27-12-03

Vinod Shah At Sarjan: Painter Vinod Shah's exhibition of paintings will be held at Sarjan Art Gallery from December 28 to January 9, 12 noon to 8 p.m. Shah studied and taught at MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts. He retired a few years back.

23-12-03

Planet M At Baroda: Baroda is now the 22nd Indian city – and the first in Gujarat – where Planet M has opened shop for the young music fan. It has three listening posts and a 'M Stage' for live performances. Spread over 800 sq ft in the TNW premises on Old Padra Road, the shop has 3,000 music and 1,800 VCD/DVD titles. The promoters say that Planet M will not only be a music shop but also a hangout for the young.

Export-Import Course: A short-term course on export-import management organised by the Indian Institute of Export is scheduled to begin in January. Classes will be held three days a week. For further information ring up +91-265-2362570.

Saree Exhibition: Eternal Mystique presents an exclusive collection of designer sarees, kurtis, unstitched salwar suits, bags and crochet accessories. December 24-25. At Trisha Gallery.

19-12-03

Coldest Day: Thursday (18th) was the coldest day for Baroda this season. The minimum temperature recorded was 11.8 degrees C. The maximum temperature was 29.8 degrees C.

18-12-03

Harsh Measures For Property Tax Defaulters: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is coming down hard property tax defaulters. They are preparing to put in place measures like snapping gas, water and drainage connections, beating drums in the neighbourhoods of defaulters and even the auctioning of the properties. There are presently 5,000 appeals pending before the civic body and these alone can recover Rs. 50 million if settled. Regarding the pending dues, the maximum amount – Rs. 160 million – is from Ward No. 6 and Ward No. 10, which include Sayajigunj and R.C. Dutt Road. It seems that among the defaulters in these areas are many NRIs who have invested in property without giving power of attorney and this makes the recovery of dues more difficult.

17-12-03

Community Reserve At Wadvana: Gujarat's forest department has recently proposed to turn the picturesque wetland of Wadvana, 50 km from Vadodara, into a community reserve. Wadvana is a massive wetland which is host to 27,000 birds who migrate here for the winter. Some of these birds belong to at least 60 exotic species. As a community reserve the wetland will be protected and also be properly opened for visitors.

Harsiddhi Temple Renovation: On the banks of the Mahi River and about 30 kms from Baroda, near village Akalbara, there is an old temple of goddess Harsiddhi (Vahanvati Mataji). This temple is believed to be more than 250 years old. The old construction was made by lime cement and flat bricks. Hundreds of pilgrims from Baroda and abroad visit this temple every Sunday. With the help of the local gram panchayat, Jagdish Vaghela, Manubhai Padhiyar and Rajendra Thakore from the village have begun renovation of this temple. The new temple will be have a rest room for visitors, 24-hour watersupply and a small garden near the bank of river Mahisagar. The funds for renovation are collected by a committee of local people from village Akalbara and the devotees from Baroda district. If you want any more information about this temple, you may contact Jagdish Vaghela <jm_vaghela@yahoo.com> or call mobile number 9824433755 or, if in USA, ring up 305 591 8200 (Extn. 580).

Gujarati Play: Abhnav Art Academy will stage 'Haila Ramila Pachhi Aavi', a Gujarati play starring Dimple Shah, at Gandhi Nagargruh at 9 p.m. on December 17 and 18.

16-12-03

Petrol & Diesel Cost More: Petrol and diesel prices have increased from 16th December. Petrol prices in Baroda have gone up from Rs. 34.65 to Rs. 35.71 per litre and the diesel prices from Rs. 22.44 to Rs. 23.56.

Laboratory Technology Course: The Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation (ASF) will start a new batch of the Medical Laboratory Technology course from January. Students who have cleared 12th standard with science and science graduates are eligible. For admission contact the ASF office in Bombay Shopping Centre, Race Course Circle, 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Fashion Wear Exhibition: An exhibition of western wear for women has been organised by Bar Code. It includes a range of trendy blouses, trousers, skirts and dresses. December 19-20. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Trisha Gallery.

Handcrafted Crystal: Diamond Crystal has organised an exhibition featuring a complete range of 30 percent handcrafted crystal (in collaboration with Georgian Crystal, Derby, UK). December 22-23. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Trisha Gallery.

12-12-03

Insurance Advisor's Feat: Barodian Mehul Shah has become the first life insurance advisor of a private company in the city to qualify for the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) – an association of nearly 30,000 of the world's best life insurance and finance services professionals from 74 countries. Shah, an investment consultant, achieved the distinction of selling more than 125 policies since the beginning of the year and this put him in the league of high-profile MDRT qualifiers.

Handicrafts & Handloom Exhibition: Sponsored by Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Organised by Gramin Hastkala Vikas Samiti, Agra. Parsi Agiari Ground, Sayajigunj. 12th to 21st December. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Paintings Exhibition: An exhibition of recent paintings by Amarnath Sharma – 'Altitude of Destination' – will be on from 15th to 26th December (but not on Sunday) at Sarjan Art Gallery. 12 noon to 8 p.m. The exhibition will be closed on Sundays. Sharma is an alumnus of the MSU Faculty of Fine Arts.

10-12-03

VMC May Privatise Atithi Gruhas: The 17 community halls, atithi gruhas and lawns of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) are a financial and administrative burden on the civic body. Hired out to citizens for social functions, these facilities are not particularly viable as things stand. Which is why VMC has decided to consider privatisation of the facilities. A firm of chartered accountants – Shah, Mehta & Bakshi – has made some recommendations on how the privatisation can be done in phases. One of the suggestions is that the facilities should also be made available for sales events, exhibitions, business meetings and training camps so that private operators may be able to earn the profits from which they can properly maintain them. To being with, the community halls at Subhanpura and Akota may be leased out on a three-year basis.

More Convicts, More Jails: The Gujarat government will build three new district jails and increase the capacity of existing jails. The three new district jails are planned for Bhuj, Gandhidham and Gondal. The capacity of Baroda Central Jail and Sabarmati Central Jail will be increased. The entire project, due to be completed by the end of 2008, will cost Rs. 650 million. About 25 % of the expenditure will be borne by the central government. A separate section is planned for women convicts at Sabarmati Central Jail and Rajkot District Jail. Till now, only the Baroda Central Jail has the facilities to accommodate women convicts.

Exhibition Of Kurtis: J&S, a designing and tailoring shop, will exhibit an exclusive collection of kurtis at Trisha Gallery. December 12-13. 10 a.m. to 8.30 p.m.

Palitana Siddhshetra: Hariom Gujjar's exhibition of photographs captures the various aspects of Palitana. Vithi Art Gallery, Karelibaug. Till December 12. 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

08-12-03

Polluted Baroda: Over the past months the Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) in Baroda has reached an abnormally high level. The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB says that the RSPM level in the city is 67 per cent higher than the national average. A major source of RSPM is vehicular emission. The city has recorded an increase of 52,000 vehicles during the last. GPCB statistics show that 680,000 vehicles and major industries surrounding the city belch out 200 tonnes of pollutants every year. About 90 per cent of the vehicles run one petrol account for 64 per cent of the city's pollution and the industries contribute 29 per cent.

Electricity Entrepreneurs: Stalls in three major vegetable markets in Baroda – at Sama, Karelibaug and Ellora Park – are supplied electricity by private 'generator' entrepreneurs. The lights in the stalls are connected to high-powered generator sets kept nearby. Such a facility reduces the vegetable vendors' dependence on lanterns and other light sources. They pay about Rs. 8 to Rs. 10 per day for the service. The supply beings at 6.30 p.m. and is on till 11 p.m. About 300 stalls happily use this facility.

Pratap Theatre: The temporary closure of Pratap Theatre after a complaint by the Entertainment Commissioner for the alleged selling of fake tickets has inconvenienced cinema lovers. The blockbuster film 'Kal Ho Na Ho' is meant to running here, besides Inox Multiplex and Chandan Multiplex. For many people, the theatres are closer to where they live and far less expensive compared to the multiplexes (specially for new releases). The dejected fans can only hope that the theatre will re-open soon.

Book Exhibition: The National Book Trust (NBT) will hold a book exhibition on NBT publications from December 11 to 15 at Manubhai Towers, Sayajigunj. The exhibition will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

05-12-03

MSU Honorary Degrees: The MS University Senate has passed the Syndicate proposed names for the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters. The Senate approved the names of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, playback singer Lata Mangeshkar, social reformer Nanaji Deshmukh, scientist R.A. Mashelkar (Director General of Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research) and Gujarati literateur Rajendra Shah.

Jewellery Exhibition: By R's Xclusives. Exhibition-cum-sale of imitation fashion jewellery blending traditional and contemporary style. Trisha Art Gallery. December 5-6. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Handcrafted Furniture: Amiti Bazaar presents an exhibition and sale of handcrafted furniture, dhurries and furnishings. Sienna Art Gallery. December 10-15. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Paintings Exhibition: A group of seven artists Bakulesh Joshi, Shilpa Joshi, Satyendra Tiwari, Manish Mehta, Anuj Kumar Poddar, Hina Poddar, and Mohan Bhoya will exhibit their works at the Faculty of Fine Arts, MS University. The exhibition is an expression of ideas of people working in different fields. December 10-15. 10.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

28-11-03

Battle Against Mosquitoes: A new method of using bacteria called 'bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis (BTI) will soon be used by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) in the battle against the rising cases of malaria and dengue. BTI is a bacterial larvicide that kills immature mosquitoes or 'wigglers' by destroying the internal abdominal organs of the larvae. It is a cost-effective and environmentally safe means of pest control compared to mosquitocides like DDT and malarial oil. It is not harmful to humans, pets or other organisms. It is being sprayed in a few areas of the city as part of a pilot project.

Children's Book Fair: Organised by Maneesh Bookshop. November 28 to December 7, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. At Manubhai Towers Basement, Sayajigunj.

Yoga Seminar: 10, the Health Spa, is organising a seminar on yoga at Prusti, opposite Haridham Society, Manjalpur, from December 1 to 6.

Punjabi Food Festival: Ongoing at Havmor Restaurant, Sayajigunj.

Model Hunt: 'Bodize In Motion – A Model Hunt 2003' will be held at Trimline Club on 29th November. It is being organised by Folio INC – The Finishing I'ecole and Spin Academy. Spin Academy is a dance and fitness academy which organises classes in many cities of Gujarat. The event will have three titles – Mr. 2003, Ms. 2003 and Mrs. 2003. For 'Mrs. 2003' the contestants are as old as 50 years.

