a professor of pharmacology at LM Pharmacy College of Gujarat University, took charge as the 15th vice-chancellor of MS University of Baroda on May 22. Originally from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, he got his BSc (Zoology) and MSc (Medicine) degrees from MSU. Dr. Goyal has over 24 years of experience in teaching and research, including 17 years in the field of cardiovascular changes associated with diabetes mellitus. He has written nine books, 123 research papers and 170 abstracts in various journals. He has guided over 100 postgraduate and doctoral students in pharmacology. He was a post-doctoral fellow (1984-85) and a visiting scientist at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, and also a visiting professor at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manitoba, Canada. He has received 39 awards from various professional bodies for his research. He is the former president of Indian Pharmacological Society and Member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences.

Boating On Sursagar Lake: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) Standing Committee has approved a proposal to start boating again at the Sursagar Lake. The VMC General Board is now expected to discuss the proposal in July. Boating was stopped at the lake after a major accident in 1993. Two-seater and four-seater paddle boats will be used for the service.

CBSE Results: Navrachana School (Sama), New Era High School (Nizampura) and Kendriya Vidyalaya (Air Force) registered 100 % success in the Class XII CBSE examinations this year. The overall result for Baroda was 85 %. Bhavan's School (Makarpura) had 90.16 %, Kendriya Vidyalaya (Harni) had 85 %, Kendriya Vidyalaya (EME) had 90.06 % and Kendriya Vidyalaya (ONGC) had 98.11 %.

Gujarati Play: Sau Sara Van Thashe. At Gandhi Nagargruh, May 23, 25, 9.30 p.m.

Gujarati Play: Tu Malke Ne Mausam Chhalke. At Gandhi Nagargruh, June 16, 17, 18, 9.30 p.m.

Entertainment Programme: By Mahesh Kumar & Party and Naresh Kanodia. Singing, dancing, mimicry. At Gandhi Nagargruh, May 26, 9.15 p.m.

Fun Park: Fun and games for children. Daily 5 p.m. onwards. Opposite VUDA Office, Karelibaug. Ph: 9979168248, 9825029069.

Kids Carnival: At Sayaji Hotel's Rooftop restaurant. Daily 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

16-05-08

New City Bus Service: Baroda's new public-private bus service is likely to be started on May 19. It will be run by Vallabhipur Transportation Co-operative Society (ViTCOS), initially with a fleet of 25 buses on 15 routes from May 19. To start with, the routes will connect the railway station with Mandvi, Maneja, Bapod Octroi Post, Tarsali, Sayaji Park, Tandalja, Gokulnagar Gotri, Gorwa, Makarpura GIDC and Chhani.

ICU For Premature Babies: The Kashiben Gordhandas Patel Children's Hospital (KGPCH) at Karelibaug now has a six-bed pre-term care intensive medical unit for premature babies. This was made possible by a donation of Rs. 3 million by United Way of Baroda and Federation Samaj Kalyan Trust and Rs. 2 million by Medical Care Centre Trust (MCCT). The hospital already has a neo-natal care unit that can care for 20 babies at a time.

Aurobindo Study Centre: In honour of Maharshi Aurobindo who was once a professor of English and French at Baroda College, an Aurobindo Study Centre will be established soon at MS University?s Arts Faculty. The old Baroda College has in fact evolved into the present MSU Arts Faculty. An Aurobindo chair has also been planned.

HSC Science Stream Results: The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) declared the results of the Class XII Science Stream on 15th May. Out of the 80169 candidates who appeared for the examination, 75.82 per cent passed. The pass percentage among girls was 78.82 and among boys it was 74.43. Over 14,000 students passed with a first class and with distinction.

HSC Science Stream Results

Rank Name
School

1
Rahul Shethia Bright Day School
2 Niraj Gandhi Alembic Vidyalaya
3 Ravikumar Patel Zenith High School
4 Monisha Shah St. Kabir School
5 Anish Kaulgud Mother's School
5 Ritu Shah Vidyani Vidyalaya
5 Poma Shah Convent of Jesus & Mary
5 Bhaumik Parikh Sardar Vinay Mandir
6 Karan Patel Rosary High School
6 Khyati Thakkar Tejas Vidyalaya
6 Payal Agrawal Alembic Vidyalaya
6 Ishani Patel Alembic Vidyalaya
7 Mahima Patel New Era High School
7 Avani Shah Jeevan Sadhana (Gujarati)
7 Vedang Vaidya Jeevan Sadhana (Gujarati)
7 Anisha Goswami Utkarsh Vidyalaya
8 Kinjal Shah Maharani Kanya Vidyalaya
9 Aakash Upadhyay Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya
9 Chintan Vyas Vidyut Board Vidyalaya
9 Shivani Parikh Baroda High School (Bagikhana)
10 Anu Patel Utkarsh Vidyalaya
10 Pooja Vyas Utkarsh Vidyalaya
10 Maulik Modi Sardar Vinay Mandir
10 Lay Adalja Sardar Vinay Mandir
10 Chiragi Bumiya New Era High School
10 Ankur Parikh Jeevan Sadhana (Gujarati)


10-05-08

Authorization Visit From IB Singapore At Navarachana International School, Vadodara: Mr. Curtis Beaverford, MYP Associate Regional Manager, IB Asia Pacific, Singapore and Ms. Arden Tyoschia, MYP Co-ordinator, Nanjing International School, China visited NISV as Authorization Team members for authorizing the Middle Years Programme (MYP)* offered by NISV. Any school offering the International Baccalaureate programme, has to be officially authorized and needs its programme approval from IB.

An Open House was organized on 29th April, 08 at Hotel WelcomGroup, Vadodara in the evening, for prospective parents. It was an informative session where all queries and doubts regarding IB school education were cleared.

Mr. Curtis gave his approval and ?go ahead? to the MYP programme.

02-05-08

Power Cuts For Industries: Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) - popularly known as GEB - has ordered two days of load shedding in a week for industrial units from May 2. This applies to high-tension and low -tension non-continuous industrial units. Gujarat has only 8,300 MW power available, against a demand of 8,800 MW.

Baroda's Development Over 30 Years: Chronicling Three decades of urbanisation and rapid economic development has transformed the 'looks' of Baroda. MS University's geography department is now doing a comparative study of the development with the use of satellite pictures provided by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). MSU has received a grant of Rs. 1.4 million for this project from the central government's department of science and technology. ISRO will provide pictures of the city taken between 1978 and 2007. The 30-month project will trace areas which were under cultivation 30 years ago and the changes in the quality of land down the years, and also the pace of construction of housing colonies and commercial complexes during this time span.

Hair Transplant Surgeries: SSG Hospital's department of plastic surgery has now started performing hair transplant surgeries. The hospital does not charge for the surgeries, which at a private hospital may cost between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 100,000. Five such surgeries have been done so far.

Neonatal Care Centre: The Planning Commission of India (PCI) has approved a Gujarat government proposal to set up an institute to study neonatal care. It will be called the Institute of Child Health and may be attached to the Baroda Medical College and SSG Hospital. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) Gujarat has 47 per cent underweight children, up from 45 per cent in 1999. The national average is 46 per cent. and there is a declining trend in the country.

Permits For Private Security Agencies: The Vadodara police department has instructed all private security agencies in the city to obtain permits by June 30. Private security guards are employed in houses, offices, commercial premises, factories and banks. The police department wants to issue the permits in order to prevent security agencies from inadvertently hiring persons with a criminal record.

Cricket Camp For Women: Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) has invited applications for a camp to be organised for the Women's Cricket Wing. Interested players should go to the Alembic cricket ground between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. with a passport size photograph and a copy of the birth certificate. The camp will be held from May 10 to June 10.

BSNL Telephone Directory: Vadodara's latest BSNL landline telephone directory lists over 35,000 Patels and 15,650 Shahs. Other common surnames are Parmar, Desai, Pandya, Thakkar and Gandhi.

Goraj Hospital Acquires Digital Mammogram Machine: The Kailash Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (KCHRC) at Goraj in Waghodia taluka now has a digital mammogram machine for the detection of breast cancer. It becomes the second cancer specialty hospital in India to have this facility; a similar unit exists at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. At Goraj, this facility is available either free or at subsidised cost.

24-04-08

Hottest Day: Tuesday (22nd April) was the hottest day of the season thus far; the temperature touched 42.4 degrees Celsius.

Vadodara-Dabhoi Train: The Vadodara-Dabhoi broad gauge railway line is expected to start functioning from May 1. The clearance from the railways safety commissioner is awaited. The gauge conversion of the 27-km track between Vadodara's Pratapnagar railway station and Dabhoi is part of the larger project of gauge conversion between Vadodara and Chhotaudepur, covering 99.27 km, from Pratapnagar to Chhotaudepur via Dabhoi, Sankheda and Pavijetpur. The total cost of this project will be Rs. 1.5 billion.

Collabera Expansion: An IT solutions firm Collabera, plans to hire 1,600 employees over the next two years at its Baroda facility. The expansion cost will be about Rs. 2 billion. The company currently has 350 employees in Baroda. Established in 1991, it has its headquarters in New Jersey, USA, and offices in Mumbai, Trivandrum and Bangalore.

Lalbaug Crossing Closed Till April 30: The road from Lalbaug Crossing via Shreyas School to Indra Complex junction will be closed for traffic from till April 30. The closure is due to work on a drainage line.

MSU Commerce Faculty Attendance: Two MS University Commerce Faculty professors conducted a survey which reveals that only 15 per cent of Commerce students attend class regularly. Twenty-six per cent have almost never attended classes. The figures are the same for boys and girls.

Vehicles In Baroda City:
Two-wheelers: 786,926
Rickshaws: 36,789
Four-wheelers: 100,438
Mini buses: 1,274
Luxury buses: 2,030
3-wheelers: 9,873
Tankers: 6,655
Trucks: 17,846
Ambulances: 303

Digital Paintings: By Virendra Patel. At MSU Faculty of Fine Arts Gallery, till April 28, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Summer Camp For Children: Bal Bhavan has announced a one-month summer camp for children (3 to 16) from May 1. The camp will feature sporting activities and workshops in creative arts, fun with science, clay modelling, singing, Western dance, calligraphy, etc. Those interested should before April 25.

Hockey Coaching For School Children: Free camp organised by MS University's Department of Physical Education from April 28 to May 30. At MSU Pavilion Ground. To register please contact the coach at the ground from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Islamic Investment Opportunities: Conference on April 26, 2008, 10 a.m. onwards. At Prof. C.C. Mehta Auditorium, M.S. University. Free entry. For registration phone 9427348946, 9898021223, 9428066836.

Programme on Logistics, Shipping & Export Documentation: Organised by Government of Gujarat and Ahmedabad Management Association Centre for International Trade. April 26 & 27, 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. At Hotel Yuvraj, Vadodara. For Registration, ring up Ahmedabad management Association (079-26308601). Website: www.amaindia.org

Summer Mela 2008: Kala Bhavan Ground, Rajmahal Road, 11 a.m. onwards.

Gujarati Play: 'Parnela Chho To Himmat Rakho'. At Gandhi Nagargruh, 9.30 p.m. April 24, 25, 28. Ph: 9428426321.

22-04-08

New Course KGP Hospital: K.G. Patel Children's Hospital has announced a two-year diploma course to train teachers to handle mentally challenged children. The course will begin in June 2008. Persons with HSC may apply before May 10. Phone: 9327229995.

Adventure Camps For Kids: Adventure camps for children have been announced by the State Youth Board, Gujarat Adventure Club and Mountaineering Centre. The venues: Junagadh from May 2 to May 9 and Mount Abu from May 28 to June 6. The camps will include training in rock climbing, river crossing and trekking at night. Those interested can contact Hasmukh Pathak on 9427404210.

Sale Of Cotton Woven Sarees: By Kanchul, till April 25, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at G/15, Race Course Tower, Race Course Circle, Pashabhai Park.

Vipassana Course: Vadodara Vipassana Samiti will offer a 10-day free course at Mogar, starting on April 30. Contact Dhamma Bhavan on 0265-2341181.

19-04-08

Improved Bus Service, Hopefully: The tendering process is over for a new, improved bus service in Baroda. The concerned committee has tentatively selected Bhavnagar based VTCOS Transportation Pvt. Ltd., generally referred to as Vitcos, to run the city's bus service. The company operates a service in Bhavnagar and Anand. The plan is to start on Gujarat Day, May 1. Twenty buses will be deployed at the start, scaled up to 50 in a few months, and 100 within a year. The operator will have service 359 routes. It is hoped that commuters will not have to wait more than 10 minutes for a bus. Concessions will be given to students, and a Rs. 10 ticket will allow unlimited travel for a day.

Dial 108 For Emergencies: The Emergency Management & Research Institute (EMRI) has launched 11 ambulances in Baroda. Baroda is the second city in Gujarat, after Ahmedabad, where EMRI has launched its ambulance services. And Gujarat is the second state in India, after Andhra Pradesh, where EMRI services are available. EMRI was established in Andhra Pradesh in 2005, funded by B. Ramalinga Raju, chairman of Satyam Computers. The emergency ambulance service is planned in such a way that the average time for reaching the scene is about 15 minutes. The '108' toll-free number serves the city as well as five other towns in the district for medical, police and fire emergencies. Six ambulances will be in action in the city and five in Bodeli, Padra, Dabhoi, Savli and Waghodia. The control room is in Ahmedabad and all calls received there are relayed to the ambulances. Ambulances leave for their destinations within three minutes. Each ambulance covers a radius of 20 km. Each ambulance has an emergency medical technician and a driver, called a pilot. The pilots have been trained in helping the medical technicians. All calls meant for the city and district police are routed through police officers posted at EMRI's Ahmedabad control room.

Approval For Performing Arts Graduates: Graduates from the drama department of at MS University's Faculty of Performing Arts (FPA) will now be treated the same as graduates from the National School of Drama (NSD) and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Mumbai's Cine & Television Artistes Association (CINTAA) has agreed to give direct membership cards of their association to the students graduating from FPA. One needs to have a CINTAA membership card to get work from Mumbai's production companies.

US Patent For MSU Prof: MS University chemistry professor Anjali Patel's eco-friendly chemical process has won a US patent as well as an Indian one. She discovered a process of making paratertiary butylphenol, a toxin which is harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Paratertiary butylphenol is used to make oil paints, resins, stabilisers, detergents and perfumes.

Large Order For Permionics: Permionics Membranes Pvt. Ltd. of Baroda has been awarded a contract worth Rs. 367 million by Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. for the turnkey execution of a sewage and waste water treatment plant at Vizag. Permionics will set up a plant to recycle treated water using reverse osmosis membrane technology.

Medical Camp In Kenya: Surgeons from Baroda, led by SSG Hospital's ENT chief Dr. R.G. Aiyar, will visit a village near Nairobi in Kenya to conduct a camp for the local tribals from April 20 to May 4. The camp has been organised by the Jain Youth League of Nairobi. Dr. Bhavin Parekh and Dr. Mihir Gandhi will also be a part of the team.

Mobile Science Express: A mobile science exhibition, arranged on a special train - 'Science Express' - will be open to the public at the Baroda railway station from April 19 to 23. Sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, the exhibition will remain open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily

Exhibition Of Toys: Fun toys, skill toys, education toys, etc., at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road, till April 20, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Handicrafts & Handlooms Festival: Till April 27, 10.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajijunj.

15-04-08

One World, One People: Navrachana International School of Vadodara (NISV) is now a 'Partner in Learning' in a Global School Partnerships programme delivered by a consortium of the British Council, Cambridge Education Foundation (CEF), UK One World Linking Association (UKOWLA) and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). The programme promotes partnerships between schools in the UK and schools in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The aim is to increase young people's awareness of global development issues. As part of the first exchange visit from its partner, Ms Caroline Yuill of Begbrook Primary School in Bristol is Visiting NISV. Ms. Caroline says, "The common project we had identified was water. I have been interviewing villagers and studying the water requirements, problems and irrigation styles and also the modern facilities that the school has. I have brought from Bristol our programmes on water preservation." NISV principal Ms Manju Gupta, says that "these partnerships bring the 'global dimension' in education and bring the world to the school, changing perceptions." A reciprocal visit from NISV will follow later this year. More

10-04-08

Jewellery & Garments: Handmade Jewellery & Summer Ethnic Wear. At Trisha Gallery, April 11, 12, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sarees & Dress Material: Sale at Shree Ani Mandali, Dandia Bazar. Till April 20, Ph: 2429813.

