Yogesh Avasthi

By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, June 11, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=20090611200906110402471969ba246ed ) » Every admission season, you will find this man, Hemandra Bagdi, protesting in some college campus or the other » Allegedly, Bagdi, a caterer, arm-twists colleges into providing him with a few seats » He claims he is a general secretary of NSUI, which is vehemently denied by the body » As per the NSUI rules, 27 is the age-limit for its members. Bagdi, 38, is dad of a schoolkid

By Yogesh Avasthi, Shifana Panja, Krutika Pillarisett and Divya Mudgil Posted On Wednesday, June 10, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=2009061020090610031511305422d5c1e ) Trying to gain information about courses at Gujarat University is like going through a maze. As many as 125 courses were introduced by Vice-Chancellor Parimal Trivedi in the past three years. As GU’s state-of-the-art information centre remains non-functional (Koi info nathi; AM, June 6), three AM reporters decided to pose as students seeking information, some of these ‘new’ subjects. What they ended up doing ? Running from one room to another, from one building to another as none of the employees had any idea about these fields. Around 2 pm, Shifana, Krutika and Divya first landed outside the ‘puch-parach baari’ or the inquiry window at room 5. This room has been lying locked since Saturday, if not earlier. A notic

Parents of students from two city schools up in arms over needless change in uniform By Ojas Mehta , Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, June 08, 2009 at 04:16:50 AM For a change, parents more than kids were panting a day before schools reopen on Monday. While some had to scamper to school-designated outlets for new uniforms, others were grappling with having to adjust with a change in both the uniform and the syllabus. Parents of students of Airport School in Sardarnagar complained that the school was changing syllabus/books and uniforms very frequently. A complaint against the institution was also lodged with the District Education Officer of Ahmedabad and Commissioner of Education, Gandhinagar, they claimed. Asia School in Drive-in area, parents protested against the poor quality of uniforms being sold by the dealer recommended by the school. Some said they had paid money in advance to Dhwani Enterprises, the agency appointed by the school to supply the “new” uniforms, but the clothes

With Plus Two results out, anxious students have started thronging the Gujarat University (GU) for admission and information. And as always, the data is hard to come by. While the clerk manning the enquiry counter of the varsity is least interested in helping out anxious students, the state-of-the-art information centre, ready for inauguration since February, 2009, is yet to be operational. Sandwiched between the laggard varsity official and the closed information centre, students seeking admission to GU are suffering. The pictures say it all. The construction of the fully computerised information centre was complete in early February this year. Vice-Chancellor (VC) Parimal Trivedi wanted Chief Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate it, along with a few other buildings, of the varsity. Modi initially gave his consent to do the honours. But the chief minister, said sources, refused to take part in the function after it was brought to his notice that some of the buildings were inaugurated

With number of students opting for BA courses dwindling due to abundance of professional courses, city colleges fear that in a couple of years they will have surplus teachers By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, June 06, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=200906062009060603063955161824ef ) With the number of students opting for Bachelors courses in Arts decreasing every year, the teachers in the city colleges could be twiddling their thumbs this year. While the number of students opting for BSc has been going down because of the choice of professional courses, the Arts stream has no takers because of declining interest among students. The Gujarat University affiliated Arts colleges declared their first merit list on Thursday. The cut-off percentage has registered a drop by five to seven per cent as compared to last year. In 2007, 26,489 students took up Arts in GU colleges. The number

How does the state justify spending crores on revamping teaching methods when the number of poorly faring schools keep increasing every year? By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, June 05, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009060520090605033823821eb57d232 ) While the state government claims to have been spending crores over quality education in schools recording less than 30 per cent results in SSC exams, it is quite ironical that the number of such schools are increasing by leaps and bounds every year. This exposes the gaping hole in the state’s education system, pooh-poohing state government’s efforts to improve quality of teaching in schools. The state government claims to lay a lot of emphasis on quality education in schools registering below 30 per cent results in SSC and HSC. Every year, they aim to reduce the number of schools that record poor results by training teachers, intro

