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| Crocodile Park Behind Laxmi Vilas Palace: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is considering the feasibility of setting up a crocodile park somewhere along the banks of the river Vishwamitri. The location proposed is behind the Laxmi Vilas Palace compound. Many crocodiles have been seen in the stretch of the Vishwamitri near the palace. The crocodile park may also be developed as a rescue and education centre. VMC will formally approach the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZAI) to take up the matter further. VMC may pick up some tips from the crocodile park in Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu. (23-09-2011) |
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| Badges For Auto-rickshaw Drivers: The Vadodara traffic police have specified a dress code for the drivers of auto-rickshaws: if the owner is driving he will have to wear a white dress, and if the driver is not the owner he will have to wear a khaki dress. All drivers will also have to wear badges issued by the Regional Transport Office. (23-09-2011) |
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| New LPG Cylinder Connections: The Vadodara district administration plans to improve the process of giving fresh connections for LPG cylinder. The system proposed is that residents seeking new connections should submit the necessary documents at the City Civic Centre at Narmada Bhavan instead of at various LPG agencies. Vadodara district has over 510,000 LPG cylinder consumers and 43 LPG agencies; over 50 per cent of the connections are in the city. Over 23,700 consumers have piped natural gas connections. The new system is likely to start from October 1. (17-09-2011) |
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| Ahmedabad-Mumbai Expressway: Work on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai expressway project via Vadodara and Surat has been put on the fast track. The average speed on a two-lane road is around 50 kmph and it is 65 kmph on a four-lane road. The speed will increase to 80 to 100 kmph on the six-lane road. Travel time on the Ahmedabad-Surat stretch will reduce from five hours to about 3.5 hours. Work on the Surat-Mumbai part is likely to be completed by December 2011. (15-09-2011) |
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| New Examination System At Major MSU Faculties: Starting this academic year MS University may follow a common examination system at the Faculty of Commerce, Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Science. These three faculties have switched over to the choice based credit system (CBCS) and now the semester-end exams will be conducted by the university's examination section instead of being conducted internally. The grading system will also be introduced. Among the issues yet to be resolved are: method of giving grace marks, whether the examiners should be internal or external, the examination fee structure, and the re-assessment and dispute settlement mechanism. At all other faculties, examinations will be conducted internally by the faculties themselves. The CBCS will be introduced next year in the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, Faculty of Performing Arts and Faculty of Fine Arts. (14-09-2011) |
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| Sayajirao’s 150th Birth Anniversary: Member of Parliament Balkrishna Shukla has requested the central government to release a commemorative postage stamp on the 150th birth anniversary of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. Born on March 11, 1863, Sayajirao was adopted by the royal Gaekwad family on May 27, 1865, and later became the ruler of the Baroda state. (13-09-2011) |
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| Tax Exemption For Properties Of Defence Personnel: Following requests by the Army Welfare Association, Gujarat’s Urban Development Department (UDD) has directed civic bodies of Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Junagadh, Vadodara, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar to give tax exemption to properties owned by defence personnel. The exemption will be limited to just one residential – not commercial – property owned by them within municipal limits. All properties, except properties owned by charity organisations, within civic limits are taxable as per the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations Act. The Gujarat government has asked the civic bodies to amend the Act to benefit retired and serving defence personnel. The standing committee of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation has already forwarded a proposal to this effect to the general body for approval. In Vadodara about 6,000 defence personnel should benefit from this move. (12-09-2011) |
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| Ganesh Immersion Processions Peaceful: The Ganesh immersion processions were peaceful (except for a minor incident) throughout Vadodara on Sunday, 11th September. To maintain the peace the city authorities had made elaborate security arrangements. In addition to the city police and the four companies of the State Reserve Police (SRP) posted in the city, additional forces had also been deployed: a deputy inspector general of police, four deputy commissioners, 13 deputy superintendents of police, 20 trainee Dy SPs, 31 inspectors, 23 sub-inspectors, 231 trainee sub-inspectors, 510 other police personnel, eight additional companies of SRP, two companies of Rapid Action Force and 2,355 Home Guards. Volunteers of Civil Defence and Vadodara Traffic Education Trust were also roped in. Over 150 videographers were used to record the processions and the crowds. On standby duty were six quick response teams equipped with bulletproof jackets and automatic weapons, bomb detection and disposal squads and sniffer dogs. (12-09-2011) |
