Baroda Archive News

MSU prof appointed VC of Sanskrit varsity in Puri

Professor Rabindra Kumar Panda from M S University has been appointed as vice-chancellor (VC) of Shri Jagannath Sanskrit Vishvavidyalaya in Puri, Odisha, for a term of four years.

Odisha governor professor Ganeshi Lal appointed Panda as VC on Sunday. Panda, a professor in the department of Sanskrit, Pali & Prakrit of Faculty
of Arts, has served as head of the department and principal of Baroda Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya for almost a decade. Panda was earlier a student at the Sanskrit university where he has been appointed as the VC. “This appointment will provide a chance to me to serve my alma matter,” said Panda. (06-09-2022)

MSU prof in Int’l Council of Museums’ executive board

Professor Ambika Patel, head of MS University’s museology department from faculty of fine arts has been elected as the executive board member of the regional alliance of Asia-Pacific countries of the International Council of Museums (ICOM ASPAC) during its annual conference held recently at Prague, Czech Republic.

She has been elected for the period between 2022 and 2025.

ICOM ASPAC provides forum for exchange and co-operation between museum and museum professionals participating in the 24 national committees of Asia Pacific region.

Patel is the chair of the ICOM national committee of India from 2021 to 2024. “

It is a matter of pride and privilege to represent India in the regional alliance executive board to make national and regional voice heard by the global community,” said Patel “This opportunity will enable me to raise public cultural awareness through global networks and co-operation programmes,” she added. (05-09-2022)

URJA 2022: Royal family’s two-day exhibition

Works of over 25 artisans will be exhibited during URJA 2022 organized by Shree Maharani Chimnabai Stree Udyogalaya (SMCSU) in the city. The two-day exhibition will start on Friday at SMCSU premises behind Sursagar Lake.

“Apart from the handmade works of the artisans, one of the key features of this exhibition will be food and beverage. Traditional Maharashtrian and Gujarati cuisines will be on offer for people,” said Radhikaraje Gaekwad, vice-president of SMCSU.

The LGBTQI community from Lakshya Trust is also helping the trust in organizing the exhibition. Proceeds from the exhibition will be used in a unique project wherein the royal Gaekwad family plans to start an LGBTQI café in the city. Members of the community will manage and run the café which is expected to start by December this year. The trust is also running a programme wherein women are being trained in driving autorickshaws and heavy vehicles so that they can work in public transport. (02-09-2022)

16th C aviary turns into modern veterinary hospital

‘The house of this hospital is small, a little room sufficing for many birds: yet I saw if full of birds of all sorts which need tendance, as cocks, hens, pigeons, peacocks, ducks and small birds, which during their being lame, or sick, or mateless, are kept here, but being recover’d and in good plight, if they be wild they are let go at liberty: if domestick they are given to some pious person who keeps them in his house (sic).’

Very few know that Gujarat’s coastal town – Khambhat – had a dedicated veterinary clinic to treat birds as early as 1539.

The Italian traveller has even noted that he turned most curious when he saw that “little orphaned mice” were brought to the hospital.

It is one of the oldest known veterinary hospitals in the world,” said Dr. Snehal Patel, deputy director, animal husbandry department, Anand district panchayat.

The veterinary hospital was functioning from its current premises since 1910.

Khambhat is also home to wetlands where migratory birds come. (31-08-2022)

Cheaper & eco-friendly cow dung idols

For most devotees, clay idols had been the best replacements while seeking eco-friendly options so far for Ganpati idols.

Gaining from that experience, we can now make idols that are around three feet in height. The idols are coloured using food colours, Gupta said.

Rahul Dhariya from Devgadh Baria had been experimenting with cow dung to make various products for about a decade now.

PoP not only pollutes water, but also kills aquatic life.

Dhariya uses natural resins to ensure that the dung binds properly and idols also get a desired finish. (31-08-2022)

MSU improves NAAC scorecard to A+

Gujarat’s only English medium university – the MS University – has improved its scoreboard.

The publicly-funded university has bagged ‘A+’ grade with 3.43 CGPA from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

“We have received the communique from NAAC informing us that we have received A+ grade with 3.43 CGPA,” said university’s officiating registrar Dr. K.M. Chudasama, adding that there is an improvement in all the seven parameters which NAAC’s peer team had considered while carrying out the university’s assessment.

NAAC’s peer team had visited the university campus from August 25 to 27 for which the university had made heightened arrangements.

Although this were last minute preparations, the actual preparations for the assessment cycle had begun much earlier. (31-08-2022)

Gandhinagar scientists launch extraction mission for US soldiers

Buried in the northeast stretches of India lie American soldiers of World War II, saluted by their country as members of its 'Greatest Generation'.

NFSU's ambitious goal is to trace the identities of about 400 US soldiers who had died in India's northeast in the line of duty between 1942 and 1945.

NFSU is the local partner of the Defence Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA) project of the US's department of defence.

Dr. J.M. Vyas, vice-chancellor of NFSU, said that the collaboration was signed in 2021.

