Yogesh Avasthi

To turn Ahmedabad into a world-class station, team prepares projection report on basis of which passenger amenities will be upgraded By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 02:31:02 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2009092920090929023101859d72dd8ad ) Feel the Ahmedabad railway station is crowded already? Wait till 2030 when 3.02 lakh people will visit the station every day, states a projection report drawn up by railway experts. The report was prepared as part of a project to turn Ahmedabad into a world-class railway station. Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had said that about 50 stations of the country including Ahmedabad and Porbandar were to be developed into world-class stations with international-level facilities. These stations will be developed for Rs 100 crore under Public-Private Partnership (PPP). The Railway Board appointed a 10-member team of technical, financi...

The next big thing in public transport after BRTS: AC trains connecting key areas in city? Proposal sent to state govt By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, September 28, 2009 at 02:52:36 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : (Cover story) http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=20090928200909280252361094164b1f9 ) Delhi has a metro and Mumbai is serviced by local trains. Will apnu Amdavad keep pace? Most certainly if a Rs 1,655-crore project to build a local rail network gets government approval. When that happens, you will be able to hop on to a comfortable and speedy air-conditioned local trains instead of buses and autorickshaws. This is apart from a proposal to have a metro link between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. The Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) presented a report on the multi-thousand crore project to the state government for approval on Thursday after verifying it itself. The project was initially conceptuali...

Three generations of the Rakshits and Anandanis take pride in their association with St Xavier’s, which will mark its platinum jubilee on Oct 2. Yogesh Avasthi reports Posted On Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 02:36:56 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : (Sunday Read) http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=Columnists%20-%20Sunday%20Read§id=26&contentid=20090927200909270236565461172a0bd ) (L) Ranjan A Rakshit (38) Joined loyola hall in 1976 AND PASSED OUT IN 1988. hE says the school’s teachings have helped him over come many daunting challenges in life. He considers the school best in city (M) Ranjan’s eight-year-old son, debayan, is a class iii student of the school. Debayan, who joined the school in 2005, always prods his dad and grandfather to narrate stories of their days at st xavier’s (R) Ranjan’s 69-year-old father, Anjan, joined joined the school in 1949 and passed out in 1961. HE IS STILL A PART OF THE PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOL, WHICH WAS FOUNDED IN 1934. he is a...

Applicants park vehicles haphazardly, creating traffic jams in area; form long queues blocking entry to ashram and its khadi store, allege inmates By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, September 25, 2009  ( Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2009092520090925034534931f30b089 ) For many Amdavadis, the UK Visa Facilitation Services Centre is a means of achieving one’s dreams. But for residents of Kochrab Ashram and other buildings nearby, it is proving to be one big headache. Set up in Paldi, the centre attracts hundreds of applicants from all over the state every day. They line up outside the centre at night and restlessly wait for the clock to strike 9 o’clock when the centre opens. Ashram co-ordinator Ramesh Trivedi says, “We are a harassed lot. The queue starts forming around 8 pm. Anti-social elements stand in line and sell his/her space to applicants for Rs 250 to Rs 500 in the morning. Imagin...

The GLS stretch turns into a raceground after school gets over; students zoom on bikes for small bets, terrorising passers-by By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 03:47:11 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : (Cover Story) http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2009092020090920034711265c9430b2c ) Zip, zap, zoom... and the smell of burning rubber is all that’s left of bikers zooming past Law Garden Road. It’s not a preview of MTV’s Stunt Mania. These are students of G K Secondary and Higher Secondary School, also known as GLS, who race each other after school, leaving passers-by terrorised. A day after Mirror reported that traffic cops want principals to rusticate students who bring vehicles to school, this reporter received an e-mail from the Ahmedabad Traffic Consultative Committee (ATCC). It spoke of GLS boys racing their bikes after school hours. “They chase girls and drive at speed no less than 60 km per hour. ...

