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Baroda Diary: Previous Stories
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. 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-art plant has an
inbuilt activated sludge processor, which can generate biogas that can be used
to produce electricity. The city produces about 215 MLD of sewage water. Of
this, only 124 MLD was treated until now and the rest was released into the
Vishwamitri River. With the commissioning of the new plant around 190 MLD of
sewage will now be treated. The VMC currently operates three sewage plants in
the city at Gajrawadi Zone 1, Atladra and Tarsali.
25-07-03
Heritage Walk: Following the success of the
heritage walk introduced by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, the Friends of
Museum (FOM) Society are planning something similar in Vadodara. The idea is to
create awareness about the city among residents. The heritage walk will have two
routes one within the Walled City and the other outside it. The walled city
route will cover the pols as well as places like Juni Ghadi, Mairar No Wado,
Fadnis Ni Wadi, the old mint, Amba Mata Ni Pol, Jumma Masjid (which has the
largest Quran in Asia), Nyaymandir, Sursagar, Tambekar Wada, etc.
Student Bootlegger: A first year BA student of
MS University was arrested for bootlegging by the Prevention of Crime Branch on
24th July. He was caught dealing in liquor worth Rs. 90,000. The student,
originally from Haryana, stayed at a rented house on VIP Road in Karelibaug. The
police recovered 303 bottles of liquor, a mobile phone and Rs. 2,100 from the
student.
Garba Enthusiast Honoured: Barodian singer and
garba enthusiast Malti Patel has been honoured with the Lions International
Award for Cultural & Community Activities by the Lions International
headquarters at Illinois, USA. The award recognises her contribution in
compiling popular traditional and modern garbas in a book form for singers,
dancers and garba lovers. She started her work in 1970 with a volume of 101
garbas, upgrading them to 251 now.
INSONA Office-Bearers: Mrunalini Puar was
unanimously elected president of the International Society of Naturalists (INSONA)
at its annual general body meeting held in the Environmental Temple at Motibaug
on 24th July. The other office-bearers are M.S. Swaminathan and Anil R. Jain
(vice presidents) and G.M. Oza (general secretary), Premlata Oza (joint
secretary). The office-bearers and executive committee members have been elected
for a period of two years.
Consumer Information Centre: Consumer Protection
Council, Vadodara centre, will open an information centre at Nizampura on July
31 in collaboration with Senior Citizen's Association.
IIMM Chairman: R.S. Sodha, Managing Director,
Chemtech Intermediate Pvt. Ltd., has been elected chairman of Indian Institute
of Materials Management, Vadodara, for 2003-05 at its annual general meeting.
Art Of Living Courses: The Art of Living Courses
will be held at Haribhakti Arogya Mandir (near Cash & Carry Lane), Divya
Jyot Hall (Makarpura) and Kirti Mandir (opposite SSG Hospital) from July 29 to
August 3 between 6.00 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. For registration and details, please
visit 109, Radhakrishna Complex (A-Wing), Near Akota Garden, Akota, or call
2341804 and 5540138.
Exhibition Of Dress Materials: Nikita Zaveri and
Sonali Zaveri have organised an exhibition-cum-sale of dress materials in
Pochampalli, cottons and silk patolas from the South at the Trisha Art Gallery
on July 28 and 29 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
24-07-03
VRS Bonanza In City: So
many of Baroda's large companies have recently offered voluntary retirement
schemes (VRS) to their employees in the last two years that deposits in the
postal department's monthly income scheme (MIS) have jumped over 10 times. The
companies, which announced the schemes, are IPCL, IOC, ONGC, Bank of Baroda,
Jyoti, Transpek, etc. At least Rs. 600,000 per head has been invested in MIS by
people who have accepted VRS. Even investments in the National Savings
Certificates (NSC) have gone up four-fold. MIS deposits in the postal
department's Vadodara region rose from Rs. 518 million in 2000-2001 to Rs. 5,740
million in 2002 2003. Investments in NSC rose from Rs.1453 million to Rs.