"In 2021, the search could not take place because of the Covid pandemic as we could not obtain the necessary permissions for recovering the remains for scientific analysis," said an NFSU official.

Apart from enemy attacks, the causes of the soldiers' deaths included diseases such as malaria as well as landslides. (31-08-2022)

Adventure sports tag for Dahi Handi events

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday announced in the state Assembly that Dahi Handi will now be considered an adventure sport.

Prize money for the same will be paid by the government.

Govindas or their families will be provided with compensation in case of fatal or other injuries suffered by the players during the formation of human pyramids, Shinde said on the eve of the festival, which will be celebrated without any restriction this year.

He added that for this year’s festival, if a govinda dies during the formation of a human pyramid, the kin would get Rs 10 lakh as compensation from the state.

Shinde further said the state would bear the cost of treatment of govindas.

This is, however, applicable only for this year. (19-08-2022)

Kadana dam releases water, 128 villages put on high alert

Four gates of the Kadana Dam on Mahi River were partially opened on August 18, 2022, Thursday to maintain the rule level following heavy influx of water due to torrential rain in Rajasthan and the catchment areas.

Sources said that the Kadana project officials had issued an alert for 128 villages located along the Mahi River. They did not rule out the possibility of more water being released from the dam.

The water reached the level of 126.87 m in the dam with the danger level 127.71 m. The rule level of the dam is 126.8 m. On Thursday evening, the dam had an inflow of 62,990 cusecs while 57,060 cusecs water was being discharged.

Besides the four gates, water is being discharged in the hydropower plant of the dam and the canals of the dam. (19-08-2022)

Two years on, Ahmedabad to expand again

For the first time in the city’s history, it will be expanded for a second time in just 26 months. The limits were last extended in June 2020.

The AMC had in 2020 demanded that Zundal, Khoraj, Amiyapur, Sughad and Koteshwar, be included in the city, but the state government included them in the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation (GMC) limits.

Therefore, a proposal to include Nandoli village was mooted a few months back. The final decision in this regard will be taken by the state government. (19-08-2022)

Gujarat woman gifts hygienic lives to Kashmiri girls

For the women residents of remote hamlets in Kupwara district of strife-torn Kashmir, life is a Catch22 situation between terror and tension from monthly menstrual cycles.

The pads aren’t just used by them but also sold to the women staying in the adjacent villages, said Bedekar, whose NGO collaborated with the Army for support of this project.

“Most villages in this part of the valley that is covered with snow for almost six months every year are poverty-stricken. The unit helps women in earning some money and the pads keep them free of infection too,” she added.

Bedekar’s NGO provides the units with raw materials to make the pads. Brigadier Vinod Singh Negi, Vishisht Seva Medal, Commander 53 Infantry Brigade, Col Ranveer Singh, Sena Medal, CO 45 Rashtriya Rifles, Maj Anand C S and Captain Harish Deshpande extended major support to us,” she said. (19-08-2022)

Ahmedabad gas distributors reduce CNG, residential PNG prices

In a major relief to the transport industry and consumers, major city gas distribution (CGD) firms have announced a cut in the unit base prices (UBP) of compressed natural gas (CNG) and residential piped natural gas (PNG).

On August 19, 2022, Thursday, Adani Total Gas Limited announced a reduction of Rs 4.7 per kg in CNG prices across all 19 geographical areas.

With this, CNG price in Ahmedabad will reduce from Rs 87.38 per kg to Rs 83.90 per kg - a reduction of Rs 3.48 per kg.

The recent intervention by the central government has helped the CGD industry to moderate the prices of CNG and residential PNG for the end consumers.

Even IRM Energy has reduced its CNG prices by Rs 6 per SCM effective Wednesday.

With this, the revised price of domestic PNG in Junagadh (supplied by Torrent Gas) will be Rs 47 per SCM, including taxes, whereas CNG prices will also settle at Rs 87 per kg including taxes. (19-08-2022)

Priority to only Gujarat domicile for organ transplant irrational

A division bench of Gujarat high court on August 18, 2022, Thursday dismissed the state government's appeal against a single judge's direction to the authorities to register a person, who does not have a Gujarat domicile certificate but is in dire need of kidney transplant, in the list of organ recipients.

This case involves Himanshu Shekhar who hails from a north Indian state but has been living in Ahmedabad for more than six years working as a chartered accountant with a home grown corporate firm.

Shekhar was advised to undergo kidney transplantation, and he tried to register with the State Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organization for receiving a donor organ but could not produce a domicile certificate as he has not been living in Gujarat for 10 years.

What if a Gujarati is refused transplant in Chennai?

Shekhar approached the HC through advocate Kunan Naik challenging the guideline that prioritises patients with domicile certificate for organ transplantation with contention that such a rule is in breach of not only constitutional provisions for right to life, but also against the parent Act of 1985.
Even after dismissing the appeal, the bench continued to question the priority policy. (19-08-2022)

Road minister launched India’s first electric double decker

“My dream is to connect Nariman Point in Mumbai to Delhi by an electric AC luxury bus which will cover the distance in 12 hours in near future,” said Union transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari as he launched India’s first electric double decker at Y B Chavan Centre on August 18, 2022, Thursday afternoon.