27-11-03

BARC Entrusts Project To MSU: The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) have asked MSU to handle a project concerning nuclear safety. MSU's Mechanical Engineering Department has been able to quantifying the physical discrepancies that may arise in a nuclear reactor. Taking a cue from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident where the loss of coolant was the cause, the department is conducting a two-phase study on the depressurisation factors that could affect a nuclear reactor's safety. The MSU team has carried out the first phase of the simulation, generally done on special  software using miniature models. The project cost is estimated at Rs. 5 million. The first phase of the simulation model is complete and has cost the department Rs 14.82 lakh.

Students In Primary Schools: The Vadodara district panchayat has launched a drive to determine the actual number of students in 2,000 primary schools. It seems that there have been complaints that the schools were inflating the number of students to ensure postings for teachers in their preferred places. Officials in the panchayat said that the number was being inflated so that the number of jobs for teachers could increase and some teachers who have not been getting postings in the area of their choice could get them.

23-11-03

MSU Project Studies Depression: One out of every four women in Baroda suffers from depression while one out of every ten men is prone to it. This is indicated by a pilot study conducted by the Women's Studies Research Centre (WSRC) of MS University. The two-year research project ('Mental Health & Aging: Focus On Women With Depression') began in August 2003 and the US-based Nirman Foundation is funding it. The study will analyse the prevalence of depression among older women and men. Data from public and private hospitals and clinics in six cities of Gujarat – Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Rajkot, Jamnagar, Vadodara, Surat – will be compiled.

21-11-03

British County Invites Business Interests: In the county of Leicestershire in the United Kingdom, 37 languages from different parts of the world can be heard. But Gujarat is the second most spoken language and the county is home to about 75,000 Gujaratis who play a major role in the country's economy and politics. Leicestershire wants to have more trade links with Gujarat and Maharashtra and a high-profile delegation led by the county's Mayor Ramnik Kavia, a person of Indians origin, visited Baroda recently and gave Barodians some idea about the business opportunities there and the advantages of being based in the county. The delegation had been invited by the Federation of Gujarat Industries.

Music On Canvas: Exhibition of recent paintings by Gajendra Shah. Sarjan Art Gallery, November 24 to December 5 (except Sunday). 12 noon to 8 p.m.

20-11-03

Pushpabaug Will Live On: The historically significant but now dilapidated Pushpabaug Bungalow in the Faculty of Fine Arts at MS University has been granted a new lease of life by the University Grants Commission (UGC). A proposal by the faculty for the restoration of the building has been accepted and UGC has sanctioned Rs. 1.8 million for the project. The building was once the residence of the acclaimed novelist R.V. Desai, almost a century ago. The Faculty of Fine Arts was established in it in 1949.

New CNG Stations In City: In order to increase the compressed natural gas (CNG) users from 300 to 3,000 in nine months, the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) will set up four more stations at new sites in Baroda: near GSFC, on Ajwa Road, near HPCL Karelibaug and near BPCL Makarpura. One CNG station already exists in the city at Nizampura. The four new stations should be ready by December 2004. According to GAIL, the output of one kg of CNG is on an average 1,25 times better than a litre of petrol. While a km in a petrol-driven vehicle costs Rs. 2.10, it is only 61 paise in a CNG vehicle. Baroda has a vehicle population of about 647,000. The cost of conversion to CNG for cars is between Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 50,000, and it is between Rs. 350,00 and Rs. Rs. 550,000 for diesel-driven buses.

Sprucing Up R.C. Dutt & Old Padra Roads: If things move according to plan, public-private partnership may be set in motion to develop and partly privatise R.C. Dutt Road and Old Padra Road. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) intends to develop both roads with proper parking facilities, pedestrian spaces and other amenities on the lines of the C.G. Road in Ahmedabad. To raise the resources for the project VMC may lease out parking and advertising rights.

Auction Of VMC Plots: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) will organise a public auction for 99-year leases of its commercial plots on November 28. There are 15 plots which have been chosen in areas like Gotri, Jetalpur, Saiyed Vasna Road. The plots will be leased at Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 6,000 per sq mt. The auction will be held at Sardar Patel Planetarium at 12 noon. Details can be obtained from Land Records Department (Commercial), Room No. 138, VMC Office, Khanderao Market.

Heritage Walk: Museum Association of Gujarat, in association with Chhaap (an artists' co-operative) and Friends of Museum (FOM) will conduct a Heritage Walk on November 23. The walk will start from Mandvi Gate and cover the lesser-known but historically important places within the walled city area: Vithal Mandir, Jagmahal Ni Pole, the unique Deepmala that was lighted daily during the Gaekwad reign, Vayudev Mandir, the old mint near Sayaji School, Ambe Mata Temple and Jumma Masjid which houses the largest copy of the Quran in Asia. The organizers hope that the walk will be then taken up and conducted on a regular basis by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation.

Multi-Sports Stadium: The Indian Olympic Association (IOC)  may help the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) with the latter's plans to set up a multi-sports stadium on New Sama Road. IOC has said that assistance will come from the National Sports Authority. The proposed stadium will be spread over an area of 310,000 sq ft and it will have sections for table tennis, badminton, volleyball, athletic events, etc., as well as training and hostel facilities for sportspersons. The present stadium at Akota often serves as a venue for non-sporting activities.

Fine Arts Fair: The MS University Fine Arts Faculty Fair will be 'revived' after a gap of five years. It was last held in 1998. The fair will be held on December 25 and 26. Faculty students will display their works and the funds generated out of the sales will go into a corpus which will be used for student welfare. The fair is expected to raise about Rs. 500,000 through the sale of works of artists and students.

Punjabi Marriage Meet: The Punjabi Biradari has planned a marriage meet on December 14 at Old ONGC Officer's Club, Baroda. Those who wish to participate may contact 2641943, 2644414, and 2793526 before November 30.

Skating Medal: Sonali Nigania of New Era School, Nizampura, has won the gold medal in the National CBSE Skating Championship held in Chandigarh recently.

11-11-03

IT Award For Collectorate: The Vadodara District Collectorate has received an award from the Indian government for exemplary implementation of the e-governance initiative. The citizens' service center has computerised almost all its services, including issuing affidavits and caste and domicile certificates. The centre has earned over Rs. 500,000 in revenue in the last six months and hopes to recover the Rs. 3 million invested in it in the next two years.

Table Tennis Tournament: The National Ranking Table Tennis Championship 2003 will be conducted at Bal Bhavan by the Table Tennis Association of Baroda from November 12 to 16. Players from more than 28 states are expected to participate in six major events like men's and women's singles, junior boys and girls' singles and sub junior boys' and girls' singles.

08-11-03

Vocal Recital: Rasikapriya has organised a Carnatic vocal recital by Gayatri Sankar (disciple of Lalgudi Sri Jayaraman and staff artiste with All India Radio, Chennai) accompanied by S.V. Ramachandran on violin and Rajesh Srinivasan on Mrudangam at 6 p.m. at Utkarsh Vidyalaya Gujarati Medium School, Gadapura, on November 8.

Counselling Sessions: Baroda Management Association (BMA) has arranged counselling sessions for admission to Australian universities and colleges. November 8, 15, 22, 29.

The Dispensary That Prem Built: This is the modest dispensary which has been set up by a city based charitable organisation – Prem Trust – at Sundarpura, 18 km from Baroda. This small dispensary is the only such facility for about 40,000 people living in 14 villages in a 6 to 8 km radius around Sundarpura – Alamgir, Vohragamdi, Dhanyavi, Raghupura, Patarveni, Sanvad, Shahpura, Hansapura, Fatehpura, Salad, Runwad, Ajitpura, Ravhipura and Meghakui. Believe it or not, the nearest doctor is 7 km away and the nearest government facility is 5 km away. Prem Trust started this activity in April 2003 and has already treated about 1500 patients, even though it can afford to run only 3 days a week, and that too for only 2 hours daily. The trust takes the honorary services of a Baroda based doctor and receives co-operation from SSG and Jamnabai Hospitals. Patients are charged no consulting fees, and they pay only Rs. 5 per day for medicines which the trust provides. If you would like to assist the trust in any way, please write to the Managing Trustee, R.C. Dimri <rcdimri@yahoo.co.in>

03-11-03

US Grant For Champaner: The ancient site of Champaner-Pavagadh will receive a US grant of $20,000 for its preservation. The grant will be given to Heritage Trust, a Vadodara based NGO. Champaner-Pavagadh is on the World Monument Fund's list of 100 most endangered heritage sites and is also India's only nomination to Unesco's World Heritage Site for 2004. The site has 36 monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India out of the 120 important structures identified here. About 2.2 million visitors come here every year, but few are aware of its historical importance. Most people visit the temple atop Pavagadh.

01-11-03

A Billion Thanks: Hi, I don't have words to express my feelings towards this site. Billions of thanks. You know through this site I met my friend's parents in USA after 16 years. 16 years before we had somehow parted from each other and with the help of this one they found me and called me and we met. Vaishali Patel <Vipvaishu2003@aol.com>

31-10-03

Low-Cost Effluent Treatment: A Baroda based small-scale unit – Orient Silk Industries – has been able to has been able to turn its effluents into a usable commodity by recycling them. They received help on this project from Gujarat Life Sciences, an organisation that installed bio-towers in the unit. Bio-towers are microbe coated packed beds and seem to solve the problems created by effluents. The effluents are passed through a series of bio-towers in which microbes are specifically introduced to break down the chemical composition. The towers with microbe coated beds degrade the pollutants in water and make it suitable for reuse. Bio-towers cost about Rs. 150,000. The unit has reduced its expenses by at least 40 per cent per month. The towers do not require maintenance.

A Message For MSU Techo Alumni: I graduated from MSU Techo (Mechanical, 1998) and am currently working with Wipro Technologies. It is my sincere effort to bring all MSU engineers at one common place to share their views. Since long back, I was feeling that there is no way that all MSU engineers can interact or share their experience with freshers or their batch mates. It will be much more helpful to students who are currently studying or just passed out. Please invite all your friends to use this group irrespective of branch and passing year. This is the only way we can bring all alumni of MSU Baroda to interact through one instrument. Networking of the best minds on this wonderful planet is my passion. Please contact Bharat N. Khokhani <khokhani.bharat@wipro.com>

28-10-03

New Waste Disposal Site: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has given permission for the development of a landfill site for solid waste disposal at Jambuva near Makarpura. Solid waste management now seems to be a priority concern and VMC has allocated Rs. 540,000 for the development of this new site. At present, solid waste is dumped at many open plots, like the ones at Munjmahuda, Chhani and Makarpura, and not much attention is paid to adhering to health norms or to the treatment of the waste. A Surat based consultant has been selected to prepare the plans and study the possible effects on the nearby localities.