6879 million. The main reasons for the preference of MIS are:
- The failure of the co-operative banks in Gujarat Expansion At ABB Baroda: ABB India, the Indian
wing of the Swiss-Swedish power and automation technologies group, will invest
Rs. 350 million in six new product lines at its Baroda and Bangalore
manufacturing facilities. The new product lines at the Bangalore unit will be in
the field of low voltage switchgears, while the Baroda unit will have additional
lines for high- and low-voltage electrical products. ABB has recently doubled
its power transformer capacity at Baroda to over 5000 MVA, for which it has
already pumped in Rs. 300 million. Its Baroda unit is its largest in India, with
a workforce of around 1,000, and it has started exporting transformers to USA.
23-07-03
General Motors Pushes Ahead From Halol: General
Motors India (GMI) plans to make 50,000 cars annually by 2005. The company has
begun working two shifts at its Halol plant following the launch of Chevrolet
Optra this month. The company, expecting to produce 25,000 passenger cars this
year, has doubled the number of employees at Halol to over 900. It sold 8,500
cars last year. The Corsa range and Chevrolet Optra are expected to give the
volumes, and Astra, Vectra and Forester will target the niche segments. GMI also
plans to export to Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Barring Opel Vectra and
Chevrolet Forester, all the models marketed by GMI are manufactured in India.
The company has invested Rs. 12,000 million.
Railway Tickets On Internet: Indian Railways
have announced that people may book tickets on the Internet <www.irctc.co.in>.
Doorstep delivery of the tickets is assured. The cities covered in Gujarat are
Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Baroda, Surat, Anand, Rajkot, Silvassa and Vapi.
Multiple payment options are available.
Income-Tax Raids: The Income-Tax Department
carried out raids in the premises of 11 doctors in Vadodara, Anand and Bharuch
on 22nd July. Seven medicos in Vadodara and two each in Anand and Bharuch were
targeted by the department during the raids. Sixty officers of the department
conducted the raids simultaneously.
22-07-03
Science Centre Proposed: The response to the
recently opened Science Park in Sayajibaug has been encouraging enough for the
Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) to think in terms of a more ambitious
project. Mayor N.V. Patel has written to the Indian National Science Academy (INSA)
suggesting the establishment of a Science Centre on the lines of the
Visveswaraya Science Centre in Bangalore or the one in Kolkata. The estimated
cost of the project is around Rs. 200 million.
Counting The Larries: Here is something for the
statistically minded to consider. There are 2,309 licenced larries and about
3,405 unlicenced larries in Baroda. Administrative Ward No. 4, which includes
the GIDC Makarpura area, tops the list of unlicenced larries at 998, while the
licenced ones are merely 211. For the last five years, no licence has been
issued for larrie-owners in this area! The Sayajigunj area, which falls in
administrative Ward No. 6, accounts for nearly 522 unlicenced larries.
NGO's Organic Dabba: City based NGO Paryavaran
Suraksha Samiti has set up an outlet to serve food prepared from organic raw
materials only. The aim is to eliminate chemicals, trace metals and other
harmful substances that find their way into the food we eat. The outlet, called
Apna Dhaba, offers vegetarian tiffins on order. Its vegetables, dals, hand-pound
rice and spices are grown by farmers and tribals who do not use synthetic
fertilisers, hybrid seeds and pesticides and who still practice traditional and
organic methods of food production. The lunch tiffins serve a seasonal
vegetable, dal, rice, five rotis and salad for Rs. 45. Dinner comprises of a
seasonal vegetable, khichdi, five rotis and salad for Rs. 25. Orders are
accepted between 7 p.m. and 10.30 a.m. on 98982-53486 or 2334461.