The BEST will run the e-double deckers for the public from September, and around 200 e-buses are being procured from Switch Mobility, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, in the first phase.

These buses will be operated in Thane, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai. “Around 35% pollution in the country is due to diesel and petrol. It’s high time we switch to cheaper, alternate fuels,” said Gadkari. (19-08-2022)

DA hike for govt employees

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on August 15, 2022, Monday announced a three per cent hike in the dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees under the 7th Pay Commission, with retrospective effect from January 1, 2022. (17-08-2022)

MSU may get trademark for its logo

MS University may get its logo registered under the trademark act to prevent misuse of its logo and name.

A report of the committee appointed by the university to look into the misuse of the logo and its name by mischievous elements along with its recommendations was unanimously passed by the university’s syndicate members on Saturday.

“We have also recommended that all stakeholders may not be allowed to use logo of the university after completion of his or her tenure or service period designated by university or faculty or institution,” said Vaghela.

The report states that any group of students cannot use the name of the faculty, institution, or university for any student union or other activities. “

Apart from Vaghela, syndicate members Dr. Dinesh Yadav, Dr. V.K. Kher, Hemal Mehta, Dr. Rajendra Parikh from the Faculty of Law and government nominated senate member Ishan Purohit were part of the committee. (01-08-2022)

Prerna 2022 after 2 years gap

After a two years break, budding engineers of MS University’s Faculty of Technology and Engineering (FTE) are gearing up to organize – Prerna – Asia’s largest fest for disabled people in the offline mode.

Students of FTE have been organizing Prerna that provides a platform for people with disabilities for the past 16 years.

For the past four consecutive years, the fest has received patronage from the Unesco.

“We have received patronage from the Unesco for this edition as well,” Saksham Garg, a student said, adding that Prerna 2022 will be held from August 27 to 29. “

The fest will include social segments like ‘Artico’, ‘Alfaaz’, ‘Aaghaz’, ‘Aahvan’, paralympic sports, visitor events among others. “

For Artico – an entertainment night – nationally renowned artists will be invited. (01-08-2022)

Here, have your cup of chai and eat it too!

The most annoying part of sipping tea in a roadside kilti is finding a bin to dispose of the paper cup.

What if we tell you that at this tea stall you won’t have the same problem as after finishing your tea you can gobble up your cup too?

Thousands have tea at such stalls in the city and if all vendors switch to biodegradable cups, it will reduce plastic waste considerably,” said Rahul Barboza, who works in an advertising agency.

Along with Thakur, Shankar Pradhan, Vikas Shridhar and Suraj Shridhar started the tea stall about a month ago.

The four friends were brought up together in an orphanage in the city.

They decided to launch their startup and make a living for themselves. (01-08-2022)

Fostering entrepreneurial spirit

Five teams of students pitched their start-up ideas to the alumni of MS University during PitchFest under Incubator 2.0 that was recently held online.

Alumni from the US, Canada, Singapore and other countries participated in the event organized under the banner of MSU Vision 2020, an initiative supported by the Office of Alumni Affairs and Donor Relations (OAADR).

A total of 25 teams had registered and five of them made their products, raising Rs 50,000 funding for the initial stage of launch. Best pitch will receive Rs 1 lakh fund from the alumni network.

“PitchFest plays a vital role in entrepreneurship, to raise initial venture funds by the network of alumni nurturing bond of excellence with students and university,” said professor Sanskriti Majumdar from OAADR. (29-07-2022)

GSHSEB announces secondary schools’ 2022-23 academic calendar

The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) announced the calendar for the 2022-23 academic year on July 27, 2022, Wednesday. As per the schedule, Class 10 and Class 12 exams will be conducted from March 14 to 31. The first term will end on October 19 and 21-days Diwali holidays will begin from October 20.

As per the schedule, schools will conduct 241 days of teaching during the year. First term that started from June 13 will be of 104 days and First term exams will begin from October 10 and will end on October 18.

The second term of 137 days will begin from November 10 and end on April 30, 2023. First preliminary exams of Class 9 to 12 will begin from January 27 and end on February 4. Scholarship exams for Class 9 will be conducted on February 7. As per calendar, internal exams will be conducted during February 13 to 15 while practical exams for Class 12 science stream will be held during February 20 to 28. Final exams of Class 9 and Class 11 will begin from April 10 and end on April 21.

Summer holidays for secondary schools will begin from May 1 and end on June 4 and from June 5 the 2023-24 academic year will begin. There will be a total of 80 holidays including two vacations and public holidays.

No reduction in curriculum.

