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27-06-03 New Town Hall Proposed: The Gandhinagar Gruh at Baroda may soon face competition, of sorts. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) plans to build a new town hall, spread over 15,000 square metres, at Atladra. With a capacity to accommodate 2,000 persons, the town hall will have a parking facility for 700 cars. The proposal is to invite private developers on a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis. The centre will cater to theatre and music lovers. It will also have a multimedia section large enough to organise a full-fledged film festival. Gandhinagar Gruh was built in 1956 for a city with a population of 250,000. The city now needs a facility more suitable for a population of 1.5 million. 24-06-03 Hospital Receptionist Course: Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation and Indian Hospital Association will start a three-week short-term course for hospital receptionists from 7th July. Interested candidates should have passed the class 12 examinations. For details, contact the foundation office at Bombay Shopping Centre on Race Course Road, Vadodara, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. 21-06-03 Reviving The Sindhi Language: Did you know that the National Council for the Preservation of Sindhi Language (NCPSL) has its headquarters in Vadodara? NCPSL was set up in 1994 to make knowledge available in Sindhi. It has recently started Sindhi classes in Baroda. Seventy such classes are running all over India about 750 students have enrolled. Along with Urdu and Sanskrit, Sindhi is in a sense a 'stateless' language since the community is scattered across the country. It also lacks the 'critical mass' of people to support its readership. There would be few persons below 50 who can read and write the language. Speaking comes more easily. Some people suggest that the script should be changed in order to save the language, perhaps reverting to the Devnagari script that was used before the Arabic script was adopted. Poor SSC Results In Gujarat: The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board declared the SSC results on 16th June. Only 42.97 % of the students passed the SSC examination held in March 2003, compared to the 56.92 % success rate last year. Of the 642,110 students who appeared in Gujarat for the examination, only 275,927 passed. The result would have been worse had the Gujarat government not reduced the passing marks from 40 to 35 %. Grace marks helped about 20,000 students to pass the exams. … Ahmedabad's Amar Suri (Shree Vidyanagar High School) is the state topper
with 95.43 % marks. Baroda's SSC Results: While 27,654 students from Vadodara city appeared for the exam, only 15,089 students passed the exam. In Vadodara city, the pass percentage was 53.66, which included seven centers – Alkapuri, Sayajigunj, Raopura, Mandvi, Karelibaug, Makarpura and Bajwa. In rural areas – Bodeli, Chhotaudepur, Dabhoi, Desar, Padra, Sankheda, Savli, Shinhor, Waghodia, Pavi-Jetpur, Navsari, Masar Road, Mobha, Bhadarva, Varnama, Chalamali, Kawant – the pass percentage was 28.83. The overall pass percentage in Vadodara district was 43.75. The City's Toppers: 1. Shruti Choksi, Bright Day School (Gujarati Medium) (95%) Tribal Handicraft Shop: The Gujarat State Forest Development Corporation Limited (GSFDCL) has quite successfully marketed honey and several herbal products. The corporation is attempting to diversify into the marketing of tribal handicraft. GSFDCL's regional branch in Baroda has proposed the setting up of a shop to market tribal products with the assistance of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Tribal Co-operative Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED). The articles that may be sold include tribal metal craft, textiles, jewellery, cane and bamboo works, terracotta, stone pottery and tribal paintings. 20-06-03 Rare Books Donated To Music College: The late Shri Vibhukumar S. Desai was an eminent musicologist who wrote several books and articles on music. His son, the late Shri Rajnikant V. Desai, was the disciple of the great Ustad Faiyyaz Khan and an eminent vocalist of the Agra Gharana. He was also for a short while the principle of the Music College at Baroda. He spent more time at Mumbai where he was Head of the Department of Music at SNDT College. His children, the noted Kathak exponent Geetanjali Lal and sitarist Himanshu, have now donated their grandfather's and father's priceless collection of over 50 rare books on music to the library of MS University's Faculty of Performing Arts. The collection has books on the history of Indian music dating back to the 13th century AD. Gemini Circus: From 20th June. At Exhibition Ground, Near Kirti Stambh. Daily 3 Shows: 1.00, 4.00 and 7.00 p.m. Phone: 5545536 Exhibition Of Kurtis: Anayas presents an exhibition-cum-sale of Lucknowi kurtis in pastel shades at the Trisha Art Gallery, Jetalpur Road, on June 23-24, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Cost Cutting Workshop: A workshop on cost reduction techniques will be organised on July 12 by the Baroda Management Association at the Taj Residency Hotel. The programme will discuss various aspects of cost reduction by upgrading functional skills, improving waste management, sales costs, logistics, marketing and advertising costs. 17-06-03 Rains, At last: Pre-monsoon showers made a brief but welcome entry into various parts of Baroda on 15th June. The official jargon said that the showers were caused by a localised build-up of 'charlie bravo clouds' or 'nimbo cumulus clouds'. The amount of rainfall was low, about 1 to 2 mm. The maximum was in Sayajigunj. No rain was reported from the airport area, where incidentally the met department measures the rain. Dr. Pathak Is Medical College Dean: Superintendent of SSG Hospital, Dr. Kamal Pathak, has moved to Baroda Medical College (BMC) as its dean. The dean's post was vacant after Dr. D.N. Shah retired six months back. Dr. Pathak was superintendent of SSG Hospital for six years. His post has now taken up Dr. A.K. Shah, Head of the Department of Radiology at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Unity Hospital Inaugurated: Over 100 consultant doctors are associated with the newly set up Unity Hospital which was inaugurated at Baroda on 15th June 15 by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The hospital's specialised facilites include hi-tech operation theatres with laminar airflow, ICUs and a burns ICU. The 125-bed hospital is managed as well as owned by doctors. Located near Race Course Circle, the hospital building has been designed by architect Suryakant Patel. It has a special auditorium for medical seminars and conferences. Re-union of Vidya Kunj Alumni In August 2003: I studied at Vidya Kunj High School (1972-78). I left lots of friends out there in Baroda. I have been living in NW London since then. My brothers Mukesh and Kamlesh used to study at Vidya Kunj too. We were one of the very first batches of students who moved from the old school (the Red building) to the new building by the riverside. School times were great in the monsoon season as we enjoyed an extra day off from school due to the floods! There is a re-union of Vidya Kunj pupils in August 2003. Everyone who attended the school is invited! Global Pot Pourri: Hotel Surya Palace has introduced 'Global Pot Pourri', an elaborate choice of cuisines from across the globe for the festive Sunday buffet lunch at its City Square restaurant. The menu includes Mexican, Italian, Lebanese, Chinese, Thai and Punjabi dishes. 