Designer Salwar Kameez Materials, Tops & Tunics: Exhibition and sale by Palak Trivedi, At Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road. April 11 and 12, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Treadings: An exhibition of art works by Navrachana International School Visual Arts students of the IB Diploma programme. April 7 to 11, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. At Welcom Art Gallery, WelcomHotel, R.C. Dutt Road.

Butterfly Books: Exhibition at Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road. Till April 6. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Gujarat Handicrafts: Exhibition-Cum-Sale by Shree Kutch Kalyan Trust, Bhuj-Kutch. At Readstone Gallery, Near H.S.B.C. Bank, Inox Road, Race Course Circle. Till April 6, 2008, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sarees & Suits: Exhibition and sale of Taarika Cotton Printed Sarees & Suits. At Marble Arch, Opposite Vanijya Bhavan, Race Course.

21-03-08

Baroda Museum Make-Over: It was more than hundred years ago that Maharaja Sayajirao gifted the Baroda Museum to the city. What is now called the Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery was designed by Major Mant and R.F. Chisholm. The authorities are now giving the museum a make-over by way of a tourist-friendly ambience, high-security system, better illumination facilities, etc. Also on the agenda is a new gallery for Indian miniature paintings. The work will be carried out by the same firms that were involved with the restoration of Mumbai?s Victoria Terminus station and New Delhi?s National Museum. The project will take three to complete.

Apollo Tyres Expands At Baroda: Apollo Tyres Ltd. plans to increase its production capacity in India from 10,000 tyres to 45,000 tyres a day over the next 18 months. Towards this end the capacity of the company's Baroda plant will be stepped up from 10,000 to 15,000 tyres a day. Apollo will invest Rs. 2.5 billion at the Baroda facility. plant and another Rs. 1 billion 00 core at our new OTR tyre plant at Baroda.

Gujarat Handicrafts: Organised by Mahila Hastkala Utpadak Sahakari Mandli Ltd., Patan. Till March 27, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

14-03-08

City Loses Two Stalwarts: Dr. Thakorebhai Patel, the first elected mayor of the Baroda Municipal Corporation in 1968, passed away on March 1, 2008. He held the mayor's post till 1973. In 1972, he was elected an MLA and became Gujarat's panchayat and health minister in the cabinet of the late Chimanbhai Patel. Dr. Patel graduated from Mumbai's Grant Medical College and was the dean of the Baroda Medical College. Mr. Nanalal Choksi (90), the first mayor of Vadodara Municipal Corporation, and also the last president of the Baroda Municipal Borough, passed away on March 7, 2008. Choksi was elected to the erstwhile Baroda Municipality in 1961 and presided over it till it was converted to a municipal corporation.

Milk Price Raised: Barodians are now shelling out Re 1 more for a litre of milk. Following a decision by the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) - the apex body of the 13 district dairy unions in Gujarat - Baroda Dairy's new rates per litre of Amul milk are: Gold (Rs. 23), Shakti (Rs. 21), Taaza (Rs. 19) and Slim & Trim (Rs. 17). The dairy has also increased the milk procurement price given to farmers from Rs. 260 per kilo fat to Rs. 265 per kilo fat.

New Rail Overbridges: At long last, work will begin very soon on two railway overbridges in the Jetalpur and Navayard areas of the city. The Jetalpur bridge will cost of Rs. 196.8 million and the Navayard bridge will cost Rs. 139.6 million.

Mayo Hospital: The Metro Group of Hospitals has almost completed renovation of Mayo Hospital, which it had taken over in 2006 at a cost of Rs. 242 million. The hospital will re-start in April 2008 with 150 beds.

Electrical Steel Service Centre: Mahindra Interactive Ltd. (MIL) - a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra - has recently inaugurated its Electrical Steel Service Centre at the Savli GIDC industrial estate. The Rs. 300-million facility has been set up to manufacture laminations for transformer cores for transformer manufacturers in Gujarat. The plant is the biggest of its kind in India, and may possibly become the biggest in Asia too.

Board Exams: The Gujarat State Education Board class X and XII exams began on March 10. The Vadodara district education office said that 41, 841 students took the class X exam and 15,000 students - both science and commerce streams - took the class XII exam. The exams were conducted at 2,175 centres in the district.

Jaanta Raja: A grand play based on the life saga of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, March 15 to 20. At Navlakhi Ground, Rajmahal. Organised by Jaanta Raja Mahanatya Samiti. Ph: 9427845770, 9879064800, 9426179499, 9725039738. This will be the first staging of the grand Marathi play in Hindi. The story of Shivaji, staged by 250 artists, has been written and directed by historian Babasaheb Purandare. Over eight million people all over the world have seen this play in the last 22 years. The 800th show will be staged at Baroda. Over 7,000 persons will see the pay in Baroda everyday. The actors also include one elephant, six horses and one camel. The play will travel to Los Angeles, USA., in May. The troupe has already staged 15 shows in USA.

Bengali Language Course: The Bengali Sanskriti Sangha has elected Ashok Gupta as its president, and Prasansa Lahiri, S.B. Dasgupta and Gautam Ghosh as the body's vice presidents. The organisation plans to start a Bengali language course at Premananda Hall, Dandia Bazaar.

Industrial Exhibition & Fair: March 14 to 16, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj. Organised by Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Development Institute, Commissionerate of Cottage & Rural Industries, Khadi & Village industries Commission, National Small Industries Corporation Ltd., Federation of Small Scale Industries

Jewellery Exhibition: At Trisha Art Gallery, Jetalpur Road, March 14, 15, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Import-Export Course: Part-time, four-month postgraduate diploma course will start from April 21. Contact Indian Institute of Export, Sayajigunj. Ph: 2362570.

08-03-08

Better Bus Service: Baroda's city bus service may be on the road to improvement. A joint committee involving officers from the Vadodara Municipal Corporation, the Regional Transport Office and the District Collectorate have set the ball rolling by issuing a tender inviting private bus operators. The selected operator will have to ply 70 low-floored buses running on CNG fuel. The new service has 367 proposed routes covering 11,406 kms in 1,048 trips a day. The longest route will be between Madhunagar on Waghodia Road and Reva Park in the western part of the city, totaling 289 kilometres in 16 trips. The operator will have to build five linear terminals at Vasna, Makarpura, Sama-Nizampura, Waghodia and the Railway Station. The municipal corporation will construct 155 pick-up stands. The operators will not be allowed to make more than seven persons stand in the bus.

Harmonica Players: The 'Harmonica Players of Baroda' have applied to the Limca Book of World Records under the category of the "largest group of people playing harmonica in India". The group has 65 active harmonica or "mouth organ" players, both men and women. The youngest member is nine years old and the oldest is 85. They play mostly for old people and patients in hospitals. The founder president of the group is Ajitsinh Gaekwad.

MSU Course In VAT: MS University will offer a full-time postgraduate course in value-added tax (VAT). This is the first time in India that such a course in VAT has been introduced. Concurrence is awaited from MSU's syndicate members. Graduates from all disciplines will be eligible for admission to this one-year self-financed course that can take 50 students. The course will include 60 hours of training in VAT software.

Metallurgy Alumni Association: Department of Metallurgical & Material Engineering (DMME) at MS University's Faculty of Technology & Engineering plans to set up an alumni association - Society of Metallurgy Engineering Students (SMES). DMME was started in 1971; over 1,000 students have graduated from the department.

MSU Student For Exchange Programme: Vinoth Kumar, a student from MS University's Pharmacy Department, has been selected for an Indo-Finnish student exchange programme. Kumar is doing his doctorate on the role of diabetes in hypertension. He will continue his research on the relationship between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease at the A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Finland.

CA Institute: Ashok Thakkar has been elected the chairman and Rahul Parikh the secretary of the Vadodara branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

National Art & Craft Bazar: Till March 10, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sponsored by Office of the Development Commissioner, Handicrafts, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India. Organised by Bharati Gramuthan Samajik Vikash Sansthan. At Akota Stadium, Productivity Road.

23-02-08

'A' Grade For VMC: In its recent survey of 62 Indian cities the Credit Rating and Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL) gave an 'A' grade to Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), compared to 'A+' for the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and 'AA' for the Surat Municipal Corporation. The civic bodies were rated on the basis of implementation of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission schemes. The grading should enhance the credibility of VMC, making it easier to get loans from international funding agencies like the World Bank.

Award To DD Baroda: The Doordarshan high power transmitter at Vadodara has been judged to be the 'Best Maintained High Power Transmitter' in India. DD Baroda station engineer M.S. Duhan received an award for this from the Union minister of information and broadcasting recently at a function in Mumbai. DD Baroda relays DD1, DD Gujarati and DD News from its transmitters situated near Amodas.

New Era Girl In West Zone Team: In the 'International Climate Champion - 2008' competition organised by the British Council Nidhi Patel of New Era School qualified as the finalist from west zone Nidhi is the only student from Gujarat in the five-member west zone team. The final round of the competition will be at Delhi from February 28. Thereafter three students will be selected for the international conference to be held in London and Kobe (Japan) in March.

MSU Tech-Fest: MS University's Faculty of Technology & Engineering annual tech-fest - Footprints - will be on from February 22 to 24. The tech-fest will host six events to test the technical prowess of students pursuing engineering courses in various colleges across India.

21-02-08

City Boy In Talent Finals: Destination NASA Knowledge Challenge is an online assessment programme by 24x7Guru.com for students from class 3 to class 10 to assess their strengths in Mathematics and Science subjects. The programme identifies meritorious students based on online tests. This year 49,000 students participated. Of the 130 finalists, only one - M.S. Adityan - is from Baroda. Adityan is a Std. VII student of Anand Vidya Vihar.

Mosquito Menace On The Vishwamitri: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) will sow Citronella plants along the banks of the Vishwamitri river in order to fight mosquitoes. The plant's oil extracts are supposed to act as a mosquito repellent, and it is hoped that sowing these plants will stem the insect's breeding along the river?s bank. The saplings have been procured on a trial basis from the Central Aromatic Medicinal Plant Research Centre (CAPRC) at Anand.

Dum Pukht: Awadhi Food Festival: Sayaji Hotel, February 15 to 24.

07-02-08

City Airport Declared Best: Baroda's Harni Airport has been declared by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to be the best in India in terms of security and facilities for the year 2007-08. The survey covered 30 airports in the country. The facilities surveyed include seating arrangements, canteen, parking, medical shop, etc.

'Moti Mahal' In Baroda: The Moti Mahal chain of restaurants has opened its first unit in Gujarat at Baroda, on R.C. Dutt Road. Named "Tandoori Trail" it offers Mughlai cuisine as well as vegetarian food.

Workshop For Retiring Employees: A two-day workshop for executives and employees who are due to retire soon will be held on February 23 and 24 at Hotel Express. Those interested should ring up Retired Officers' Forum (91-265-2791075).

Diamond Jewellery Exhibition: Exhibition and sale of American diamond jewellery, February 7 and 8, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Trisha Gallery, opposite Swagat Restaurant, Jetalpur Road. By Parul Naidu, phone 9824421062.

Jewellery Exhibition & Sale: Hotel Panchsheel, R.C. Dutt Road, till February 10, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Indian Ocean Live Performance: February 9, 6 p.m. onwards, Akota Stadium. Ph: 9925838900.

29-01-08

Baroda's GDP Growth: Vadodara's GDP growth during the period between 2001-02 and 2006-07 has been 9.8 per cent, above India's average of 8 per cent and higher than Pune (7.4) and Hyderabad (7.8). Some experts suggest that this is because the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) helped increase productivity in agriculture in and around Vadodara. Surat leads the country with a GDP growth of 11.5 per cent. Mumbai had 7.9 per cent and Bangalore managed 10.1 per cent and Ahmedabad was at 9.4 per cent. Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore are the leaders in terms of absolute GDP. These figures are from a survey of district-wise GDP growth carried out by New Delhi based Indicus Analytics.

SSG Pioneer Passes Away: Dr. G.V. Merchant, founder of the Department of Orthopaedics and the Department of Physiotherapy at SSG Hospital, passed away on January 28 at the age of 88. He had settled down in Baroda in 1952.

Recognition For Fine Arts Student: Sandeep Pisalkar, a postgraduate sculpture student at MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts won two awards recently in the Danfoss International Art Competition. The awards, worth about Rs.400,000, are in the category 'Passionate About Technology'. Danfoss is one of Denmark's leading manufacturing companies. Over 450 artists from 28 countries participated in the competition. Sandeep graduated from the J.J. School of Arts in Mumbai.

Course In French: MS University's Department of French has begun registration for the three-month self-financed course in French. Registration will continue till January 31. Eligibility: HSc pass. Contact the department between 9.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m.

Exhibition: Of Scroll. By Vipin Puri, Faculty of Fine Arts Exhibition Hall, till Jan 30, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

National Graphic Camp: Organised by Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. At Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University, till February 3, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Painting Show: by Dindorkar's Shree Aditya Art Centre, Akruti Art Gallery, Kirti Mandir campus, till Jan 29, 10.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Gujarati Play: 'Jantar Mantar'. Till Jan 31, daily 9.30 p.m. Gandhi Nagargruh.

Work Of Women Artisans: By Shroffs Foundation Trust, at 108/109, Abhishek Complex, Akshar Chowk, Old Padra Road, January 30 and 31. Exhibition and sale of hand-made masterpieces by women artisans of Chhota Udepur and Kutch: sarees, kurta sets, tops, cholis, stoles, dupattas, skirts, pants, bags, bed-spreads, mufflers, cushion covers, wall hangings, beaded jewellery, embroidered articles, etc.

25-01-08

More Recreational Facilities: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) draft budget for 2008-09 proposes the development of more recreational facilities in the city. Among the dreams:
Beautification of Ajwa Gardens
Strengthening Sursagar Lake's walls
New indoor stadium at Akota
Renovation of the city's historical gates (Gendigate, Panigate, Champaner and Leheripura)
New zonal civic centre
Improvement of bus service
Renovation of Gandhi Nagargruh
Fire station at Chhani
Better gardens near Ajwa reservoir
Laser-based fountains
Renovation of Dipak Open Air Theatre

Extreme Cold At Sayajibaug Zoo: Besides the human beings in Baroda even the 205 varieties of animals, 953 type of birds and 76 kinds of reptiles at the Sayajibaug Zoo are feeling the effects of the cold wave sweeping over Gujarat. The zoo staff is helping out. Tigers, lions and leopards have been shifted to wooden enclosures, and an extra 2 kg of meat has been added to the 10 kg that each animal eats daily. Firewood is being burnt near the cages to provide warmth. The monkeys are covered with blankets and get more bananas, carrots and milk. Reptiles snuggle into dry hay which has been put in their cages.

Home Science Faculty Re-Named: Did you know that MS University's Faculty of Home Science has had a change of name? It is now the Faculty of Family & Community Science (FFCS). The necessary changes are now being made in the paperwork - certificates, degree certificates, mark sheets and the documents used for daily administrative work.

Railway Reservation Period: Western Railway's Vadodara Division has increased the advance reservation period from 60 days to 90 days. The rule will be effective from February 1, and the bookings will be open from May 1.

Fashion Designing Course: MS University's Faculty of Family & Community Science (FFCS) has announced the start of a vocational course in fashion designing. This will be made a part of the main curriculum. Such a course was already running at the Department of Clothing and Textiles.

Course In Cricketing Skills: The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) plans to offer a diploma course in cricketing skills in affiliation with MS University.

Care For Mentally Challenged: The Baroda Citizens Council (BCC) has started the Dr. Nandini Gandhi Day Care Centre for the Mentally Challenged at Navidharti Nagarwada. The day care centre is supported by the Rotary Club.

Information Technology Exhibition: The Baroda Information Technology Association (BITA) is holding its 10th IT Show at Akota Stadium from January 25 to 27. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The show will feature 200 exhibition stalls. The apex body to promote IT in the state - Gujarat Informatics Ltd. (GIL) - is supporting the event.

NIPM Conference: The National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM) has announced that its 26th Annual Conference will be held at Baroda from February 7 to 9. This will be the first NIPM conference to be held in Gujarat. The renowned economist Meghnad Desai, SEBI chief M. Damodaran, ONGC human resources director A.K. Balyan and Bank of Baroda chairman and managing director Anil Khandelwal will also speak on the occasion.

BBA BAAZIGAR: MS University's Bachelor of Business Administration Students Association (BBASA) will organise its annual business event 'BBA BAAZIGAR' from January 27 to February 1. Private institutions Gujarat Institute of Hotel Management, Parul Institute and ICFAI will also participate in the event.