The board has announced that the curriculum will not be reduced this year. GSHSEB had reduced curriculum for the last two years due to the pandemic situation. As per the board calendar, the first test curriculum will include June to September. Class 10 and 12 preliminary exams will include questions from the entire syllabus. Class 9 and 11 Second tests will include questions from June to January curriculum. The board said that the exams will be conducted as per 2019-20 exam format. (28-07-2022)

Seeking Bharat Ratna for painter Raja Ravi Varma

The family of Raja Ravi Varma has written to the government and requested it to confer the prestigious Bharat Ratna award to the painter who created colourful depictions of the Hindu gods and goddesses. Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the ruler of the erstwhile Baroda state, had commissioned Varma to make paintings in the 1880s.

A descendant of Varma, stated in a letter to G Kishan Reddy, union minister of culture that Bharat Ratna for the legendary painter was the wish of Varma’s family members as well as millions of art-lovers in the country.

Varma in his lifetime made over 7,000 paintings and is considered to be the first modern Indian painter and trendsetter who redefined Indian art practice in colonial times. The royal Gaekwad family recently rebuilt the studio in the Laxmi Vilas Palace compound where Varma once created some beautiful artworks.

“The Ravi Varma Press established by him printed oleographs of gods and goddesses and mythological episodes, social messages and portraits of political leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lokmanya Tilak and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. These oleographs played a major role in the awakening of the larger Indian consciousness towards the fight for India’s freedom. Varma deserves the Bharat Ratna award,” said Sachin Kaluskar, collector of original oleographs from Ravi Varma press. (28-07-2022)

Launching of India's First International Bullion Exchange

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), India’s maiden International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), on 29 July.

During his visit, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone of the headquarters building of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), the unified regulator for the development and regulation of financial products, financial services and financial institutions in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) in India.

The headquarters building of IFSCA has been conceptualised as an iconic structure, reflective of the growing prominence and stature of GIFT-IFSC as a leading international financial centre, the Prime Minister Office (PMO) said in a release on Monday (25 July).

The Prime Minister will also launch India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX), India’s first International Bullion Exchange in GIFT-IFSC.

"IIBX will facilitate efficient price discovery with the assurance of responsible sourcing and quality, apart from giving impetus to the financialisation of gold in India. This shall empower India to gain its rightful place in the global bullion market and serve the global value chain with integrity and quality," the PMO said.

The IIBX will also enable India to be able to influence global bullion prices as a principal consumer.

He will also launch NSE IFSC-SGX Connect. Under this Connect, all orders on NIFTY derivatives placed by members of Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX) will be routed to and matched on the NSE-IFSC order matching and trading platform, the PMO said. (26-07-2022)

Milk is safe to consume

Scientists have assured that in spite of the LSD outbreak, consuming milk is safe and the viral disease will not have any impact on human health. “LSD is not a zoonotic disease. It cannot be transmitted to humans, who consume milk or other dairy products from infected animals,” said Dr Rafiyuddin Mathakiya, assistant professor of veterinary microbiology at Kamdhenu University. “Even though it is not causing any harmful effect on humans, people should not consume raw milk. Milk should be consumed after boiling it, a practice that people have been traditionally following,” he said. (26-07-2022)

Vadodara's students clear ISC exams

All students from the city cleared their class XII (ISC) exams as the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi declared the results on July 24, 2022, Sunday.

Both Billabong High International School and Nalanda International School scored 100 per cent results.

“In science stream, Teeshta Parmar topped with 98.5%. She has also scored 100 in mathematics and 100 in physics.

In commerce stream, Arya Shah has topped with 95.4% while in humanities, Stuti Chitnis has topped with 94.6%,” said principal Shoba Menon. (25-07-2022)

MSU extends date for BSc courses

MS University on July 23, 2022, Saturday decided to extend the dates for inviting online applications for admission to first year Bachelors of Science (BSc) at Faculty of Science after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the results of class XII exam on Friday.

Traditionally, the faculty conducts the admission process for admission to first year BSc at both the main campus of Faculty of Science and the Padra campus together.

But this time, faculty officials have decided to first complete the admission process at the Padra campus.

“The general merit list for admission at Padra campus has been published on the university website.

“For CBSE students, we have extended the last date till July 27.

Students can upload their documents till that date,” he said, adding that 20% seats at the Padra campus will be kept reserved for CBSE students. (25-07-2022)

Delay in Registration of Ground Water Will Attract a Fine of Rs. 1 Lakh

The notification on July 1 for all users of groundwater to get a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) created a flutter across residences and industries in Gujarat.

While several of the areas have heavy dependence on groundwater despite availability of surface water, the experts said that the majority of the borewells in the state are not registered with the authorities.

The officials said that with rules in force since 2018 and implemented in 2020, the delay in registration may attract fines of up to Rs. 1 lakh depending on the category of registration. The new registrations will also cost Rs. 10,000. (25-07-2022)

Gujarat: No middlemen, use app to sell livestock

All cattle buying and selling will go digital when 36 lakh dairy farmers of Gujarat, who are part of home-grown dairy giant Amul's family, will do business through a cattle trading platform.

With this, the role of the middlemen will be eliminated," said GCMMF's chief operating officer Jayen Mehta.

By July 24, 2022, Sunday evening, more than 40,000 users had already checked out the 'Pashudhan' feature on Amul's app for milk producers.