10-06-03 MSU's Russian Philology Programme: Knowledge of the Russian language is increasingly in demand. A substantial portion of the research and development activities in the Indian armed forces is dependent on it. And it plays a prominent role in tourism, intelligence gathering, hotel management and data interpretation in companies with Russian collaborations. To cater to this demand MS University is planning to start a master's programme in Russian Philology. MSU started its Russian courses as early as in 1952. The MA in Russian Philology will begin from this academic year, thus making MSU the second university (after Jawaharlal Nehru University) in India to offer a postgraduate degree in the language. Russian engineers, who are in Baroda on a deputation to the Gujarat government to lay a gas pipeline, have offered to teach this course to MSU students. The Russian Language Department of MSU has between 65 and 80 students every year. The graduates have found jobs in organisations such as ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), the Indian armed forces and Gujarat Electricity Board and companies such as Sarabhai Chemicals, ONGC, Sun Pharmaceuticals and Transpek Industries. 09-06-03 MSU Fee Hike: MS University has received a Gujarat government resolution which raises the fees for the Arts, Commerce, Science, Education and Law courses in grant-in-aid and government colleges of the state. A hike of 50 to 210 per cent will be effected. The new fee for the Arts, Commerce and Science faculties will be Rs. 600 per term as against the present fess of Rs. 400 per term. The rise will be the highest in the Law and Education faculties where it will be raised to Rs. 900 and Rs. 1,250 per term from the existing Rs. 400. Books Exhibition: June 9 to 11. 10.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. Exhibition-cum-sale of books on Indian literature, published by the Sahitya Academy, National Book Trust, Bhartiya Gyanpith and Seagull Publications. At 'Samas', Bhasha Research Centre, Near Dinesh Mills. 07-06-03 GM's Optra Rolls Out At Halol: General Motors India Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of US automaker General Motors, rolled out its first indigenously manufactured Chevrolet model – the Optra – on 6th June at Halol near Baroda. The company has so far invested Rs. 9,250 million in its Indian operations at Halol and plans to increase it to Rs. 13,800 million by March 2004. In 2002 it sold 8,648cars. Kathi Rolls Festival: At Mirch Masala. Kathis are thin, soft roomali rotis rolled with stuffing. Ghazal Programme: Komal Nishad will organise a ghazal programme of Ustad Ahmed Hussain and Mohamed Hussain on 9th June at 7.30 p.m. at Trimline Club, Munjmahuda, Old Padra Road. The concert has been organised to commemorate late Ustad Afzal Hussain, the father and the teacher of the Hussain duo. 06-06-03 HSC General Stream Results: The HSC general stream results declared on 5th June were not particularly pleasant. Only 63.49 % of the students passed, the worst results in 12 years. Out of 319,704 students who appeared from 209 centres in Gujarat, only 201,698 passed. The state topper is Jaina Shah of St. Xavier's High School (Ahmedabad) with 91 %, followed by Jiten Mehta of Sardar Patel & Swami Vivekananda High School (Ahmedabad) with 90.33 % and Gayatri Joshi of Maharani Chimnabai High School (Baroda) with 90.17 %. Of the 26 state toppers 19 are girls. District-wise, 235 out of the 358 toppers are girls. The highest pass rate was for Sindhi medium students (92.87 %), followed by English medium (82.89 %) and Gujarati medium (64.53 %). In Baroda girls bagged 12 of the 17 top positions. The overall pass percentage was 55.15 % (53.29 % in the district and 60.01 % in the city). Only 8226 of the 13,699 Baroda city students passed. Two HSC students Baroda attempted suicide, fearing poor results. Both were admitted to the SSG Hospital and they are reportedly out of danger. The Baroda toppers: 1. Gayatri Joshi (Maharani Chimnabai High School); 2. Richa Bhandari (Tejas Vidyalaya; 3. Pratiti Diwan (Alembic Vidyalaya) and Shanu Gupta (Tejas Vidyalaya); 4. Mukesh Khilwani (Shri Ladharam Sind Hindu High School) and Neha Upadhyay (Tejas Vidyalaya); 5. Kesha Zaveri (Jeevan Sadhana Gujarati Medium School) and Varsha Sachdev (Hari Shewa Higher Secondary Girls Vidyalaya); 6. Ashok Kukreja (Shri Ladharam Sind Hindu High School); 7. Hemlatta Agrawal (Kelvani Trust Vidyalaya); 8. Komal Chhabria (Hari Shewa Higher Secondary Girls Vidyalaya); 9. Hetal Soni (P.P. Shroff High School), Zenabbibi Irzada (Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya), Jayesh Dhanani (Shri Ladharam Sind Hindu High School) and Dhirvirsinh Parmar (Shri Gayatri Vidyalaya); 10. Parul Patel (Fertilizer Nagar Shala) and Unnati Sheth (Tejas Vidyalaya). Magic Shows: Famous magician K. Lal will perform at Gandhinagar Gruh from June 6. Daily 9.30 p.m. Sundays 4 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. Mohini Attam Performance: The Ayyappa Temple at Sama is celebrating its Prathistha Dinam with a 3-day festival from June 7 to 9. On 7th June a Mohini Attam performance will be presented by Ayswaria Wariar and her two students. Ms Wariar has started a dance school in Baroda and teaches Bharata Natyam and Mohini Attam. Taj's Midnight Buffet: Taj Residency Hotel has introduced a buffet between midnight and 2.30 a.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Accompanied by live music. 05-06-03 Retirement Planning Workshop: Baroda Management Association (BMA) will organise a six-day evening workshop from June 23 on 'Planning after VRS and retirement'. The workshop will cover finance, emotional aspects, health, diseases, nutrition, and diet. For registration please ring up 2330632, 2332919. 04-06-03 'Temple' For Environment Enthusiasts: The International Society of Naturalists (INSONA), a Baroda based NGO, plans to set up a 'temple' dedicated to the environment. INSONA General Secretary Gunvant Oza says that it will basically be a centre for environment related issues and have a library, seminar and conference room and a botanical park. The NGO hopes that it will become a pilgrimage and education centre for environment enthusiasts, children and educationists. The facility, which will come up on the grounds adjoining the Motibaug Palace, will cost Rs. 10 million and will be inaugurated on World Environment Day on June 5. It will have a small deciduous forest with species brought from the jungles of Panchmahal, Chotaudepur and Jambughoda. The plantation will begin during the monsoon. SSG Hospital Expansion: Baroda's Sir Sayajirao General Hospital (SSG) plans to increase its bed capacity from 1,088 to 1,500 to cater to the growing number of patients from within Gujarat state and outside. SSG caters to 1,168 outpatients and 1023 in-patients daily. The hospital, linked to the Baroda Medical College, has an annual allocation of Rs. 210 million – 60 % of which is spent on salaries. Communication Workshop: The Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation will organise a communication workshop for children above 12 years. Those interested can register at the Foundation office at Bombay Shopping Centre, R.C. Dutt Road, from 16th June. Tennis Tournament: An eight-day tennis event – MPC Gymkhana Open Gujarat Major Ranking Tennis Tournament – will be held at Polo Club from June 10. Entry forms are available at the tennis academy at Akota Stadium and at Polo Club. Students from Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot and Gandhinagar will also participate. 03-06-03 New VMC Chief: Mr. G.P. Joshi (IAS) has taken over as the Commissioner of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) from 2nd June. VMC was without a full-time commissioner for almost one year, and the Vadodara District Collector was holding additional charge of this post. An IAS officer of the 1978 batch, his last posting was as Managing Director of Gujarat State Financial Corporation Limited. Apart from being Principal Secretary to the Gujarat Governor, he has also worked as Managing Director of Gujarat Water Infrastructure Ltd. Hi-Tech Cricket Gymnasium: The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) has proposed to construct a hi-technology gymnasium with modern training equipment at the Motibaug Cricket Ground. It should be operational by the end of June. Kiran More, the BCA Secretary, said that the equipment has been purchased after a recommendation from the National Cricket Academy. The gymnasium will be centrally air-conditioned. HSC General Stream Results: Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board will declare the HSC General Stream results on 5th June. The results, which will include the results of Commerce, Arts, Basic and Vocational streams, can be seen on <www.gnfconline.net> and <www.gseb.org> New Police Chief: The Gujarat government has appointed Sudhir Sinha as the commissioner of police of Vadodara city after promoting him as additional director general. An IPS officer of the 1976 batch, he replaces D.D. Tuteja, who retired in May. Before this posting he was Special Inspector General (Inquiry). Members of the public can contact him on his landline numbers 2431414 and 2431515 or on his mobile number 98250-49186. 