The student tried to copy from a chit during an examination at LD College of arts By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, June 04, 2009 at 03:38:25 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=200906042009060403382577175c0b470 ) A 20-year-old exam cheat who thought she had managed to bribe the staff of her test centre tried to copy from a chit last week and ended up being caught. Much to her chagrin, she later learnt that the youth who had promised to act as a go-between had fooled her and had pocked the bribe money. Dimpy Yagnik, a second-year BBA student of the Annamalai University, went to LD Arts College to take her final examination on May 29. When the exam began, she pulled out a chit, and started jotting down answers. The principal of the college, Maypatsinh Chavda, who was also the exam supervisor, saw her rakishly copying from the chit and stopped her. When Chavda questioned Dimpy — who was

♦ Dr Manu Pipliya forgets gauze inside Mumbai resident Chauhan’s tummy ♦ Ignores X-ray reports that indicate Chauhan’s in trouble ♦ Finally, admits mistake By Yogesh Avasthi and Dhwani Pathak Posted On Monday, June 01, 2009 (Ahmeadbad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=200906012009060104102529571c10dd ) An Ahmedabad-based surgeon’s blunder left a 45-year-old man with a mop, a sterile clot h used to staunch bleeding during a surgery, in his body. The man, Tribhuvansinh Chauhan, had to undergo an operation at the Civil Hospital to get rid of the mop that caused excruciating pain. Chauhan, who runs an event management business, told Ahmedabad Mirror that the doctor, Manu Pipliya, forgot the mop in his body during a surgery at the Kakadiya Hospital on November 20, 2008. Pipliya, Chauhan claims, refused to accept his mistake even after being confronted with an X-ray that clearly showed the presence of mop

By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, May 30, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009053020090530033629889fd8f821b ) Daya Prakash, a student of class XII in Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Updeshek Mahavidhyala near Rajkot, lost his fingers while cutting fodder for cattle in a machine. The incident occurred on May 15 when the boy’s left hand accidentally got under the blades of the machine. Daya was rushed to a private hospital, but his family which lives in Bihar was informed of the accident much later on 27 May. Soon thereafter, his family members left for Tankara to be with their son. Daya Prakash (17) is a budding guitar player, but fears he may never be able to play it any longer. He loves singing too and was to leave for Gandhidham that same day to participate in an audition for a contest. The accident took place just two hours before he was to leave. Another student said the school

All dyslexic kids from school Prerna notch up more than 55% in Central Board class X exam By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, May 28, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009052820090528025629258b219903 ) Of the many students from the city who cleared the CBSE class X exam, considered tougher than the state Boards, 11 were dyslexic children from special school Prerna run by Calorx Foundation. It’s the only school in the state especially dedicated to this section of children. The feat is significant for unlike other dreaded diseases like thalassemia and asthma, dyslexia directly affects a child’s ability to learn and study. These kids have to be taught through non-conventional methods and techniques. At Prerna, dyslexic children are given special, preferably one-to-one, attention. The teaching concept stresses on explaining through diagrams, charts and models as against writing on black

The students of Ahmedabad University will have to spend almost three times more than their Gujarat University counterparts pursuing the same course By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, May 27, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009052720090527034419912aaf5d33d ) Even as Amdavadi youths’ hopes to pursue higher studies soared after Ahmedabad University announced to start its courses from this session, its proposed fee structure may send them into a tizzy. The students of the new varsity would be charged almost thrice the fee their counterparts would pay to pursue the same course in Gujarat University (GU). Sample this: The annual course fee of BBA in GU is Rs 10,000. The same course will cost each student of the new varsity Rs 36,000 per year. Thus, the students of Ahmedabad University will end up paying Rs 21,000 more every year.Same is the case in BCA. The new varsity will charge eac

Mekhla Kar of Rachna School and Divy Thakkar of DPS, Bopal, city toppers; Shubham Luhadi of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Vadodara, state topper By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, May 27, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=200905272009052703440925576283885 ) The Central Board of Secondary Education declared its Class X results for Chennai, Panchkula and Ajmer regions on Tuesday. Shubham Luhadi of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Vadodara (ONGC) topped the state list with 96.6 per cent marks. He was recently sent to a Youth Exchange Programme in Japan by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. “Shubham scored 483 out of 500. He has always been a topper. The family has now shifted to Hyderabad since his father got transferred there,” said school principal D K Gupta. Of the 2,608 students of 44 Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) in the state, 2,515 cleared the exam. The state has more than 25 private CBSE schools