24-10-03

BSNL Launches New Services: Vadodara Telecom District of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) has begun two new services for its customers – Direct Internet Access Services (DIAS) and a cheque-drop facility for paying bills. DIAS provides Internet on a landline telephone without the need of a modem. The cheque-drop facility, initially available at Alkapuri exchange, is for paying bills anytime. DIAS will be initially available for customers in Sayajigunj, Fatehgunj, Karelibaug, Panigate and Subhanpura.

Incentive For Octroi Staff: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has proposed a financial incentive scheme for its employees to get better results. The scheme, for those working in the octroi department, has been put up by the Municipal Commissioner before the Standing Committee for approval. It proposes that a percentage of octroi collection be given to the checking squad as well as other staff in the department. All the department staff may get to share one per cent if they achieve the octroi collection target of Rs. 1,300 million for year 2003-04. And if they cross Rs.1,400 million the staff may share two per cent of the total amount.

All Talukas Online: After having computerised the entire land record data, the Vadodara District Collectorate has now initiated steps to make all the 12 talukas online. Vadodara will be the second district after Narmada where land records have been computerised. The details of 1,549 villages and 658,244 landowners will be available through this. The records cannot be tampered with and every detail required for a land deal will be available. The data will be updated every 15 days.

22-10-03

X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer: MS University's Department of Metallurgy has acquired an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The instrument, costing Rs. 3 million, was obtained under a special assistance programme of the University Grants Commission. It is the fourth in a series of high-cost instruments that the department has acquired over the past few years, the other three being X-ray diffractometer, thermal analysis system and scanning electron microscope. Though meant for research by faculty members and students, it will add to the department's capacity to attract more funds by way of consultancy and sample analysis for industry. The scanning electron microscope, purchased last year, has already earned about Rs.100,000 for the department.

Think Tank Launched: The 'Baroda Forum for Policy Analysis' was launched on 21st October 2003 in Baroda. Some say that it is the city's first think tank on national and international policies, though many are not quite clear about the exact definition of a think tank. The forum will provide a platform to the city's intelligentsia from various walks of life to share ideas and give concrete suggestions on issues that are of relevance to society. The inaugural lecture of the forum was delivered by Professor Stephen Cohen, a fellow of the Brookings Institute, Washington. The forum has been promoted, among others, the former head of the Political Science Department of MS University, Professor Dilip Mohite.

Rangoli Exhibition: The Swastik Rangoli Kalakar Group has organised a rangoli exhibition from 22nd October to 6th November, 9.30 a.m. to 12 noon and 5.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m., at Kirti Mandir.

Basil Wins Football Trophy: Basil School, Baroda, has won the Rev. Bro. Bois Football Trophy for the second time in the All Gujarat Inter School Junior Football tournament held in Ahmedabad recently. In the finals Basil defeated St. Xavier's School, Kalol (2-1). Basil captain Aftab Memon was selected best player of the tournament.

18-10-03

Air Show: The Indian Air Force will present an air show and a static exhibition at Vadodara airport on October 23. The air show, to be held for the first time over the Vadodara skies, will begin at 9 a.m. Modern front-line fighter aircraft, including Mig-21, Mig-23 and Mig-29 will fly in formations. An Avro transport aircraft and a Chetak helicopter will also participate in the show. The grand finale will include a display by the famed 'Surya Kiran' team and an enthralling display by the IAF's skydiving team 'Air Devils'. This will be followed by a static display of the IAF's weapons systems. The air show precedes an open recruitment rally for selection in both technical and non-technical trades for airmen to be held at Air Force Station, Makarpura, from October 31 to November 3. Youth in the age group of 16 to 22 from Gujarat can take part in the recruitment rally.

Crowded City: Of the 390,000 property units in the city of Vadodara, almost 95,000 are categorised under encroachments and illegal constructions. That is almost one-fourth of the city. Which means that every fourth person in the city is an encroacher. Living in Vadodara can be equated to sharing your space with 600 people per hectare. For those who are not aware of the national average, it is 275 people per hectare.

Course In Women's Studies: The Women's Studies Research Centre at MS University will begin its fourth inter-disciplinary course in women's studies from November 18. This short-term part-time postgraduate course will cover key issues in the area of women's studies. Graduates in any discipline and those working with NGOs with at least HSc and two years' experience are eligible for the course. The last date for submitting the form is November 10. For further details contact the course co-ordinator at the Women's Study Centre.

Home Dιcor: Yamini, the chain of home textile stores, is holding a cushion mela at Aayatna. Silks with gilt prints, sequin work, embroidery, cords and tassles, zari block prints on Maheshwari fabrics and crushed tissues are some of the items on display. October 15-25.

14-10-03

NGO Collects Rs. 37 Million For SSG Hospital: Efforts made by the Holy Care Project to renovate and maintain the buildings of the century-old Sir Sayajirao General (SSG) Hospital have resulted in contributions of Rs. 37 million from the NRI alumni of the Baroda Medical College. The project was launched by an NGO, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, in 1999. The SSG Hospital caters to 1,168 outpatients and 1,023 in-patients daily. The NGO has successfully completed the first phase of the project with 15 out of the 50 wards being renovated. On completion of the project, the 37-acre SSG campus will not only have modern wards but also a greener ambience. The total project estimate is Rs. 120 million and the NGO has tried to enlist the support of NRI alumni, local donors and the Gujarat government. Over 1,400 NRI alumni of the Baroda Medical College have contributed Rs. 37.6 million, which is about 25 per cent of the total cost, and the Gujarat government may bear 50 per cent of the expenditure. Project Director Piyush Shah says that the balance 25 per cent is expected from generous donors. The trust has employed volunteers to maintain cleanliness in all the renovated wards. It has also tied up with companies who donate detergents, disinfectants and floor scrubbers. It would be great if you too could chip in with your contribution to help the effort along. If you are interested, please write to Piyush Shah <ssgh@holycare.org>

'Privatisation' Of R.C. Dutt Road: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has proposed the idea of transferring the maintenance, operation and management of R.C. Dutt Road to private operators. The civic body has already received five proposals from private bidders in response to an advertisement inviting expression of interest. The plan is at a nascent stage as the feasibility is yet to be worked out. The plan also involves widening of the existing 18-metre road to 30 metres.

11-10-03

New Art Gallery: The Bayer ABS Art Gallery, which will open on Old Padra Road on October 17, may possibly be Baroda's largest art gallery. It is built at two levels and has extensive wall space and an open courtyard for sculptures. It is designed by architect Karan Grover and promoted by Rakesh Agarwal. The first show, 'Mappings', from October 17 to November 3, will feature a dozen well-known Indian contemporary artists.

Barodian Selected For Skating Meet: Iti Gandhi of Baroda, a first-year BBA student at MS University, has been selected for the In-line World Speed Skating Championship to be held in Venezuela from November 1 to 9. Iti learnt skating at the age of 11 and she has participated in major ranking championships in roller speed skating.

Santoor Concert: Spic Macay presents a concert by santoor player Pandit Omprakash Chourasiya. Home Science Faculty Auditorium, 7.30 p.m., October 12.

Designer Collection: Wild Flower Designer presents an exhibition of ethnic, western and fusion designer creations by Priyanka Bapna, Aashima Belapurkar and Shilpa Yohan. Trisha Gallery, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. October 13 to 16.

Shaam-E-Hyderabad: Culinary delicacies of the chefs from Taj Banjara, Hyderabad. At Taj Residency, Baroda. October 10 to 20. 7.30 p.m. onwards.

09-10-03

Hyderabadi Food Festival: October 9 to 23. Buffet Dinner from 7 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. At Kala Ghoda Restaurant, Sayaji Hotel. Also live Ghazals & Shayaris.

Sari Exhibition: Kanchul boutique presents an exhibition of a wide range of saris including Pochampallis, Tusser silks and creeps with 'dhabu' print and 'upada' saris with real gold embellishment. Till October 11.

Prints & Weaves: Aseel presents an exhibition of fabrics from all over India. Also crochets, gold jadao imitations, wall pieces, terracotta gift articles and Japanese paintings. At Piccadilly, Jetalpur Road, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. October 13-14.

Diamond Jewellery: Manek Gem-Art International has organised an exhibition-cum-sale of real diamond jewellery at Trisha Gallery. October 11 and 12. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Rajasthani Bhojan Mahotsav: This food festival is on at Hotel Surya till October 10. Also Rajasthani puppet show and Kutchi dances by folk artistes.

07-10-03

Pollution In Baroda: Indian Oil Corporation recently sponsored a study on Baroda's ambient air quality in April 2003. It was conducted by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and MS University's Environmental Science Department. Data was collected to measure the levels of pollutants like sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, suspended particulate matter (SPM), hydrocarbons and methane. The preliminary report is out now, and it does not paint a very happy picture.

The data has thrown up some interesting results:
… The Subhanpura Ward Office area recorded the highest amount of sulphur dioxide in the     city and that, too, past midnight.
… Khanderao Market tops the sulphur dioxide levels in the morning and afternoon hours.
… Lalbaug tops the observation levels for nitrogen oxide throughout the day, except for a     brief lull after midnight.
… The presence of SPM is the highest in those places where there is maximum traffic.
… The Kalabhavan area near Badamdi Baug tops the SPM levels during morning hours,     whereas later in the day it is Panigate, Baroda Dairy crossroads, Abhilasha Crossing and     again Lalbaug.
… The area near the GSFC main gate registered the peak hydrocarbon value in the morning,     whereas later in the day it is near the SSG Hospital Gate and thereafter at Abhilasha     crossroad.
… What has surprised the researchers is the steady levels of methane across the city at     different places and different time periods.
… The area near the NCC Office at Fatehgunj records the highest amount of methane during     the early evening hours.

While the preliminary reports indicate a link between heavy vehicular traffic and the presence of pollutants, some exceptions have also been noticed. The Kala Ghoda Circle, which has a heavy flow of traffic throughout the day, is conspicuously missing from the list of areas that registered high levels of methane. The reason may lie in the presence of the sprawling Sayajibaug nearby and the open spaces in the vicinity, which may act as a deterrent to the concentration of pollutants.

Daily Average Levels Of Pollutants
Sulphur Dioxide: 12.49 m gm/cu m
Nitrogen Oxide: 21.13 m gm/cu m
Suspended Particulate Matter: 157.6 m gm/cu m
Hydrocarbons: 2043 m gm/cu m
Methane: 2025 m gm/cu m.