Rifle Shooting Competition: February 10. Fill up forms by February 7 at Baroda Rifle Club, Railway Police Parade Ground, Behind Kuber Bhavan, Raopura (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.).

Automobile Exhibition: January 25 to 28, Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

23-01-08

Hand Embroidered Sarees: By Sonal Gandhi, January 22 to 23, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

Khadi Village Industries Fair: By Khadi Gramudyog Commission, January 23 to 31, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj. Products: Cottons, Silks, Woolens, Masalas, Honey, Pickles, Papads, Agarbattis, Soaps, Natural Sherbets, Shoes, Chappals, etc.

Fancy Garments Sale: Till January 25, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Marble Arch Display Centre, Opposite Pizza Hut, Race Course Circle.

Free Bone Density Camp: By Karelibaug Bhagini Samaj, Dahiba Bhavan, Opposite Jain Mandir, Water Tank Road, Karelibaug, January 24, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Free Medical Camp: Till January 25, 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., Mahalaxmiji Mahila Homoeopathy Medical College, Munj Mahuda.

Australian Edu Fair: By Neptune Education Consultants, February 14, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Taj Residency, Akota Gardens. To register call 3057314.

Gujarati Comedy Show: 'Shahbuddin Rathodno Hasya Darbar', Gandhi Nagargruh, January 25.

Gujarati Play: 'Aa Vevainu Kai Kahevai Nahin', Gandhi Nagargruh, January 23, 9.30 p.m.

Children's Fair: January 25 to 27, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sayajibaug, Sayajigunj.

19-01-08

Names For Municipal Schools: Did you know that the 115 primary schools run by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation do not have names to identify them? The schools are identified with numbers and the localities they are situated. VMC's Primary Education Committee has now decided to give names to the schools after freedom fighters, social workers, and famous local personalities. While most of the schools are Gujarati medium, there are five Marathi medium, 11 Hindi medium, one Sindhi medium and one school for deaf and dumb students.

Research Programme On AIDS: A five-year AIDS International Training and Research Programme (AITRP) for adolescents is being launched launched at the Baroda Medical College (BMC) in collaboration with the University of South Florida (USF). BMC will be the beneficiary of the funds granted to USF by the National Institute of Health (NIH), USA. This ambitious project is meant to enhance the research infrastructure, training and funding for HIV research with a focus on adolescents.

New Cricket Stadium: There may soon be an alternative to the IPCL (now Reliance) Cricket Stadium. The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) wants to acquire 90 acres at Sankarda village, 20 km from the city, to build a stadium that can take 40,000 spectators. It seems that the land will cost Rs. 90 million. The Reliance Stadium can take only 20,000 spectators.

Public Meetings Banned Till February 1: In view of Muharram and other festivals, the Baroda Police Commissioner has issued a notification banning public meetings, processions and the carrying of personal arms. The notification will remain in place till February 1.

Musical Fest: The Vadodara Chapter of the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SPICMACAY) will host the West zone convention in Baroda from January 24 to 27. Padmashri Shubha Mudgal and Padmabhushan Alarmel Valli (Bharatanatyam) will perform at the inauguration.

Exhibition & Fun Fair: Organised by Maheswari Mahila Mandal. Sarees, dress materials, tops, tunics, plants, painting, jewellery, gift items. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj, 10 a.m. to 9.00 p.m., January 19 and 20.

Garden Mills' Sale: The mill has organised a sale of sarees and salwar suit pieces at the LMP Product Display Centre, Tilak Road, Sayajigunj. 10 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. daily, till February 11.

Readymade Garments Sale: Till January 20, at Marble Arch Display Centre, Race Course Circle, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

12-01-08

Seminar On Education In UK: 'Education UK', British Council, has scheduled two free seminars on Study in the UK and Student Visas at Baroda. The seminars would briefly outline the procedure for applying to an institution in the UK, entry requirements, tuition fees, approximate cost of living and crucial information on the UK student visa application systems. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and clear any doubts. The event will be on Sunday, January 20, 2008, 3 p.m. onwards at Chandarva Hall, WelcomHotel Vadodara, R.C. Dutt Road, Baroda 390 007. The relevant website is The website is www.educationuk-in.org. All are invited; registration will be at the venue on the scheduled date.

Neonatal Unit For Premature Babies: The neonatology division at the Department of Paediatrics, Baroda Medical College (BMC) and SSG Hospital, has started a Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) unit. With this unit, some premature or underweight babies will not need incubators. The unit uses the body warmth of the parents or relatives instead of incubators to provide neonatal care to low birth weight (LBW) infants. KMC is a simple and inexpensive technique that was first used in Columbia, South Africa. LBW babies account for 30 to 40 per cent of the newborns in India, and over 60 % of neonatal mortalities are from this group. The method is simple, cheap and effective method to take care of premature babies or infants who weigh below two kilograms. The project has been funded by UNICEF.

Barodian Wins Commonwealth Award: Baroda?s Jignasha Ojha, 28, is among the ten artists in the world who have been selected for the Commonwealth Arts and Crafts Award in 2007. As part of the award, she will be given money to travel to a Commonwealth country, work alongside that country?s artists, share her skills and put up an exhibition of their work. She will also be given cash reward of 8000 pounds. Jignasha completed her MFA in painting from MS University?s Faculty of Fine Arts in 2003. This award is given every two years to artists and crafts persons who have shown exceptional promise in their own country and who would benefit from the opportunity to expand their horizons.

Undergraduate Courses In Microbiology & Biochemistry: The science faculty of MS University may start undergraduate courses in microbiology and biochemistry from the next academic year. A postgraduate course in biostatistics is being considered. Presently, MSU conducts only postgraduate courses in microbiology and biochemistry. Undergraduate courses are available in Vallabh Vidyanager and Ahmedabad.

Rhythmic Breathing Exercises: Free training programme by Soleji Yoga Foundation, at Jagdish Hall, Behind Sardar Baug, Wadi Wadi, January 13, 9.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.

Hakoba Sale: Hotel Panchsheel, R.C. Dutt Road, Till January 14, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Wood Sculpture: Exhibition by retired MSU Professor B. Balakrishnaia, January 16, 17, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Pratapgunj Club, Pratapgunj.

10-01-08

Pratapnagar-Chhota Udepur narrow Railway: The conversion of the 125 year-old Pratapnagar-Chhota Udepur narrow gauge railway track into broad gauge has now been completed up to Dabhoi and awaits the clearance from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) before it takes passenger trains. The Rs. 1-billion track conversion project will offer better connectivity to the tribal region and will also open it up for industrial development. Subsequent expansion will cover the Chhota Udepur-Dhar-Indore line to give better connectivity to the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh.


Course On Capital Market: The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and MS University's Department of Economics plan to start a certificate course in the field of capital markets. Only Mumbai University offers a similar course - Certificate Programme in Capital Market (CPCM). MSU will be the only university in Gujarat to collaborate with BSE for the self-financed course. Approval is awaited from MSU's syndicate.

Swami Vivekanand Festival: Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Memorial will hold a day-long youth festival on January 12 at MS University's C.C. Mehta auditorium to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekanand. In addition to a series of lectures, question-answer sessions have been also arranged. The memorial offices on R.C. Dutt Road can be contacted for the application forms.

Children's Painting Competition: January 27, At Bal Bhavan, Near Sayajibaug, Karelibaug. Entry forms will be accepted till January 22.

Handlooms Exhibition: M.P. State Handlooms Exhibition & Sale. January 10 to 12. At Ayatana Gallery, 5/6, Vikas Nagar, Near Tube Co., Old Padra Road.

Prem Jyoti: An exhibition on the message and service projects of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. At Kalabhuvan Ground, till January 13, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Jewellery Show: By Art Karat, January 10 to 12, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Trisha Gallery, Opposite Swagat Restaurant.

Gujarati Play: 'Dikro To Vahu Ni Thapan Kevai'. At Gandhi Nagargruh, 9.30 p.m. January 10, 11.

07-01-08

Disaster Management Course: MS University's Geology department is collaborating with the Indian Army and Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA) to introduce a diploma course in disaster management. The course will commence by February 2008. It is divided into two semesters and will have 20 seats for graduates from any stream. The fee for the course will be Rs. 4,000 per semester.

New EME Commandant: Maj Gen Harkirat Singh has taken over as the commandant of the EME at Baroda from Brig Atul Mishra, the officiating commandant. He was earlier at EME, Eastern Command Headquarters.

MSU Youth Festival: MS University Students Union (MSUSU) will begin its annual youth festival on January 26. The week-long festival, called 'Sparsh 08', will start with a marathon race. A rock show and film show will be the special attractions this year.

Sale At Westside: Up to 50 % off. Till January 27. Next to Inox, Race Course Circle.

Kite Exhibition: Arti Society, Atmajyoti Ashram Road, Subhanpura. January 7 to 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Paintings By Harish Kumar Sejekan: Exhibition at WelcomHotel Art Gallery, Till January 21, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Free Acupressure Camp: January 10, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. At Pushti Prabha Arogya Mandir, Kalyan Prasad Bank Road, Mandvi.

Farming Technology Fair: Till January 9, Opposite Kirti Stambh.

Free Cataract Camp: At Yogini Vasantidevi Arogya Mandir, Pratapnagar Road, January 10, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Western Dancing Classes: Classes starting January 9 onwards at 'Only Parathas, Jetalpur Road. By Akash Karnatki's Spin Academy. Ph: 9825419007, 9898592432.

02-01-08

Sayaji's Buffet Junction: Sayaji Hotel has opened a new restaurant in the premises of Ginger Hotel at Fatehgunj. Named Buffet Junction, the air-conditioned restaurant offers buffet breakfast (7 to 10.30 a.m.), buffet lunch (12 noon to 3 p.m.) and buffet dinner (7 tom 11 p.m.). Snacks are served from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

24-12-07

Exhibition Of Pottery Photographs: By Avaneesh Bhatt. Aakruti Art Gallery, Kirti Mandir Compound, Till December 25, 10.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. The photographs feature the work of the Gujarati potters who live in the Dharavi slums in Mumbai.

Sarees & Dress Materials: Exhibition at Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road, December 24 to 26.

Chess Coaching Camp: For children, no fees. 4-A, Pushparaj Flats, Opposite Mehsana Nagar, Nizampura, December 24 to 28, 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. Organised by Sampurnanand Activity Centre.

Free Medical Camp: December 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. At Pramukhswami Hospital, Atladra. For women, children and eye related problems.

Yoga Camp: At Sardar Maidan, Near Rajiv Gandhi Swimming Pool, Waghodia Road. January 1 to 7, 6 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. No fees. Organised by Shri Vadeshwar Hanuman Mandir and Sadbhavna Seva Trust.

Ranji Trophy Cricket Match: Baroda versus Orissa, From December 25. At Motibaug Ground.

Dine & Dance: A New Year event, organised by Hotel Yuvraj, at Shivam Party Plot, Sama-Savli Road, December 31, 8 p.m. onwards. DJ: Cyrus. Ph: 2795252.

Mega New Year Buffet: At WelcomHotel Vadodara, R.C. Dutt Road, December 31, 7 p.m. onwards.

22-12-07

VMC Standing Committee Chairman: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) Standing Committee members have elected Dinesh Choksi as its new chairman. The committee appointed Dr. Niruben Patel as the new deputy mayor. Dinesh Choksi has become the chairman for the third time.

Exhibition By 7 Artists: At Red Earth Art Gallery, ABS Towers, Old Padra Road. December 23 to January 6. 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Art of Living Course: At Jeevan Darshan Hall, Opposite Niketan, Fatehgunj. December 26 to 31. 6 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Ph: 9824158006, 9879546630.

21-12-07

Special Olympics For Kids: The Reliance Sports Complex at Baroda is the venue for the 4th Special Olympics Gujarat between December 21 and 23. It is meant to encourage sports among mentally challenged children. Over 700 children will take part in different sporting events. Vadodara is hosting the state level event for the first time.

Handloom & Handicrafts Exhibition: By Garvi-Gurjari. At Ayatana Gallery, Vikas Nagar, Old Padra Road. Till December 29, 12 noon to 8 p.m.

Fusion Embroidery: Tunics & Tops, Sarees, Skirts, Fabrics, Dupattas, Salwar Suits, by Alankrit. December 21, 22. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Trisha Gallery, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road.

Brands of India: Shopping Festival. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj. December 28 to January 6. 11.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. Entry Fee Rs. 10.

19-12-07

Board Exams From March 10: The Gujarat State Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) will conduct the HSC and SSC board exams from March 10, 2008. Over 1.1 million students (750,000 for SSC and 350,000 for HSC) are expected to appear in the examination.

GujCET On April 10: The Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GujCET) will be held on April 10. Those seeking admission in medical, paramedical, engineering and pharmacy courses will have to appear in this test.

NBE Accredits City Hospital: Banker Heart Institute (BHI) has been accredited by the National Board of Examination (NBE), New Delhi, for providing super-speciality training in DNB cardiology. BHI also plans to introduce super-speciality training in cardiac surgery and cardiac anaesthesia.

ERDA Director Honoured: A.K. Singh, Director of Electrical Research & Development Association (ERDA) at Baroda, was recently given the International Business Excellence Award by the International Study Circle. The honour was given in recognition of his professional achievements and for his contribution to the business growth of ERDA.

Ayyappa Temple Fest: Shree Ayyappa Temple, Sama, is organising a religious and cultural festival from December 21 to 26.

Wedding Collection: By Suchitra From Kolkata. Dec 18, 19, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Trisha Gallery, 62, Vishwas Colony, Jetalpur Road.

Trade Fair 2007: December 18 to 23, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Hockey Ground, Rajmahal Road. Electronic items, home appliances, R.O. systems, energy saving technologies, handloom and handicraft products, readymade garments, cosmetics.

17-12-07

Paintings By Dilip Mitra: Exhibition At Sarjan Art Gallery, 1, Vishwas Colony, Alkapuri. Till 29th December, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Book Fair: By Ashish Book Centre, Dec 7 to 25, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. LMP Display Centre, Station Road, Sayajigunj.

Shaadi@Barbadi.Com: Hindi Play, Gandhi Nagargruh, December 24, 9.30 p.m. Ph: 9825060871.

06-12-07

Election Candidates In Baroda:
Raopura:
Yogesh Patel (BJP), age 62, education Class 10, has won four consecutive terms from 1990.
Dr. Poornima Mehta (Congress), age 45, education MS (Botany) and PhD (Botany).
Daughter-in-law of former Union minister Sanat Mehta, she is an administrator in Jeevan Sadhna School. Fresh entrant into politics.
Sayajigunj:
Jitendra Sukhadia (BJP), age 61, education engineering diploma. BJP chief whip in the assembly. He lost the Lok Sabha poll with a margin of only 17 votes to Satyajit Gaekwad of Congress in 1996. He was an active trade union leader and headed the Alembic Karmachari Union.
Ramesh Prajapati (Congress), age 52, education: Master of Engineering in Metallurgy (MSU). Recently entered active politics. Brother of Dalsukh Prajapati. He has worked with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Ahmedabad, in 1982-83 and also was a lecturer in MS University's Technology faculty. He now runs a construction business.
Wadi:
Bhupendra Lakhawala (BJP), age 54, education B.A., was a minister in the Keshubhai Patel government and also during the tenure of Narendra Modi. He has been elected thrice.
Dr. Rajendrasinh Rathod (Congress), age 54, education MD (Dentistry), leader of opposition in VMC during 1986-87, mayor in 1987-88. Runs Baroda's Manubhai Patel Dental College and the Mauras Dental Institute in Mauritius.

New ABB Unit At Baroda: The Swedish-Swiss power and automation technologies' company ABB Ltd plans to invest $100 million in three years in adding capacities as well as in range expansion in its Indian operations. It will also invest in setting up a new manufacturing unit in Baroda for small power transformers and distribution automation products. This will be in addition to the existing facilities at Vadodara, which is already a global sourcing hub for ABB's high voltage circuit breakers of 66 KV capacity. By 2010, the company?s workforce in India will exceed that of Sweden and Switzerland.

Exhibition Of Sculptures: By Deepak Khatri, At Faculty of Fine Arts Gallery, MS University, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., till December 9.

Exhibition Of Kashmir Handicrafts: Till March 15, 2008. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. At Coronation Complex, Opposite Pizza Hut, Race Course.