By Yogesh Avasthi & Dhwani Pathak Ahmedabad Mirror : Navratris most popular tune, sanedo, will have revellers dance and even pay attention to witticisms incorporating gyaan on preventive measures against swine flu. A garba group has modified Sanedo to educate and entertain garba enthusiasts . Written and composed by Rajiv Avasthi, the swine flu sanedo, goes like: Alya rakhjo modhu dhaakine, chhinko bhale tame chhinko (cover your mouth when you sneeze). Swine flu thhi bachva, atlu karjo, bheedma javanu tadjo. Hey garbe ghumo to bhale ghumo, pan rakhjo modhu dhankine. (To protect yourself from swine flu, avoid crowded places. You may dance to garba tunes, but make sure you cover your mouth.) REACHING OUT TO REVELLERS SAYS AVASTHI: Navratri is the best time to educate people about a host of concerns like H1N1 virus as we have access to larger mass of people. The lyrics are so simple that it is easy for revellers to understand the message it gives. He feels that garba being the most-a...

Edepartment has decided to set up computerised exam centres in each district By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, September 23, 2009 ( Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=20090923200909230351149539538e62f ) Bolstered by the succe ss of online Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GCET), the state education department has decided to convert Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GUJCET) into a computer-based exam by 2011 as well. Principal Secretary of Education Hasmukh Adiya said: “We will try to conduct GUJCET online from next year. But we might not succeed in our endeavour due to some logistical reasons. However, the exam will certainly go online from 2011.” Sources said the education department has started preliminary preparations for conducting GUJCET online. “We are trying to establish online examination centres in every district for conducting the test without any problem. Each online exam centre will...

MBA, MCA aspirants can take two online exams in two weeks. Best of the two scores will be considered for admission merit list By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, September 22, 2009 ( Ahmedabad Mirror : (Cover story) ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=2009092220090922034639437ece187b6 ) The online GCET (Gujarat Common Entrance Test) exams conducted by Gujarat Technological University (GTU) will be a CATwalk for MBA, MCA aspirants, this year onwards. Why? Even CAT won’t give you a second chance like GCET would. Yes, you read it right. Beginning this year, students can attempt GCET twice in a fortnight. This, however, is not mandatory. The best of the two scores will be considered for the admission merit list, say GTU sources. That is not all. Students will also get a copy of their answer sheet as well as their score card. They can not only find out where they made a mistake, but even calculate the time take...

In a month, IRCTC will launch service for people on board trains to order food from Ahmedabad railway station By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, September 22, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=200909222009092203154190661955a3b ) Soon, you won’t need to starve yourself on a long-distance train without a pantry car. Get ready to order on the move after the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) introduces its ‘dial-a-meal’ service in a month. Passengers will be given the option to choose from a varied menu. The helpline number will operate 24 hours a week. The passenger can call a specific number, to be announced when the service is launched, and the call centre will first check if the orders can be delivered on that route. If the service is available along the route, the passenger has to give the name of the train he/she is travelling on as well as the berth and c...

The GLS stretch turns into a raceground after school gets over; students zoom on bikes for small bets, terrorising passers-by By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 03:47:11 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : (Cover story) http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=2009092020090920034711265c9430b2c ) Zip, zap, zoom... and the smell of burning rubber is all that’s left of bikers zooming past Law Garden Road. It’s not a preview of MTV’s Stunt Mania. These are students of G K Secondary and Higher Secondary School, also known as GLS, who race each other after school, leaving passers-by terrorised. A day after Mirror reported that traffic cops want principals to rusticate students who bring vehicles to school, this reporter received an e-mail from the Ahmedabad Traffic Consultative Committee (ATCC). It spoke of GLS boys racing their bikes after school hours. “They chase girls and drive at speed no less than 60 km p...

Azim Premji’s training programme for engineering faculty is aimed at improving quality of graduates and reaches out to colleges in 14 states By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, September 19, 2009 ( Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009091920090919025829296cdce14a9 ) Employability, not lack of talent, is the key challenge faced by the engineering industry in India, said Wipro Technologies Chairman Azim Premji at a conference recently. In a bid to bridge the gap between talent and employability required by the corporate world, Wipro launched Mission 10X on Teacher’s Day — a not-for-profit programme aimed at enhancing employability skills of engineering graduates. The programme comprising workshops, presentation and assignment will train engineering faculty, who in turn, will help students acquire skills in specific areas required by the industry. THREE CITY COLLEGES JOIN PROGRAMME The prog...