Printmaking Workshop: Chhaap is non-profit co-operative studio for printmaking set up by five Baroda based artists. Its main objective is to promote prints and create awareness about printmaking. The Chhaap Committee includes Kavita Shah, Gulammohammed Sheikh, Vijay Bagodi, Akkitham Vasudevan and B.V. Suresh. Chhaap has now announced an introductory workshop for schoolchildren to introduce them to the wonderful medium of art as a means of expression and communication. The workshop will be conducted from 13th to 17th October, from 3.30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The hands-on workshop will give the children some insight into the historical background of printmaking, how to look at prints and also how to make prints. The fees are Rs. 350 and eight students can be taken in each workshop. For details contact: Chhaap, Purshottam Estate, Bahucharaji Road, Karelibaug, Baroda 390 018. Ph: 460496. Email: chhaap@rediffmail.com Website: www.vadodara.com/co/chhaap.htm

06-10-03

Kiran More's Cricket Academy: Rajsingh Dungarpur, the former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chairman, inaugurated the 'Kiran More International Cricket Academy' (KMICA) at Bhavan's Public School in Baroda on 5th October. Also present at the inaugural function were former cricketers Sandip Patil, Madan Lal, T.A. Sekhar and Anil Kumble, all of whom will be on the board of governors of the academy. Kiran More, who already runs a private academy in the city, said that the new set-up will find and groom talent from schools. The stress will also be on nurturing talent in rural areas and among women cricketers. He plans to have similar facilities in other Baroda schools too.

03-10-03

Stadium Inaugurated: Baroda mayor N.V. Patel inaugurated a multi-purpose stadium at Gujarat Public School (near the Kalali railway crossing in Atladra) on 30th September. Built by the Bakulesh R. Gupta Foundation, the stadium has all facilities for organising national level tournaments in basketball, skating, tennis and squash. Besides sports facilities, it also has hostel facilities for outstation sports personalities and a screen for showing films.

Cyber Cafe Rules: Vadodara Police Commissioner has issued a notification under the Criminal Procedure Code asking cyber cafe owners to desist from providing blocked cabins to customers. The notification has been issued following reports that such places were sometimes used for viewing pornographic sites.

30-09-03

Off-Again, On-Again Garbas: The major garba organisers who had postponed their garba programmes because of the rains to 1st October, decided to begin the programmes from Monday (29th September). They have also decided for the moment to restrict the garbas till Dussehra only. The postponement of the festival related activities had generated widespread criticism from people who did not appreciate the re-scheduling because they believed it was prompted strictly by a desire to keep the commercial sponsors in good humour. One unexpected but welcome outcome of the rains was that the hitherto overshadowed sheri garbas again became popular with those who would otherwise have flocked to the more happening venues.

Library Automation Course: Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) will begin a postgraduate diploma course in Library Automation and Networking (PGDLAN) from January-2004. Those with a Bachelor's degree in Library Science are eligible for the course. The application forms and prospectus can be obtained from the IGNOU Study Centre at MS University, opposite the D.N. Hall cricket ground, Pratapgunj, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. The forms have to be submitted before October 31.

Designer Interiors: Vinita Jain presents an exhibition-cum-sale of bedsheets, dohar-chorsa, pillow-covers, sofa backs with embroidery and appliquι work along with chapati bags, door-mats, blankers, stuffed pillows, napkin hangers. Trisha Gallery. October 9-10.

27-09-03

Navratri Starts, Major Garbas Postponed: Heavy rains dampened the Navratri mood of many Barodians on Friday (26th September), the first day of Navratri. Major garba organisers re-scheduled the celebrations from October 1 to 10. There was a heavy downpour that lashed the city for almost 12 hours since Thursday night. The garba grounds were turned into pools of water. The sun was out by noon on Friday, but another very heavy bout of rain on Saturday afternoon ruled out the garbas for another day. The major grounds are hardly fit for dancing. The organisers who postponed the garbas are United Way (at Atladra), Yugshakti (at Akota Stadium), United Arki (behind Aradhana Theatre), BITA (at Ajitnagar Garba Ground) and Surmayi Garba Mahotsav (at the Vaccine Institute ground on Old Padra Road). This is apparently the first time that the festival was being postponed, and the revellers will now dance according to the new schedule. Fortunately, the organisers are not empowered by nature to re-schedule Navratri too, so the religious ceremonies were duly performed at all the sites.

Tax Raids On Tuition Classes: The Income Tax department has detected evasion of over Rs. 20 million in raids carried out recently at the premises of private tuition classes, doctors and papad manufacturers. The raids targeted three tuition classes. A doctor, who filed his returns at Vadodara, was found to be practicing in Surat and he has reportedly confessed to unaccounted assets worth Rs. 5.6 million.

Paintings On 'AUM': Exhibition by Jayesh Kansara. 27th Sept to 5th Oct. At Abhivyakti Sanskrutik Sthal, Kirti Mandir Compound.

Rekha Rodwittiya Exhibition: The artist will exhibit her recent works at Sarjan Art Gallery, Vishwas Colony, from Oct 3 to 20, 12 noon to 8 p.m. (except Sundays).

Crochet Delights: Kalpana Shukla and Jasu Vadalia present an exhibition cum sale of embroidered crochet purses, dupattas, table mats, photo frames, pillow covers and an assortment of other items at the Trisha Art Gallery. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sept 30.

26-09-03

Art Exhibitiion: Monal Jayaram and Satyajit Kadam, ex-students of MS University's Fine Arts Faculty, have organised an exhibition and sale of works of art produced by Vadodara artists. Part of the proceeds will go to support the Awareness of Mental Health activity of Dr. Yogesh Patel's Institute of Mental Health & De-addiction. The exhibition will be on October 3. Almost 50 city artists are participating in this exhibition, including Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, Nagji Patel, Rini Dhumal, Mahendra Pandya, Indrapranit Roy, Sasidharan, Jayanti Rabadia, Vijay Bagodi, Kavita Shah, Sachin Karne, Vinod Patel and Alok Bal. A work by the late Bhupen Khakhar will also be exhibited. Venue: Faculty of Fine Arts, MSU.

Soft Toys Sale: Curiosity Workshop has organised a sale of soft toys that can be used as cushions, landscape bedcovers, quilts and tablemats for children's bedrooms. Trisha Gallery. October 1-2.

Rangoli Exhibition: This is one of the most eagerly anticipated exhibitions held in the city. This year the Rangoli exhibition, coinciding with the Navratri festival, starts on September 26 at Kirti Mandir. As many as 15 artists are participating in the exhibition which will be on till October 4. It is organised by Alpana Creative Artists.

Handcrafted Textiles: Heritage Trust and MS University's department of Clothing & Textiles have put together an informative exhibition of the handcrafted textiles of Gujarat. Supported by India's Development Commissioner (Handlooms), the exhibition introduces the viewer to the textile heritage and treasures of the state. The exhibition has been broadly divided into Woven, Printed, Embroidered and Tie & Dye textiles. The exhibition is part of the prestigious theme pavilion of the Textile Expo at the University Grounds, Ahmedabad, which was inaugurated on September 25. It will be on for the next three weeks.

24-09-03

Garba Timings: The Gujarat government has decided to allow garbas to go on with loudspeakers till midnight as per the Supreme Court guidelines. However, all those who wish to continue dancing into the night may do so, but they will have to keep the noise level within the permissible limit.

VMC Plans To Cut Jobs: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is planning to cut its workforce by almost 30 per cent, according to the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations. The civic body has already achieved the requisite figure of 20 per cent and plans to cut jobs by another 10 per cent over the next seven years. At present the civic body spends Rs. 1.11 billion for salaries, perks and meeting day-to-day administrative expenses. The wage bill at present consumes almost 51 per cent of the budget of the VMC. The civic authorities plan to bring this figure down to 42 per cent in the first phase, 34 per cent in the second phase and 27 per cent in the final phase over the next seven years.

MSU Union Polls: The National Students Union of India (NSUI) candidates won two important posts – general secretary and vice-president – in the recently held elections of MS University Students Union (MSUSU) and ended Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's (ABVP) six-year reign. NSUI's Rutvij Joshi and Mihir Rughani defeated Jignesh Rao and Vilas Dubey and captured the posts of VP and GS respectively. ABVP's candidates lost to their NSUI rivals by margins that are the highest in the history of the union polls. Joshi polled 5,425 votes, defeating Rao by a margin of 2,445 votes, and Rughani got 2,980 votes, defeating Dubey by about 500 votes. Polling took place at about 80 booths in the campus. The total votes cast were 10,061, that is 29.69 per cent of the university's student strength of 32,672. Of these, 360 votes were declared invalid.

NRI Parents Meeting: The NRI Parents Association will hold its monthly meeting on 27th September at 5.30 p.m. at Hotel Express. All members as well as those seeking membership are requested to participate in the meeting. For registration please ring up 2488849 or write to vijaykhopkar@hotmail.com

Institute For Disabled: 'Sevatirth', run by the 'Society for Training and Vocational Rehabilitation of the Disabled', which gives training to disabled children and elderly people have started admissions to their institute. The organisation offers various training courses, besides providing residential facilities and provision of food. Those interested may call on 2646361 for further information. Email: panchal10purushottam@rediffmail.com

Jaipur Sarees: Jaipur Saree Kendra comes to Vadodara with a wide range of exclusive bandhej, Barmeri block print and Jaipur embroidered sarees at Trisha Gallery. The exhibition also features a range of leheriyas, bandhanis and dress materials. September 24 to 28.

Amiti Bazaar: Amiti Bazaar from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, presents an exhibition of hand-made wooden furniture and gift items like photo frames, candle-stands, gift boxes, jharokas, chowkis and telephone stands at Sienna Gallery. A range of home furnishings will also be on display. September 28 to October 5.

Vipassana Course: Vadodara Vipassana Samiti has organised a ten-day residential course from October 29 at New Era Secondary School, Nizampura. A one-day course will also be held on the same day. For further information and registration ring up 2341375 or 2343302, or write to P.K. Jenendran at tml@wilnetonline.net

22-09-03

Rains Trigger Pre-Navratri Nervousness: Thousands of people in Baroda are keeping their fingers crossed while hoping and praying that the present wet weather spell passes well in time for the Navratri celebrations to kick off on time and in the usual style. At present the various garba grounds are wet enough to dampen the spirits. However, if the rains ease up soon there will be enough time for the grounds to dry up before D-Night, 26th September.

Though everyone talks enthusiastically about the garba fever, which undoubtedly has taken hold over the city, the number of garba venues has been steadily declining over the years. According to figures available from the police authorities, there were 422 venues in 2000, 398 in 2001, 343 in 2002 and just 281 this year.