Art Of Living Courses: Baroda's Vyakti Vikas
Kendra will conduct Art of Living courses from July 22 to July 27 at Jeevan
Darshan Hall, Near Lady Pilar Hospital, Fatehgunj, and Kirti Mandir, Opposite
SSG Hospital, from 6 a.m. to 8.30 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. at
Balvantrai Mehta Hall. It will also conduct Art of Excel course for children
between 8 and 15 at GEB School, Old Padra Road, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
17-07-03
Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya Courses: The Sanskrit
Mahavidyalaya of MS University has begun admissions to Rigveda, Shukla Yajurveda,
Krishna Yajurveda, Samveda Atharveda Puran, Karmakand, Jyotish Shastra,
Dharmashastra, Vastushastra, Vyakarana Shastra, and Sahityashastra courses.
Application forms will be available from the office between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The last date for the submission of application forms is July 31.
Inox Story 2: Following an undertaking given by
the management of Inox multiplex, Baroda Police Commissioner Sudhir Sinha has
reduced the license suspension period for the multiplex from 10 days to 3 days.
The multiplex can resume movie shows from 19th July. See earlier
story.
16-07-03
Kahani Kable Konnections Ki: According to the
official figures, the number of cable TV connections in Vadodara city is only
75,000. Of course, this figure represents the total of the numbers reported by
the individual cable operators. And not all cable operators report correctly,
because they have to pay the government on the basis of their numbers. Waking up
belatedly to this obvious ploy, the Vadodara district collectorate did a little
survey on its own. The figure they have come up with is 117,111 cable TV
connections. A more likely statistic seems to be that provided by the cable
service providers, who claim that the count should be around 200,000. A majority
of the 42,111 'illegal' connections were found in the old city areas
especially in Panigate, Yakutpura, Manjalpur, Wadi and Dandia Bazaar.
Rough Stuff At The Race Course: A dance
programme, a little brawl that became large, and then there was some violence.
Guess where it all began? At the Inox Multiplex! An unpleasant thing at a much
hyped happening place. What with one thing and another, Inox has been asked by
the authorities to suspend movie shows for ten days. There are apparently three
complaints pertaining to the incident: one, that permission had not been taken
to organise a dance on the premises; two, that the security guards did not
attempt to intervene; three, that the multiplex did not inform the police
regarding the incident. It seems that the spark was quite insignificant, but it
somehow led later to a skirmish of quite menacing proportions at Akota before it
was contained.
15-07-03
Getting After The Power Thieves: The Gujarat
Electricity Board (GEB) at Baroda now has its own police station, staffed by
both ex-army personnel and policemen. Their job is to prevent the theft of
electricity in five districts Vadodara, Dahod, Panchmahals, Kheda and Anand.
GEB's transmission and distribution losses are a massive 28.6 per cent, and it
faces losses of up to Rs. 20,000 million. The police station's personnel will
provide protection to GEB teams, which conduct raids to detect power thefts.
During the past year, over 1.9 million connections were raided, 20,000 were
found to be involved in theft and billed Rs. 2,300 million.
Sex Ratio Poor In Vadodara: It looks as if the 'Sanskari
Nagari' too has some catching up to do with regard to its attitude toward the
girl child. Gujarat's population growth between 1991 and 2001 was 22.3 per cent,
above the national rate of 21.5 per cent. More worrying is the skewed male to
female ratio: the national ratio is 927 females per 1000 males, but in Gujarat
it is 919. For children below six years this ratio in Gujarat is still worse
only 878 females per 1000 males. The explanation for this lies in the attitude
towards the girl child and the consequent proliferation of illegal sex
determination clinics. The sex ratio is more adverse in the urban areas and in
the affluent communities, areas where people can afford modern medical
intervention. In areas which are economically not as affluent, the sex ratio is
not as skewed. Some of the districts that fare poorly in the sex ratio for
children below six years are Mehsana (798), Vadodara (875), Ahmedabad (814),
Gandhinagar (816), Surat (872) and Rajkot (853). The sex ratio is better in
tribal societies where the girl child is considered an asset due to the
prevailing social customs. In Panchmahals the sex ratio is 939, in Banaskantha
it is 931 and in Dangs it is 986.