02-06-03 College Of Public Health: Baroda will have India's first college of public health which will combine health care and health education. It will establish protocol and validation for public health in the country. The College of Public Health, which will open in September 2004, will be jointly set up by the Indu Health Research Foundation, K.M. Shah Charitable trust and the College of Public Health, University of South Florida (USF), USA. The K.M. Shah Charitable Trust will provide the necessary infrastructure and USF will extend technical assistance for the formation of the college curriculum and faculty. The college will offer a Masters in Public Health (MPH) which is recognised by the World Health Organisation which identifies persons to work with international NGOs. 20 New Courses At MSU: M.S. University's Centre for Continuing, Adult & Community Services, is introducing 20 new certificate courses in the coming academic year, taking its total to 84 short-term courses and 21 long-term courses. Among the new short-term certificate courses are: art of living, planning and application of materials in interiors, preparation of teaching aids, jewellery designing, graphic designing and advertising, 2D animation and interactive presentation, digital video-editing and composing, architectural walkthroughs, web applications development, computerised fashion designing, seed health testing, strategy of exam preparation, dealing with teenagers and adolescent children. The duration of the short-term courses will be between 15 and 30 days and the fees will range from Rs. 250 to Rs. 1,000. The long-term courses included this year are a one-year course in human resource management and six-month courses in for training day care personnel, airhostesses and handicraft teachers. Rs. 3,000 will be the fee for the long-term courses. 29-05-03 Recession Hits MSU Techo Placements: Only 50 of the 450 students who have completed their course this year from MSU's Faculty of Technology and Engineering have managed to secure a placement. Last year, 52 companies opted for campus placements and selected 136 students. This year, only 27 firms have opted for campus interviews. The ongoing recession may be the reason for this situation. Diabetes In Vadodara: According to World Health Organisation (WHO) studies, India has 15 million diabetics and is considered the 'diabetes capital of the world'. Researchers at MS University's Department of Food and Nutrition suggest that the main reason for this is the faulty nutritional pattern in many Indian families. The department recently conducted a study on the prevalence of diabetes in Vadodara city. The prevalence of diabetes in older women was higher compared to men of that age. The study covered a sample size of 1,000 people in nearby industrial townships and another 1,000 from the urban area. Ten per cent of the selected sample in the industrial townships were reported to be suffering from diabetes, a major section of which were those above 40 years of age. In the urban area, 10 per cent of the sample size were affected, of which those above 50 years formed a major section. The study also highlighted that older women were more prone to this disease. 28-05-03 Barodian Becomes US City Mayor: Manish Vinod Amin of Virsad village of Vadodara district has recently won the elections to the local corporation and has been offered the mayorship of the East Tavokoni county of Texas, USA. A computer science degree holder, Manish worked in New York and North Carolina before entering into politics. Genetics Course At MSU: The Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Centre, Faculty of Science, MS University, will introduce a one-year Post M.Sc. diploma course in Genetic Engineering and Bioprocess Development from the coming academic year. The one-year course will cover broad areas of advanced training in microbiology and immunology, genetic engineering and bioprocess development evaluations. Students with 50 per cent marks in M.Sc. in microbiology, biotechnology or biochemistry or allied branches of biological science will be eligible. Selection will be based on an entrance test and an interview. Hospital Administration Course: Indian Hospital Association (IHA) Vadodara will start the third batch of the postgraduate diploma course in Hospital Administration at Narhari Kendra from June. Graduates who are interested to join the course can contact Neha Pithwa at Narhari Hospital before May 30 between 1.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. The one-year regular course is recognised by DGHS and IHA, Delhi. 27-05-03 Class 12 Results: This year's GSEB Class XII Science results, declared on 19th May, were the poorest in the last eight years. … Only 42.81 % passed, compared to last year's 54.39 %. Surat's Ravish Patel (Tekrawala High School) topped with 92.92 % (he was also the state topper with 97 % in the 2001 SSC examination). Of the 18 toppers in the state, 10 are boys and 8 are girls. The toppers are from: Surat (3), Jamnagar (1), Junagadh (2), Ahmedabad (4), Rajkot (2), Bhavnagar (1), Palanpur (1), Vadodara (2), Patan (1), Vallabh Vidyanagar (1). The pass percentage in Vadodara city was 49.99 %; 6,01 students appeared and 3,250 passed. Last year the pass percentage was 53.14 %. The Vadodara city toppers: 1. Kathyayini Murthy of Gujarat Refinery English Medium School and Suvorit Bhowmick of Baroda High School Junior-2 (both ranked 7th in the state, with 91.23 %); 2. Rituma Doshi (Tejas Vidyalaya, 89.85 %); 3. Shodhan Desai (Bright English Medium School, 89.69 %); 4. Tejas Thakkar (Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya, 89.08 %); 5. Vishal Shah (Baroda High School Junior-2, 88.77 %); 6. Pankil Hasmukh Patel (Jeevan Sadhana Gujarati, 88.46 %); 7. Rushad Patel (Rosary, 88 %); 8. Rachana Mehta (Kelavani Trust Vidyalaya, 87.69 %); 9. Falgun Gosai (Sardar Vallabhbhai Vidyalaya, 87.54 %); 10. Vaibhav Gajjar (Pratap High School, 87.38 %). Results of HSC general stream examination are due in the first week of June and the SSC results are due in the second week of June. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the results for class 12 on 23rd May. These results were substantially better than the HSC results. Of the 534 students who appeared from Baroda's eight schools, only two students failed. The toppers: Science stream – Nihar Shah (Bhavan's, 95.6 %), Dhvani Patel (Navrachana, 94.2 %), Saurabh Shukla (Bhavan's 94.2 %); Arts stream – Pooja Nair (Navrachana, 91.8 %), Nirmita Desai (Navrachana, 87.4 %), Princy Mathew (Navrachana, 86 %); Commerce stream – Smita Desai (Navrachana, 89.6 %), Prachi Jain (Bhavan's, 85.6 %, Salil Nath (Navrachana, 85 %). Nihar Shah of Bhavan's topped in the combined stream. Boys took seven of the top ten positions. Admissions To Professional Courses: The Gujarat government has constituted a Joint Admission Committee for Professional Courses (JAC-PC) to conduct admissions for 13,791 seats in engineering and pharmacy courses and 3550 seats in medical, dental, physiotherapy, ayurveda and homeopathy courses in the state's professional colleges. Common admission forms – available at Vapi, Bharuch, Palanpur, Bulsar, Junagadh, Modasa, Ahmedabad, Godhra, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Bhuj – will be accepted from May 26 to June 9.