The walled city areas are seeing fewer pol or street garbas, and several other venues have been taken over for real estate development. Among the recent ones to close down to make way for new constructions are the Amrapali garba in Karelibaug and the Haribhakti, Sampatrao Colony and Ellora Park venues. In certain places, the garba venues have been shifted, as in the case of the Deep Garba in Manjalpur. The garba organisers say that one of the main reasons for the decline is the increasing cost of holding garbas, which in turn makes them chase big-time money from the big-time sponsors. Also, the younger garba enthusiasts – who seem to constitute the vocal and visible majority – prefer the bigger, more 'happening' places to the more traditional venues in the city's lanes and smaller housing societies. So, the culture is inevitably toeing the lines of commercial considerations and the evolving trends in what is the fashionable thing to do.

Sponsorship patterns are changing too. The cola companies are lying low this year, yielding ground to the cellular phone operators, private banks, and FMCG groups like ITC, Godfrey Phillips, LG, Samsung and Manikchand. These are waters for only the big fish to wallow in, and it is not surprising therefore that the small-time neighbourhood garbas find it difficult to raise even the modest funds they need. And, on the surface at least, it looks as if there are not enough takers for the modest scene. The hep may not really be in the majority, but they are certainly hogging the limelight, and the funds.

Garbage Disposal Worries VMC The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) recently conducted a study on the city's garbage. Some of the highlights:

…. Each person produces 400 grams of waste per day.
…. The city churns out 535 tonnes of waste per day.
…. Sayajigunj's daily contribution is 190,000 kg, Subhanpura's 154,000 kg and Shiabaug's      78,192 kg.
…. 75 per cent of the garbage generated is solid indestructible wastes like plastics, polymer      gradients and artificial fibre. The rest is organic waste.

Most of this waste does not get to the designated landfill sites. It normally collects around the housing societies and is both a health hazard and a nuisance for the city. The main reasons for this state of affairs are the increasing costs of waste collection and the decreasing number of landfall sites. The city earlier had six proper landfill sites – at Gorwa, Kishanwadi, Dabhoi Road, Manjalpur tank, Akota village and Atladra. Now there is just one, which sprawls over 150,000 sq ft, at Vadsar near the Delhi Public School, and this too will be full in four years. VMC has asked a Canadian firm to help identify other landfill sites and suggest measures for the management of bio-medical, industrial and domestic wastes. India's first mechanical compost plant will soon become operational at Atladra; this plant will be able to degrade 300 tonnes of waste per day.

Pagdi Bech Ghee Mat Khayo: Avantilal Chawla, a faculty member at MS University's Faculty of Performing Arts, is an acknowledged expert on the turbans of India. He has pursued this hobby with single-minded devotion. He has been mentioned in the Limca Book of Records 2001 for making the world's biggest turban – weighing 6.6 kg and 152 ft long. Now he is fashioning one that will weigh 10 kg and be 160 ft long. Besides collecting and making turbans, he is also a walking encyclopaedia on the subject. One saying associated with the turban is 'pagdi bech ghee mat khayo'; following this advice he has chosen not to profit from his pastime. His pagdis are displayed in many museums in India and he has made over 1000 of them for temples. He was also asked to make 20 pagdis for Shyam Benegal's film on Netaj Bose.

20-09-03

Paintings Exhibition: An exhibition of paintings by internationally acclaimed artist Bhupen Khakhar will be organised by Friends of Bhupen on Sunday (21st September) at Sanskriti Art Gallery at 6.00 p.m. The exhibition will continue till 24th September and will be moved to Sienna Art Gallery at Alkapuri after the inaugural function. Bhupen Khakhar passed away in Baroda on 8th August 2003.

Literacy Drive: The Vadodara district collectorate will mobilise its 13,000 staff across the district for a literacy campaign. The campaign, called 'Akshar Prasar', will start later this month. It is meant to achieve cent percent literacy in Vadodara district by 2006. Almost 6,000 teachers in various primary education centers will visit villages and educate people on the importance of literacy. According to a survey conducted by the collectorate, nearly 969,000 people are illiterate in Vadodara out of a 1.9 million rural population.

Vehicle Population Rises: Baroda recorded an increase of 51,391 vehicles in the past one year. Out of the 698,173 registrations made till March 2003, there are 360,807 geared motorcycles, 168,007 gearless vehicles, 56,619 four-wheelers and 28,189 autorickshaws. When compared to figures recorded in March last year, the motorcycle population has increased by 36,641 followed by gearless vehicles which surged by 6,170. Close on the heels is the four-wheeler category which has increased by 5,235. There have been 804 and 122 additions to the autorickshaw and jeep categories respectively.

19-09-03

Course For Estate Brokers: The recently formed Indian Institute of Real Estate (IIRE) has 142 brokers from major Indian cities. It now plans to start a certificate course for brokers in Vadodara as the first step towards creating awareness about the need to organise the industry. IIRE has tied up with the US based Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) to help them devise laws that can regulate the market. Incidentally, Sachin Shroff of Comfort Realty of Vadodara is the only member of IIRE from Gujarat.

Kurta Exhibition: Paurvi Pathak and Dipal Naik present an exhibition cum sale of hand block printed and embroidered kurtas in jute and cotton for men. Designed specially for Navratri, the kurtas come in an assortment of colours and designer cuts. Venue: 19, Mitramandal Society, Nizampura. 20th September: 4.30 p.m. to 9 p.m., 21st September: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Trendy Kurtas: Nikita and Sonal Zaveri present an exhibition cum sale of trendy and traditional cotton kurtas for men at the Trisha Gallery. September 18-20. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

16-09-03

MSU Union Elections: Elections to the MS University Students' Union (MSUSU) will be held on September 22 after being stalled for nearly 10 days due to a stay order from the court. The decision on the poll date was taken at an emergency meeting of the university syndicate. The stay had been issued following a petition which had contested a decision to divide the Faculty of Commerce into four units for administrative convenience.

13-09-03

Stars Play Spoilsport: The marriage related businesses in Gujarat are estimated to be worth Rs. 8 billion annually – including hotels, marriage halls, party plots, catering, music bands, jewellery, clothing and beauty parlours. This year, however, an astrologically inauspicious period – a 13-month stretch after July – has proved to be a spanner in the works for this industry. In Ahmedabad, for instance, the 16 marriage halls belonging to the municipal corporation are still available; in more auspicious periods, the same halls would have been booked three to four months in advance. The bleak business prospects have motivated one member of an orchestra to try his luck in the USA for NRI marriages there. He wants to believe that the American stars may be more favourably disposed.

System Twistem Gachami: Spirit Group from Mumbai presents its two-act comedy 'System Twistem Gachami', based on Dario Fo's 'Death of an Anarchist'. The play has been directed by Manurishi Chadha and it has been brought to Baroda by Integra Advertising. The cast includes Rajesh Kumar, Bilala Khan, Hashim Haider, Naveen Tyagi and Shradha Kaul. The play will be staged on September 21 at C.C. Mehta Auditorium, from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

Shalini Patel Exhibition: Shalini Patel studied painting at MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts and completed her postgraduation in 1981. She now divides time between her family and painting. This is perhaps her first major solo show. The exhibition is titled, 'Your Planet and Mine' and will be on from September 15 to 25 at Sarjan Art Gallery, daily 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Vinod Meghani On Van Gogh: Vinod Meghani, grandson of Zaverchand Meghani, is himself a writer of distinction. He will present a talk and slide show, Salagataan Surajmukhi, an introduction to his translation in Gujarati of Irving Stone's popular book 'Lust for Life', a biography of the painter Van Gogh. The first part of the talk will focus on the book itself while the later half will deal with the 'making of a masterpiece'. The talk, organised by the Nirmal Foundation and the Netherlands Business Support Office (Gujarat), will be at 7.30 p.m. on September 14 in the lobby of the ABN AMRO Bank. All are invited.

11-09-03

Peace, But Disturbed: Minor stone-pelting in Baroda's Mangal Bazar area caused some panic in a few walled-city areas on Wednesday (10th September) afternoon. Though the violence was curbed immediately with the timely intervention of the police, many shops in Mangal Bazar, Nava Bazar, M.G. Road and nearby areas downed their shutters following the incidents. Late in the evening, a similar disturbance was reported from the Wadi Rangmahal area of the city; this too was brought under control immediately and life returned to the nervously normal.

10-09-03

Disturbance During Immersion Processions: Incidents of violence disturbed the Ganesh immersion processions in Baroda on 9th September. Stone pelting took place in several areas of the walled city and the police resorted to teargas shelling and fired several rounds to curb the violence, which continued till late in the night. However, the situation was soon brought under control. In a related development, the police arrested the Vadodara based managers of Hutch and Idea mobile phone services on the charge of violating a police notification banning the exchange of SMS messages from noon on 9th September to 6 a.m. on 10th September. The ban was intended to prevent irresponsible rumours. Both persons were released on bail by the court.

Baroda Fares Poorly In Airport Rankings: The Airports Authority of India has done one more study on customer satisfaction at its major airports. The study was conducted in June-July 2003 at 30 airports across India by Development & Research Services (DRS). Kolkata (77 %) and Mumbai (76 %) are ranked first and second. Goa is 3rd with 75 % and the 4th is Thiruvananthapuram with 74 %. Delhi, which is next only to Mumbai, in terms of international passenger traffic, is rated the 3rd among the list of the worst (the 1st being Amritsar and the second being Bangalore). The study reveals that international airports provide somewhat the same level of customer satisfaction as domestic ones despite cornering most of the funds. The responses from passengers were studied in nine broad categories, ranging from attitude of the airport staff, general aesthetics and trolley services to toilet cleanliness and general hygiene. DRS interviewed 56,338 passengers, which represents nearly 8 per cent of the weekly passenger traffic. Some of the smaller domestic airports – Lucknow, Bhubaneshwar and Nagpur – were singled out as being the fastest movers up the satisfaction charts. Vadodara and Imphal have however slipped considerably since the last survey. Vadodara and Varanasi share the fourth place in the list of the worst domestic airports, the first three being Amritsar, Vizag and Patna.

GSFC On Decline: Baroda's Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd. (GSFC) has for long been one of the jewels in Gujarat's crown. A newspaper report suggests that this may no longer be so. GSFC has become a potentially sick company and needs to report to the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR). The company's net-worth has been eroded by 65 per cent to Rs. 5,170 million in 2002-03 from Rs. 14,910 million in 1998-99 due to accumulated losses. Under the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, a company has to report to the BIFR if more than 50 per cent of the peak net-worth is eroded during the immediately preceding four financial years.