Exhibition Of Kashmir Handloom Products: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Till February 29, 2008. At Spentha Complex, Opposite Pizza Hut, Race Course.

National Karate Championship: December 7 to 9, At Gujarat Refinery.

04-12-07

Exhibition-Cum-Sale Of Designer Bedsheets: Designer bedsheets, quilts, comforters, dohars, etc., by 'Springs' (Sheela Chandan). Also Jaipuri/Lucknawi salwar kameez, stitched/unstitched. Trisha Art Gallery, Jetalpur Road. Dec 12, 13. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ph: 9898577968.

Commercial Pilot Training: Free seminar on Commercial Pilot Training in America and Philippines. December 5, 2007 (3 p.m. to 6 p.m.) at Express Residency Hotel. Eligibility: Age over 17; 12 years of education; passed math and physics as a part of curriculum with 50 % marks. Organised by Suparsa Aviation and Arun Vakil Consultants. For details contact 09820450705.

03-12-07

Vadodara District's Election Profile
INC (Indian National Congress); BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party); IND (Independant);
ST (Scheduled Tribe); SC (Scheduled Caste)

Constituencies Lok Sabha Elections Assembly Elections 2002 Assembly Elections 1998 Assembly Elections 1995
2004 2002 1998 1998
Chhotaudepur (ST) INC BJP INC INC
Jetpur Pavi INC BJP INC INC
Nasvadi (ST) INC BJP INC IND
Sankheda (ST) BJP BJP INC INC
Dabhoi INC BJP INC BJP
Savli INC BJP INC INC
Baroda City BJP BJP BJP BJP
Sayajigunj BJP BJP BJP BJP
Raopura BJP BJP BJP BJP
Waghodia INC BJP BJP IND
Baroda Rural INC BJP BJP IND
Padra INC BJP BJP BJP
Karjan (SC) INC BJP INC INC

Award For Baroda Architect: The design of the ABN AMRO Bank at Ahmedabad has won the US Green Building Council's Platinum Award. The architect, Baroda's Karan Grover, thus becomes the first in the world outside the US to win this award. Some years back, his design of the Sohrabji Godrej building in Hyderabad was also give the Platinum Award. He has similarly designed the CII building in Bangalore.

Spanish Workshop At MSU: MS University's Department of Russian Studies has announced a 30-day training programme from December 12 to teach Spanish. A good response to the programme may prompt the department to start a full-fledged Spanish course. No institute in Gujarat teaches Spanish, and MSU is the only university in the state that offers studies in Russian language. Each batch of 15 participants will receive three hours of training per day. The programme is also open to participants from outside MSU.

K. Lal's Magic Show: Dec 3 onwards, Daily 9 p.m. At Gandhinagar Gruh. Ph: 9825352841.

01-12-07

MSUSU Alumni In Gujarat Elections: Chimanbhai Patel, the first vice president of the MS University Students' Union (MSUSU), went on to become the chief minister of Gujarat. Another MSUSU member, Prakash Brahmbhatt, became a Lok Sabha member. Over the years no other MSU union member has made it into big-time politics. Now two former MSU union members are preparing to contest the forthcoming Gujarat assembly elections. Jayesh Radadia, 25, has filed nomination papers for the Rajkot-1 constituency from the Congress party and Jigar Inamdar, 27, has been given a ticket to the Savli constituency from the BJP. Jayesh was a faculty representative (FR) and a faculty general secretary (FGS) of the Technology Faculty and Jigar was an FR and an FGS from the Commerce Faculty.

Navy Day Exhibition: Dec 4 to 6, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. At NCC Gujarat Naval Unit, MS University Campus, Fatehgunj.

23-11-07

Scouting For New MSU V-C: Bakul Dholakia, former director of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, may be named as the nominee of the MS University Chancellor Mrunalini Devi Puar to the three-member search committee which will recommend candidates for the new MSU vice-chancellor. Mr. Dholakia will be joining the Adani group as an advisor from November 29. MSU syndicate members have appointed Mr. Harshad Shah as their nominee and the joint board of vice-chancellors has named the Saurashtra University vice-chancellor Mr. Kamlesh Joshipura as their nominee to the panel. Mr. Harshad Shah is a former syndicate member of the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University. The term of MSU's current V-C will end in April 2008.

Award For Barodian Inventors: Two inventors from Baroda's Electrical Research & Development Association (ERDA) - V. Shrinet and M.K. Shah - have been awarded a gold medal by the International World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Geneva, for developing a Fault Current Limiter (FCL). They were earlier also rewarded by the National Research Development Corporation (NRDC). They will be receiving the WIPO award in 2008 at Geneva.

Exhibition & Seminar On Non-Destructive Testing: To promote the non-invasive inspection of materials, components and structures the Baroda chapter of the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing (ISNDT) has organised an international seminar and exhibition in the city from November 28 to 30. Over 450 delegates representing 80 organisations from six countries are expected to participate in the event at the Parsi Agiyari exhibition ground.

Art Of Living Course: Nov 20 to Nov 25, three batches per day. Lohana Mahajan Wadi, Opposite Kalpataru, Ellora Park. Ph: 3080743, 9825482860, 9879521774, 9974337220.

Painting Exhibition: By Jayant Parikh, Sarjan Art Gallery, 1, Vishwas Colony, Nov 24 to Dec 8, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

22-11-07

New Police Commissioner: Mr. R.P. Priyadarshee has been appointed the new Vadodara Commissioner of Police. He is an IPS officer of the 1980 batch. Before this posting, he was IGP (Prisons) and earlier IG (Operations).

Gajanan Dhumal's Guinness Bid: Car mechanic Gajanan Dhumal is preparing to break a Guinness record by driving a car in reverse gear. The current record is 14,500 km. His 'project' began when a customer's car broke down in Pavagadh and a technical fault compelled him to drive the car back to Baroda in reverse gear. Gajanan, 39, plans to reverse for 16,000 km in less than 36 days. The attempt, to be made in December, has cost him Rs. 400,000. He runs a garage in Subhanpura.

Stamp Design Contest: The Postal department's Stamp Design Contest 2007 for schoolchildren, based on the theme 'India of My Dreams', will be held on November 29. Aspiring participants should send their entries to Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Vadodara West Division, before November 27.

Painting Exhibition: By Manhar Kapadia and Praveena Mahicha, at MS University Fine Arts Faculty, till Nov 26.

19-11-07

Marathon Achievement: Baroda's Arif Shaikh (right) and Rishiraj Mistry (left) participated recently in the Vodafone Half Marathon (21.1 km) held in New Delhi. Both completed well within the prescribed three hours. Both were running a marathon for the first time. Arif is a fitness trainer at Talwalkars and Rishiraj Mistry is a documentary filmmaker. Next on their agenda is the Mumbai Marathon (42 km) to be held on January 26, 2008. For the Mumbai Marathon, Rishiraj is also hoping to represent a worthwhile NGO and thus collecting funds for it as he runs. Any takers?

14-11-07

Octroi On Way Out: Octroi will finally be removed from November 15 (Labh Pancham) from the seven municipal corporations of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Junagadh. Officials of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) are now busy figuring out where to shift the 400 employees of the octroi department. Most of them will be sent to departments that are presently understaffed. Octroi contributes about 65 per cent of the total revenues of VMC. There are about 28 octroi posts in different parts of the city.

Yoga Pranayam Shibir: November 18 to 25, 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. Organised by Shri Vallabh Vishwa Vihar Education & Charitable Trust, Near Shree Kalyanraiji Mandir, Bajwada. No fees.

Music Therapy For BP Patients: Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation, Bombay Shopping Centre, Race Course. No fees. Nov 26 to Dec 1, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Ethical Management & Leadership: Lecture by Dr. J. Robert Ouimet. At Baroda Management Association, Old Padra Road. November 15, 7.30 p.m. Ph: 2344135.

Baroda-Bengal Ranji Trophy Cricket Match: Nov 15 to 18. At Motibaug Ground. 9.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. Connor Williams to lead Baroda team.

Flavour Of Bengal: Nov 16 to 25, at Cambay Pavilion, WelcomHotel Vadodara. Ph: 2330033.

13-11-07

Election Helpline: The district election office has started a helpline for voters in Vadodara district. You can ring up 0265-2420000 and get details regarding the inclusion of your name in the electoral rolls. The facility will be available till the second phase of the election on December 16.

Counselling For Substance Abuse: The Vadodara police department is co-operating with Faith Foundation, a city based NGO, to set up counselling cells at a few police stations to help with cases relating to substance abuse. The cells will be started at the Wadi, Raopura and City police stations. Counsellors will interact with those who have been accused under the Prohibition and Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Support For Budding Sculptors: Mahendra Pandya, former dean of MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts, has set up a foundation, starting with Rs. 8,000, to help needy students. His Mahendra Pandya Foundation For Sculpture will provide some equipment to students of sculpture. The foundation was established to mark his 80th birthday. He collected the money by organising a terracotta camp in which renowned artists took part and the works were then sold.

08-11-07

City Artists Honoured: The Mumbai based Harmony Art Foundation held its award function recently in Baroda for the first time. The organisation's founder patron Tina Ambani honoured three Baroda based artists at the function. Padma Bhushan K.G. Subramanyan was given the lifetime achievement award and painter Abir Karmakar and sculptor Nilesh Kumavat were given emerging artists of the year awards. The function was held at the Maharaja Fatehsinh Museum on the Laxmi Vilas Palace grounds.

MSU Prof. Wins Award: Dr. R. Balaraman, a pharmacology professor at MSU's Pharmacy department, was recently awarded the P.P. Suryakumari gold medal for his research work on diabetes at the Fortieth Conference of the Indian Pharmacological Society held at National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) at Mohali in Chandigarh. He was also elected as Vice President of the Indian Pharmacological Society for 2007-08.

Baroda High Wins Cricket Trophy: Baroda High School recently won the Swami Vivekananda Hill Challenger Cricket Competition by defeating Shreyas Vidyalaya at the Polo Ground. The school has won the trophy four times in a row. It will now represent the city in the south zone competition.

Veer Patel To Participate In UAE Motocross: Barodian Veer Patel, a class 11 student and the youngest motocross rider in India, will participate in the motocross competition to be held in UAE. Veer has a Yamaha 250F bike and will represent India in the competition.

Cricket Camps For Kids: Sports Authority of Gujarat's (SAG) district coaching centre has planned a free 'Diwali Junior Cricket Camp' in five cities for schoolboys between 14 and 16 years of age. Vadodara District Sports Coaching Centre and the Bal Bhavan Society will jointly hold the camp for boys of city based schools at Bal Bhavan Cricket Ground from November 12 to November 26. Similar camps will be held at Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Bhavnagar.

Bridge Tournament: Organised by GSFC General Sports Association. At Officers' Club, Fertilisernagar, Nov 17, 18.

Table Tennis Tournament: Inter-district, Community Hall, IPCL Township, Nov 15 to 18.

Rangoli Exhibition: Till Nov 18, 4.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. At Aakruti Art Gallery, near Kirti Mandir.

Rangoli Exhibition: At Vivekananda Art Gallery, Badamdi Baug, Dandia Bazar. Till Nov 15, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Rangoli Exhibition: Sharadnagar Municipal School, Tarsali. By Sai Rangoli Group. Till Nov 11, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Rangoli Exhibition: By Swastik Rangoli Kalakar Group. At Kirti Mandir, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Till Nov 20.

Model Making Workshop: For school children. Nov 19 to 23. Organised By Lok Vignan Kendra, Arti Society, Atmajyoti Ashram Road, Subhanpura.

Aeromodelling Workshop: At Bal Bhavan Society. For children between 8 and 11 years. Nov 22 to 24.

K. Lal's Magic Show: Nov 21 to 24, at Gandhinagar Gruh, 9.30 p.m. Ph: 9824301517.

Mangal Magician's Show: Nov 10 to 18, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Opposite Hanumanji Mandir, Makarpura. Ph: 9228275555.

Works By 21 Artists: At Red Earth Art Gallery, ABS Towers, Old Padra Road, Till Nov 25, 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

30-10-07

Stress Management Workshop: For 18 days from November 22. Contact Yog Niketan, Fatehgunj.

Exhibition of Paintings By Atma Nand Chauhan: Nov 3 to 5, 2007, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Exhibition Hall, MSU Faculty of Fine Arts.


Recent Works By Ranjitsinh Gaekwad: Exhibition of recent works will be held at Maharaja Fatehsinh Museum, Laxmi Vilas Palace, Nov 3 and 4, 10.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.

29-10-07

Barodian Heads IMA State Unit: Barodian ENT Surgeon Dr. Mayank Bhatt is the new president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Gujarat wing for 2007-08. He studied at Seth G.S. Medical College and KEM Hospital in Mumbai. He has been practicing since 1981. He was earlier president of Gujarat wing of Association of ENT Surgeon (1994-95), president of IMA Baroda (1997-98) and Member of MS University's Senate (1997-2002).

Art Of Living Course: Nov, 1 to 6. 6 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

Tejal Diwali Exhibition: Sarees. Oct 29 to Nov 7. 10.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. Jeevan Darshan Hall. Ph: 9824158006, 9879546630. Sunday closed.

27-10-07

Rs. 10 Million Donation For MSU: Mr. Purshottamdas Gurjar, 80, a resident of Karelibaug, has donated Rs. 10 million to MS University's Genome Research Centre. His request is that the donation should be used to strengthen the infrastructure in the centre at the Faculty of Science. A detailed proposal regarding this will be put up for approval before MSU's syndicate members on October 30. He informed MSU that he may donate an additional Rs. 10 million if the university utilises the amount effectively. Mr. Gurjar hails from Dhandhuka in Ahmedabad district. He has absolutely no connection with MS University or the field of genome research. A commerce graduate from L.D. Arts Institute, he taught at Lok Bharti Sanstha in Sanosra near Bhavnagar. He worked in Sarabhai Chemicals from 1962 to 1968 and later ran his own chemical unit at Nandesari.

Art Of Living Course: Oct 30 to Nov 4, three batches per day. Nutan Bharat Club, Alkapuri. Ph: 2340657, 9426346343, 9376227326, 9879500134. Pre-registration at 30, Alkapuri.

Collection Of Diyas: By Sakhi, an NGO working for the upliftment of women artisans from rural and tribal areas. Oct 27 & 28. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Red Stone Gallery, near HSBC Bank, Race Course.

Gujarati Play: Lage Raho Gujjubhai. Oct 26 & 27, 9.30 p.m. Gandhinagar Gruh.

Children's Furniture & Bedroom Decor: Exhibition at Red Stone Art Gallery, Ellora Park. Oct 28 & 29.

24-10-07


Vadodara Boy In National Football Team: Baroda's Akshay Mall has been selected for the Indian national football team for the forthcoming Asian Football Confederation Under-16 qualification competition 2007. The event will be held at Damam in Saudi Arabia from October 25 to November 8. Akshay, 15, is a student of tenth standard at Baroda High School (ONGC). He is the first player from Gujarat to be picked to play for the national subjunior team.

Sculptures & Paintings Exhibition: By Ghanshyam Gupta & Sunil Dewre. At MS University Faculty of Fine Arts. Till Oct 26. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

23-10-07

District Prepares For Elections: The counting of votes for the Gujarat Assembly elections will be held on December 23. The Baroda district collectorate has appointed returning officers, additional returning officers, election code of conduct implementation officers and nodal officers for 13 Assembly constituencies including Chhotaudepur, Jetpur, Naswadi, Sankheda, Dabhoi, Savli, Vadodara city, Sayajigunj, Raopura, Waghodiya, Vadodara rural, Padra and Karjan. The voter's list published on July 23 had 2,728,108 voters in the district. The final list will be published seven days prior to the last date of withdrawing nominations after inclusion or deduction of some names. If any citizen wants to include his or her name in the voters' list, he or she can still get it done at the respective mamlatdar office. During the last Assembly elections, the district had 2,800 polling booths.

'Build A Fort' Competition: The Maharaja Fatehsinh Museum and the Friends of Museum Society have organising a 'Build A Fort' competition from November 5 to November 7. It will be open to children between 10 and 15 years of age. Entry forms are available with the museum's secretary at the Laxmi Vilas Palace campus between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on all days except Monday. The last date for submitting the forms is October 31.

Hyderabadi Food Festival: Oct 23 to Nov 4, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. At Kala Ghoda Restaurant, Sayaji Hotel.