New Slant To Home Science Courses: MS University's Faculty of Home Science plans to introduce specialised courses to enhance the students' entrepreneurial and self-employment skills. These vocational courses – in Fashion Designing, Home Management and Food & Nutrition – will be started from 2003-04. Students will be able to opt for them after the first year of B.Sc. The Fashion Designing course will include fashion illustration, fashion sketching, accessory designing, computer aided designing, modelling shows, exhibitions, sales events, etc. The Home Management department will offer courses in interior designing, hospitality management, family economics, front office and personnel management, foods and beverages, tourism, etc. The Food & Nutrition department plans to offer specialisation in dietetics, public health and nutrition and food science and quality control. MSU Exam System Being Computerised: MS University of Baroda has decided to computerise the paperwork related to the entire examination process. MSU presently conducts 240 examinations in the summer and another 210 around October. In all about 36,000 students studying in the university appear for the examinations in over 800 subjects, which makes the process a rather complicated one. The computerisation activities are being handled by students of the Bachelor in Computer Applications course. Suspected SARS Case: Suspecting SARS, an 80-year-old lady was admitted to Baroda's SSG Hospital on 13th May. She had been kept in an isolation ward and her blood, urine and stool samples were sent for verification to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The lady has been staying in New Zealand for over two years and had come to Baroda on 7th May to visit friends and relatives. While on her way to India with her husband, she had halted for a few hours at Singapore. The lady was discharged from SSG Hospital on 19th May after NIV ruled out SARS. Self-Financed Engineering College: When the Parul Sewa Mandal opens its 240-seat engineering college at Limdi – Parul Institute of Engineering & Technology – from this academic year, Vadodara will get its first self-financed engineering degree college. The college is awaiting affiliation from Gujarat University and will offer admissions in four engineering branches. Waste Disposal In Baroda: Senes Consultants India Pvt. Ltd. conducted a survey on Baroda's waste generation and disposal. The preliminary findings: There are only 830 garbage collection points for a population of about 1.3
million in an area of about 149 sq km. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has earmarked Rs. 16 million in the current budget to overhaul the waste disposal system. Construction of a separate incinerator for medical waste has already begun. Incinerator For Medical Waste: The Baroda branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has begun work on setting up an incinerator facility for the waste generated by 727 clinics and hospitals with less than 100 beds in the city. The incinerator, to be managed by the IMA, will also be used by the 25 dispensaries run by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation. IMA's Biomedical Waste Management Cell is monitoring the work on the incinerator. A privately managed company has set up an incinerator at GIDC, but it caters to just 45 clinics and small hospitals due to its limited capacity. Getting Around In The City: Baroda has 698,173 vehicles, including jeeps, rickshaws, 360,801 mobikes, 168,007 mopeds and 66,619 cars. It is difficult to figure out the number of bicycles. Of the car drivers, 15 to 20 % are women. Though the city's population has grown from 200,000 people in the 1960s to the current level of 1.3 million, there are only 90 buses plying on its 550 bus routes. The bus service, run by the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation, incurs a loss of Rs. 15 per km. The Science Behind The Tricks: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) and the Community Science Centre (CSC) will organise public performances to promote awareness about the con-tricks used by tricksters to dupe innocent people. Some of these tricks – lighting fires by chanting mantras, piercing tongues, cutting a body into two parts, making a handkerchief emerge from a coconut, etc. – will be explained on the basis of scientific principles. The programmes will be held every Saturday and Sunday from 24th May to 15th June, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Ambawadi, Opposite Bandstand, Sayajibaug. Safety Council Courses: Gujarat Safety Council has announced a one-year postgraduate diploma course in 'Industrial Environment Management' in association with Gujarat Environment Management Institute (GEMI) from August. The council will also conduct a two-year part-time evening post-diploma course in 'Industrial Safety'. Admissions close on June 15. For details, please ring up 2397556. Shefali Jariwala Concert: Boom Events & Promotions, an event management company, have organized a concert featuring Shefali Jariwala, the girl made famous by the 'Kaanta Laga' song in the music video 'DJ Doll'. The programme will be at Akota Stadium from 7.30 p.m. on May 31. Best Collectors: Vadodara collector Bhagyesh Jha and his predecessor Anil Mukim were selected as the two best collectors in Gujarat for 1999. Both the officers have been associated with the Model District Project, which saw Vadodara becoming the first such district in India. BMA Lecture: Swami Anubhavanandaji will speak on 'Spirituality and Management' on May 28 at 7.15 p.m. at Baroda Management Association (BMA), Race Course Circle. Careers In Bio-informatics: Free lectures on 'Careers in Bio-informatics and Biotechnology' will be held from 29th to 31st May between 6.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. at 306, Payal Complex, Sayajigunj. 17-05-03 SSG's Trauma Centre: Baroda's Sir Sayajirao General Hospital (SSG) has started a 24-hour disaster and trauma centre at its premises. Built at a cost of Rs. 13.9 million, the trauma centre has all the facilities to deal with emergencies: X-ray and sonography unit, operation theatres, MICU with a centralized oxygen plant, a special room for heart patients, ventilators, a blood bank, an observation room, medico-legal officer, etc. Essar's IT Event: Essar Information Technology Ltd. (EITL) has organised a programme on 22nd May for senior executives and IT heads of large companies. The programme will cover: Implementing Enterprise Solutions, Enterprise Management Services, N-tier Applications, Enterprise Information Engineering Services and SAP implementation at Essar. It will highlight how EITL has enabled manufacturing, utility, oil and gas, power and processing industries achieve operational savings and improvements. SAP-India, IBM, Microsoft, etc., are expected to make presentations at this event. Interested corporates may contact Mustafa Lokhandwala <mustafa@essar.com>. 14-05-03 Scorching Heat Dries Up Water Sources: Dry hot northwesterly winds blowing from the Thar heated up Gujarat on Saturday (10th May), with the temperature in many parts of the state soaring to the mid-40s. In Vadodara, the mercury shot up to 45.5 degrees Celsius. Elsewhere in the state: Ahmedabad (44.2), Surat (42.6), Rajkot (42.0), Bhuj (42.2), Vallabh Vidyanagar (44), Bhavnagar (42.7). Sunday (11th) was no better, with Vadodara at 45.2. Monday (12th) was relatively cooler in Vadodara with the mercury dipping to 43.7. On Tuesday (13th), it dropped further to 42.9. Vadodara often registers high temperatures because its physiographic location makes it receive more sunshine than any other city in Gujarat. It receives about 11 hours of sunshine a day. Drinking water sources in nearly 900 Gujarat villages have dried up during the last month. The state water supplies department says that a month ago 1,940 villages had to be supplied water by tanker; now that figure is 2,856. The state has 18,000 villages. Jugal Pithadia's Mountaineering Feat: Baroda's Jugal Ambrish Pithadia, just 6 years old, was presented a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 5,000 by the Gujarat government for his attempt to climb the 20,079-feet Mount Kalindi in the Himalayas. Jugal, who climbed up to 17,000 feet and had to return due to adverse weather conditions, is the youngest mountaineer to achieve this feat. He was a member of the city based mountaineering club Alpine Lovers. 13-05-03 Only 491 Banyan Trees In Baroda: A survey of