09-09-03

Sahara's Massive Housing Project: Sahara India Pariwar, the Lucknow-based residuary non-banking company (RNBC) plans to invest Rs.1,180,000 million (US $ 25.65 billion) in constructing housing projects spread across 202 cities in India. Chairman Subrata Roy said that for the housing project they will buy cement worth Rs. 50,000 million and steel worth Rs. 23,000 million. Each house will cost Rs. 450,000. The facilities will include broadband internet connectivity, a mini artificial seashore, water parks, swimming pools and gymnasium. The entire project will have a chain of 202 shopping malls and 202 multiplexes with 808 screens. To put this type of investment in perspective, consider these figures: the non-performing assets of India's banking industry add up to Rs.1,100,000 million; Rs. 540,000 million is the money spent to construct the Golden Quadrilateral Highways across the country. Eleven townships are planned in Gujarat, including those in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Rajkot. The schemes are spread over 18,575 acres of land with a built-up area of 68.8 million sq. m. Over 675,000 houses will be built.

Tough Times For Cinema Halls: Huge multiplexes and small video parlours are proving to be too much competition for Gujarat's traditional cinema halls. As many as 70 cinema halls have closed down in the state in the last 10 months, and 100 more may face a similar fate. There are at present 16 multiplexes and 350 cinema halls today in Gujarat. Baroda has two multiplexes – Chandan and Inox. Multiplexes have been given a five-year tax holiday, estimated now at Rs. 400 million annually, under the tourism policy. Multiplexes therefore corner almost all the new releases because they are able to make handsome payments to the distributors which the cinema halls cannot. The state has 600 video theatres, of which more than 300 are in Surat alone.

Designer Navratri: Designer Hemali Jadeja will present her Navratri collection at Sienna Art Gallery from September 18 to 20. Based on the theme of 'leheriya', the collection will feature some traditional-yet-funky outfits like chaniyas, cholis in halter-necks, embroidered corsets and a wide range of trendy kurtas for men.

06-09-03

Security For Immersion Ceremony: In order to prevent any untoward incidents during the Ganesh immersion ceremony on September 9, the Vadodara police have made very elaborate security arrangements. The city has been divided into 22 sectors for the purpose of effective policing and 108 high-rise points have been selected from where the security personnel can keep an eye on miscreants. A small 'army' has been deployed to try and keep the peace: 2,700 constables, three Deputy Commissioners of Police, one Joint Commissioner of Police, 26 Police Inspectors, 90 Sub-Inspectors of the city police, besides six Superintendents of Police, 12 Deputy Superintendents of Police, 42 Police Inspectors and 50 Police Sub-Inspectors from other districts. Apart form this, eight companies of the Special Reserve Police, one company of the Rapid Action Force, one company of the Border Security Force and two companies of the border wing of the Home Guards, 3000 Home Guards and 700 police personnel selected from different districts will be deployed on bandobast duty. Twenty 20 cranes will be used in the immersion ceremony of 1,900 Ganesh idols at the Sursagar Lake. To ensure that no explosive materials or weapons are smuggled in to create disturbance, anti-sabotage checking will be conducted and metal detectors will be installed at the immersion venue. The bandobast will be monitored through videography and 10 watchtowers near the immersion venue.

Stay On MSU Polls: On 5th September the Vadodara civil court ordered an interim injunction on all the further proceedings of elections to be held at MS University till September 8. This comes just a day after nomination papers were filed by candidates for the university elections to be held on September 15. According to an amendment passed by the university syndicate on August 28, the Faculty of Commerce was divided into four units – M.Com unit, Girls College, General Education Building and the Main Building. Following this, a petition was filed stating that the act of the syndicate is arbitrary and illegal and that the syndicate did not follow the procedures laid down in the relevant MS University rules. It seems that the rules make it imperative for the syndicate to obtain the opinion of the general body of the union and the executive committee on the proposed change.

EME School Seminar: The Baroda based EME School of the Indian Army will organise a national seminar on 'Modern Trends in Armaments and Small Arms' on September 26 and 27. The seminar, which will be held with the support of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, will dwell on issues pertaining to armaments and the challenges posed by futuristic weapon systems.

Chinese Food Festival: At Picasso Restaurant. Till September 21.

Sizzler Fiesta: At Cascade, WelcomHotel. Till September 15. 7.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.

05-09-03

Proposal To Demolish Bhadra Fort: Believe it, because it is true. The Public Works Department (PWD) has proposed that the Bhadra Fort at Panigate junction should be demolished because the funds to maintain this historical building are not available. For the moment, though, the proposal has been opposed by the Archaeology Department. Till recently, this building used to house the treasury, the city and rural mamlatdar offices and the PWD offices. When these departments were shifted to Narmada Bhavan, the building was generally unoccupied. Bhadra is one of the first forts and was built when Vadodara was taking shape. Architect Sanjeev Joshi (he did his thesis on Vadodara's architectural development, focusing on certain monuments – including Bhadra Fort – as milestones) says that Bhadra's history goes back to the times of the Mughal rulers, who built it as a double fortification around 1570. It seems that Akbar once stayed here briefly. The Marathas came in around 1720, changing the character of the monument from a purely militarised fortification to a socio-cultural complex, and then to an administrative block in 1860. It was after the development of the Kothi complex in the 1920s that this building began to lose its importance. The ASI says that the monument is a heritage building (any structure more than 75 years old, but not a protected monument.

VMC Workshop For 8,000 Children: Over 35,000 students study in standards III and IV in schools run by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). Of them, 8,000 students are deficient in terms of basic reading, writing and mathematical skills. To improve their skills, the Gujarat Council for Education and Research Training (GCERT) has launched a ten-day training programme from September 5. VMC is the only municipal corporation selected in Gujarat for the pilot testing of this statewide project. In Vadodara, the project is being implemented by the District Institute of Educational Training (DIET). The students for the workshop were selected from 124 municipal board schools through a test prepared by GCERT.

Parul Shah On UNESCO Body: Vadodara's Parul Shah (a professor in MS University's Faculty of Performing Arts) has been appointed to UNESCO's Counsel International de Dance. She is the second Barodian to occupy this position; the late C.C. Mehta was a nominated member of the theatre forum. Issues and policies concerning various art forms of the world are normally tabled at this dance forum. She was awarded the Gaurav Puraskar in 1998-99 and her thesis on 'Rasa Dance of Gujarat' made her the first performing artiste in Gujarat to be awarded a doctorate in dance.

Ganpati Paintings: Amita Mathur, an artist who has had no formal training in art, is holding an exhibition featuring 108 paintings on just one theme – Ganpati. The exhibition is being held at Akruti Gallery and it will be on till 7th September. The paintings are all on glass, and she completed them in less than six months.

02-09-03

The Psychological Factors Behind Infertility: Doctors now tend to recommend in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to treat childless couples who are medically normal. It is against this backdrop that three Baroda gynaecologists have spent 20 years to study the role of psychological factors in such cases. They seem to have come up with some surprising results. Dr. Rajni Vyas, Dr. Gita Advanikar and Dr. Leena Hathi suggest that you can sometimes work wonders with such couples simply by letting them know exactly how conception takes place and explaining to them over a period of time that there is nothing wrong with them. The knowledge that they have a psychological block, not an organic one, may prove to be therapeutic in some cases. The August issue of the 'Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of India' carries their paper 'Vyas Modification of Huhner's Test: An Innovation of Immunological Infertility'. The doctors examined 2,235 couples between 1978 and 1998, of which 454 had unexpected reproductive failure. The modified Huhner test was conducted on 295 couples. Within three months of the modified test, at least 50 of the women conceived. The doctors believe that they achieved a high success rate mainly because of psychotherapy and the use of hypnotherapy.

01-09-03

Court Voids Rajmata Will: The ongoing property dispute within the Gaekwad royal family of Baroda was again back in the news on 30th August with a city civil court nullifying Rajmata Shantadevi Gaewad's will. The court appointed commissioners to inspect and report about the present status of all immovable properties owned by the royal family and put a permanent injunction on any transaction of any part of the property till the title suit is finally decided. The family of the former rulers of Baroda has been divided after Sangramsinh in 1991 questioned Shantadevi's right to draw up a will. Her eldest daughter Mrunalini Devi Puar and Ranjitsinh are on the other side in this dispute. Sangramsinh argues that the family is not governed by the Hindu Succession Act and that their family custom did not allow women to inherit property. Shantadevi died in May 2002. The court has now ordered a stay on the Laxmi Vilas Palace, the 707 acres surrounding the palace, the field next to the Polo Ground, the land in the front of MSU's Technology Facility, a property on Race Course Road, agricultural land near Makarpura, a bungalow at Ajwa, Shikari Chowki at Timbi, Dabka outhouse, some land near Jhambua, 5000 square meters of land on Juhu Tara Road in Mumbai, etc.

Rare Surgical Operation: A rare surgical procedure involving the joining of spinal column nerves to the limbs was performed in Baroda at Unity Hospital on 31st August. The procedure, called 'Brachial Plexus' surgery, was done by Dr. Anil Bhatia, a Pune based specialist. The operation was viewed live by a group of orthopaedics, neurologists, plastic surgeons and micro-vascular experts at the hospital's auditorium. The delicate operation involves the rejoining of disrupted nerves to their origin at the spinal column. The 12-hour long marathon operation was performed on a 21-year-old college student of the city whose right hand had been paralysed when he slipped from his motorbike.

Petrol Price Hiked: The public sector oil marketing companies have increased the retail selling prices of petrol and diesel from 1st September.

MSU Union Polls: Elections to the MS University Union, which represents about 35,000 students, will be held on September 15. The polls will be for the posts of vice-president, general secretary and faculty representatives. The last date for the filing of nominations is September 4 and the last date for withdrawals is September 6. The counting of votes and the declaration of results will take place on 15th September. In a major change from previous years, the Faculty of Commerce has been divided into four units – the main building, the General Education building, Girls College and the postgraduate unit in the Deep Building – each of which will have separate seats for faculty representatives; in the earlier system the entire faculty was considered as one unit for elections.

Grant For Poverty Alleviation Project: MS University's Faculty of Social Work (FSW) has been allocated a special grant of Rs. 4.65 million by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to work on a poverty alleviation and social development project. The programme has been approved for the period between April 2003 and March 2008. Former FSW dean Anil Navale has been appointed co-ordinator of the project.