The initiative is aimed at keeping guardians in loop about their wards’ performance By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 02:58:27 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=200909192009091902582762eb4b39c1 ) Gone are the days of hiding poor marks from parents. A BCA college in Ahmedabad has decided to inform guardians about their wards’ performance in exams before the results are out. They will also come to know about their children’s attendance and participation in co-curricular activities. The institute, NavGujarat BCA College, has started implementing the novel idea. Having a strength of 600 students, the college has prepared a database of parents. “Recently we conducted a test and successfully circulated its results among parents first. Parents’ participation will surely enhance the performance of their wards,” said Director In-charge of NavGujarat BCA college SK Mansur...

A pvt company will pay railways Rs 47,000 a month for collecting trash from trains’ pantry cars By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, September 18, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=20090918200909180252237503c3c0b3 ) The Ahmedabad Railway Division is all set to cash in on waste. From next week, a private firm will collect trash from pantries of 15 trains passing through Ahme dabad paying railway Rs 47,000 per month. The rail authorities decided to involve a recycling firm in collecting garbage from the pantry cars with twin objectives. First, to keep trains and the station premises spic and span. Second, to increase railway’s revenue. The private firm will recycle the collected waste, including plastic water bottles. Food items will not be reused, though. Confirming the development, senior DCM Udayshankar Jha said: “We have chalked out a plan on how to deal with the waste of pantry cars....

The relative of the boy, who was killed over a property dispute in Umargaon, had approached SC alleging police inaction after HC turns down plea to transfer case to CBI By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, September 16, 2009 ( Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=20090916200909160301242651566ca04 ) In yet another case that questions the integrity of the Gujarat police, the Supreme Court has asked the Director General of Police to nominate an officer who will investigate the 2007 killing of a 19-year-old boy in Valsad and report to the court directly. Acting upon a petition filed by Valsad-based Dilip Patni, who had expressed his dissatisfaction with the probe conducted by Valsad police and cited several discrepancies in the panchanamas and victim’s post-mortem report, the SC directed the Crime Branch Criminal Investigation Department (CBCID) to file a status report within two months. The DGP ...

Alarmed by AM’s report on poor level of vigilance in residential buildings, which are increasingly being targeted by burglars, flat-owners vow to keep a watch on visitors. By Yogesh Avasthi and Dhwani Pathak Posted On Monday, September 14, 2009 Parth indraprasth in vastrapur to tighten vigil The chairman of Parth Indraprasth in Vastrapur, Jagdish Trivedi, said that to pr event entry of intruders, occupants of the 10-storey building would be asked to put identical stickers on their vehicles. “The stickers will help guards identify vehicles owned by flat-owners and those belonging to visitors,” Trivedi said. “From now, guards will also maintain a record of all visitors at Parth Indraprasth.” More >>>> (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx? Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009091420090914032116125566b857f )

day after 5 flats were burgled in Memnagar, AM visited buildings to check how vigilant residents were By Yogesh Avasthi and Hemington James Posted On Sunday, September 13, 2009 ( Ahmedabad Mirror : (Cover Story) If burglars waltz off with money and valuables from your home, don’t blame only the police. Blame yourself or your unwatchful neighbours.A survey of several residential societi es by Mirror has revealed that Amdavadis, especially those who live in posh western part of the city, pay little attention to strangers entering or exiting their buildings.This, despite the fact that there has been a rash of stunning robberies at residential buildings in the past few months. On Friday, in fact, thieves struck at five flats in Samrajya Apartment in Memnagar, and pinched cash and jewellery totalling Rs 5.5 lakh.On Saturday, AM reporters visited 12 residential buildings to check the level of vigilance of their security guards and occupants, and found that most of them are a sanctuary for in...