trees conducted by MS University's Botany Department reveals that there are now
only 491 banyan trees in the Banyan City. The other varieties: There are about 91,000 trees in the city spread over an area of 10,800 hectares – 8.4 trees per hectare. The MSU campus has 11,130 trees. Gandhinagar, Gujarat's capital, has an average of 491 trees per hectare. The survey project was headed by Professor Y.T. Jasrai and the survey team comprised of students Premindra Sisodiya and Bindiya Oza. Vadodara takes its name from 'Vadpadra' or 'Vadnagar', its original name. It is said that the sage Vishwamitra once chose to rest near a banyan tree in the vicinity of the city and granted a boon that a city named 'Vadpadra' would come up in the area. The city has indeed come up, but the banyan trees are disappearing. Jagjit Singh Programme: Ghazal programme on 25th May, 7.30 p.m., Ramesh Patel Estate, Vrajdham Mandir Road, Manjalpur. Tickets available at Shoppe, Goodies, Dawat, Fridgetemp. 09-05-03 HSC Results: Results of the HSC Science examination will be declared on May 19. The HSC General Stream and SSC results will be declared soon thereafter. The results will be available via SMS and IVRS (Interactive Voice Recording Service), besides being posted on the Internet and in schools. GEDA Gets National Award: The Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) has been awarded the prestigious national award for the overall best performance in popularising the solar cooker promotion programme in India by the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources. This is for the fourth time in the last five years that GEDA has bagged the national prize. Tribal Cultural Centre: The Bhasha Research and Publication Centre officially inaugurated Tribals First, an Indian Tribal Cultural Centre, on May 5 at the Urmi Char Rasta with a weeklong mela of tribals from Bastar and Chhota Udepur. The idea behind Tribals First is to encourage the dialogue between tribal communities and mainstream society by creating a mela or haat situation where the urban buyer interacts directly with the tribal producer and is thus able to speak to and relate to him. New GSFC MD: Senior IAS officer of the 1975 batch, A.K. Luke, has taken over as the Managing Director of Gujarat State fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd (GSFC). He was earlier Managing Director of Sardar Sarovar Nigam Ltd. and Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd. Infotainment For Children: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has organised a special infotainment programme for children during the summer vacation at Kamatibaug on weekends and public holidays. Puppet shows, cartoon shows, characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, jokers and magicians will entertain children and give out messages on civic sense and other issues like wastage of water, cleanliness and health from May 10 to June 15. Mask Making Workshop: The Community Science Centre will organise a workshop on mask making for students of classes 2 to 12. Those interested may contact the office at Lok Vigyan Bhavan, near Atmajyoti Ashram, Ellora Park, from May 12 to May 14. 08-05-03 Hospital Receptionist Course: Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation and the Hospital Association will organise a short-term job oriented 'Hospital Receptionist Course' from May 12. The three-week course is open for those who have cleared the 12th examination. Admissions will be on a first-come-first-served basis. Please contact the Foundation office for further details at 1st Floor, Bombay Shopping Centre, Race Course, Vadodara. Seeds Technology Course: The Seeds Technology course offered by the Department of Botany at MSU's Faculty of Science is now one year old. MSU is one of the few universities in India to offer this course. The course is meant to train manpower to help in the production of good seeds on a large scale and to meet the demand of the seed industry. This is a multi-disciplinary science in which the principles of various agricultural disciplines like breeding, plant physiology, pathology, entomology and agro-industry management are blended. Students who have completed their 12th (Science) are eligible to seek admission. Tribal Art Exhibition: Till May 11. Bhasha Research & Publication Centre is presenting a tribal exhibition at Urmi Char Rasta displaying products created by tribal artisans. On display are beaded jewellery, wooden and earthen toys, flutes, pithora art, earthen pots and vessels, etc. 05-05-03 GEB Digitises Consumer Data: Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) is working on a Geographic Information System (GIS) based project in Vadodara to digitise its consumer related data. The project is expected to make the tackling of complaints and many other procedures faster and more transparent. The work on this project was started in June 2002 and the system may become operational by August 2003. With detailed information about users along 1,350 kms of power lines, 2,874 transformers and over 77,000 distribution poles in the city, the system will speed up the process of handling complaints and hopefully help to prevent the theft of electricity. For MSU Electronics Alumni Of All Ages And All Worlds Calling all MSU Techo graduates from the Electrical and Electronics department! The past and current students of the Electronics Department have kicked off a 'Mentoring Program' to create a formal channel for interaction between current students and interested alumni. Everybody interested in this 'Mentee-Mentor' program is requested to contact the Head of Department, Prof. A.I. Trivedi at aitrivra@satyam.net.in or send an email to Jayesh Issrani at jayesh_issrani@hotmail.com or K. Chandrashekhar at k_chandrashekhar@hotmail.com 03-05-03 PMO Awards Rs.150 Million Project To MSU: MS University's Education and Psychology department has been awarded a Rs. 150 million project (EDUCTECH 2001) by the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund office. MSU is the only university in Gujarat to be chosen for the project. Professor Sneha Joshi, a former faculty dean, has been appointed the project co-ordinator. The programme will upgrade and provide quality education in higher secondary classes in five earthquake-affected districts (Bhuj, Jamnagar, Surendranagar, Patan, Rajkot). A total of 994 secondary school teachers in 165 schools will be trained in five subjects – Maths, Science, Gujarati, English and Social Studies. Award For Rani Mukharji: Vadodara based Hindi writer Dr. Rani Mukharji has won the first prize for her book 'Kise Pukaroon' by the Central Hindi Directorate. The award, presented to her recently by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, is given to Hindi writers from non-Hindi speaking areas. Dr. Mukharji, a teacher at Tejas Vidyalaya who has in the past also received awards from the Gujarat Sahitya Academy for her publications 'Sakhi Sahitya' and 'Mode Par', is an active member of the women writer's groups Asmita and Samvedana. She also writes short stories, articles and poems. HIV/AIDS Helpline:The National Service Scheme (NSS) at the Faculty of Social Work of MS University has started a telephonic counselling centre pertaining to HIV/AIDS. The centre has been started under the University Talks Aid (UTA) project, which is funded by the Indian Government. The programme is the first of its kind on a college campus in Gujarat. Trained counsellors will be available on telephone number 2782692 every Monday, Friday and Saturday from 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. Shaadi@Barbadi.com:A comedy featuring Paresh Rawal and Swaroop Sampat, this Hindi play will be staged at Gandhi Nagargruh at 9.30 p.m. on May 8. The play is directed by Paresh Rawal. Aerobics Workshop: Community Science Centre will organise a workshop on aerobics for students of classes 2 to 12. It will start on May 9. Please register at Lok Vigyan Bhavan, Near Atmajyoti Ashram. 