30-08-03

BAPS Donates Software To Schools: To popularise computer education in schools, the ministry of information technology, along with an NGO – BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) – will distribute free education software packages worth Rs. 35 million to 700 schools in Gujarat, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Of these schools, 611 are from Gujarat and 98 are from Vadodara alone. The gesture will benefit over 200,000 students. Each school will get a gift package, worth Rs. 50,000, of Microsoft educational software suitable for standard of classes VI to IX.

Remembering Aloke Puranik: In memory of Baroda's late artist Aloke Puranik his friends from the artist community have put together an exhibition, 'In Search Of Reminiscences', at Aakruti Gallery. Aloke, in his early twenties, was a budding sculptor and musician. The exhibition is on till September 2, 10.30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

29-08-03

MSU Professor Develops Shiitake Mushroom: The Shiitake mushroom, which has many medicinal values, was only available outside India, mostly in Japan and China. It is the costliest mushroom in the world. Dr. Arun Arya of MS University's Botany Department has now successfully cultivated Shiitake in controlled conditions in the laboratory. The XII World Forestry Congress to be held at Canada has asked him to present his research. Researchers in China and Japan have determined that extracts of Shiitake are effective against the viruses that cause Hepatitis B, AIDS and cancerous cells. Incidentally, the common misconception is that mushrooms are poisonous. However, only 10 % of the 10,000 species are poisonous. The rest are edible and very nutritious, containing large amounts of protein, fibre, minerals (including calcium), B vitamins and vitamin C.

28-08-03

GEB To Be Spilt Into 3 Companies: The Gujarat government has decided to split the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) into separate generation, transmission and distribution companies by the end of September. The official statement said that this did not entail privatisation. The generation function will go to the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Ltd. More generation companies may be formed. Transmission will be transferred to Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation. All GEB transmission lines up to 66 KV and substations will be within the new company within one year. The distribution network will be split into four companies – for the northern, central, southern and western zones. All the companies will be subsidiaries of GEB (which will be transformed into a nodal company) with full-time managing directors.

AIDS Research At Ayurveda Hospital: Vadodara's RNP Ayurveda Hospital has received a grant of Rs.12 million from the National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) to conduct research on the beneficial effects of an indigenous compound in the treatment of AIDS. This follows the successful completion of its three-month pilot project that was carried out as per the guidance of the World Health Organisation and the Gujarat AIDS Control Society. The hospital followed the international protocol in treating HIV patients. The effectiveness of the treatment is determined by the viral load, CDIV and CDVIII counts before and after the treatment. A NACO survey says that the number of AIDS patients in India will go up to 25 million by 2010, from the present figure of 400,000. The pilot project, funded by a Surat-based NGO (Sant Shree Mahakalpuri Ayurvedic Trust), studied the effects of the ayurvedic preparation on 23 HIV patients.

Power Theft By Home Owners: In its efforts to come down heavily on power thefts and the unscrupulous people and companies behind the malpractice, the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) has also begun looking at residential colonies and big houses with disproportionately low electricity bills. It seems that some home owners are tampering with electricity meters to slow them down. GEB has even released the names of people from Vadodara city who have been charged with power theft. It has checked connections at Alkapuri, Tarsali, Karelibaug, Behrampura, Makarpura, Gotri and Gorwa. Over 100 connections were checked and 27cases of theft were detected. Bills worth Rs. 262,000 were issued to the accused. Other culprits include a restaurant at Jetalpur Road, a sweetmeat shop in Raopura, a beauty parlour near Sharda Talkies, a laundry on Makarpura Road and two grocery stores at Makarpura and Kothi.

27-08-03

You Can See The Potholes Again: Rain-drenched Baroda has begun to dry up as the water starts to drain away from the roads. You can now easily see the potholes as you drive! The city saw less rain on Tuesday (26th) and the water in the Vishwamitri River and the Ajwa Lake went down to safer levels. The district administration began shifting evacuees back to their homes. Dam safety experts from Gandhinagar and the Gujarat Engineering Research Institute (GERI) visited the Ajwa Dam and said that the leaks were not of a serious nature. At .30 p.m. therefore all the 62 gates of the dam were closed by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (the gates had earlier been opened due to fears that the accumulation of water would worsen the leakage). The Vishwamitri was down to 23 feet, four feet below the extreme danger level, and the Ajwa reservoir was at a more comforting 211 feet.

26-08-03

Vishwamitri Calms Down: By Monday (25th) afternoon the rains eased up a bit and the Vishwamitri level slowly began to reduce. However, all the 62 gates of the Ajwa Dam were kept open, bringing the reservoir level down to 212 feet. More than 5,000 persons have been evacuated from the low-lying areas downstream of the Vishwamitri. Many of them have been accommodated in 13 municipal schools. District officials managed to plug at least five leaks on the Ajwa Dam by Sunday night. The leaks were caused mainly by rats which live along the entire stretch of the earthen dam. The holes (less than half an inch in radius) were noticed on the outer flow of the dam after they began to leak as the water level in the reservoir rose to 210 feet. Rats are a common problem with earthen dams. The only way to curb the problem is by keeping a constant watch over the structure and weeding the grass that generally grows along the rim. The Ajwa Dam, built in 1892 by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad, has an earthen embankment unlike the more recent dam constructions and a catchment area of 95 sq km fed by the Surya and Wagli rivers.

1954 MSU Architecture Batch Reunion: On the 50th anniversary of the first B.Arch class of 1954 of Kalabhavan, Faculty of Technology, MSU, we propose to come together for a Reunion Day some time in March-April 2004 at Hotel Sun & Sand, Mumbai. The reunion will be hosted by architect Suryakant Pawar. Interested alumni are requested to send their complete postal address to P.M. Apte, 302-E, Gurudarshan, 7-Samarthanagar, Andheri West, Mumbai 400 053 (Ph: 26311241, 26369101, Office 22185298, email apteyconsult@hotmail.com). We hope to have with us at the reunion two of our respected teachers N.S. Pingale and S.L. Patel. From Prakash M. Apte <apteyconsult@hotmail.com>

25-08-03

Rain Disrupts Life In Baroda: Heavy rains have lashed Gujarat during the last 24 hours. Baroda too is reeling under the onslaught and the usual areas are waterlogged. With both the major underbridges near the railway station becoming unusable because of the waterlogging, traffic has been thrown completely out of gear. A large number of people are confined to their homes and many others in the low-lying areas such as Kishanwadi and Sanjaynagar in the Warasia area have been evacuated to safety as the water level in the Vishwamitri continues to rise. Over 200 families were evacuated from Vadodara and Savli Taluka after 18 lakes overflowed. In Vadodara, the district administration was put on high alert following reports of leakages in at least three places in the Ajwa Reservoir. The leakage was however minor and safety experts and engineers camping in the area attended to it. The level of Ajwa reservoir was 212 feet, two feet below the danger level. By 2.30 p.m. on 24th August all the 62 gates of the Ajwa dam were opened and water was allowed to flow into the Vishwamitri river. More rains have been forecast for the next 24 hours and officials are keeping a tight vigil as the water level in the Vishwamitri River flowing through the city has gone up significantly. The river has touched 25.6 feet. The extreme danger level is 27 feet. Road and rail traffic in the state has also been affected. Several bus services have been cancelled, specially on the Vadodara-Waghodia and Vadodara-Savli routes. The intercity bus services between Ahmedabad and Vadodara were not cancelled, but the buses ran late. Bus service to Dabhoi was also affected. Many trains are running late. Air traffic has not been affected.

Nature Camp: The Gujarat office of World Wide Fund For Nature - India will organise a nature education camp at Panchmarhi in Madhya Pradesh from September 18 to 24. Trekking, rock climbing, nature trails, bird watching, plant identification and campfire will be the main attractions of the camp. Those interested may register before August 30 at WWF-India's Vadodara office.

23-08-03

Oxford Angreji Shabdakosh: A further 37 Indian words have pushed their way into the English language. The Oxford Dictionary of English has recently come out with its updated 353,000-word listing and it includes Indian imports such as udyog, murgh and chawal. Chowki is now English, dhoti is English, and so are vaid, tal, namak and palak. Now the dictionary offers a truer picture of English as it is used around the world. The updated dictionary also officially sanctions shrimati, sindoor, nagar, bhadralok, bhasha, nai, maha, mahurat and roko. And, yes, papad too.

Handicrafts Exhibition: Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation is holding an exclusive exhibition of handicrafts and handlooms at LMP Product Display Centre, Sayajigunj, from August 22 to September 3. The exhibition features cotton and silk saris from Pochampally, Gadwal, Siddpet, Chirala, Venkatgiri and dress materials from Chirala, Mangalgiri, Siddpet and Pochampally. Also featured are artistic metal ware, black metal castings, exquisite carvings in wood, banjara hand embroidery, crochet lace from Narsapur and Hyderabad pearls.

22-08-03

Botanical Garden Status For Sayajibaug: Did you know that Sayajibaug, the pride of Baroda's gardens, has a wide range of trees and ornamental plants? The largest garden in western India (and one of the seven largest public gardens in the country), Sayajibaug has over 100 species of trees and 75 species of ornamental plants. It was established in 1879 and spreads over 87 acres. The garden's first director, an Englishman by the name of Sir John Henry, had worked in the world famous Kew Botanical Gardens in London. Arun Arya, a botanist from MS University, has now released a video CD showing the wealth of flora in the garden. Arya's CD lists the botanical name, description and importance of the trees and plants. MSU botanists are suggesting that Sayajibaug be accorded the status of a botanical garden. Incidentally, it is also known as Kamatibaug, a name which derives from the Kamatti tribals who dwelled in the area.

Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya Course: The Baroda Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya has invited applications for the one-year postgraduate diploma course in Manuscriptology, Astrology, Vastu Shastra, Karmakanda, Vyavaharik Ayurveda, Rigveda, Yajurved, Samveda, Atharvaveda, Yoga and Puran. Candidates who have a BA (Shastri) or equivalent degree in Sanskrit are eligible for the course. Candidates with a degree in Fine Arts or History will be recommended as a special case. Admission forms will be available from September 1 to 30 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Table Furnishings: From August 22 to September 15, Ayatana is offering a new range of table furnishing from Yamini Creations – cotton tablecloths, solid cotton mats and napkins and formal table linen. Also available are a collection of co-coordinated fabrics, textiles for living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms, bedspreads, cushion covers and curtains, and honeycomb weave towels in mix-and-match combinations.