Lifestyle Items: By Niharika Ladies Club. Clothing, Jewellery, Candles, Crockery, Bags. Oct 25, 26. 10.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. Hotel Surya Palace.

22-10-07

L&T Technology Park: Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has announced that its technology park project at Baroda should start functioning by the end of 2009. It is expected to hire 10,000 engineers at the park by 2015. L&T currently employs 1,800 persons in Baroda. The park is coming up on 112 acres between Ajwa and Waghodia on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Highway (NH-8). The investment on infrastructure and buildings will be Rs. 5 billion.

Gujarati Play: Pappa Padhravo Savdhan. Oct 23, 24, 25, 9.30 p.m. Gandhinagar Gruh.

Kusum Collection: Sarees, embroidered cotton suits, fancy footwear, Purses. Oct 22 to 24, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

Rajasthani Food Festival: Oct 22 to Nov 4, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. At Myra Restaurant, Hotel Surya, Sayajigunj. Ph: 2226161.

20-10-07

City Gas Distribution: Gail India Ltd. (GAIL) may form a joint venture (JV) company with Vadodara Mahanagar Seva Sadan (VMSS) to execute the gas projects in the city. GAIL will have 25 per cent equity, VMSS will have 26 percent equity, and the balance will be held by strategic investors and the public. VMSS supplies gas to domestic and commercial establishments in Baroda.

Yera Sale: Oct 19 to Nov 15, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Yera Arcade, Alembic Road.

Art & Craft Festival: Exhibition Cum Sale. Oct 19 to Nov 8, 10.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj.

Free Health Camp: Oct 21 and 28. 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Anand Multispeciality Hospital, Near Gorwa ITI.

Digital Renaissance: Exhibition of digital artworks by Dr. Sudhir Deshpande. Oct 27 to 29, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Taj Residency.

Sarjan Art Gallery: 10th anniversary celebration with a Kathakali performance by P.V.S. Natyasangham, Kottakkal, on October 21 at 8 p.m. at Hotel Express Residency, Alkapuri. Dinner for Invitees only.

18-10-07

Diwali With Mohauli: Collection of exclusive dress material, kurtis, stitched and unstitched dress material. By Jigna Thakkar (Mohauli). Oct 22 and 23, 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. Trisha Art Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

Astrologers' Conference: All India Astrologers' Federation will hold the 47th National Conference on Oct 27 and 28 at Vaswik Auditorium, Race Course Circle. No entrance fee.

Tennis Tournament: Open Baroda Tennis Tournament will be organised by the Bal Bhavan Tennis Academy on October 23 and 28.

Tech Models & Exhibits: Students of over 60 schools from Gujarat will display 150 models and exhibits at BAPS Swaminarayan Vidyamandir, Old Padra Road, Atladra, on October 18.

Sale At Shrungar Jewellers: Oct 16 to 18, 10.30 a.m. to 8 p.m. National Plaza, R.C. Dutt Road. Ph: 2357978.

Shardotsav Garba Competition: Oct 24, 3.30 p.m. Stree Niketan, Sant Kabir Hall. For details, Phone 2350411.

Art Exhibition: Piraji Sagara's wood collages and paintings in mixed media. Sarjan Art Gallery, Vishwas Colony. Oct 22 to Nov 3, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Closed on Sundays.

13-10-07

Help For Litigants: Baroda District Judge P.R. Patel has made public his residence telephone number so that litigants with problems can ring him up directly to narrate their grievances. Litigants can ring up 2314343 between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Only grievances pertaining to the administrative process in the legal setup will be entertained. This seems to be the first time that a judge has made himself accessible in this fashion. Over 300,000 cases are pending in Vadodara district court.

Decibel Limit: The Gujarat State Pollution Board (GPCB) has issued guidelines to limit noise pollution in residential areas during Navratri. The loudspeakers should be adjusted so as to restrict the noise level to 75 decibels. Loudspeakers will have to be turned off at midnight.

Sale At L-Wood Furniture Mall: Till October 21. 25 % Discount. Bedroom sets, sofa sets, dining table sets, etc. Zenith Compound, Chhani Road. Ph: 2771034, 2771014. Earth Complex, Akshar Chowk. Ph: 2354128, 2351266.

Furniture Exhibition: Colonial & Traditional Furniture. At Lifestyle Lounge, Mangaldeep Complex, Productivity Road. Ph: 3054802. Till Nov 8. 10.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.

Mountaineering Camp For Children: Nov 12 to 19. Organised by Aarohan, C-3, Narmada Nagari Part-3, Gorwa.

Baroda District Science Fair: Oct 25 to 27. At Utkarsh Vidyalaya.

Yoga Pranayam Shibir: Vallabh Foundation Trust, Vrajdham, Manjalpur. Oct 24 to 30, daily 6 p.m.

Traditional Garbas: Specially for young mothers and older women. Organised by SOS (Save Our Society). Milan Kunj Club, Alkapuri. Oct 13 to 17, 9 p.m. to 12 midnight. Enough seating, garba dancing on lawns, slow rhythm, single circle, old garba songs. Open to all, no fees to dance or to watch.

Open Baroda Garba Competition: Gandhinagar Gruh, Oct 22, 8 p.m. Organised by Lions & Lioness Club of Vishwamitri.

11-10-07

Wooden Sculptures: Exhibition by child artists of Kanti Rana's Hobby Centre. Oct 12-13, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sarjan Art Gallery, Vishwas Colony. Ph: 2338351, 2343574.

Paintings & Sculptures: By Nataraj Sharma. Oct 12, 13. Red Earth Art Gallery, ABS Towers, Old Padra Road. Ph: 2340816. This is a preview of works travelling to an exhibition in Geneva from November 10 to December 1.

Jewellery Sale: Gold-plated, Hyderabadi pearls, radium-plated. Hotel Panchsheel, R.C. Dutt Road. Till Oct 13. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

10-10-07

Kamaal Patel Vs Dhamaal Patel: Gujarati play. Gandhinagar Gruh. Oct 10, 11. 9.30 p.m.

Painting Exhibition: By Rooshika Patel. Exhibition Hall, Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct 10, 11.

Folk Songs Competition: Oct 11, 4 p.m. Stree Samaj, Opposite Polo Ground, Rajmahal Road.

Mushaira Programme: Lal Bahadur Shastri School, Harni Road, Oct 11, 6 p.m.

09-10-07

Award For Shivraj Gaekwad: Barodian Shivraj Gaekwad has been selected by the Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) to receive an award for excelling in studies in jewellery design and manufacturing. Gaekwad won a gold medal in jewellery design and manufacturing from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Centre of Jewellery Design and Manufacturing at the India Diamond Institute (IDI), Surat. IDI is sponsored by the Government of India's Ministry of Commerce.

Raas Garba Ratri: Ambalal Park Ground, Karelibaug. Singer: Atul Purohit. Oct 10, 8 p.m. to midnight.

Lose Flab & Get Trim: Special Navratri Package at Talvalkars Gym. Offer open till October 22. Ph: 2330313.

Rangoli Workshop: Bal Bhavan Society. October 27 to 28, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Also on November 3. Register before October 23 between 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m.

Vegetarian Buffet Festival: Azure, Hotel Surya Palace, October 12 to 20, 7 p.m. onwards.

08-10-07

Shop Timings Extended: The Gujarat government has relaxed the deadlines for closing restaurants, shops, tailoring units and fire-cracker shops. They will be allowed to remain open beyond the present deadline with effect from October 12, the first day of Navratri. This will be applicable to Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot and Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Anand and a few other towns. Shops usually close around 8.30 p.m. while restaurants are open till 11 p.m. This relaxation may continue till Labh Pancham.

India-Australia ODI Tickets: Tickets priced below Rs. 1,000 for the 11th October India-Australia one-day International cricket match at Baroda were sold out only two days after the sale began. The capacity of the IPCL Stadium (now known as Reliance Stadium) is about 21,000. The saleable seats are 9000. The rest are complimentary.

New Caparo Plant At Halol: Lord Swraj Paul, the head of the Caparo Group, recently performed the opening ceremony for a new facility at Halol to manufacture automobile ancillaries to cater to the needs of the nearby General Motors plant. The Caparo Group already has a unit at Halol - Caparo Maruti Ltd. - which is a joint venture with Maruti Udyog Ltd.

Free Medical Camp: Mahalakshmiji Homeopathy College, Munj Mahuda, Oct 8 to 13, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

06-10-07

Navratri Exhibition: Ethnic chaniya-cholis, dupattas, kurtas. Oct 6 to 21, 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. Hemali's Studio, 1/2 Haribhakti Colony. Ph: 2350637.

Navratri Jewellery Sale: Avakar Hall, Water Tank Road, Karelibaug (10 a.m. to 11 p.m.); Bhakti Hall, Ghadiali Pole, Mandvi (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.).

Sale At Koutons: Outlets at Trident Complex (Race Course Circle), Silver Arcade (Munj Mahuda), Shreem Shalini (R.C. Dutt Road), Navrang Cinema Road. Till 14th October.

Garments Exhibition & Sale: LMP Showroom, Opposite MSU, Sayajigunj.

Diabetes Camp: Lions' Hall, Gadapura, Oct 7. 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

Suitings & Shirts: Sale at Dinesh Mills Retail Shop, Akota-Padra Road. Up to 50 % discount. Till 8th November. Ph: 2330060, 2330065.

Ethnic Navratri Creations: Oct 5, 6, 7, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Exhibition by students of INIFD (International Institute of Fashion Design), B/901-902, Alkapuri Arcade, R.C. Dutt Road. Ph: 2337951, 2356493.

Azadi Express: This special train exhibit will be on display at platform number 6 at the Vadodara Railway Station from October 6 to 8.

Managing Your Health: A talk by Dr. Bhikhubhai Patel. Baroda Management Association, Anmol Plaza, Old Padra Road, 5th Oct, 6.15 p.m. to 7.15 p.m.

Art of Living Course: 5th to 10th Oct, 6 a.m. to 8.45 a.m. Arunodaya Hall, Near Crossword, Alkapuri. Ph: 9998977356, 9824083368, 9825126890

Acupressure Training: Arvind Ashram, Dandia Bazar, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Up to 14th Oct.

Physiotherapy Camp: Organised by Society For The Physically Handicapped, EME Road, Fatehgunj. Oct 13, 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

Sanskrit Garba Competition: Arvind Nivas, Dandia Bazar. Oct 26, 27.

Gandhi Week Celebrations: Till 9th Oct, at Faculty of Social Work, MSU.

04-10-07

Tickets For Cricket ODI At Baroda (Oct 11): Tickets (Rs. 4000/-, Rs. 2000/-, Rs. 700/-, Rs. 200/-) will be available for sale at Bank of Baroda branches at Alkapuri, Old Padra Road, Jawaharnagar (IPCL), Karelibaug, Khanderao Market. 3rd to 5th Oct (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.); 6th (10 a.m. to 12 noon).

Carrom Tournament: Selection of participants for upcoming Malaysian Open Carrom tournament. Urmi School, Sama-Savli Road, 4th and 5th Oct.

Snakes Display: At Vadodara Range Forest Officer's Office, Behind Sayajibaug. Till 8th Oct.

Free Entry To Sayajibaug Zoo: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is issuing free entry passes to the zoo for students of MS University and schools to celebrate 'Forest Wildlife Week'. Till 8th October.

Art of Living Course: 2nd to 7th Oct, 6 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Ph: 9825482860, 9879521774.

Art Show: Group exhibition at Faculty of Fine Arts Exhibition Hall, MS University, till 6th Oct, 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Painting Exhibition: By Palette Group. Kaleidoscope Art Gallery, Subhanpura, till 8th Oct, 12 noon to 7 p.m.

Sherwani & Kurta Exhibition: By BOB Design Studio. Trisha Art Gallery, Oct 5 and 6.

Khadi & Village Industries Exhibition: 2nd to 12th Oct. Akota Atithi Gruh, Akota.

Trade Fair 2007: Electronic, Electrical & Home Appliances. Organised by Ashirwad Marketing. 2nd to 7th Oct. 12 noon to 10 p.m. Kala Bhavan Ground, Rajmahal Road, Baroda.

Exhibition of Navratri Dresses: 2nd to 4th Oct. Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

Ratri Before Navratri: Organised by Vadodara Central. 10th Oct. Shivam Party Plot, Sama-Savli Road. 8 p.m. onwards. Couple Pass for Rs. 200/-. Phone: 6693600.

Pre-Navratri Garba: Rutumbhara Group (Atul Purohit). 7th Oct, 7.30 p.m. onwards. For passes Ph: 9879793818, 9998949310.

Plastic Surgery Conference: On Facial Cosmetic Surgery. Oct 6 and 7. Organised by Sayaji Hospital and Plastic Surgeons Association. Contact Sayaji Hospital.

29-09-07

One Day International At Baroda: India and Australia are scheduled to play a One Day International (ODI) cricket match at the IPCL Stadium in Baroda on October 11, 2007. The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) may mop up a profit of about Rs. 12.5 million, from total revenues of Rs. 20 million (which includes advertising rights of Rs. 11.6 million. Ticket sales are expected to yield Rs. 7 million. Ticket rates range from Rs. 200 to Rs. 4,000. Arrangements have been made to seat 20,000 spectators. The match has been insured for a sum of Rs. 78 million. To learn how to organise the event properly, BCA officials attended a two-day workshop organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in South Africa.

Lifeline Foundation Initiative: A Medical Appliance Bank (MAB), claimed to be the first of its kind, has been launched recently in Baroda by Lifeline Foundation. It provides medical equipment and appliances to poor patients. The patient is expected to deposit some money, which is fully refunded when the appliance is returned. Lifeline Foundation started this activity after they found out that over 60 percent of critically ill patients are from poor families and cannot afford the required medical appliances after they are discharged from hospital. Incidentally, Lifeline Foundation is the organisation associated with the Highway Accident Helpline (9825026000).

MSU Website Revised: MS University of Baroda has revamped its website http://www.msubaroda.ac.in. The revised website has several additional features.

Malaysian Food Festival: Till 7th October. At Taj Residency, Baroda.

18-09-07

Pollution Around Baroda: According to the recently released Blacksmith Institute Pollution Report, Vapi in the Valsad district of Gujarat is among the world's top ten polluted places. The New York based Blacksmith Institute includes nine other sites in Gujarat (and 65 in India), including Ankleshwar and Vadodara, that are critically polluted. The sites in and around Baroda are:
Hema Chemicals: The company is reported to have disposed off about 77,000 tonnes, as estimated by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, of toxic chromium waste in its neighbouring areas.
Mini River: The sludge and sediments in the Mini River are highly contaminated with heavy metals and other waste. The Mini River flows into the Mahi River, a source for the water supplied to Vadodara.
Nandesari: With hundreds of chemical, textile, petrochemicals, fertilisers and pharmaceutical industries, the Nandesari Industrial Estate is highly polluted.
Vadodara Effluent Canal Pipeline: This 55-km effluent canal carries treated waste water from the Effluent Treatment Plants of three major companies. This water irrigates farms which sell produce to markets in Vadodara.
Bajwa: Gypsum, hazardous waste and chemicals lie in the open at Bajwa.

17-09-07

Anyonaya Bank In Trouble: The 118-year-old Baroda based Anyonaya Bank, Asia's first co-operative bank, has come under Reserve Bank of India restrictions after it suffered losses of Rs. 200 million. The losses seem to be have been caused by to a number of defaulting borrowers. The RBI step is based on Anyonaya Bank's negative net worth over the past several years. The RBI has barred the opening of new savings or current accounts, including fixed deposit accounts. Existing depositors have been allowed to withdraw a maximum of Rs. 1,000 from their accounts. Founded on February 5, 1889, by V.L. Kavthekar as a co-operative credit society, the bank has 29,000 shareholders and deposits worth Rs. 860 million. It has over 100,000 customers and 11 branches in Baroda.

15-09-07

MSU Convocation: MS University's 56th annual convocation will be held on September 29 at the newly constructed convocation ground. London based Thames Valley University Chancellor Lord Karan Bilimoria will be the chief guest for the convocation. Lord Bilmoria is a law graduate from Cambridge University and founder of Cobra Beer based in Fulham. Over 10,000 people are expected to attend the function because Mukesh Ambani and SriSri Ravishankar are also likely to be present.