02-05-03 Viraasat Lecture By Minja Yang: Last year, Heritage Trust of Baroda instituted the annual Viraasat public lectures series to enable eminent persons in fields related to heritage issues to speak about their experiences and successful projects. This year the speaker will be Minja Yang, Deputy Director, World Heritage Centre, UNESCO, Paris. She will speak on 'World Heritage Convention as a Tool for Sustainable Development' on Tuesday, May 6, at 6.30 p.m. at the Chandarva Hall, WelcomHotel Vadodara. It is free of charge and all interested persons are invited. Minja Yang has been working with the United Nations since 1979. Gabbar Ka Dhaba: A north Indian food festival at Hotel Revival, till May 11, from 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. 'Sholay' ambience, with music and fun for children. Prem No Public Issue: A comedy, the play will be staged at Gandhinagargruh at 9.30 p.m. on May 4. Directed by Siddharth Randheria and written by Pravin Solanki. 01-05-03 Aero-Modelling Workshop: The Community Science Centre will organise an aero-modelling workshop from May 5 to 9. Interested students from standards 5 to 12 may register at Lok Vigyan Bhavan, Near Atmajyoti Ashram. 29-04-03 Obesity In Baroda's School Children: A study conducted by MS University's Food & Nutrition Department reveals that almost 20 % of school children in the 6-to-12 age group and about 8 % in the 12-to-17 age group are obese. Funded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the study covered 5,000 children from 10 schools. A pilot study among faculty students aged 17 to 22 showed that 10 % are obese. The study, the first of its kind in India by an academic institute, was done by Professor Mani, Professor Uma Iyer and Hemangini Gandhi. The possible causes: growing affluence, change in food habits, insufficient physical activity, increased intake of fast food, eating out frequently. Hemangini Gandhi has based her doctoral thesis on the topic 'Obesity In School Children: Magnitude and Risk Factor Analysis.' The 'modern' kid rarely walks or cycles, preferring to go to school or tuition classes on a scooter or a moped. Not surprisingly, the study indicated a higher rate of obesity in the more affluent schools compared to those in the 'walled city' areas. Ear Moulds For The Hearing Impaired: Baroda's V-One Society conducted a one-week training programme in which physically challenged persons were trained to make ear moulds for hearing impaired persons. Four members of the society were trained at Arphi Electronics Pvt. Ltd. at Mumbai. These trained persons are now gainfully employed at V-One Society, making moulds at subsidised rates for poor patients. The society makes the moulds available to the needy at only Rs. 100 apiece. 26-04-03 Jaysinhrao Public Library Needs Help: The Jaysinhrao Public Library, Vadodara's oldest library, will celebrate its 125th anniversary on April 27. The oldest book here is probably the 149-year-old Sanskrit drama, Chaitanya Chandrodaya by Pandit Vichanath Shastri. The library also has unabridged volumes of the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the Ramayana, the autobiographies of Galileo and Christopher Columbus, books on the history of the Gaekwad rulers of Baroda and reference books on the industries existing 70 years back. Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad established this first Baroda State Public Library on March 1, 1877. The maharaja's teacher and principal of Baroda High School F.A.H. Elliot assisted him in this project. After the establishment of the Central Library, funds for this library dried up. Then, Shakuntala Gaekwad revived the library and renamed it as the Jaysinhrao Public Library. Royal patronage more or less stopped after the merger of the state to the Indian Union in 1947. The library now barely gets along on the strength of the charity of some individuals. Prasad Vipradas, the Secretary the Library Trust, says that the last time that the premises were whitewashed was in 1977! Experts opine that the building requires at least Rs. 2 million to be spruced up. 25-04-03 Funds Crunch At MSU: Thanks to a funds crunch the Gujarat government has curtailed its higher education financial allotments. MS University has taken a hit by losing out on Rs. 6 million in the month of April. Vice-Chancellor K.C. Upadhyaya has asked for a white paper to detail the ramifications for M<SU. The monthly budget has been slashed from Rs. 31.7 million to Rs. 25.7 million. Universities across the state have been thus shell-shocked. Tushar Arothe's Long Ranji Innings: When he gets on to the GSFC grounds on 25th April in the Ranji Trophy cricket match against Mumbai, Tushar Arothe will become the first Baroda cricketer, and the 11th in the country, to play 100 Ranji Trophy games. Anshuman Gaekwad has played for Baroda 95 times. The Indian record is held by Rajinder Gohil (122 matches) who played for Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Arothe has scored 5,575 runs at an average of 39.54 in the Ranji Trophy and taken 198 wickets at an average of 20.23. The 36-year-old cricketer has been playing for 20 years. He plays in English county matches between the Ranji seasons. Hottest Day: With the temperature hitting 43.8 degrees Celsius, 23rd April (Wednesday) was the hottest day thus far this year. The experts say that the temperature may rise still further in the days to come. Bonsai Lecture: By Jaymala Chavan, at Community Science Centre (8 Mamta Society, Near Amrakunj Society, Ellora Park), at 4 p.m. on Saturday, 26th April. Children's Workshop: 'Abhiruchi' will conduct – 5th May onwards – a personality development workshop for children between 6 and 12 years at Akota, Jetalpur Road and Karelibaug. The children will be taught table manners, etiquette, public speaking, creative gift-wrapping, communication skills and educational games. For details contact Mitali Ghelani and Neepa Choksi at 10, Triveni Park, Opposite SNDT College, Akota. 22-04-03 Navratri Event For NRGs: The Gujarat government plans to organise a nine-day event for Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) which will attempt to duplicate the 'Pravasi Bhartiya Divas' celebrated on 9th January at New Delhi. Starting on 26th September, the event will run through the Navratri festival. The state expects the participation of NRGs from 150 countries. It will also invite 15 Gujarati associations from each of the six major areas: USA, UK, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The programme will include industry visits, business meets and seminars. Short-Term German Course: The Department of German at MS University has announced a short-term intensive course in German during the summer. This beginner's course (110 hours, two hours daily, six days a week) will start from May 15. 19-04-03 Williams To Captain Baroda: Connor Williams will lead Baroda in the semi-final Ranji Trophy cricket match against Mumbai. The match will be played at Vadodara from April 25. The Baroda team: Connor Williams, Satyajit Parab, Rakesh Solanki, D. Dalvi, Tushar Arothe, Ajit Bhoite, Nayan Mongia (wicket-keeper), Zaheer Khan, Rakesh Patel, Irfan Pathan (Jr), Valmick Buch, Irfan Pathan (Sr), Rishikesh Parab, Rohit Chandorkar. Film Academy May Seek MSU Collaboration: A proposal has been made that MS University's Faculty of Performing Arts should tie up with the Baroda based Sagar Film & Television Academy (SFTVA) to enable the introduction of new courses in the electronic media. Set up in 1951, the faculty is among the oldest in India. SFTVA, a private film institute, was started by filmmaker Ramanand Sagar's sons. MSU does not really have the resources to set up a studio with the latest in television and film production equipment as per the new University Grants Commission guidelines. SFTVA lacks the necessary academic resources in the field of theatre, but it is well equipped with all the modern production facilities for the profession. A collaboration between the two, it is suggested, would therefore be mutually beneficial. Sensible though it may sound, a collaboration between a university and a private entity may not be all that easy, thanks to the red tape that will inevitably appear along the way. 18-04-03 Digital Art Workshops: Art Underground, the digital art gallery, has organised two workshops in May on the various ways in which to create portraits and landscapes with the help of the digital medium. The workshops will be conducted by Sushomita Das, who studied painting at Shantiniketan and then took training in digital art. The workshops will be of two weeks' duration. For details please contact Art Underground, Landmark, Race Course, between 3.