12-07-03
Heavy Rain Throws City Out Of Gear: Heavy rains
and strong winds caught Barodians by surprise on Friday, but what was not
surprising was that many roads in the city were hopelessly waterlogged. Traffic
was disrupted in Nyaya Mandir, Raopura, Nagarwada, Race Course and Gorwa. The
railway station area and Alkapuri also witnessed traffic jams as a number of
vehicles broke down in knee-deep water. Of course, both the underbridges near
the railway station were not negotiable for a few hours. However, what's new
about all this? Nothing whatsoever. The scene repeats itself every year. We
yearn for the rains, and when they do come Baroda is overwhelmed. When will we
get to really enjoy the monsoons in this city?
11-07-03
On The Stage: Mumbai Glassgow Print Exhibition: British
Council, Cymroza Art Gallery and MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts are
holding the Mumbai Glassgow print exhibition up to July 16 at the Faculty of
Fine Arts from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. The event showcases the works of British
and Indian printmakers who participated in the Glassgow Print Studio and Sir JJ
School of Arts programme.
Musical Conference: Swar Vilas and United Way of
Vadodara have organised a musical conference for upcoming classical vocalists
below the age of 30 on August 24. Aspirants can present recorded audiocassettes
to B.V. Marathe before August 1.
Punjabi Cultural Programme: Northern India
Cultural Association presents the Raunuan Punjab Dian with a programme of
Punjabi folk dances, gidda, bhangra and songs led by Tanvinder Arora. General
Education Auditorium, 8.00 p.m., July 19.
Toy Making Programme: Community Science Centre,
Vadodara, will conduct 'Scientific Toy Making' and 'Science Projects' programmes
for students of classes 2 to 10 every Saturday. Swati Badekar will conduct this
programme. For details ring 2389749.
Adventure Camp: Harmony Nature Adventure Club of
Vadodara will organise the Leh-Ladakh adventure trail from July 28 to August 13.
10-07-03
Deccan Odyssey Will Overtake Palace On Wheels:
The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation is getting itself a luxurious Rs.
320-million, 21-coach train which may overshadow Rajasthan's popular Palace On
Wheels. Take a look at some of the features: An airconditioning system that
allows temperatures to be regulated inside cabins; Six-channel music system;
Closed-circuit TV; Provision for mobile phone connection and Internet surfing;
Conference car; Sauna, gymnasium, massage rooms; Yoga and meditation area.
The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Perambur is busy working on the train's
13 passenger cars, two generator cars, two restaurant cars, conference car, bar
car, staff car and health car. The train is expected to begin its trial run in
August and go commercial by October. What will this cost the tourist? A cool
$2,500, or Rs. 110,000, for a seven-day trip through Mumbai, Ratnagiri,
Sindhudurg, Goa, Pune, Aurangabad, Jalgaon and Nasik. The fare includes food and
entry charges into tourist spots.
Deodorants In A Dry State: Thanks to the
prohibition laws, Gujarat restricts the entry of alcohol-containing medicines
and toiletries. Alcohol-based deodorants and colognes need a licence from the
excise and prohibition department before they are allowed in. The process of
getting a licence is complicated, and this becomes an excuse for some retailers
to smuggle the goods in.
09-07-03
IPCL Offers VRS to 1550 Employees: Indian
Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd. (IPCL) has reduced its workforce by offering a
voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to 1,550 employees at a cost of Rs. 1,200
million. The workforce is down from 13,150 to 11,600. The VRS payment is
equivalent to two months' salary for each completed year of service or two
months' salary for each month of service left, whichever is less. IPCL had been
taken over by Reliance Industries in June 2002 by acquiring the government's 26
per cent stake for about Rs. 14,900 million.