The cooperatives had adapted the mobile app that keeps an entire record of milk poured by an individual dairy farmer, their daily transactions, and the yearly bonus that they earn across the wider network of village-level milk societies.

As a result, the state's dairy farmers will have an additional source of income, he added. (24-07-2022)

Lodge e-FIR for mobile or vehicle theft

From July 23, 2022, Saturday onwards, you will be able to register FIRs for vehicle or mobile theft online.

Top police officials claimed that through this service citizens will be able to lodge a complaint smoothly on mobile app or website.

“Earlier registration of FIR took time as the complainants had to go to the police station multiple times.

But now it will be the police’s responsibility to verify the claim and register the FIR after verification of various aspects,” said Ajay Tomar, city police commissioner.

The complainant will have to provide basic details of crime after which the preliminary investigation will be assigned to a police officer.
At each stage the complainant and police officer concerned will receive SMS alerts. (22-07-2022)

'Youth Model Assembly' special event

A special one-day event was organized on July 21, 2022 (Thursday) in the Gujarat assembly where students played the roles of speaker, chief minister, leader of opposition, ministers and MLAs in the house.

The aim of the ‘Youth Model Assembly’ was to make the younger generation aware of various parliamentary, legislative procedures, speaker Nimaben Acharya told reporters. Chief minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the special event in the state assembly in Gandhinagar on July 21, 2022 (Thursday) morning. For the mock session, 182 school and college-going students were selected including 70 girls, Acharya said. (22-07-2022)

Restoring city’s iconic dome

It was a gift that the Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III had given to the Baroda state over a century back.

But all efforts to conserve this heritage structure which acts as a prominent landmark for both M S University and Gujarat’s cultural capital have remained a jinxed affair.

In fact, the latest efforts by MSU to conserve the heritage building had started three years back, but there is no clarity on when this project will get over.

MSU’s officiating registrar Dr K M Chudasama said that the first phase of the project had already ended.

“We have floated tenders for the second phase which will include internal works, flooring, glass, wooden and electric works. (19-07-2022)

Three city boy among top 50

Three students from Vadodara have featured in top 50 as results of CA final were declared by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on Friday. The CA final was held in May this year. As ICAI declared the results, the Baroda branch of Western India Chartered Accountants Students Association felicitated the toppers from Vadodara.

Of the 288 students who had appeared for the exam in group-1, 49 students passed while 66 out of 291 students cleared their exam in group-2. A total of 216 students had appeared in the exam for both group-1 and group-2. Of these, 12 students cleared group-1, 29 cleared group-2, and 32 students cleared both the groups. In total, 188 students out of 795 students have passed their exams.

Three students — Aayush Thacker, Shreyas Surve and Advait Gajare — have featured in top 50 by bagging All- India Ranks. Two other students, Astha Jani and Jay Shah, also topped in the city bagging fourth and fifth positions in Vadodara.

Five students from Ahmedabad have made it to India’s Top 50 in the final exam of chartered accountancy conducted in May. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) announced the results on July 15, 2022 (Friday). (16-07-2022)

How safe is chhakdo?

The Gujarat high court was on Friday wrestling with the issue of whether a chhakdo — three-wheeler tempo ubiquitous in rural areas of the state — is a goods carrier or a passenger vehicle.

The issue was raised by an insurance company, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co Ltd, as it challenged the award of compensation for the death of one Nagin Rathva, who was travelling in a chhakdo in Chhota Udepur district in May 2009. The vehicle hit an electric pole and Rathva was killed. In 2019, a Motor Accident Claim Tribunal in Chhota Udepur ordered the insurer and vehicle owner to pay Rs 5.20 lakh compensation to Rathva’s family.

The insurer moved the high court challenging the award of compensation, contending that the driver, Amarsing Rathva, did not have a valid driving licence. Moreover, the deceased was an unauthorized passenger in a goods carrying vehicle, as a chhakdo is a goods carrier and not a passenger vehicle.

The company’s advocate submitted that the chhakdo’s RC book shows it was a goods carrier and had permission for one person to travel, the driver. In this case, Rathva was the only passenger on the vehicle and there were no goods found in the chhakdo, as claimed by the deceased’s family before the tribunal. Since the chhakdo was a goods carrier and was carrying a passenger, it was a breach of the terms and conditions of the insurance policy and the company is not liable to pay compensation.

On hearing these submissions, Justice Gita Gopi said that a chhakdo is for carrying goods, but the state government has given permission that the vehicle can be used as a passenger vehicle in areas where there are few means of transport. “You must know there is a notification issued by the state government to this effect. Did you challenge the government’ notification? You also know that if you challenge the notification, your business will be closed,” the judge commented.