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| Smart Cards To Monitor Attendance: MS University’s Department of Russian Studies in the Faculty of Arts has started a pilot project to electronically register the internal marks of students and the attendance of students and teachers. During the experimental phase 50 students and three teachers have been given radio frequency smart cards. The system has been installed at Bhasha Bhavan building. The system can in theory also enable parents to know whether their wards attend classes regularly. It has been installed by Miracle Smart Card Pvt. Ltd. (05-09-2011) |
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| Communication Cell At MSU: MS University has started a communication cell to address the needs of internal and external communications. It is hoped that the cell will help create a better awareness in society regarding developments and activities at MSU. Dr. Amit Dholakia will be the new director of the cell. Among its activities will be media liaison, maintaining the university website, publication of the university's journals and newsletters, etc. (01-09-2011) |
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| Railway Overbridges Opened At Last: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two railway overbridges in Vadodara – on Jetalpur Road and at Navayard – on August 28. Mr. Modi’s visit also provided the occasion to kick off development of two new flyovers, at Harinagar crossroads on Gotri Road and Amitnagar Circle on VIP Road. It is also proposed to widen the bridge over the Vishwamitri River near Urmi School in Sama. (29-08-2011) |
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| Second-Hand Mobile Phones: Second-Hand Mobile Phone Registers: The Vadodara city police have instructed all shops dealing in second-hand mobile telephone handsets to maintain a separate register showing details of the buyer or seller, the IMEI number of the handset, other details of the mobile phone and also the identity proofs of the buyer and the seller. The reason behind this directive is to facilitate investigations into terrorist related activities, in which mobile telephones are used extensively. (21-08-2011) |
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| New Grass Species Found By MSU Researchers: Rinku Desai, a student of MS University’s Botany Department, and her guide Dr. Vinay Ravle have discovered a unique species of grass at Bhayli, near Baroda. They have named this species ‘Ischaemum Sayajiraoi’, in honour of Sayajirao Gaekwad III. According to them, this species of grass has been identified for the first time in the world; its leaves and flowers are different from other varieties. The new species has already been registered with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK, and the International Plant Names Index (IPNI). The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) is a database of the names and associated basic bibliographical details of seed plants, ferns and lycophytes. IPNI is the product of a collaboration between The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Harvard University Herbaria and the Australian National Herbarium. The MSU duo are engaged in research on various species of grass in south Gujarat. The study has been carried out over three years. Dr. Ravle has done his PhD from MSU. (18-08-2011) |
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| Nagar Ratna Award For VMC: The All India Institute for Local Self Government (AIILSG) has given the Nagar Ratna Award for urban poor housing schemes to the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). Houses for the urban poor in the city have been constructed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Of the planned 21,000 houses, 8,000 have already been built. Over 5,400 houses have already been allotted to owners. (09-07-2011) |
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| Get Your Biometric Identity Card: Aadhar, the biometric identity card under the Union government’s Unique Identity number project (issued by the Unique Identity Development Authority of India, or UIDAI), is now being issued by the Fatehgunj head post office after submitting the relevant documents. The UIDAI biometric card has a unique 12-digit number. Issued free of charge, it will be useful for opening a bank account, to obtain a mobile connection, withdraw NREGS money, get an insurance policy, apply for a ration card, and whenever you have to produce and identity and address proof. In Vadodara district, there will be 39 centres to implement this project. In the city there will be centres at post offices in Karelibaug, Raopura head post office, Mandvi, Khanderao Market, Madan Zampa, Baranpura, Race Course and Subhanpura. (25-06-2011) |