Baroda's Royal Dispute: With the will of the
late Rajmata Shantadevi Gaekwad becoming public, the dispute in the Gaekwad
royal family of Baroda has taken another turn. Shantadevi's youngest son,
Sangramsinh, says that the will has not been executed as per the provisions of
the law. A Vadodara civil court has ordered Ranjitsinh, his sister and MS
University chancellor Mrunalinidevi Puar and his son Samarjitsinh to maintain a
status quo on all the properties of the royal family till July 9. Thus, even the
exhibition grounds cannot be rented out. In a case filed in the High Court in
1991, Sangramsinh had questioned Shantadevi's right to draw up a will in the
first place, maintaining that they are not governed by the Hindu Succession Act
and that their family custom does not allow women to inherit property. According
to the petition made by Sangramsinh, the Hindu Succession Act, by which property
can pass onto heirs, irrespective of whether they are male or female, does not
apply to Shantadevi's case as Fatehsinhrao's property came under the purview of
the agreement of merger. Fatehsinhrao was the last king of the Baroda State
before it acceded to the Indian Union. Mrunalinidevi Puar is the eldest in the
family, and Ranjitsinh is the eldest male member of the family. At stake in the
dispute is the vast amount of moveable and immovable property that the family
controls, including the Laxmi Vilas Palace and its 707 acres of land at Baroda.
There is also the Nazarbaug Palace at Baroda, which is of course in urgent need
of repairs. The family owns innumerable precious stones in the crown and
invaluable diamonds like the 'Star of the South' and 'The Akbar Shah'. Another
high-value possession is the Meherangadh Palace on the Juhu-Tara Road in Mumbai;
the cost of the land itself is estimated to be more than Rs. 1,000 million. The
value of the heirloom jewellery of the family may be over Rs. Rs. 50 million.
And one should of course not forget the full armoury of weapons, the golden and
silver cannons, the royal buggy, numerous antiques, paintings from the
Renaissance Period and paintings of the famous painter Raja Ravi Verma.
Taj Takes Over Tropicana: As part of its
expansion strategy, Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces has entered into a
management contract with the Tropicana Hotel and Convention Centre in Vadodara
to take over its day-to-day operations. The hotel has been renamed Taj
Residency, Vadodara, and will be part of the Taj Business Hotels.
Glimpse Of African Art: An exhibition of African
artefacts will be held at Yamini (Aayatna) on July 11-12. Collectibles like
masks, salad bowls, candle stands, napkin rings, etc., will be on sale.
Memorial Play: Bhumika Art Circle will stage a
special show Mahanirvan by prominent playwright Satish Alekar in memory
of popular theatre personality the late Yashwant Kelkar at Mahatma Gandhi
Nagargruh on July 10. The play is directed by Prabhakar Dabhade.
08-07-03
Innovative Anti-Malaria Measure: The Vadodara
Municipal Corporation (VMC) has stepped up its anti-mosquito measures in the
malaria-prone monsoon months. It is now releasing fish which prey on the
insect's larvae in ponds and waterlogged areas. VMC has also begun a drive to
remove waste tyres, whose dark, hollow spaces are favoured breeding grounds for
mosquitoes. The civic body will also increase vegetation to prevent water
stagnation. This is a major change from the earlier practice of spraying MLO
(mosquito larvecite oil) to prevent mosquito breeding. The fish being released
in the waterlogged areas are of the gumpuscia variety, taken from Sursagar Lake,
where they are found in plenty.
Biotech Park At Savli: The Gujarat Industrial
Development Corporation (GIDC) is setting up the Gujarat Bio-tech Park at
Vadodara, eight km from the National Highway, in the Savli industrial estate at
Manjusar village. The Rs. 540 million project, spread over 90 hectares, will
concentrate on the pharmaceutical sector. Its major feature will be the
incubator blocks which can be used by entrepreneurs to carry out research and
development activities. MS University of Baroda will be associated with this
park and some internationally acclaimed university may also participate in
future.