The insurer’s lawyer submitted that there was no evidence that Rathva was travelling with goods, and there was no seating capacity of the vehicle. The HC admitted the case and posted a further hearing six weeks later. (16-07-2022)

Rupee to its lowest

The rupee declined 15 paise to close at a new lifetime low of 79.60 (provisional) against the US dollar on Tuesday as a strong greenback overseas and weakness in domestic equities continued to weigh on investor sentiments. At the interbank forex market, the local unit opened weak at 79.55 against the greenback and witnessed an intra-day high of 79.53 and a low of 79.66.It finally settled at 79.60 (provisional), down 15 paise over its previous close of 79.45. (16-07-2022)

All India rank 3 for Surat in CA final

Shrushti Sanghvi (23) secured All India Rank (AIR) 3 in the CA final exam, the results of which were announced on Friday. With this achievement, she became the first woman in a family of four CAs to qualify for the profession.

Shrushti's grandfather Ashwin, her father Keyur, her father's elder brother Amish and her fiance Harsh Sukhadiya are all CAs. Their family the organization has been in CA practice for 57 years.Inspired by her family, Shrushti started preparing for the course from an early age.
 
Shrushti scored 611 out of 800 marks. She studied 10 hours daily for the exam and stayed away from social media for seven months before the exam. "Since I got AIR 10 in CA intermediate exam, I started preparing for the final exam. Guidance from my tutor Ravi Chhavchharia, focus on studies and consistency helped me score well,'' said Shrushti. (16-07-2022)

Red alert in Gujarat districts of extremely heavy rain

Red alert has been sounded in eight districts of extremely heavy rain. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted "heavy to very heavy rain" on Friday at several places across Gujarat, mainly south and Saurashtra.

"The monsoon may get vigorous over Saurashtra and Kutch. This may result in extremely heavy rain at some places of Amreli, Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts on Friday," said Manorama Mohanty, director, IMD Gujarat. (15-07-2022)

Union Ministry of education top ranks IIT, Madras

The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras is in the top position in the Union ministry of education's India Rankings 2022 of Higher Educational Institutions. According to a list released by Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday. Indian Institute of Science-Bengaluru and IIT-Bombay, have secured the second and third spots respectively.

* IISc Bengaluru has been named the best university, while Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia from Delhi got the second and third ranks respectively.

*IIT Madras is the best engineering college followed by IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay.

*IIM-Ahmedabad has been identified as the best business school in India, followed by IIM-Bangalore and IIM-Calcutta.

*Among the pharmacy institutions, Jamia Hamdard has bagged the top rank. The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research,
Hyderabad is the second best in the category while Panjab University, Chandigarh has been ranked third.

While Miranda House is the best college as per the said rankings, Hindu college stood second, followed by Presidency college

*AIIMS, New Delhi, is the best medical college as per the released list.

*The Savitha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences in Chennai is the best dental college, as per the list.

*IIM Ahmedabad is the best management institution in the country followed by IIM Bengaluru and IIM Calcutta. (15-07-2022)

MSU prof on who tech group

Professor Vanisha Nambiar from M S University’s Department of Foods and Nutrition, who also holds additional charge of deputy director of university’s Office of International Affairs, has been appointed to the World Health Organization (WHO) technical advisory group for integrated clinical care (TAG-IC2) for a period of two years.

She is the only Indian member of the 22-member group. Nambiar received an invitation letter from Dr Rudi Eggers, director of WHO’s integrated health services headquartered at Geneva, Switzerland.

The TAG-IC2 function includes providing clinical support tools related to primary, emergency, operative and critical care. It advises WHO on the development and revision of integrated evidence-based guidance, standards, protocols, and pathways across these four delivery channels. (14-07-2022)

Amul curd & buttermilk prices increased

Prices of curd, lassi and buttermilk are expected to shoot up. Sources said that home-grown dairy giant – Amul – may revise prices of these dairy products following a decision taken by the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council to remove exemptions on GST on repackaged, re-labelled and packaged buttermilk, curd and lassi.

RS Sodhi, managing director of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) – the apex body of all the district dairy unions of
Gujarat that markets dairy products under Amul brand - confirmed the development.

“We are waiting for the official notification to be released. Prices of these products will certainly increase if they are brought under the ambit of GST,” said Sodhi. He said that prices of dairy products will increase based on the GST imposed on them.

The GST Council earlier this month has decided to charge 5 % GST on the dairy products.

It is worth mentioning here that except pouched/ packaged milk, all other dairy products have now been covered under the ambit of GST.


Amul has already made representations in the past to rollback the GST that has been imposed on dairy products like ghee that currently attract 12 % GST. The organised players in the dairy sector have argued that on one hand edible oil, a good part of which is imported, carries GST of only 5 % whereas ghee is taxed at a much higher rate.

While dairy products like butter, cheese and milk-based beverages attract 12 % GST, ice-cream attracts 18 % tax.

The council has also raised GST on dairy machinery and milking machines from existing 12 % to 18 %. After the council’s decision, the Indian Dairy Association (IDA) had also convened a meeting of stake holders after which it has made a representation to the centre urging it to re-consider the GST Council’s decision. (14-07-2022)

Amarnath Yatra temporarily suspended following heavy rainfall

The Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir has been temporarily suspended from Baltal Marg due to continuous rains. The trip will resume as soon as the weather improves, officials said.