IT Career Fair: The Alkapuri and Karelibaug centers of Jetking have organised a career fair on 23rd August for students who wish to make a career in the IT industry. The programme has been organised at the General Education Auditorium of MS University from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Instrumental Music Performances: Spic Macay's Baroda chapter has organised two programmes of classical Hindustani instrumental music. Ronu Majumdar will present a flute recital on August 25 and Grammy Award winner Vishwamohan Bhatt will present a recital of the modified guitar which he has named Mohan Veena on September 6. Both programmes will be held at 7 p.m. at the MS University Home Science Auditorium.

Classical Vocal Concert: Komal Nishad has organised a classical vocal concert of Ashwini Bhide Deshpande of the Jaipur Gharana at 9 p.m. on 23rd August at Hotel Surya Palace.

Rasikapriya Programme: Rasikapriya is an organisation devoted to spreading awareness about the rich traditions of Carnatic music. On August 24 it has organised a lecture demonstration of the Mridangam, a crucial accompanying instrument in both Carnatic classical music as well as classical dances such as Bharatanatyam. The demonstration will be given by Mridangam Vidwan P.S. Parmeswaran between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the residence of K. Bhanumurthy, near Kedar Flats, Subhanpura. All interested persons are invited to attend.

20-08-03

Alembic To Set Up Unit In HP: To increase its formulations manufacturing capacity, Baroda's Rs. 5700-million drug manufacturer Alembic Chemicals Ltd. is injecting Rs. 260 million in setting up a new unit at Baddi in Himachal Pradesh. Expected to be operational by the end of the year, the new formulations plant will be able to manufacture tablets as well as capsules. The decision to set up the plant follows the recent completion of the company's new active pharmaceutical ingredients and formulations manufacturing facilities at Panelav near Vadodara at a cost of Rs. 500 million.

Railway Division Gets Modern Medical Van: The Vadodara Division of the Western Railway has acquired a self-propelled accident relief medical van. The second in this sector after Jaipur, the medical van ensures quick, adequate and effective medical treatment to victims of train accident. It is equipped with modern facilities and has an operation theatre too. The two-coach van has a power-car coach and a medical coach. The power-car coach is equipped with oxyacetylene gas cutting equipment, which enables cutting of windowpanes and coaches to bring passengers out in an emergency. The coach also has a generator set for power generation, including air-conditioning for 3-4 days when the unit is to be sent to a remote site. There is an air-conditioned medical ward with 12 beds. The communication facilities comprise an internal GSM mobile exchange and digital cameras. There are 12 such self-propelled medical vans with the Indian Railways.

National Motocross: Baroda will shortly host a national motocross event after a gap of 14 years. The third leg of the MRF National Motocross will be held in the city on August 31. The leg at Vadodara is part of the championship that has six legs in all. The first two legs of the circuit were held at Pune and Jaipur. The event will see 150 participants from across the country battle it out in the Vadodara leg as well as consolidate their positions in the overall rankings. The design of the track, at the Akota Stadium, has been finalised and work is expected to begin soon. About 250 truckloads of soil will be used for the track.

18-08-03

Krishna In Art: The Sarjan Art Gallery has planned an exhibition – 'Krishna in Art' – displaying the ways in which Indian artists and craftspersons have depicted Krishna in the visual arts over the years. The exhibition will open on 24th August and continue till 6th September. The exhibition is divided into four categories: modern Indian artists such as M.F. Husain, Atul Dodiya, Amit Ambalal, Manjit Bawa and Haku Shah; artists from Gujarat in the first half of the 20th century such as Somalal Shah, Kumar Mangalsinhji, Khodidas Parmar, Kanu Desai and Vinay Trivedi; craft-based artworks; miniatures. The smallest painting at the exhibition will be a 4 inch x 4 inch Nathdwara miniature, and the largest will be an Atul Dodiya work measuring 6 feet X 4 feet.

Gold Festival: The Vadodara Jewellers Forum has organised a unique Gold Festival where customers have the opportunity to win a bumper prize of one kg gold and several other prizes. 38 prominent jewellery outlets in the city have participated in the festival. Totally there are 501 prizes to be won in weekly draws and finally there will be a mega draw. The festival, supported by the World Gold council, is on till 8th September.

Meteorological Park: Gujarat Nature Conservation Society has inaugurated a newly constructed meteorological park at Sindhrot. Five instruments have been installed to study and collect data about weather.

For Australia-Bound Students: Baroda Management Association (BMA) will arrange counselling sessions for admissions to Australian universities and colleges in diploma, undergraduates, postgraduate and doctorate courses for students in various fields like IT, Engineering Science, Education and Health, Business and Law, Media and Arts. Interested students may contact BMA between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on 21st and 28th August.

14-08-03

Bhupen Khakhar Passes Away: Internationally acclaimed artist Bhupen Khakhar passed away in Baroda on 8th August. He was 69. Born in Mumbai and a chartered accountant by training, he had settled in Baroda many years back and played a major role in putting the city on the world art map. He had also distinguished himself with his Gujarati writings (Maganlalno Gundar, Mochila Manilal). Above all, everyone who met him agreed that the man was a gentleman to the core. As a tribute to him, a month-long retrospective of his paintings will be held from October 1 in Mumbai.

Disturbance In Akota: Three persons were injured in rioting that broke out on 12th August in the Shivajipura locality of Akota area over a gambling dispute. A minor tiff over gambling snowballed into a riot as members of different groups were involved in the dispute. The police rushed to the spot, fired three rounds from revolvers and lobbed eight tear-gas shells to quickly bring a potentially dangerous situation under control. A policeman was injured after a 9 mm semiautomatic carbine of a police commando fired accidentally.

City Youngsters To Perform In Turkey: A group of young cultural ambassadors from Baroda will present glimpses of India at the International Harman Folklore Festival to be held in Istanbul, Turkey, between August 20 and 26. The festival is designed to promote world peace, friendship and love and it will have participants from 12 countries. Baroda's 24-member troupe will include students from various city schools. Students from Navrachna, Vidyani, Bhavan's, Rosary and Shreyas will present 14 folk dance forms of India along with some Hindi film songs.

05-08-03

MSU Study On Diets & Diabetics: MS University's Department of Foods & Nutrition has been redesignated as a WHO (World Health Organisation) collaborating centre for Anaemia Control and Diet Related Non-Communicable Diseases. The centre has recently compiled a list of the glycemic indices of 120 types of conventional Indian foods after 20 years of work in the field of 'diet and diabetics'. Over 500 varieties of food have been classified on the basis of the glycemic indices the world over, but there has been no study of the ethnic food types in India even though India leads the world in the number of diabetes patients. The MSU study may surprise some people. For instance: cuisine heavy in cereals like the Gujarati thali has a high glycemic index (80), whereas if you combine cereals with pulses and vegetables you can bring down the levels to as low as 60. The university plans to start a diet counselling centre where patients will be advised about diets for specific diseases.

Mahavir International Scholarships: The Vadodara Kendra of Mahavir International along with Mahavir Foundation Trust handed over scholarships worth Rs. 600 each to two toppers in Class 7 of all the 117 Vadodara Municipal Corporation schools. Mahavir International has announced another scholarship programme according to which Class 10 students from 40 schools will be helped financially.

Bodhi Women Weave: A collection of sarees, stoles, dupattas and yardage to match. This refreshing new collection is designed by Chelna Desai for Sally Holkar of 'Women Weave' (an NGO) and by the weavers of Maheshwar, an ancient town in Madhya Pradesh on the banks of the Narmada River. The preview of the collection will be on 6th August between 5 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. The collection will be available between 7th and 16th August at Bodhi.

Modern Art From Bengal: The new art season has opened at Sarjan Gallery with an ambitious exhibition, 'Modern Art From Bengal'. It features a selected group of representative artists spanning a range of artistic development in Bengal from the turn of the 19th century to the turn of the last one. The exhibition will continue till August 17 (12 noon to 8 p.m.). The artists: Binod Bihari Mukherjee, Ganesh Pyne, Hemen Mazumdar, Jayashree Chakravorty, K.G. Subramanyan, Nandlal Bose, Ram Kinker Baij, Shamal Dutta Ray, Shakti Burman.

01-08-03

Play Time: Stagecraft and Indu present 'Woh Tum Hi Ho', a comedy starring Shekhar Suman, at Gandhi Nagargruh. August 8. 9.30 p.m.

Musical Notes: Komal Nishad has invited music maestro Pandit Jasraj on August 2 for a performance at ONGC (Makarpura). 8 p.m. onwards.

31-07-03

Demat Account For Gold: Since keeping gold safely is a bit of a problem for many investors, Bank of Baroda has proposed a scheme to allow for the trading of gold in dematerialised form. The bank may allow people to open special accounts only for gold. Instead of buying the gold in the physical form, account holders can place their orders with the bank, which in turn will buy and sell gold from the market on their behalf. The account will be maintained in grams and whenever a request is made gold will be credited or debited from the account. This is similar to a demat account for shares. The draft of the scheme is ready and the bank will soon approach the Reserve Bank of India for clearance. Such a scheme will benefit people in Gujarat quite a lot (Ahmedabad alone accounted for nearly 30 per cent of the bullion trade in India till last year).

VMC To Sell Stray Pigs: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) seems to have arrived at a solution for the proliferating problem of stray pigs within the city. The corporation has decided to sell the stray pigs that are impounded daily to a Mumbai based buyer. The VMC pays Rs. 50 per pig to a Madurai based pig-catcher and 1,100 pigs have already been caught. These pigs are presently kept in a pound earmarked for this purpose at Atladra.

30-07-03

Cardiology Conclave: More than 400 cardiologists from all over India will be in Vadodara on August 2 and 3 to participate in a national conference organised by the Baroda Heart Institute. Heart experts from reputed hospitals such as Jaslok, Apollo and AIIMS will present papers at the conference. A session for the public has also been organised at the C.C. Mehta Auditorium; it will be addressed by renowned cardiologist Dr. A.V. Gupta from Mumbai.

29-07-03

Heavy Rains In Gujarat: As heavy rains continue to lash Gujarat, 33 of the total 184 irrigation dams in Gujarat are overflowing. Vadodara has had 21 inches of rain so far this season. The rainfall figures for some places in the district: Pavi Jetpur (609 mm); Dabhoi (1022 mm); Chhota Udepur (894 mm); Naswadi (871 mm); Padra (178 mm); Vadodara (524 mm); Waghodia (384 mm); Savli (546 mm); Shinor (413 mm); Sankheda (992 mm); Kawanth (592 mm).

28-07-03

New Sewage Treatment Plant: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new sewage treatment plant at Gajrawadi on 26th July. The sewage plant has been built at a cost of Rs. 114 million and has a capacity of 66 million litres per day (MLD). The state-of-the-ar