Bunking Ban At MSU: MS University has decided to
make 80 per cent attendance in lectures compulsory. Those failing to maintain
the same will not be allowed to sit in the examinations. This decision was taken
at a recent deans' meeting. The university already has an ordinance regarding
attendance norms, but it has not been enforced effectively. It was also decided
to make internal examinations compulsory for all the students.
05-07-03
Central Status Proposed For MSU: The MS
University vice chancellor has proposed that MSU can improve its financial
situation if it were to be upgraded to a central university. Such a status would
need to be conferred by an Act of Parliament and it would then bring MSU under
the direct supervision of India's Ministry of Human Resources through the UGC
(University Grants Commission). This would transfer the financial liabilities of
the university, roughly Rs. 600 million per year, to the Central Government.
Besides, the status of a central university has its own prestige. The President
of India would then become a visitor at the university, instead of the Gujarat
Governor as is the practice now. But it is feared in certain quarters that if
the proposal is accepted the local character of the university may be
compromised. The proposal will first be presented to all MSU deans and
department heads and later to the university senate and the syndicate. Fourteen
Indian universities currently have the status of a central university. These
include Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Banaras Hindu University (BHU),
Hyderabad University, Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia University.
Alembic's Sets Up Contract Research Division: To
step up its contract research business Baroda's Alembic has set up a separate
division BioArc Research Solutions to focus on providing research and
development services to multinational pharmaceutical companies. The new division
will employ 150 scientists and involve an initial investment of Rs. 150 million.
BioArc will provide services in synthetic organic chemistry, process chemistry
at gram to kilogram levels, custom synthesis, impurity isolation and synthesis,
analytical chemistry and formulation development. Alembic has recently entered
into a contract research agreement with Chiron Corporation, Emeryville,
California, to offer its expertise offered in heterocyclic chemistry. Following
up on Alembic's research, Chiron is expected to develop new drugs for different
therapeutic segments.
Furniture Exhibition: A three-day exhibition to
Rajasthani handicrafts and furniture of the Amiti India Bazar will be organised
at the Sienna Gallery, Alkapuri, from July 11. The attraction of the exhibition
will be a range of bullock-cart furniture items made from old bullock-cart
parts.
04-07-03
VMC Gas Wing Considers Corporatisation: The
Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is thinking about handing over its gas
distribution network to an autonomous corporation or a public limited company.
The need to corporatise the gas department arose after private players like the
Adanis obtained permission from the Gujarat industry ministry for setting up
their operations in the city. VMC has not really been able to meet the demand of
potential customers living on the outskirts of the city. Over 15,000
applications for new gas connections have been received, most of them from areas
like Gotri, Manjalpur, GIDC Makarpura and Waghodia Road. The VMC gas department
was established in 1968. The civic body buys gas at Rs. 3.90 per unit and its
supply cost is Rs. 4.90 per unit. It has 64,000 domestic customers and 2,200
commercial customers.
Painters' Camp: A weeklong painters' camp will
begin at Bungalow 1/3, Gujarat Refinery Township, on July 7. Sponsored by
Gujarat Refinery, the camp will feature six artists Indrapramit Roy, Subha
De, Sashidharan, Jitendrasingh Baoni, Sumati Gangopadhyay and digital artist
Rahul Gajjar. Three senior artists Gulam Mohammad Sheikh, Vinod Shah and
Ranjitsinh Gaekwad will also attend the camp for a day and create a drawing
or a painting. The camp will continue till July 13 and will be open every day
between 6 and 7.30 p.m. for art students, friends and interested members of the
general public to interact with the artists. On the evening of July 13, an
informal exhibition of the works created during the camp will be held at the
camp venue.