The panel, set up by the state education dept, has made several recommendations in its report, which will be submitted this week By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, May 26, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009052620090526031326584531bf11d ) The state education department has set up a five-member panel to study the feasibility of grading of marks and the semester system in keeping with the University Grants Commission’s directive to introduced the innovations as part of education reforms at undergraduate and PG levels. The panel will submit its report later this week.The five-member panel, called Grading and Syllabus Committee, comprises ex-VC of South Gujarat University R G Kothari, MS University’s Sitanshu Yashashchandra, ex-VC of Gujarat University A U Patel, MSU’s R K Goel and a senior official of the education department. The committee will recommend changes in study methodology

You can be foxed while buying cement bags also By Yogesh Avasthi and Dhwani Pathak Posted On Thursday, May 21, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=20090521200905210354573275fdbe33 ) Not just fruit or vegetable owners, even sweet shops often fool customers by fudging weights. The startling revelations came to the fore when AM conducted a test drive on Wednesday, in association with the Weights & Measurements Department (Legal Metrology Department). A case of a cement manufacturer duping customers also came to the fore. Sweet packets One of the AM correspondents went to a shop and asked for a kilo of sweets. An employee of the shop kept a box on the weighing machine and then filled it with sweets. When the machine’s pointer pointed to the 1 kg mark, he packed the box and gave it to our correspondent. When the AM reporter approached a legal metrology department inspector sniffing foul

While lodging a formal complaint, attach a copy of the bill given by the fraud shop owner with your application By Yogesh Avasthi and Dhwani Pathak Posted On Thursday, May 21, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009052120090521035454969904b6c1 ) Short-changed while purchasing fruits, vegetables or sweets ? Don’t get bogged down. You can teach your tormentors a lesson. Legal metrology department (weights & measures department) is there to help you out. Whenever you sniff foul play, register a complaint with the department. Remember to attach a copy of the bill, given by the shop owner who duped you, with the application. The complaints should be addressed to “Assistant Controller, Legal Metrology Department, Ahmedabad & Gandhinagar District. This official sits in Tol Maap Bhavan, just opposite to Sarangpur water tank. Whenever you are short-changed, you can lodge your complaint w

Two AM reporters and officials of Weights & Measurements Dept checked five Amdavadis’ bags and discovered they were cheated by their vegetable vendors. Are YOU a daily victim as well? By Yogesh Avasthi and Dhwani Pathak Posted On Wednesday, May 20, 2009 Seldom do we argue with our subziwalla. However, we do suspect at times that we get less than what we pay for. No pun intended, but scales are always tilted in favour of vegetable vendors. Are we always short-changed by our vegetable and fruit vendors ? AM conducted a test drive last Saturday and Tuesday, in association with the Weights & Measurements Department (Legal Metrology Department). Earlier, an alert AM reader, Alpa Biju, had called in to inform that cheating was rampant at Vastrapur vegetable market. We targeted the Vastrapur market and the famous Dilli Darwaza market for our test drive. Every bag that we checked revealed a sorry picture. In the bags that we checked, we discovered that vegetables and fruit were at leas

Ahmedabad University will follow industry-friendly syllabi; it will have four terms in a year By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, May 19, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009051920090519032427885878b6f8b ) In a bid to ensure high education standards, authorities of the upcoming Ahmedabad University have decided to introduce a brand new and industry-friendly syllabi for its BBA, BCA and B Com courses having three semesters a year. The five-member committee constituted by the Ahmedabad Education Society, which donated land for the new varsity, made these recommendations to ensure students excel in their career after passing out. Though most of the reputed varsities in India have two semesters a year, Ahmedabad University will conduct three of 13 weeks each annually to give its students a scope to have in-depth knowledge in their subjects. After each semester, the students will be awar