Ginger Hotel In Baroda: The Indian Hotel Company Limited (IHCL) will shortly open a budget hotel in Fatehgunj, Baroda, just next to the Kalyan Caf鮠The 100-room three-star hotel, to be called 'Ginger Hotel', is the first of its kind in Gujarat, and it will be followed by similar units in Ahmedabad, Mundra Port, Surat and Rajkot. The hotel's target group includes students and visitors to MS University and the small businessmen. The total project cost is Rs. 120 million, excluding the cost of land. The hotel will not offer room service. Rooms are expected to be priced at Rs. 999 for a single room and Rs. 1,199 for a double room.

Automobile Institute: The car manufacturer Maruti Udyog Ltd. (MUL) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Gujarat government to establish an automobile training institute in Waghodia taluka of Baroda. Gujarat's tribal development department and MUL will set up the Gujarat Regional Automobile Training Institute (GUJRATI) for unskilled tribal youth. The Rs. 160-million institute will train 2,250 tribals every year. It will offer courses in technical as well as vehicle driving skills.

12-09-07

Modern Table Tennis Facility: The Table Tennis Association of Baroda (TTAB) is busy setting up a modern stadium in Baroda in collaboration with MS University. An area of 4,200 sq metres has been reserved for this facility within the university premises. The total expenditure is likely to be about Rs. 10 million. Member of Parliament Jayaben Thakkar has said that she will sanction Rs. 2.5 million from her MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) fund. MSU has agreed to provide the land for the project. TTAB will finance the project. The main hall of the air-conditioned stadium will have 16 tables and it will be equipped to host international table tennis tournaments. The facility will be also used for other indoor games ?- badminton, chess, basketball, etc.

04-09-07

Mayo Hospital To Be Revived: After ten years of neglect, Baroda's Mayo Hospital is about to be given a fresh lease of life. It has been taken over by the Noida based Metro Group of Hospitals. The Gujarat High Court had conducted a bid for the hospital (which was functional till 1996) and the Metro Group acquired it for Rs. 242 million. Its new name will be Metro Hospital and Research Institute. It is Metro's first unit in Gujarat and tenth in India. The total project cost is likely to touch Rs. 600 million. This hospital will be the third multispeciality corporate group hospital in Baroda, after Sterling and Escorts. The hospital was originally set up by Gujarat Inject Limited (GIL).

Crisil Rating For VMC: To enhance its standing with financial institutions, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) will submit to being rated by the credit rating agency Crisil. Such a rating process is mandatory under the norms of the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM). The rating will help VMC to raise money through bonds or borrow from banks to finance projects. Crisil has done a similar exercise for the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.

Thermax Facility At Savli: Thermax, a company that provides solutions in energy and environment engineering, announced recently that its Rs. 4 billion capital investment plan for a facility at Savli (near Baroda) is proceeding on schedule. The new facility, which should be ready by March 2008, will manufacture 200 units of standard design boilers and also large field erected boilers.

Grant For Fine Arts Faculty: New York based Tamarind Art Gallery has announced a grant of Rs. 1.5 million aid for the promotion of an artist residency programme at MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts. Under this programme, the faculty will invite artists to stay on the campus and work with the students. Deepanjana Danda Cline, a former art history department student at MSU, is a co-ordinator at Tamarind, and a former painting department student, Rupa Shah, is a gallery assistant there.

02-08-07

Industrial Clusters: In order to enhance the effectiveness of small and medium enterprises, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Gujarat, is making attempts to encourage the formation of industrial clusters so that companies pool their resources and increase their competitive edge. The state's first cluster was launched recently at Baroda; ten engineering companies joined hands to improve their productivity. The companies will exchange ideas on their management practices and working styles so as to improve their efficiency. Similar clusters are planned for Rajkot and Ahmedabad too.

Court Computerisation: To speed up the judicial process and make it function more smoothly, the Vadodara district court is going through a process of computerisation. The installation of software, maintenance of computers and the task of updating information are being outsourced to a private company. Over 300,000 civil and criminal cases are pending in the local courts at Baroda.

GSFC Makes Banana Saplings: Gujarat State Fertilisers & Chemicals Ltd. (GSFC) has begun the commercial production of bananas using tissue-culture technology. In association with the Gujarat Green Revolution Company (GGRC) it plans to prepare 1.5 million saplings and sell them to farmers at a price of Rs. 12 per sapling.

Exhibition Of Hand Embroidered Sarees: At the 'SAHASTRIKA' Annual Exhibition (at Taj Residency, Akota Road, August 10-11, 2007, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.) Sonal Gandhi of Shringar will present her exclusive hand embroidered sarees, Parsee embroidery sarees, embroidered kurtas and more.

22-06-07

Stepwells To Be Revived: The Vadodara district panchayat has taken up the task of cleaning up the vaavs (stepwells) to increase the availability of water resources in rural areas. The district has 145 vaavs, of which 117 will be refurbished. Many of the vaavs were made hundreds of years ago. Ninety vaavs have been refurbished in nine talukas. Vaavs can provide water round the year and people in the vicinity will need external sources only for drinking water. The Gujarat government has sanctioned Rs. 240,000 for the project.

Hypnotherapy Course: MS University's department of psychology has announced a one-year part-time self-financed postgraduate diploma course in clinical and applied hypnotherapy. Eligibility is graduation (under the 10+2+3 system) in psychology, medicine, dentistry or physiotherapy, with 50 percent marks and English as a compulsory subject at the higher secondary level.

Medical Lab Tech Course: The Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation's course for medical laboratory technicians will begin in July 2007. Students who have completed standard XII or graduates from any stream are eligible to join. Those who are interested may contact the foundation office at 1st Floor, Bombay Shopping Centre, Race Course.

Gujarati Play: Chhel Chhabilo Gujarati. June 20, 21, 22, 24, 9.30 p.m. At Gandhinagar Gruh.

Summer Mela 2007: Entertainment For Children. Rajmahal Ground, Near Badamdi Bagh, Rajmahal Road, Baroda. 5 p.m. onwards.

20-06-07

Vadodara Airport Expansion: The Baroda airport is being expanded by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to meet the growing needs of more passengers and more airlines. While over 360,000 passengers boarded flights from here in 2005-2006, the figure increased to 404,000 in 2006-07.

Among the changes:
... The runway has been strengthened for use by bigger planes
like the Airbus 319.
... The aircraft parking bays are being increased from four to eight.
... Approval is being sought for a Rs. 180-million night parking facility for eight airlines. This will help ease the congestion at the busy Mumbai airport.
... Two restaurants have been set up.
... An air-conditioned passenger lounge has been opened a few months ago.
... Additional ticketing counters are being planned.
... An isolation bay has been proposed for urgent parking of aircraft under threat.
... The perimeter road has been illuminated with 380 electric poles at a cost of Rs. 11.8 million.
... Presently four airlines - Indian, Jet Airways, Indigo, Deccan - operate from the airport. Kingfisher plans to start flights soon.
... There are 10 scheduled flights daily from Vadodara - four for Delhi, six for Mumbai.

MSU Will Host ZONASA: The architecture department of MS University will host the zonal convention of National Association of Students of Architecture (NASA) this year. Architecture students from 120 colleges in India are members of NASA. The event will be held at Kala Bhavan, tentatively in the end of August. About 1,000 architecture students from the west zone, including 24 colleges in Mumbai, Pune, Nasik, Sangli and Gujarat, will attend the three-day convention.

07-06-07

Octroi To Be Abolished: The Gujarat government proposes to abolish octroi from all of the state's seven municipal corporations - Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar and Junagadh - with effect from November 15 (Labh Pancham). It will in the mean time study viable alternative to octroi. In the previous financial year, the total income from octroi in the seven municipal corporation areas was about Rs. 18 billion; of this amount, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat accounted for Rs. 16 billion. In the case of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, 62 percent of its total income was from octroi, and 1,500 employees work in its Octroi Department.

New Radio Channels: Three new radio channels have been launched in Baroda - Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM, Radio City 91.1 FM and Big 92.7 FM. Radio City will have the baseline 'watte fun', Radio Mirchi will say 'it's hot' and Big FM will cling to 'suno sunao life banao'.

Life Programme: Conducted by Swami Sukhabodhananda. June 9, 10. 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. At Taj Residency. For enrollment, Call 9327234979, 9974012060, 9898739228.

Book Fair: At LMP Display Centre, Sayajigunj. Till June 18. 9.30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Organised by Ashish Book Centre.

06-06-07

New Courses AT MSU Techo: MS University's Faculty of Technology & Engineering has announced three new postgraduate courses. The Department of Applied Mathematics will offer a diploma in Scientific Computing & Industrial Mathematics (SCIM) and M.Sc in Bioinformatics. The third course - M.Sc in Nanotechnology - will be conducted with help from the departments of Applied Physics, Applied Chemistry, Applied Mathematics, Metallurgy, Materials Engineering and Pharmacy. SCIM will be an evening course of one year, with two semesters; it will take in 10 students. The Nanotechnology and Bioinformatics courses will be for four semesters each, and they will admit 10 and 20 students respectively. Application forms for the courses will be available at the faculty till June 22.

05-06-07

Disaster Management Course: MS University's Department of Geology will start a one-year postgraduate diploma course in disaster management this year. It will cover disaster preparedness, mitigation and rehabilitation. Relief workers, social workers and police and military personnel can join the course. The course will admit forty students. The entrance test will be conducted on July 14; the last date for applications is July 7.

Life Programme: Conducted by Swami Sukhabodhananda. June 9, 10. 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. At Taj Residency. For enrollment, Call 9327234979, 9974012060, 9898739228.

Book Fair: At LMP Display Centre, Sayajigunj. Till June 18. 9.30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Organised by Ashish Book Centre.

Summer Mela 2007: Entertainment For Children. Rajmahal Ground, Near Badamdi Bagh, Rajmahal Road, Baroda. 5 p.m. onwards.

04-06-07

SSG Hospital Computerises: The SSG Hospital authorities have taken up the task of linking all the wards and important departments through a computer network. The hospital has 27 wards, 20 operation theatres and 25 OPDs (out-patient departments). The entire system of 125 computers is being set up at a cost of Rs. 6.5 million provided by the Gujarat government. The work is expected to be completed this month. The hospital administration has just completed installing 50 CCTVs in the surgical blocks, medical stores, emergency wards and the kitchens.

Smoking Lounges In Hotels: Vadodara Municipal Corporation's health department plans to take action against hotels and restaurants that do not abide by the laws pertaining to a mandatory 'smoking lounge'. It may revoke the licenses of hotels and restaurants that violate the norms. The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act requires that hotels with 30 rooms and restaurants with over 30 seats must have separate smoking areas. Baroda has over 700 restaurants.

28-05-07

Alstom Expansion: Alstom Power Services plans to expand its production facility at Baroda which makes turbines and generators. The plant currently makes five to six turbines, and this will be increased to 10 to 12 turbines. Alstom is also setting up a facility to recycle used turbines. Alstom's clients include state electricity boards and power, cement, paper and aluminum companies. The company also has plants at Kolkata, Coimbatore, Durgapur and Shahabad.

Hospital To Pay Compensation: The Gujarat Consumer Commission has directed a major Baroda hospital and two doctors to pay Rs. 510,000 as compensation to the relatives of a patient who died during treatment at the hospital eight years ago. Finding the hospital and the two doctors negligent in their duties, the Commission ordered the payment of a compensation of Rs. 245,000, plus 9 percent interest, and another Rs. 10,000 for the cost borne, totalling to Rs. 510,000. The hospital authorities are studying the order.

Grant For MSU Pharmacy Dept: The Centre of Relevance and Excellence (Core) at MS University's Department of Pharmacy in the Faculty of Technology & Engineering is due to get a grant of Rs. 40 million. The Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council (TIFAC) of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, will give Rs. 20 million and another Rs. 20 million will be given by industries. Core was set up in 2001 to design new drug delivery systems for improved therapy. The department has 14 patents to its credit, and it now plans to share its state-of-the-art laboratories with private pharmaceutical companies. Students will thus get a chance to work on different projects, and the university can earn some revenue.

Faramji Road Renamed: The stretch of road along the Baroda railway station on the Alkapuri side has for long been known as Faramji Road in honour of Pestonji Faramji Contractor. It was Faramji Contractor who had donated a part of his personal land to build the road. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) recently renamed the road as Indubhai Patel Marg. The Contractor family has objected to VMC's decision to change the road's name. Indubhai Patel was one of Baroda's well-known philanthropists.

Gujarati Play: Sacha Saga Shrinathji. At Gandhinagar Gruh. May 30, 9 p.m.

Bal Bhavan Sports Camp: A sports coaching for children (age 16 to 18 years) will be conducted from May 1 to May 31at Bal Bhavan. The games included will be chess, skating, karate, lawn tennis, table tennis and badminton. Children should register at Bal Bhavan, behind Sayajibaug, between 10.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. (on all days except Wednesday).

19-05-07

Central Library Modernisation: Baroda's Central Library has received a grant of Rs. 4.3 million from the Gujarat government to modernise its facilities. The reading lounge will be air-conditioned, more seats will be provided for senior citizens and there will be a separate hallway for women and children. The library was set up in 1910 by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III and it now has 250,000 books. It is supposed to be one among the two libraries in the world to have a unique structure and interior rack design meant specially for library purposes; the other library is the Library of Congress in Washington. USA. Sayajirao Gaekwad had roped in a library expert - Mr. Borden - from UK to run the library scientifically. This expert introduced the Borden system of classification, which was then unique in India.

MSU Cricket Ground: The MS University cricket ground near D.N. Mehta Hall will soon be managed by the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA). BCA will refurbish and manage the cricket ground at its own cost. BCA will thus have the chance to scout for promising young players and MSU students will have access to professional coaching. BCA will pay to prepare and maintain pitches, hire a pitch curator, give uniforms and cricket kits and provide coaches. The annual cost to BCA will be about Rs. 800,000.

Kohler To Set Up Plant In Baroda: The US based kitchen and bath products manufacturer Kohler is setting up a production facility in Baroda at a cost of Rs. 9 billion. The plant should be ready in 18 months, and the company says that it will be among the biggest in Asia. The company will also open 70 stores by December this year in major cities and some small metros. It presently has 41 franchisee stores in India.

FGI Office-Bearers: New office bearers have been elected at the Federation of Gujarat Industries (FGI) for 2007-09. Ashok Patel, Managing Director of Simalin Chemical Industries Ltd., has been elected president and Sanjeev Rungta, director of Zenith Fibres Ltd., director has been elected Senior Vice President. Jewel Brushes Ltd. Managing Director Geeta Goradia is vice-president and Amit Patel, partner of Danke Products, is Honorary Treasurer.

Art & Craft Festival: May 4 to 20. 10.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. At Parsi Agiari Ground, Sayajigunj.

07-05-07

Telemedicine Centre: A telemedicine centre (TMC) was inaugurated on 5th May at the Pratapnagar Railway Hospital of Western Railway's Vadodara Division. This is the first TMC in the western zone. The Vadodara TMC is linked to the Jagjeevan Ram Hospital in Mumbai (which is connected to the Konkan Railway Corporation TMC). A TMC is also planned for the Godhra Division. The system costs about Rs. 1.1 million.

Local Cricket Snippets: The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) will soon have an official academy (under the BCCI). Its task will be to develop talented youngsters from the three divisions under BCA's jurisdiction - Vadodara, Mehsana and Navsari. BCCI wants all cricket associations in India to set up state academies. Paras Mhambrey has been appointed as the coach for the Baroda Cricket Association. Replacing Ashok Mankad, he will coach the Ranji team and look after the development of junior cricketers. He will join BCA in August 2007 after he finishes his current assignment in England. BCA will also start training women who are interested in taking up cricket professionally.

Parul Shah To Perform In Athens: Professor Parul Shah, a teacher at MSU's Performing Arts Faculty, will perform at the Fourth World Congress of Folk Art and Culture organised by UNESCO and International Organisation of Folk Arts (IOFA). The Congress will be in Athens, Greece, from 8th to 14th May. There will be over 250 participants from 130 countries. Ms Parul Shah will perform at the opening ceremony and also present a paper. She will also give a talk on changes over the years in traditional garbas.

Trade Fair 2007: May 6 to 13. 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. At Exhibition Ground, Near Kirti Stambh.

Children's Book Festival: April 21 to May 13, 2007. At Crossword (Alkapuri and Old Padra Road).

28-04-07

Tata Trust Grant For MSU: The Ratan Tata Trust has given a grant of Rs. 8.3 million to MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts to digitise precious documents of the art history department. The department has a rich collection of documents. The grant, for a period of three years, will support student scholarships and visits of eminent art historians.