At Rajkot meeting, academicians discuss pros and cons of credit, grading and choice-based system; decide to introduce reforms at PG level By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, September 12, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009091220090912022444828c4e0d447 ) The scope of knowledge for university students will widen next year. All universities in the state will introduce a choice-based credit system and semester system at post-graduate level. This decision was taken by academicians at a meeting held at Saurashtra University in Rajkot on Friday. Vice-chancellors of all state universities, higher education officials and ministers were present at the meeting called to discuss a report presented by a two-member Committee for Reform in Higher Education (Gujarat). The panel, comprising MSU vice-chancellor Ramesh Goyal and former vice-chancellor of Gujarat University A U Patel, was set up by...

Two AMC-built swimming pools worth crores lie shut for want of suitable ‘inaugurators’; gym locked up as civic body can’t find a good trainer By Hemington James and Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, September 11, 2009 The city does not boast of too many sports facilities. And those built recently have been left to languish for want of the right dignitary to inaugurate it. A swimming pool built by AUDA for Rs 2 crore, now taken over by AMC and the pool at Staduim crossroad renovated and refurbished at the cost of Rs 5.5 crore remained closed awaiting inauguration. There’s more. A gym built in Nava Vada, complete with modern equipment and as good as any private facility, is lying unused because the AMC can’t find a suitable trainer. A municipal school no. 17-18, a beautiful structure now after the renovation, is locked for the last year-and-a-half for AMC hasn’t inaugurated it. ‘For want of a shoe, the horse was lost, for want of a VIP, some necessary fun was lost....’ the well-known line...

By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, September 10, 2009 ( Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=20090910200909100332049214ee90931 ) Every year between July and September, colleges that offer degrees in various professional courses are overwhelmed with applications from students seeking admission. This year, however, many of these colleges are struggling to fill even half of their seats. A drastic increase in number of seats for professional courses such as pharmacy, dentistry, engineering, education, business administration and computer application, among others, this year has left several government-aided and private colleges in Gujarat with 40,126 empty seats. The situation at some colleges is so grim that they are considering not to conduct classes for this academic year. Professional course Vacant seats Engineering (degree) 1,243 Pharmacy (degree & diploma 2,500 MBA 600 MCA 300 Medic...

Good Samaritans who offered to teach the blind girl after the Mirror story, met at the newspaper’s office on Teacher’s Day to discuss effective teaching methods By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Sunday, September 06, 2009 ( Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009090620090906023410156c1c0b3b ) Kalgi Rawal, the 14-year-old blind girl who aspires to clear her class X exams with flying colours but was being shunned by maths, science and english tutors, got not one or two but six new teachers on Saturday, Teacher’s Day. They met Kalgi and her parents at the Mirror office to discuss strategies to make learning simpler for her. Instead of taking an exam-oriented approach, the focus should be on holistic learning, they all opined. “No doubt, exams are definitely important, but she should also be able to use the learning for her own good,” said K D Parekh, ex-deputy director of Integrated Education for Dis...

Third run of country-wide exhibition-on-wheels begins from Capital for the first time By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, September 05, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009090520090905022256609ce544a78 ) Science Express, an exhibition train that will travel the length and breadth of the country, will be flagged off in Gandhinagar on October 2. This is not Science Express’ first-eve r run, it’s the third, but it is for the first time that the train will start from Gandhinagar and then proceed to the rest of the country. The earlier two trains started at Delhi. The 16-coach train, a virtual exhibition-on-wheels, will be flagged off by the CM or the Governor on Gandhi Jayanti. An initiative of Union ministry of science and technology, it the first Science Express was launched in 2007 with the aim of spreading scientific enquiry among people. In its third run, the Science Express will ...

No maths and science teachers willing to take up the challenge of teaching Kalgi Raval, who is blind but wants to take class X exams By Yogesh Avasthi, Harsh Vora Posted On Thursday, September 03, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=2009090320090903023601109c31d0552 ) Many schoolchildren in the city find it difficult to enlist good tuition teachers. But, the problem is particularly daunting for Kalgi Raval and her parents. The 14-year-old girl has been blind since birth, but doesn’t know Braille, the system of reading in which a series of raised dots signify letters of an alphabet. Her education is completely dependent on oral mode of teaching. Kalgi, who has received formal schooling till only class V, wants to take class X examinations next year, and desperately needs tutors for maths and science. Her parents, Meena and Tikendra Raval, have approached more than 20 tuition teachers, ...