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. Gujjubhaiye Gam Gajavyu: This is a play starring Tiku Talsania, Ashish Bhatt, Reshma Desai and Ami Trivedi. Directed by Siddharth Randheria, it will be staged at Gandhinagar Gruh at 9.15 p.m. on April 23. Book Fair: Manubhai Towers, Sayajigunj, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., till April 27. Heavy discounts. 16-04-03 Vadodara Ranks No. 13 In India: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) recently commissioned a study of 36 Indian cities with a population of more than one million (Goa and Chandigarh were also included despite having a population of less than a million). The idea was to rank the cities on the basis of communication, finance, transport, professional education, tourism (leisure and business) and growth of the economy. In the study, Delhi ranked first overall, with Greater Mumbai, Chandigarh, Coimbatore and Bangalore in the next four places. This is how Gujarat's cities fared in the study:
HSC/SSC Results: The results of the HSC (Science Stream) examinations conducted in March will be declared by the end of the second week of May. Results of the HSC (General Stream) and SSC examinations will be declared by the end of May. Foreign Students At MSU: During the last decade the number of foreign students at MS University has dropped from 450 to 85. MSU has yielded ground to colleges in cites like Pune and Bangalore due to a variety of factors: lack of specialised courses, absence of special hostels and food facilities, high living costs, steep development fees charged by the university, a perception that may be Gujarat is not as safe as in the past, and the lowering of education costs in other countries. Vacation Home For Pets: Barodians planning a vacation can now leave their pet dogs at a reliable 'home' while they are away. The Vadodara Centre for Animal Rescue and Emergency (VCARE) has provided 8 dog kennels on its 1.64 acres of land at Ladriqui near Bhimpura Chokdi. VCARE provides a 24-hour attendant, coolers and music system for all the canine guests. Owners are charged Rs. 100 per day for food and lodging. The centre also provides a pick-up facility through a van. Astronomy Workshop: The Amateur Astronomers Association of Vadodara (AAAV) in association with the Sardar Patel Planetarium will organise an eight-day workshop on 'Practical Astronomy' from May 5 at the planetarium. Sunspots and planetary observation methods will be the main theme of the workshop. Interested school students of standards 5 to 12 may register their participation before April 30 between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the planetarium. Science Workshop For Children: Community Science Centre will organise a science workshop from April 28 to May 30. Students from Std 2 to Std 12 interested in science experiments, model making, photography, aero-modelling, model rocketry and calligraphy may register on or before April 20 at Lok Vigyan Bhavan, Arti Society, Near Atma Jyoti Ashram, Subhanpura. 14-04-03 Escorts To Bring Premier Health Services To City: The Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, New Delhi, has tied up with Vadodara's multi-specialty tertiary heart care centre at Bhailal Amin Hospital to bring state-of-the-art heart diagnostic procedures and interventional heart surgery techniques to the city. Escorts will help Bhailal Amin Hospital to develop a central command centre to reduce the loss of time before treatment. The hospital will be equipped with the world's only mobile coronary heart care unit with a iotic balloon pump so that patients can get preliminary intervention in the first critical hour. The centre's mobile van will cater to cases that fall within a radius of 50 kms from the hospital. The Vadodara centre may also have a helicopter pick-up facility for distances beyond this radius. The centre may also introduce a Heart Alert Service to allow patients to record their heart beats on a small instrument and transmit the information through an ordinary telephone to the centre. This is the first ever tie-up by the Escorts Centre in western India. Bal Bhavan Courses: The Bal Bhavan Society has introduced new courses in French, Science toy-making and calligraphy for children. The French language classes will he held every Sunday between 10.30 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. for children aged 11-16 years, while lessons in Science toy-making for children aged 8-14 years will be held everyday from May 1 to May 9 between 8.00 a.m. and 9.00 a.m. The calligraphy training programme for children aged 11-16 years will be held between May 1 and 9 everyday between 8.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. 11-04-03 Exhibition Of Prints: Printmaker Kavita Shah has organised a preview of her recent prints (Chincolle) at the Chhaap Printmaking Studio, Purshottam Estate, Opposite Jalaram Mandir, Karelibaug, on April 17 and 18 between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The show will travel to Ahmedabad for an exhibition at the Alliance Francaise from April 21 to 25. Kavita will also conduct a workshop on monoprints at the Kanoria Centre for Arts during this period. Later, at Baroda, Chhaap will organise two summer workshops in printmaking – a monoprint workshop for 10 days and an etching workshop for 20 days. The workshops will be open to artists as well as beginners above 16 years of age. 09-04-03 Ecolove, The Electric Bicycle: A Baroda based firm, Rashron Energy, has developed an electric bicycle and named it 'Ecolove'. Its running cost is claimed to be five paise per kilometer, it is pollution free and requires no maintenance. You do not even need a licence to use it. It runs on a battery and needs a minimum of pedaling. Its 'inventor' Ronnie Sabawala says that he designed it for personal use and it can be used for commuting within the city. Any bicycle can be fitted with the electronic control system and the battery attachment, which enables a speed of up to 25 kmph. The attachment, with an electric motor, a mechanical drive and some gears, costs about Rs. 8,000. The battery needs to be recharged daily. The bicycle is not commercially manufactured, and there are only about 10 of them on the city roads. Contractor's Bungalow: At least one of Baroda's old buildings will not be pulled down. In 1880 Faramji Cowasjee Contractor constructed the six bungalows that still exist today at the Faramji Compound (also known as the Contractor's Compound) near the railway station in Alkapuri. The bungalows bear a resemblance to the MS University Arts Faculty dome that was designed by Robert Chisholm at about the same time. Faramji Contractor was supposed to be an expert brick maker and amateur builder who had had assisted Chisholm in his endeavour. Incidentally, his bricks were used in many of Baroda's buildings, including the Laxmi Vilas Palace. One of the bungalows is now being restored by Faramji Contractor's great granddaughter Jeruben Contractor. Mysore based conservation architect Gundu Rao and a team of artisans from across India is presently engaged in the restoration work. The bungalow, spread over 1,500 sq m, is likely to be 'as good as old' by the end of the year. Maharani Chimnabai Ladies Club: The Shri Maharani Chimnabai Ladies Club, which celebrated its centenary on 5th April, was a gift from Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III to his queen Maharani Chimnabai I. Also known as the Delhi pavilion (because the original wooden structure was in the past once taken to the Delhi durbar as part of some celebrations), the club is housed in the premises of the Vadodara Zoo's bird section. It has served as a quiet recreational area for women right from the days of the Raj. Formerly restricted to women of nobility, it was gradually thrown open to 'commoners' as well. The late queen mother Maharani Shantadevi Raje Gaekwad allowed women from all families – regardless of caste, creed and community – to be part of the club. It now has only 72 members. Summer Camp: A summer camp for children has been organised by Bhoolka Bhavan, a charitable institution, from April 24 to May 15, at the Nature Park in Sindhrot. The camp will be held every day between 9 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. For details contact the organisation at 11, Amrapali Society, Karelibaug, Vadodara. 