Handpainted Tops Exhibition: An exhibition of
handpainted tops will be held at 3, Bell E Vista Complex, Race Course Circle,
from July 9 to 11. The tops with creatives of Madhubani and Warli designs have
been prepared by young school students.
Deliciously South: A food festival showcasing
the authentic cuisine of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, at
Taj Residency, July 4 to 20. With master chefs from Taj Residency, Ernakulum,
and Taj Coromandel, Chennai. A la Carte for lunch, buffets for dinner.
Corn Festival: Makai Utsav is on at Havmor
Restaurant, Sayajigunj. The delicacies include sweet corn rainbow soup, corn
chatpata, minicorn on the cob, stir fried corn with burnt ginger and garlic.
Speakers' Forum: To encourage, develop and
sharpen the art of public speaking, the Baroda Management Association (BMA) has
started a 'Speakers Forum'. Participants can contact BMA on phone no. 2330632 or
2344135 or email bmal@d2visp.com.
Principals' Seminar: In order to promote
environment education and create nature conservation awareness, the Gujarat
Nature Conservation Society (GNCS) has organised a 'Principals' Meet' on July 11
for the heads of secondary schools. The seminar will be held at Nature Education
Park, Near Shram Mandir, Sindhrot, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Principals can register
their participation before July 9 on phone no. 2888019.
Import-Export Course: Indian Institute of Export
Society will begin a four-month postgraduate diploma course in export-import
management from July 21. Interested persons should contact the society's office
at Sayajigunj.
Corrosion Control Congress: The National
Corrosion Council of India (NCCI), MS University of Baroda and the Central
Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI) will hold the 11th National Congress
on Corrosion Control from July 17 to 19 at Taj Residency, Baroda. About 150
research papers will be presented and an exhibition of the manufacturers,
dealers, and suppliers of products, instruments and books will be arranged.
Seminar For Umpires: The Baroda Cricket
Association will organize a three-day seminar for umpires of the association at
Hotel Surya Palace from July 18 to 20. The seminar will be followed by a
qualifying examination conducted by faculty members belonging to the Mumbai
Cricket Association.
02-07-03
MSU-Industry Interaction: The Federation of
Gujarat Industries (FGI) and MS University's Faculty of Technology &
Engineering (FTE) have joined hands to explore the possibilities of mutual
cooperation. They have formed an 'Industry Institution Interaction' (III) cell
at the faculty. The idea is to provide a platform that could institutionalise
research and innovation in a laboratory set-up. The cell will have a core team
and five sub-committees focussing on specific issues such as resource
mobilistion, research and consultancy, student training and projects, faculty
enhancement and publicity of the work.
Khaki Banned For Private Guards: The Baroda
police has issued a notification banning the personnel of private security
agencies from wearing khaki uniforms with immediate effect. Police commissioner
S.K. Sinha said that the reason behind the ban is that ordinary citizens were
often misled into believing that private security guards in khaki were
policemen. The ban order was issued after three private securitymen barged into
a house along with an NRI who had hired them for his personal security.
NSIC Office Opened: The National Small
Industries Corporation (NSIC) has opened a sub-office in Vadodara in the
premises of the Federation of Small Scale Industries (Palace Plaza, Lalbaug
Road). Vikash Goyal, business development manager of NSIC, will take charge of
the Vadodara office with immediate effect.
01-07-03
Tough Times For SSI Units: Figures available
with the District Industries Centre (DIC) at Vadodara reveal that about 40 per
cent of the small-scale industries (SSIs) in the region have shut down in the
last three years. A preliminary DIC survey for the Development Commissioner (SSI),
New Delhi, shows that of the 11,431 units in the district, 4,450 have shut down
in the last three years. Around 6,103 units are still functional, while 869
either did not respond to the survey or provided insufficient data. The DIC also
surveyed large-scale and medium-scale units in 2001, and found that 67 of the
260 units had shut shop in the region while 10 had not responded. Vadodara
taluka was the worst affected; 37 of the 137 units had closed down.
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