Earlier, the yatra was stopped following heavy rainfall on July 5 and after a cloudburst on July 8 this year. Amarnath Yatra was temporarily suspended on Thursday morning due to inclement weather. No pilgrim was allowed to move towards the holy cave from both Pahalgam and Baltal camps. Over 1.44 lakh 'Yatris' have performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra so far. (14-07-2022)

Cabinet approves Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road new railway line project

The Union Cabinet on July 13 approved the Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road new railway line project. The estimated cost of the rail project is around Rs. 2798.16. While addressing a Press Briefing, Union I&B Minister Anurag Thakur said, 'Cabinet has approved Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road new rail line to provide connectivity and improve mobility. The estimated cost of this project is Rs 2798.16 crores and will be completed by 2026-27.' (14-07-2022)

Free Covid precaution doses for 18-59 age group from July 15

People in the 18-59 age group will get free precaution doses of the Covid vaccine at government vaccination centres under a 75-day special drive likely to begin from July 15, official sources said on Wednesday.

So far, less than 1 per cent of the target population of 77 crore in the 18-59 age group have been administered the precaution dose.

Studies at ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) and other international research institutions have suggested that antibody levels wane around six months after the primary vaccination with both doses... giving a booster increases the immune response," the official said.

The two-month programme is currently underway.

Inoculation of those in the age group of 15-18 commenced on January 3 this year. (13-07-2022)

MSU offer courses in international languages

MS University will start offering courses in Japanese language to students from the current academic year, that is 2022-23.

MSU’s Faculty of Arts is home to departments of Persian, Arabic & Urdu, Sanskrit, Pali & Prakrit apart from Sindhi, Marathi, Gujarati and English.
With this latest addition, MSU will become the only university to offer courses in these international languages. We plan to introduce diploma courses in the next academic year.

The fees for the certificate course in Japanese will be Rs 9,000. The level-1 in the certificate course will cover the basics of self-introduction, time of the day, calendar, things, and counting using Japanese numerical classifiers among others. (11-07-2022)

Amarnath Yatra resumed from today, July 11th

Amarnath Yatra is starting again from July 11, 2022 (Monday). The yatra was postponed following a cloudburst after the Amarnath cave on July 8, 2022 (Friday) evening. So far 16 people have died in this accident. The army resumed the rescue operation on Saturday morning. 35 injured have been airlifted. 45 people are still missing and the mountain rescue team is looking for them. The army's rescue operation went on all night. No body was recovered during this period. (11-07-2022)

Gujarat to host 36th National Games from Sept 27 to Oct 10

After a gap of seven years, the National Games will be held in six cities – Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar.

I am happy to announce that Gujarat will organise the National Games between September 27 and October 10.

Gujarat government, noticing this long gap in conduct of these games and postponement of the 2022 Asian Games, approached IOA to be the host to the 36th National Games, the release said.

Citing IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta, the release said that he had expressed happiness with Gujarat’s readiness to organise the event.

This way, the infrastructure created and enhanced will continue to be utilised by the state’s sportspersons on a regular basis,” the release said. (08-07-2022)

Gap between second dose and booster dose reduced

The Union health ministry on Wednesday reduced the duration between the second dose and the precautionary third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine from nine months to six months.

On July 6, 2022 (Wednesday), Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote to the states that a decision has been taken to administer the precaution third dose to the adult population after completion of six months or 26 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose. At present, precaution dose is available free of cost at government vaccination centres to the priority groups -the frontline workers, healthcare workers, and the elderly population aged above 60 years. For those aged 18-59, the precaution dose is available only at private vaccination centres.

Bhushan told the states the revised guidelines for precaution were based on the recommendation made by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), India’s apex advisory body which provides guidance to the government on vaccination by undertaking technical reviews of scientific evidence on matters related to immunization policy and programmes.

“In the view of evolving scientific evidence and global practices, “Standing Technical Sub Committee” (STSC) of ‘National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’ (NTAGI) has recommended to revise the duration between 2nd dose and precaution dose from existing 9 months or 39 weeks to 6 months or 26 weeks. This has also been endorsed by NTAGI,” Bhushan told the states.

As per the official data, India has administered 4.75 crore precaution doses. In the priority groups, 57.75 lakh health care workers, 1.05 crore frontline workers and 2.50 crore elderly population above the age of 60 years have received their precaution dose.

On January 10, India rolled out precautionary third dose health care workers, frontline workers, and citizens above 60 years with comorbidities. At that time, the health ministry issued guidelines that the precaution dose would be based on the completion of 9 months — that is, 39 weeks from the date of administration of the second dose.