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| Parul Institute Permitted To Admit Foreign Students: The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has given permission to Baroda’s Parul Institute of Engineering and Technology to admit students of foreign countries, persons of Indian origin (PIOs) and children of Indian workers in Gulf countries from this academic year. Nirma University is the other Gujarat based institution which has a similar clearance. Parul can admit a total of 113 such students in the supernumerary categories, at the undergraduate level in mechanical, electronics and communication, computer science, civil engineering, electrical engineering and information technology, and at the postgraduate level in thermal engineering, electronics and communication engineering, MBA and MCA. Parul has set up an NRI hostel. (20-06-2011) |
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| International Linguapax Award For Barodian: Baroda’s Dr. Ganesh Devy, founder of Bhasha Research and Publication Centre (BRPC), has been awarded the 2011 International Linguapax Award in recognition of his efforts to promote and preserve various languages in the country. The Linguapax Awards are announced every year on February 21, Mother Language Day. They are the only public recognition in the world to promote linguistic diversity and are awarded to linguists, researchers, professors and social activists dedicated to linguistic diversity and multilingual education. Linguapax is a non-governmental organisation. Dr. Devy is the first Indian to receive this award. He has been working for tribals and their languages since 1996 after resigning as professor from MS University (MSU) of Baroda. Bhasha Trust was founded in 1996 for the study, documentation and conservation of languages not protected by the Constitution of India. The term 'bhasha' means, in most Indian languages, 'language', 'speech', 'definition' or 'voice'. The major areas of work of the trust have been conservation and promotion of minority languages, education, healthcare and empowerment of Adivasi communities in India, protection of human rights of the Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNTs), study and development of Adivasi arts, and policy level interventions in the interest of ecology, human rights and Adivasi empowerment. Bhasha Research and Publication Centre is recognized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, as a Centre of Excellence. (16-06-2011) |
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| MSU To Offer Software Technologies Course: MS University's Faculty of Science proposes to offer a master’s course in Software Technologies with an emphasis on cloud computing. The two-year four-semester course is meant to prepare students to get jobs as senior level programmers. The capacity will be 40 seats, 20 of them reserved for MSU students. (15-06-2011) |
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| New MSU Vice-Chancellor: The Gujarat government has appointed 45-year-old Mr. Yogesh Singh, professor at the University School of Information Technology (USIT) at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIU), Delhi, as the 16th vice-chancellor of MS University. He will have a tenure of three years. He is from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh. He has done his M.Tech and PhD in computer engineering from National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra. He was also the founder chairman of Guru Jambheshwar University's Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Hisar, Haryana. (14-06-2011) |
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| Helmets For 2-Wheeler Drivers: Baroda’s police department has once again decided to implement the helmet rule for two-wheeler drivers. It has also started extensive vehicle checking to try and curb incidents of vehicle theft and chain snatching. New city police commissioner Satish Sharma seems to have instructed his force to ensure that the Supreme Court directive making use of helmets compulsory for two-wheeler riders is followed strictly. Helmets help to avoid serious injuries in motor accidents, but many people are taking the rule lightly. (14-06-2011) |
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| New Airport Terminal For Vadodara: Work on the new Rs 115-crore integrated building at Harni airport is finally due to begin in July. The project is expected to be completed in 18 months, that is, by the end of 2012 or early 2013. The new terminal building will be spread over 17,500 sq m (the existing one occupies 7600 sq m). It has been designed by Delhi-based 'Creative Group'. It will be able to handle 700 domestic and international passengers during peak hours. Incidentally, the foundation ceremony had taken place in February 2009. (16-05-2011) |
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| Free Orthoses & Prosthesis Aids: Medical Care Centre Trust's (MCCT) Department of Orthotics & Prosthetics has received a Government of India grant in aid for free Orthoses and Prosthesis aids and appliances for economically backward needy patients. MCCT would like to pass on this benefit to financially needy patients. Some documents need to be submitted: proof of disability; photograph; income proof. Needy patients should contact Dr. Veerendra Shandilya (Head of Orthotics & Prosthetics Department, KGP Children's Hospital, Jalaram Marg, Karelibaug, Vadodara 390 018. Phones: 2463906, 2462404, 2321234. The grant is valid for a limited period only. For any questions, please feel free to contact Dr Shandilya on 9824034343 or bionicrehabs@gmail.com. (19-04-2011) |