BCA Appoints CEO: The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) has appointed a chief executive officer (CEO) to handle administration matters and discover talented players. The CEO's job has gone to Makrand Waingankar, a cricket writer and consultant. Waingankar, earlier a consultant with Karnataka Cricket Association (KCA), has been appointed by BCA for a three-year term. Incidentally, BCA is the first cricket association in India to appoint a CEO.

$7 Million For Baroda Pearls: Christie's (New York) has sold a necklace of 68 rare natural pearls that were once part of the treasury of the Maharaja of Baroda for $7million. The buyer was an anonymous phone bidder and Christie?s did not identify the seller. The original Baroda necklace had been made in the 1850s for Maharaja Khanderao of Baroda. It had seven strands of pearls, and it was broken up after 1948.

New Courses At Law Faculty: MS University's Faculty of Law has announced two new postgraduate diploma courses from 2007-08, one in Cyber Laws and the other in Human Rights. Visiting faculty from Gandhinagar?s Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) will give will lecture on cyber crime. The course will be open for graduates and technical experts in any field. The Human Rights course will be useful for those interested in working for NGOs.

Mid Summer Sale: At Pantaloons. 27th April To 2nd May.

Education Fair: April 27-30. At Parsi Agiyari Ground, Sayajigunj, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Hand-Embroidered Products: Sale organised by Shroffs Foundation Trust & Shrujan. At Ayatana, Old Padra Road. April 27-28. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Featuring hand-embroidered Kurta Sets, Tops, Stoles, Skirts, Pants, Jackets, Bags and Cushion Covers.

27-04-07

Mall Threat On University Road: Uneasiness prevails at MS University because of reports that a shopping mall may be built on the private land between the Fine Arts Faculty and the bungalow of the Vice-Chancellor. A private developer has sought permission from the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) to build a mall on the land which was once occupied by the Jay Baug bungalow (demolished some ten years ago). This plot on the University Road (opposite the Sayajibaug) is spread over 126,000 sq ft. The possible value of this land is 7,000 to Rs. 8,000 per sq ft. University officials fear that the mall will subtract from the academic atmosphere of neighbourhood.

New Town Hall: Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding recently between the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) and the Bank of Baroda (BoB), the bank will gift a new town hall to the city. Currently into its centenary year, BoB has agreed to construct a hi-tech auditorium for the city, at a cost of Rs. 40 million, on a plot of 7,500 sq metres in Akota. After completing the construction, BoB will hand over the auditorium to VMC for its maintenance and running.

26-04-07

Night Parking At Airport: The Baroda city airport will soon have a night parking base. The Airport Authority of India (AAI) says that the parking facility, suitable for eight airlines, is primarily for aircraft landing at night. Though there are no flights landing or taking off at night presently, flights which are diverted will be able to make a halt here after the night parking base is ready. The Baroda airport is getting busier by the day. Indian, Jet Airways, Deccan Airways and Spice Jet operate from Baroda and Kingfisher Airlines plans to start flights from June.

24-04-07

New Tenders For Fire Brigade: The Baroda Fire Brigade has recently acquired two modern fire fighting tenders from Germany. The acquisition has been sponsored by the World Bank. The tenders, costing Rs. 6.9 million, have public address systems, remote controlled light masts, diving suits for underwater rescue operations and facilities to tackle chemical disasters.

15 Peons Wanted: The Vadodara District Court announced recently that it wants to recruit 15 peons. Over 16,000 applications were received, 7,000 of them from graduates and postgraduates. The minimum requirement is that the applicants should have passed SSC.

Patels In Top 20: A study published recently in The Observer, says that the surname 'Patel' is among the more popular surnames in the UK; it ranks 20th in the top 500 British surnames. Most of the Patels are found in Harrow in the UK. There were 24,691 Patels in Harrow in 1881. 'Singh' is another popular surname; it is ranked 76th. A majority of the Singhs live in Wolverhampton. In 1881 there were 23,321 Singhs in Wolverhampton. Among the English surnames, Smith is the most popular (ranked at the top), and it is followed by Jones, Williams, Brown, Taylor, Davies and Wilson.

17-04-07

Jetalpur Flyover Plans Cleared: One obstacle to the construction of the Jetalpur flyover near the railway station in Sayajigunj has been eliminated with the Gujarat High Court vacating the stay on encroachment removal. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has now initiated the process of land acquisition to build the approach road to the flyover. The project will cost Rs. 90 million, and the civic body has already paid Rs. 31.6 million to the railway authorities towards the construction expenses. The railway authorities will construct the larger portion of the flyover, the portion over the railway tracks, and VMC will build the approach roads from both sides. It will be 750 metres long and 8.40 metres wide.

Controversy At Polo Club: A senior division judge of Vadodara district court recently handed over the management of Baroda's prestigious Polo Club to the district collector as an 'arbitrator'. The court has asked him to submit a report on allegations of financial and other irregularities in the club's management. With 2,800 members, the club - known formally as the Maharaja Pratapsinh Coronation Gymkhana - was started in 1939 by the royal Gaekwad family. The club is now buzzing with allegations of financial fraud to the tune of Rs. 150 million. After the formation of Gujarat state, a charter had been signed by Pratapsinh Gaekwad of Baroda and the state government, through which the Baroda district collector became the de facto owner of the club and its management was handed over to the members.

Name Change At IPCL: Born in March 1969, Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd., otherwise known as IPCL, has become one of India's oldest public sector undertakings to lose its corporate identity. It is being finally merged with Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL). RIL acquired IPCL four years ago. Reliance is offering another round of VRS (Voluntary Retirement Scheme) to employees - a minimum of Rs. 1.15 million and a maximum of Rs. 1.75 million, per employee. Benefits like provident fund, gratuity, leave encashment, etc., add another Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 1 million to the package. About 2,350 employees have opted for the VRS offer.

Hospital Management Course: Baroda Medical College at MS University (MSU) will soon start Gujarat's first postgraduate self-financed course in Hospital Administration. The course will be run in collaboration with the Faculty of Management Studies. Fifty per cent of the seats will be for medical graduates and 50 per cent for graduates in Science and other streams. The university will also start a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Nursing course. Ahmedabad's B.J. Medical College also offers a similar Nursing course.

Alembic Acquisition: Baroda based pharmaceuticals major, Alembic Ltd., has announced that it is acquiring the entire non-oncology formulations business of Dabur Pharma Ltd. for Rs. 1.59 billion. Alembic will thus get full rights to market 24 brands with Dabur. Alembic intends to take the market share of its formulations business from 1.73 per cent to 1.95 percent.

09-04-07

One More Railway Platform: Now that the sixth platform is ready at the Vadodara railway station, plans have been made to develop a seventh platform to decongest railway traffic. The Indian Railways Board has sanctioned Rs. 150 million to build the platform. The seventh platform will be able to handle 26-coach trains. The facilities will be the same as the ones on platform number one.

New Transformer Factory: A French power transmission and distribution company will set up a high-voltage transformer factory at Kotambi village on the outskirts of Baroda. The project, which will cost Rs. 2 billion, will provide direct employment to 500 people. The company, 'Areva (T and D)', will manufacture 50 transformers every year with a capacity of 765 KV. Operations should commence by December 2008.

24-03-07

National Seminar On Oilmeal Usage: Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers' Association (CLFMA) and American Soybean Association (ASA) have organised the eighth national seminar for the popularisation of oilmeal usage in compound cattle, poultry and aqua feeds on April 14, 2007, at Baroda.

Paintings Exhibition: 'Medley of Hues', paintings and prints by 13 artists. At Lanxess ABS Gallery, Old Padra Road. Till March 28, 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Photo Exhibition: 'Spring 1970 - An Indian in Paris', by Parmanand Dalwadi. At Alliance Francaise, Vasna Road. Till March 31. 6.30 p.m. onwards.

Paintings By Anju Dodiya: The Durbar Hall of the Lakshmi Vilas Palace at Baroda is the venue for a national art show by painter Anju Dodiya. The show has been organised by Bodhi Art Gallery. Anju Dodiya is exhibiting her works for the first time in the city. She is the wife of the artist Atul Dodiya. The show, called Throne of Frost, is open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. It will continue till March 25.

Study of War Memorials: Exhibition by K.K. Muhamed. At Exhibition Hall, Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University. Till March 24. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Paintings Exhibition: By Vinodray Patel. At Sarjan Art Gallery. March 22 to 31 (not on Sunday). 12 noon to 7 p.m.

Handicrafts & Handloom Fair: Up to March 25. 10.30 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. At Parsi Agiari Ground, Sayajigunj.

Book Fair: Up to March 26. 9.30 a.m. to 9 p.m. At LMP Display Centre, Sayajigunj.

23-03-07

New Business Centre: The foundation stone for the Business Centre of Baroda based Federation of Gujarat Industries (FGI) was laid at Sevasi by Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma on March 22. The FGI business center will provide modern business-cum-convention facilities.

22-03-07

City Will Honour Hazare: If everything moves according to plans, a statue of the former Baroda Ranji captain Vijay Hazare will be erected in the city by the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA). He passed away in December 2004. He was in the Baroda Ranji team from 1942 to 1961 and played international cricket from 1942 to 1952. He appeared in 30 test matches and scored 2,192 runs at an average of 47.65 runs.

Mall At Makarpura Bus Depot: The Gujarat government has earmarked seven major bus depots of Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) to develop multipurpose mall areas. The seven bus terminals, including the two in Baroda - the central bus depot near the railway station and the Makarpura bus depot - may thereby help GSRTC to earn Rs. 7 billion from real estate developers.

Novino Brand Upgrade: Panasonic Battery India Company Ltd. (PBICL) - earlier known as Matsushita Lakhanpal Battery India Ltd. - will now manufacture Panasonic batteries at their Baroda plant. PBICL will upgrade its Novino brand batteries to the global brand Panasonic. He company will manufacture and market both the brands.

MSU Seminar On IPR: MS University's Centre for Canadian Studies (CCS) at the Faculty of Arts has organised, along with the Faculty of Law, a three-day international seminar on the 'Impact of Intellectual Property Rights' from March 22 to 24. Sponsored by the Canadian government under its Canadian Studies Development Programme, the seminar will cover various fields of commerce, economics, history, journalism, law, literature, management, political science, sociology and science.

20-03-07

IPCL Merger With Reliance: Four years after acquiring Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd. (IPCL) from the government, the Reliance group is merging it with Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). Set up by the government in March 1969 to promote the use of plastics in India, IPCL's business includes polymers, synthetic fibre, fibre intermediaries, solvents, surfactants, industrial chemicals, catalysts, adsorbents and polyesters. The company operates three petrochemical complexes - a naphtha-based complex at Baroda and gas based complexes at Nagothane near Mumbai and at Gandhar. The company also has a catalyst manufacturing plant at Baroda. The boards of both IPLC and RIL cleared the merger proposal on 10th March 2007. The boards also approved a share swap ratio of 1:5 (one RIL share for every five IPCL shares held by the shareholders). Soon after the merger plans were announced, the three IPCL employee unions were unhappy over the reported decision of the management to transfer about 1200 IPCL employees from the Baroda plant to the special economic zone (SEZ) in Jamnagar. The unions maintain that the transfer proposal is a way of reducing the number of IPCL personnel in the complex.

Gaekwad Cricket Exhibition: An exhibition of photographs, literature and other paraphernalia (including the gear used by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad) has begun in Baroda from March 11 - the day the World Cup games started, the birth anniversary of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad, and also the birthday of Vijay Hazare. The exhibition, organised by the Maharaja Fatehsinh Museum (MFM) and the Baroda Cricket association (BCA), will continue for a month. Baroda's association with cricket began in 1898 when the Maharaja formed its first team, called the Prince's Team. In 1934, the BCA was formed, but it was formally established in 1937 with the Maharaja as its patron. Thus far, 21 Baroda played have represented India, the latest being Irfan Pathan. A total of 209 players have played first class matches for Baroda. The Baroda team has won the Ranji Trophy five times. Incidentally, Sayajirao Gaekwad III, in a letter in 1904 to J.M. Framjee Patel, the author of 'Stray Thoughts On Indian Cricket', wrote that cricket was going to become a national game. Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III also developed the picturesque Motibaug Cricket Ground in the Laxmi Vilas Palace Estate; this is believed to be among Asia's oldest cricket grounds.

Railway Staff College Renovation: The Railway Staff College (RSC) building at Baroda will soon be renovated so as to restore some of its old elegance and splendour. RSC, the premier training institution of Indian Railways, was started on January 31, 1930, at Dehradun. In 1952, it was moved to Baroda and housed in Pratap Vilas Palace, spread over 55 acres and built by the Gaekwads in 1914. The building was designed by the architect C.F. Stevens, whose brother incidentally had designed the Victoria Terminus in Mumbai.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Technology: The Resource Centre For Indian Language Technology Solutions in Gujarati (RCILTG), a department at MS University's Faculty of Arts, has taken up a project for the development of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Technology for Gujarati language. India's Ministry of Communication & Information Technology is funding the project. The ministry has set up a consortium to develop OCR technology for Indian scripts and languages; MSU is one of the 11 members of the consortium. The two-year project will cost Rs. 3.6 million. The Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi) is coordinating the project.

10-03-07

Baroda High School Batch of 197 Re-union: Baroda High School batch of 1979 is planning a get-together in December 2007. Please email a few details and postal address. Spread the word to as many ex-students as possible. Milind Nene <mdnene@gmail.com>

For Baroda High School 1966 Re-union: We want anyone from the class of 1966 to contact Dhruv Patel. The idea is to organise the BHS Class of 1966 reunion. Please forward the names and contact details of as many as possible. So far I have two names: Dinesh Patel and Vinod Patel. Dhruv Patel <drew_drewpat@yahoo.co.in>

Orissa Handicrafts & Handloom Fair: Up to March 18. 10 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. At Redstone Gallery, Near HSBC Bank, Inox Road.

28-02-07

Gaurav Path Delayed: The Baroda Municipal Corporation's Gaurav Path Project - to develop the 9.5 km stretch from Harni airport to the Kalali Railway Crossing at a cost of Rs. 70 million - is still help up because the civic body has not yet decided how to award the contract. Incidentally, Ahmedabad, Surat and Rajkot have already completed their Gaurav Path projects. Baroda's Gaurav Path may have 18 bus stands, a food plaza every 1,500 metres, seven advertisement gantries, 90 kiosks, two traffic signals, 12 ATM centres and 360 benches.

Plant Saplings On Holi: The Tree Lovers Foundation (TLF) has tried in vain over the years to discourage people from burning wood on the occasion of Holi. It is estimated that 750,000 trees are chopped down in Gujarat as a part of Holi celebrations. Fighting a losing battle, TLF has now decided that it will instead simply distribute saplings and leaflet requesting people to plant the saplings, and also help save the trees.

Women's Movement Posters: The women's movement in India has produced hundreds of wonderful, colourful Images and messages to support the many causes it has taken up, like violence against women, rape, dowry, gender-sensitive laws, health services, the right to food, information, shelter, housing, political participation, etc. Publishing house Zubaan has organized an exhibition of posters relating to the women's movement in India in collaboration with Sahiyar (Stree Sanghathan) and the Department of Art History and Aesthetics, Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University of Baroda. The exhibition, at the Exhibition Hall of Fine Arts Faculty, will continue till March 2. More than 1400 posters depicting various aspect of the struggle of women are on display. About 200 groups from all over India have helped collect these posters. The exhibition was earlier organised in Berlin and the Frankfurt Book Fair in October last year and was also held in Bangalore and Chennai.

Orissa Handicrafts/Handloom: February 23 to March 4. 10 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. At Redstone Gallery, Near HSBC Bank, Inox Road.

Gujarati Play: Pappu Pass Thai Gayo. At Gandhinagar Gruh. February 27, 28, March 1. 9.30 p.m. Cast: Sanjay Goradia.

Mukesh's Songs: By Dr. Kamlesh Avasthi. At Gandhinagar Gruh. March 4. 9.30 p.m.

Paintings Exhibition: By Bakulesh Joshi & Vinod Shah. At Sarjan Art Gallery. February 25 to March 8. 12 noon to 7 p.m.

19-02-07

New Court Premises: After a formal order of the Gujarat High Court, about 44,000 sq metres of land in the Vaccine Institute on Old Padra Road was handed over the Vadodara district judge. This should facilitate the shifting of the district court from Nyay Mandir. The new premises will have 75 courts.