On April 10, announced the rollout of the precautionary third dose of Covid-19 vaccine for the 18 plus population. The data shows that 33.99 lakh beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group and 27.76 lakh beneficiaries in the 45-59 age group have received their precaution age group in the private vaccination centres. (07-07-2022)

Bahucharaji mandir in vadodara to be renovated

Nearly three centuries after it was built in the erstwhile Baroda state, the Bahucharaji Temple in Karelibaug has got a new lease of life. The royal Gaekwad family has rebuilt the heritage temple of Bahuchar Ma that came up in the 18th century. Samarjitsinh Gaekwad, a member of the royal Gaekwad family performed puja at the temple on July 6, 2022 (Wednesday) in the presence of priests. Samarjitsinh Gaekwad said that his family has been refurbishing temples that come under Devasthan Trust run by the royal Gaekwads. The temple located in Karelibaug is very popular among the devotees who turn up in thousands to seek the blessings of Bahuchar Mata during Navratri every year. The priests performing puja at the temple said that the structure was made of wood.

“The wooden structure where Bahuchar Mata’s idol is placed was refurbished a few times over the last century. But the structure had become weak and hence it was brought down completely. The new temple was built completely from stone and it is a replica of the wooden structure,” said Biren Pujari, priest at the temple.

Apart from Bahuchar Mata, the premises also have temples of Lord Shiva, Hanuman, Baliyadev and Bhatuji Maharaj. The premises also have a big water tank in octagonal shape. According to historians, Bahuchar Mata’s temple became popular after the royal Gaekwads started worshipping her in the late 18th century.

According to the book ‘Vadodara na Mandiro’ penned by Manjula M Oza in 1995, a devotee named Kameshwar Shukla found a ‘yantra’ inscribed on a
paper in a lake in 1763. He built a small temple there and named it Becharaji. An Ahmedabad-based devotee, Jagpurshottam Panchal, then built a big temple of the goddess along with some other small temples in the premises.

The book further says that Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad I also contributed Rs 8,933 for the temple construction in 1823. The royal Gaekwads became devotees of the goddess and began donating regularly to the temple. The temple premise is in square shape and it has two entry gates. Art historian Chandrashekhar Patil, however, said that no one knows exactly when the temple was built. (06-07-2022)

The Vistadome coaches will be part of Jabalpur Janshatabdi Express

The Vistadome coach has features that include large glass windows, rotating seats, glass roofs, and an observation lounge that let passengers witness a breath-taking view of the country landscape.

The West Central Railway, for the first time is adding vistadome coaches for its Jabalpur-Ranikmalapati route. The services will start soon.

The Vistadome coach has features that include large glass windows, rotating seats, glass roofs, and an observation lounge that let passengers witness a breath-taking view of the country landscape.

The Vistadome coach is a new initiative by the Indian Railways that aims to make the travel experience of tourists more memorable. Another feature of this type of coach is that it allows passengers to move around and look at the scenery.

Besides having a glass roof, the unique quality of the Vistadome coaches includes its various other features such as multiple window panes, toilets with ceramic tile flooring, a wide side sliding door for differently-abled people, LED lights, a GPS-based info system, and an electrically operated sliding compartment door. (06-07-2022)

Domestic LPG cylinder prices hiked by Rs. 50

Oil Marketing Companies increased the price of the domestic 14.2 kg LPG cylinder by Rs 50 per cylinder with effect from July 6, 2022 (Wednesday).

• LPG price was hiked by Rs 50 per cylinder for those weighing 14.2 kg.
• The price change will be effective from today.
• Besides, the price of a 5kg domestic cylinder will increase by Rs 18 per cylinder.

MSU will offer courses on Hindu studies

MS University has joined other state universities of Gujarat and central universities in the country that are offering courses on Hindu studies.

The proposal regarding the same was approved by the university’s syndicate body during their meeting on July 5, 2022 (Tuesday).

While other universities are offering masters in Hindu studies, MSU will be the first to offer a bachelors degree with 60 seats and medium of instruction as English.

The course syllabus intends to cover Bhagwat Gita, Ramayana, ayurveda, knowledge of Hindu culture and its application in the current context.

"The new education policy in 2019 aims to focus on value-added courses to “correct” such discrepancies and places more emphasis on the India-centered knowledge tradition,” the note further states.

The programmes also offers various interdisciplinary subjects such as history, economics, law, society, culture, politics, education, arts, ethics, literature, drama, linguistics, ayurveda and yoga.

• A new course will be started at MS University, Vadodara
• Graduation course in Hindu Studies will be started in the university
• The course of Hindu Studies will start in BA and MA

Hotels, restaurants barred from levying service charge by default

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Monday (4th July 2022) barred hotels and restaurants from levying service charge automatically or by default in food bills and allowed customers to file complaints in case of violation.

The guidelines issued by CCPA stipulate that hotels or restaurant shall not add service charge automatically or by default in the food bill. The service charge will not be collected by adding it along with the food bill and levying GST on the total amount.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said that the consumer may lodge a complaint against the violator hotel or restaurants on the National Consumer Helpline (NCH) by calling 1915 or through the NCH mobile app.

The Ministry highlighted that the consumer may also file a complaint against unfair trade practice with the Consumer Commission through e-daakhil portal www.e-daakhil.nic.in for its speedy redressal.Furthermore, the consumer may submit a complaint to the District Collector of the concerned district for investigation and subsequent proceeding by the CCPA. (05-07-2022)