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| Hospital For Baroda Police Personnel: The Vadodara city police department proposes to build a hospital for police personnel and their families. The department has formed a trust (Vadodara Police Medical and Welfare Charitable Trust) and identified suitable land for this purpose. The hospital will be set up as a public-private partnership entity and it will be located at the police headquarters in Danteshwar. Over 25,000 police personnel and their families are based in Vadodara. This hospital will serve the needs of personnel from the city police, rural police, State Reserve Police (SRP) and Police Training School. The trustees will include the police commissioner, retired police officers, MLAs and the dean of the Baroda Medical College. (30-03-2011) |
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| Bank of Baroda's 100th Branch In Vadodara District: Bank of Baroda has recently inaugurated its 100th branch in Vadodara District, near Amitnagar Circle on New VIP Road in Karelibaug. Incidentally the first branch was started in 1908, in Mandvi at Baroda. (29-03-2011) |
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| New Cricket Stadium For Baroda: The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) may buy a piece of land to build a stadium in Dena Village along the Ahmedabad-Vadodara highway. Though the land belongs to the Gujarat government it is under the jurisdiction of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). A final decision is awaited. There is talk that 40 acres may be bought for a 40,000-capacity modern stadium. (08-03-2011) |
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| Pratapnagar-Chhotaudepur Railway Line: The 100 km railway line from Pratapnagar to Chhotaudepur, one of the few surviving narrow gauge railway lines, has finally been converted into broad gauge. The work was done in three stages: the 28 km section between Pratapnagar and Dabhoi was completed in October 2008, the 36 km stretch from Dabhoi to Bodeli was completed in April 2010, and the 36 km stretch from Bodeli to Chhotaudepur has recently been inaugurated. On 26th February, a train was ceremoniously flagged off to Chhotaudepur at the Pratapnagar railway station in Vadodara. Two trains will cover this route daily, both ways. (27-02-2011) |
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| GSFC May Opt For Carbon Credit Auditing: The Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd. may opt for carbon credit auditing in the next three years in order to get significant returns for its large banyan tree plantations. The company has planted 1.6 million banyan and peepal trees, mostly on its campus at Vadodara. The banyan tree is normally grown by planting its branches or through natural growth. In addition, GSFC scientists have successfully developed seedlings after several trials. The company will opt for the carbon credits after three years because the size of the trees is small now. The carbon credits are given considering the size of the leaves and also the quality; the bigger the leaves, more is the absorption of carbon from the environment. The best results can be expected after three years. (26-02-2011) |
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| CBCS At Faculty of Family & Community Sciences: MS University's Faculty of Family & Community Sciences (FFCS) will introduce choice-based credit system (CBCS) in the next academic year. CBCS will offer 23 new courses which students can opt for. The new courses include sports nutrition, entrepreneurship management, media appreciation, publicity media, image styling, change makers for social development, and world costumes and cultures. Students will get a chance to learn new subjects along with the core subjects. (22-02-2011) |
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| Vadodara District’s Gains From Vibrant Gujarat Summit: According to Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), Vadodara district may attract investments worth Rs. 43,000 crores after the recently concluded Vibrant Gujarat summit. This should result in 182,000 jobs in the district. In addition, 526,000 indirect employment opportunities will be created. Considering entire central Gujarat, investments worth Rs 253,000 crores expected in Anand, Kheda, Vadodara, Bharuch, Narmada, Panchmahal and Dahod districts. This involves 1,756 projects, with job opportunities for 2.1 million persons. All of this can happen only if the MoUs signed at the summit lead to actual investments. (22-02-2011) |
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| Talk By Design Guru John Thackara: John Thackara is Director of Doors of Perception, which was founded in 1993 to create a conference of that name in Amsterdam. It now produces festivals and projects that engage a worldwide network of designers, media artists, technology innovators and grassroots innovators to imagine (and begin to design) sustainable futures. He also works with cities and regions seeking to build next-generation institutions. A former London bus driver, and later a book and magazine editor, John was the first Director (1993-1999) of the Netherlands Design Institute. He is a senior advisor on sustainability to the UK Design Council. He also organises events and festivals in which citizens, designers, and grassroots innovators explore two questions: "what might life in a sustainable world be like?"; and, "what design steps are needed to get us from here, to there?". The talk will be on 22nd February at 6.30 p.m. at Jyoti Garden, Jyoti Circle, Near Shastri Bridge. Organised by Navrachana University, it is open to all. (20-02-2011) |
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