Bonsai Park: Some tree lovers are actively promoting the creation of a Bonsai park near Ellora Park. It seems that the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has earmarked a plot for this purpose for Tree Lovers Education Society. The park may cost about Rs. 2 million.

ICAI Award: The Baroda branch of the Western India Regional Council (WIRC) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has received the best branch award for 2006 in the big branch category (from about 100 branches in India)). It is the third time that the Baroda branch has won this award; it had won this award in 1991-92 and 2003.

Gujarati Book Festival: February 3 - 25. At Crossword, Alkapuri and Old Padra Road.

08-02-07

Baroda Is Grade B City: Surat is now an 'A' category megacity according to the gradings released recently by India's Urban Development Ministry. Surat was termed 'megacity with global character' considering its socio-economic status and the number of development projects that are underway. New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Pune are the other grade A megacities in the country. Two other cities from Gujarat, Rajkot and Vadodara, have been upgraded to grade 'B' and they have qualified as 'industrial megacities'.

Ward Committees: The Gujarat government has announced its decision to form ward committees in seven municipal corporation areas - Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Bhavnagar. Comprising prominent citizens, these committees will have the power to review work done under municipal budgets and also recommend new projects.

Bonsai Exhibition: The Department of Botany at MS University will organise a one-day workshop cum exhibition of bonsai and rare plants at the Faculty of Science on February 11. Visitors will be able to see bonsai made by experts and also look at numerous uses of algae and fungi. Those who are interested in registering for the workshop should contact Prof. Arun Arya on 0265-2791891. Entry to the exhibition is free. It will remain open from 9.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.

05-02-07

Bhikhu Parekh Honoured: Bhikhu Parekh, former MS University vice-chancellor and now member of Britain's House of Lords, was conferred the Padma Bhushan on India's 58th Republic Day on 26th January. He is currently the Centennial Professor at the Centre for the Study of Global Government at the London School of Economics and also the professor emeritus of political theory at the University of Hull.

Manu Shroff Passes Away: The well known economist Manu Shroff, 77, passed away recently in Baroda. Formerly the editor of The Economic Times, he played a major role in framing India's economic policies. Along with his close friend the late I.G. Patel (former Governor of Reserve Bank of India), he had made Baroda his home. On the boards of GACL, GNFC, Atul Ltd. and Nirma, he was also chairman of the Gujarat State Public Finance Reforms Committee. This committee had recommended the abolition of octroi, and thereafter the state government withdrew octroi from village panchayats and municipalities in 2001. Though originally from Jambusar, he had his schooling in Baroda.

Online Collectorate: The Vadodara district administration has undertaken a pilot project to install a new integrated software system at the collector's office, sub-divisional magistrate's office and 12 mamlatdar offices. The exercise is scheduled to be completed in three months. The issuing of 74 citizen rights certificates such as income certificates, caste certificates, domicile certificates and senior citizen certificates is planned to be done online. The system has been designed by Vadodara based National Informatics Centre (NIC).

Jewellery Exhibition: By Art Karat. February 4 - 6. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. At Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

02-02-07

Certification Of NRI Marriages: The Indian government proposes to introduce legislation to ensure that Indian women who marry NRIs get some legal proof of their marriage. Two ministries - women and child development and overseas Indian affairs - want to introduce compulsory certification of marriage on the wife's passport. Many Indian marriages are not registered and therefore do not have legal sanctity, thus making it easy for NRIs to desert or abandon their wives or withhold alimony on the ground that the marriage is not legal. The government is also working on pacts with other countries to deport husbands who have abandoned their wives in India.

Self-Financed Medical Varsity: The Baroda based K.M. Shah Charitable Trust's Sumandeep Vidyapeeth, which runs four medical colleges, has been awarded the status of a deemed university by India's Ministry of Human Resources Development. Previously affiliated to Gujarat University, it also plans to offer courses on Yoga, homoeopathy and naturopathy. The trust runs K.M. Shah Dental College and Hospital (100 seats), K.J. Pandya College of Physiotherapy (30 seats), Sumandeep Nursing College (30 seats) and S.B.K.S. Medical Institute and Research Centre (150 seats) in Pipariya. The university will be managed as per University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines and admissions will be given with 15 per cent quota for NRI students and 85 per cent through open test.

For Baroda High School (1966): Anyone from the class of 1966 of Baroda High School should please contact me. The idea is to organise a BHS 1966 reunion. So far I have two names - Dinesh Patel and Vinod Patel. Dhruv Patel <drew_drewpat@yahoo.co.in>

Donations For Dharmaj: Dharmaj town in Gujarat has so many NRI families that it is always flush with donations for charity. The town has already received grants for a cancer research facility, kidney centre and an orthopaedic and physiotherapy centre. Now it is getting the funds for a water treatment plant, a dental facility and a glaucoma research centre from NRIs in UK and Zimbabwe. The reverse osmosis filtered mineral water plant will cost Rs. 5 million and the dental facility Rs. 1.3 million. Water will be distributed to each household at a cost of only Rs. 12 for 20 litres.

Dr. Chetan Patel: City based Dr. Chetan Patel has been elected national vice-president of Indian Medical Association (IMA).

Gujarati Play: Putri Devo Bhavah. At Gandhinagar Gruh. February 1, 2, 3, 4. 9.30 p.m. Cast: Arvind Vaidh, Rupa Divetiya, Amar Desai, Bakul Thakkar.

24-01-07

Baroda, Knowledge City: The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) recently did a study to explore the potential of Baroda as a knowledge hub. Its report suggests that by 2010 the city is likely to have over 100,000 new job opportunities created by knowledge driven industries. The bulk of these opportunities will be in biotech and IT enabled services. CII has formed a Knowledge City Task Force headed by Atul Garg, vice-president of Inteq IT Services Pvt. Ltd.

Bal Mela: The Vadodara Primary Education Committee (VPEC) will organise their 35th 'Bal Mela' on January 27 and 28 at the Sayajibaug Planetarium. The mela is expected to attract about 300,000 students from Vadodara district. The chief guest, the keynote speaker and the chairperson will all be students from the city's 123 municipal schools.

Handicrafts & Handloom Products Exhibition: By Garvi-Gurjari. January 20 to 29. At Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

Exhibition Of Paintings By Gautam Das: At Sarjan Art Gallery. January 17-24. 12 noon to 7 p.m.

20-01-07


Inform Police About Tenants: The police in Baroda have issued a notification instructing all landlords to submit details of their tenants. Similarly, hotels too have been asked to submit a list of guests daily. This move follows a general alert by intelligence agencies in major cities to exercise care about terrorists and anti-social elements. House owners have been prohibited from renting out their houses without giving the details of their tenants to the police.

Indian Army Exhibition: The Indian Army's ongoing three-day (January 19-21) exhibition in Baroda is being held to improve the image of the armed forces and also attract new recruits. The Golden Katar Division of the Indian Army is presenting a show of arms and light, medium and heavy infantry displays at the Ansuya Leprosy Hospital grounds on Ajwa Road. The event also shows the role of the army in peacetime. Among the attractions are the Tornado motorcycle daredevils, a pipe band display, helicopters, battle tanks and weapons seized from terrorists.

Baroda Match Rescheduled: The One-Day International cricket match between India and West Indies at the IPCL Stadium has been shifted from January 30 to 31, on account of Moharram. This decision was taken so that the city police do not have to provide elaborate security arrangements for two major events on the same day.

City Artists Honoured: Three artists from Baroda are among the 15 winners of the 2005-2006 National Academy Awards of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi. The works of sculptors H.G. Ganesh Urala and Deepak Khatri and graphic designer Srilamantula Chandra Mohan were among the winners from among 6,858 works submitted by 2,678 artists from across India. The two sculptors are alumni of MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts, and Chandra Mohan is pursuing his master's degree in graphic designing at MSU.

18-01-07

Eclipsys Takes Over Mosum: Eclipsys, the USA based Information Technology Healthcare (ITH) company, has taken over Baroda based Mosum Technology (I) Pvt. Ltd. which caters to work related to health services being outsourced from North America. The new venture has been named Eclipsys India Development Centre. The company's capital investment in Baroda is about US $5 million. Eclipsys (India) will handle work from West Asia and South East Asia. The parent company has 2,200 employees based in North America and Canada.

Age Limit For Fine Arts: The Fine Arts Faculty at MS University has proposed 22 years as the upper age limit for candidates seeking admission at the undergraduate level. This will affect about 10 per cent of the students who apply for admissions to the faculty's 75. Ever since the faculty started, there was no age limit for admissions.

Weapons' Exhibition: The Golden Katar division of the Indian Army has organised a weapons and equipment exhibition from January 19 to 21 (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.). Venue: Hospital Ground, Sardar Estate, Ajwa Road. There will also be stalls of the Army Recruitment Office for those aspiring to join the army.

Gujarati Play: Jadoo Teri Nazar. At Gandhinagar Gruh. January 18. 9.30 p.m. Cast: Siddharth Randeria.

Exhibition Of Metallic Paintings On Hindu-Jain Motifs, Lord Ganesha and Warli Tribes: By Dhruv Shilpi. At WelcomHotel Art Gallery, R.C. Dutt Road. Till January 23. 12.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

16-01-07

Zoo Relocation Project: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has received a grant of Rs. 2.6 million from the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZAI) towards the cost of relocating the Sayajibaug Zoo to Ajwa. VMC had earlier received a grant of Rs. 5.6 million in 2004 for constructing enclosures for lions and tigers. The latest grant is for constructing enclosures for jackals and deer. The new zoo will be spread over 110 acres and VMC has planted over 12,000 trees to provide natural surroundings for the animals. The big animals will be shifted first and the small animals and birds will be shifted later.

MSU Science Faculty: MS University's Science Faculty has proposed four new courses from the next academic year: a certificate course in disaster management for students who have passed HSC; a postgraduate diploma in disaster management; a postgraduate diploma in petroleum geology; a postgraduate diploma in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in biosciences.

Tryst With Telangana: Contemporary Hyderabadi Art. Till January 16, except Sunday. 12 Noon to 7 p.m. At Sarjan Art Gallery, Vishwas Colony.

13-01-07

Shop, Eat, Celebrate: A new mall has opened in Baroda, near the 'Genda Circle'. It's called 'Vadodara Central' and it sprawls over 150,000 sq. ft. The four-storied shopping mall has areas for women, men, children, infants, food and beverages, home appliances and furnishings, toys and a play area for children. The theme is 'Shop, Eat and Celebrate'. Another feature is a dedicated area for product launches, impromptu events, displays, shows and exhibitions.

Hygienic Food Laaris: You may soon get more hygienic food at Baroda's roadside food laaris. MS University's Home Science Faculty and health officials from the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) will train street food vendors under a project supported by India's Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the World Bank. Street food vendors will also be properly registered after the training. The Indian government has also sanctioned a similar project at the SP University in Vallabh Vidyanagar. Of the 3,000 vendors in the city, 40 will be trained at a time.

09-01-07

FSI Reduced In Old City: Considering the increasing congestion in the eastern parts of the city, the Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA) has reducedthe Floor Space Index (FSI) from three to two in many old city areas. The FSI defines the allowable construction limit on any plot of land. Areas such as Wadi, Panigate, Mandvi, Nyay Mandir, Raopura, Raj Mahal Road, etc., will be covered by the new rule.

Intruder In Karelibaug: A leopard stayed into Karelibaug on Sunday (7th January) morning, and spent five hours cooling off in the bathroom of a bungalow in Amitnagar Society. Panic gripped the area until the police, forest officials and wildlife volunteers succeeded in tranquilizing the animal. The four-year-old leopard was then shifted to the Sayajibaug zoo. It will be released in the forest after conducting a medical check-up. No one was injured. A leopard can cover 20 to 25 km during the night. It may have strayed into the city from the Pavagadh forest or the Jambughoda sanctuary in Sankheda taluka, areas which are about 50 kilometres from the city.

Autorickshaw Fitted With Phone: The Vadodara Autorickshaw Pragati Union (VAPU) has inaugurated Baroda's first telephone fitted into an autorickshaw. VAPU claims that this is a first for Gujarat. The cost to incorporate the telephone is Rs. 3,000. It is expected that many of the city's 40,000 autorickshaws will opt for this facility.

Auto Fair 2007: Exhibition of automobiles and automobile spares. January 5 to 8, 2007. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Parsi Agiari Ground, Sayajigunj.

Orissa Handicrafts/Handloom Fair: December 23 to January 8. 10 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. At Aditi Gallery, Race Course Circle.

Crossword Music Festival: Till January 13, 2007. At Alkapuri and Old Padra Road. 25 % off on Saregama Indian Classical CDs.

Gujarati Plays:
Balwant Ane Babli: At Gandhinagar Gruh. January 8, 9. 9.30 p.m. Cast: Tiku Talsania, Vandana Pathak. Written by Pravin Solanki.

06-01-07

Traffic Statistics: The traffic department of Vadodara says that the city?s periphery covers 148.22 km. Over 956,000 vehicles are registered with the RTO. Of these, 70 per cent are in the city areas. However, the department has only 187 raffic cops to regulate the traffic. With a total road length of 765 km, the city therefore has only one traffic cop for 4.1 km of road. The traffic density is 875 vehicles per km.

Diploma In Architecture: A three-year diploma course in architecture has been proposed by the Civil Engineering Department of the Polytechnic College at MS University. The course will be for those who have Class X. The diploma holders will be able to work as assistants to professional architects. Thirty seats are proposed. The fee per semester may be as high as Rs. 40,000.

Gujarati Plays:
Triputi No Tarkhat: At Gandhinagar Gruh. January 4 to 6. 9.30 p.m.

04-01-07

MSU Girl Wins US Award: Khyati Mohanty, a graduate of MS University's Faculty of Technology & Engineering, has become the only woman researcher from India to receive a $ 10,000 scholarship awarded by the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE). The Optical Society of India (OSI) will highlight her achievements at its thirty-second annual symposium in Baroda. She is now pursuing her PhD at the University of California, USA.

Baroda Poised For Growth: Baroda is likely to see a higher growth rate, better employment opportunities and therefore a bigger increase in the population. This is the finding of a study by the Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA). The growth may generate 200,000 jobs over the next 10 years, and a 32 per cent growth rate for the city by 2031. Population is one of the indicators for measuring the development of a city. Baroda's population growth rate was 57.17 per cent in 1981, and declined to 27.4 per cent in 2001. The work force was 457,000 in 2001. It increased to 512,000 in 2006 and is likely to reach 832,000 by 2015. The city's population was 1.4 million in 2001, touched 1.6 million in 2006 and may go up to 3.2 million by 2031. Once mainly dependent on petrochemical and chemical industries, Baroda is now witnessing more manufacturing and trading activities.

Slum Upgradation Schemes: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) will soon receive Rs. 880 million from India's National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM) for slum upgradation schemes. Recently, NURM had also approved Rs. 410 million for a major water supply project. The Indian government will contribute 50 per cent of the project cost, the state government will give 20 per cent, 18 per cent will be given by VMC and the beneficiaries will have to bear the remaining 12 per cent. In the slum upgradation scheme, VMC will provide 'quality houses at cheap rates to the urban poor'. A two-room and kitchen flat will be available for Rs. 128,000. Slum dwellers will be relocated to a new site.

Exhibition of Paintings & Ceramics: By Kumud Patel. Till January 3, except Sunday. 12 Noon to 7 p.m. Sarjan Art Gallery, Vishwas Colony.

Group Art Show: By Alekhya. December 27 to January 5. Sarjan Art Gallery.

Kasuti Embroidery: December 30 to January 2. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road.

02-01-07

New Courses At Music College: MS University's Performing Arts Faculty, called Music College by the 'common man', wants to launch short-term courses in dance, drama and music for a wider group of persons - businessmen, housewives, the physically challenged - so that they can seek professional training as they pursue their hobbies. These short-term self-financed courses may stop students form dropping out of degree and diploma courses to pursue careers in Mumbai's film and TV industry. The proposal awaits syndicate approval. The faculty already conducts a one-year acting course. The new courses will be for three to twelve months.

For MSU Botany & Zoology Alumni: This is an appeal from Prof. G.M. Oza: Hello all alumni of MSU's Botany and Zoology Department. This is Prof. G.M. Oza. My organisation INSONA would appreciate some involvement from your end in the field of environmental conservation and preservation for the cause of human welfare. As students of life sciences if you can put in your bit it would be a noble and highly acclaimed venture. Do give it a thought and contact me. Prof. G.M. Oza <insona@123india.com>