07-04-03 Fire In Chemical Factory: The manufacturing plant of Hari Agro Chemical Pvt. Ltd. in the Nandesari Industrial Estate near Baroda was completely gutted in a major fire on 5th April. Forty employees on duty were quickly evacuated and there were no injuries. The estimated loss from the fire is about Rs. 10 million. Ten fire tenders from the Vadodara Municipal Corporation's fire brigade and companies such as IPCL and GSFC fought the blaze for over four hours before it was controlled. It was the biggest chemical fire reported in Vadodara in the last decade. Hari Agro has been in operation for 18 years and has an annual turnover of Rs. 150 million. It makes chemicals that are used as raw materials and intermediates in the manufacture of pesticides. High-Tech Telescope For Planetarium: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has cleared a proposal for the setting up of a 20-centimetre hi-tech refracting astronomical telescope at the Sardar Patel Planetarium in Sayajibaug. The system will be computer controlled and will have a VCD camera, a sub-telescope and 16 projection plates and a LCD projector. The equipment may be bought from a Japanese company at a cost of Rs. 20 million. 05-04-03 Hare Khet Se Hara Tel: Encouraged by the initial success of blending petrol with ethanol as an automobile fuel, the Indian Farmers' Ethanol Coalition (IFEC) wants to try blending diesel with ethanol on an experimental basis. A fleet of 100 Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) buses in Vadodara may run on a diesel-ethanol blend from 1st May. This was announced by IFEC chairman Mahesh Patel at a two-day national seminar at Baroda on 'Ethanol Blended Petrol And Diesel And Bio-Diesel As Farmers' Green Fuel'. With the slogan 'Hare Khet Se Hara Tel', the coalition is trying to encourage farmers to take up their sugarcane produce for ethanol production. Claiming that it is economical, environmentally friendly and a boost to the rural economy, the coalition is networking with farmers in Gujarat for the production of ethanol. Miniature Paintings To Be Documented: Around 2,600 miniature paintings and manuscripts, many of which have never been exhibited at the Baroda Museum & Picture Art Gallery, will now be digitally documented. Art historian Ratan Parimoo has been selected by the Gujarat Government for this assignment. This rare collection of miniature paintings covers almost all the schools (Mughal, Deccani, Persian, Awadh, the various Rajput schools, Jain, Pahadi, Maratha and Sikh) and includes some Japanese sketches too. There are also raga and ragini paintings, nayika paintings and illustrated Hindu Brahminical and Buddhist manuscripts. Mr. Parimoo says that if it is properly researched and documented, the collection stands on a par with the one at the National Museum Institute at New Delhi. Children's Book On Champaner: The launch of the book 'Champaner And The magic Mountain: Pavagadh', written and illustrated by Rani Dharker, will be held at Crossword on 5th April. Actress Ayesha Dharker will be present on the occasion. The book weaves in history, facts as well as myths and stories about the place in a narrative style which appeals to both the young and the old. The book is a mix of religious myths, legends from history and a tribal story or two. The publication has been made possible thanks to the assistance of Archaeological Survey of India. Summer Camp For Kids: Bal Bhavan Society will organise a summer vacation camp for children in the age group of 3-16 years during April-May. Workshops on creative arts, clay modelling and terracotta, music, classical and western dance, and coaching in sports like karate, tennis, badminton, table tennis, skating and chess will be held. Interested children can register their names at Bal Bhavan, behind Sayajibaug, Karelibaug, between 11.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. on all days. Registrations are on a first-come-first-served basis. On The Wings Of White Angels: An exhibition of paintings created by Hobby Centre's child artists on the theme of world peace. Sarjan Art Gallery. April 5 to 12. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nehal Rachh At Rufford Ceramics Centre: Baroda based ceramist Nehal Rachh has been selected for a six-week residency programme at England's Rufford Ceramics Centre, Nottingham, beginning April 15. Nehal studied graphic design at MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts. 03-04-03 Prize For Tejas Teacher: Dr. Ranu Mukharji has received the second prize for her collection of short stories, Mode Per, from Gujarat Sahitya Academy for 2002-03. Shakhi Sahitya, Kise Pukarun and Nari Chetna are her other literary works. She works as a teacher in Baroda's Tejas Vidyalaya. FGI Office-Bearers: The induction of the new team of office-bearers of Federation of Gujarat Industries (FGI) will be held at WelcomHotel on 4th April at 7.00 p.m. The new team: Ram Devidayal (president), Yogendra Gangwa (senior vice-president), Ashok Patel (vice-president) and Sanjeev Rungta (honorary treasurer). 02-04-03 New Museum For Vadodara: Gujarat's department of culture is planning a unique city museum at Vadodara, supposed to be the first of its kind in the state. Modelled along the lines of the Smithsonian museums in USA, the Vadodara City Museum has been planned as a part of the state's Sthapna Diwas celebrations to be held on May 1. The museum, to be housed in a hall in the present Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery in Kamatibaug, will feature the city's history, architecture, culture, excellence in arts, traditions of governance and, yes, even the city's history of cricket. Fire Brigade Completes 50 Years: Commemorating fifty years of its existence, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation's fire brigade celebrated its Golden Jubilee on 31st March. The fire brigade was inducted into the civic body in March 1953. It started in 1880 with its headquarters in Lehripura. It shifted to the Dandia Bazaar premises in March 1953. Plans For Kamatibaug: Kamatibaug, Baroda's famous park, may soon see some major additions to its attractions. This was revealed recently by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) director of parks and gardens, V.N. Chikhaliya. On the agenda: laughing mirrors, fun-rides, traffic-parks, pay-n-park facility, aquarium and refreshment stalls. These projects will be managed by private parties on a contract basis. Planning is still in the initial stages and it will be some time before you can enjoy the new features. Summer-Wear Exhibition: An exhibition of hand painted, white cottons for men and teenagers at Trisha Gallery (April 4 and 5, 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.) by Smita Patel will feature cool, trendy T-shirts, kurtas and shirts in interesting designs and cuts.
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