Meet Mahesh and Suresh, Amdavad’s very own Guddu and Charlie By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, September 03, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=20090903200909030217373145f2bd8e ) If you thought Guddu and Charlie existed only in director Vishal Bhardwaj’s Kaminey imagination, go visit Ahmedabad Railway Station. Once you reach the station, ask any railway official, vendor, sweeper or coolie to take you to the Gehlot twins, Mahesh and Suresh. Of course, there is no bad blood in the lives of these twins, and thankfully, there are no kamineys around them as well. Born six minutes apart Mahesh and Suresh, born six minutes apart on October 10, 1969, are identical twins. Even today, these two TTEs (travellers’ ticket examiners) are cause of much amusement and confusion at Ahmedabad Railway Station. Growing up in the dusty lanes of Ajmer, the Gehlot twins have always stuck together. In fact,...

The railway division was informed only on Saturday that the Rajdhani will now be running on Monday too By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, September 01, 2009 at 01:55:17 AM (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=2009090120090901015517250b6b4f58d ) Ever heard of a sillier way of wasting money and fuel? The Indian Railways blew up nothing less than Rs 9 lakh on a near-empty Swarnajayanti Rajdhani Express connecting Ahmedabad and New Delhi on Monday. Unaware that the train, which runs from Tuesday through Saturday, will now be running on Monday as well, only 33 passengers from the city boarded the 10-coach train with a seating capacity of 424. On Saturday, the Railway Board ordered the Ahmedabad division to extend Rajdhani Express to Monday, making it available to Amdavadis for all seven days. But they had less than 24 hours to inform the public about it. And only six hours on Sunday, from 8 am ...

By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, August 29, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=2009082920090829023611765a7f0f82b ) Sabarmati Express passenger Mohamad Hanif died after having biscuits spiked with sedative offered by a thug on August 25. Five others travelling with him landed in hospitals. An FIR was registered in the incident at Nadiad. Gangs of unscrupulous men preying on unsuspecting passengers is not new, but the recent incident shocks. It’s gone to the extreme. And several incidents of the kind have been recorded in the last few days. These goons are not just after valuables, they have total disregard for passengers’ lives. Hanif (28) was travelling from Ahmedabad to Varanasi in a group of six. An hour after the train left the city at 8.30 pm, a man sitting close by in the unreserved coach struck up a friendly conversation with the six saying he was from near their village in...

Saurashtra Janata Express from Bandra to Jamnagar left without any ticket checkers, causing a lot of inconvenience to passengers By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, August 28, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20City&sectid=3&contentid=2009082820090828021116812cc456468 ) Four travelling ticket examiners (TTE) of the Ahmedabad railway division were suspended after they failed to turn up for duty on their return journey from Mumbai to Jamnagar. The TTEs — R S Chaudhary, K C Sebastian, G V Gamit and S R Sharma — were on duty aboard the 9018 Saurashtra Janata Express from Jamnagar to Bandra on the night of August 25. TTEs flouted normAs per norm, the four TTEs had to take the same train, the 9017 Saurashtra Janata Express from Bandra to Jamnagar, on their return journey on Wednesday. However, they failed to board the train. When the train started from Bandra at 5.35 pm on Wednesday, passengers found that there were...

Docs of Indian origin allowed to practise in country without tests By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, August 24, 2009 (Ahmedabad Mirror : http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=20090824200908240344312654043bef3 ) Indian doctors and post-graduate (PG) medical students living abroad will no longer have to take a test to practice medicine in the country. A decision in this regard was taken by the Medical Council of India (MCI) recently. The move is expected to hearten thousands of NRI doctors, including those hailing from Gujarat, who want to work in India. Many reputed Indian doctors living in countries like US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand had been demanding scrapping of the test, conducted by the MCI, for the past several years. The written examination, commonly known as screening test, was an irritant for them because it required them to take up medical studies again despite having years of experience...