Yogesh Avasthi

JG Group will hold a passing-out ceremony every year; usually only universities organise such functions By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, February 26, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2010022620100226030008438af154732 ) For the past several years, organising a convocation has been the prerogative of government-recognised varsities. Now, an educational group affiliated with the Gujarat University (GU) has decided to cross the barrier by organising its own convocation. JG Group of Colleges, which has 14 campuses across the city, has firmed up plans to hold a passing-out ceremony every year. The group’s director, Saurabh Chokshi, told Mirror that the move was aimed at making passing-out a memorable experience for students. “One rarely gets to see any enthusiasm among students at ceremonies held at GU and other universities. Many, in fact, skip the function. Usually, only those youngsters who have topped exams at...

GLS wants university status. If proposal is accepted, the city will get its ninth varsity By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, February 23, 2010 Following the footsteps of the Ahmedabad Education Society that set up Ahmedabad University, the Gujarat Law Society is planning to set up its own university. The proposal will be submitted to the state government next month. If it is sanctioned, the city will get its ninth varsity. The trust is scouting S G Highway for possible sites to set up the university. GLS executive vice-president Sudhir Nanavati said, “We have always strived to provide quality education to our students. We are experts in the fields of arts, commerce, management, law and education. For a long time now, our management had been thinking of setting up a university so that we can gauge the market demand and introduce professional courses accordingly.” In universities, especially those run by the state government, changing the syllabus is tough. Professors, policies ...

A general duty medical officer and a paramedical staff will be on duty on Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Mumbai Duronto Express with medical kits to attend to medical emergencies for free By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, February 23, 2010 Next time you want to reach Mumbai fast with some ailing person, book tickets on Duronto Express without second thoughts. For, it will have doctors on board from next week. A general duty medical officer and a paramedical staff will be on duty on Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Mumbai Duronto Express with medical kits to attend to medical emergencies for free. Ashok Garud, the Divisional Railway Manager of Ahmedabad, said: “Doctors from Mumbai will be travelling on Duronto Express.” The Western Railway took the initiative of deputing doctors on the non-stop train plying between Mumbai and Ahmedabad following the decision of Indian Railways to depute a general duty medical officer and a paramedical staff in all Duronto (end-to-end nonstop) trains as a pilot project for a ...

By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, February 19, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2010021920100219030317357cf65534a ) This is 40 per cent more than what the trust had expected the sale of these land parcels would fetch The Ahmedabad Education Society (AES) has got 40 per cent more than what it was expecting at the auction of its two plots on Drive-In Road held on Thursday. The highest among the 30 bids received for its plots near Vastrapur Lake and near Doordarshan TV tower - base prices Rs 22 crore and Rs 45 crore respectively - are Rs 27.20 crore and Rs 73.51 crore, taking the total a little over Rs 100 crore. Definitely not bad for AES which was expecting to raise Rs 67 crore from the sale these two plots. The AES on Thursday auctioned one of its two adjoining plots on Drive-In Road totalling 11,198 square metres and a plot near Vastrapur Lake measuring 4,667 square metres. In June 2008, Ahmedabad Mirror had ...

Participants of LD College of Engineering’s ‘Teqnix 2010’ festival will not only take part in fun events, but will also clean the campus By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, February 19, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=201002192010021902433784919774e7c ) Most colleges organise events to encourage their students to showcase their talents and compete with youngsters from other institutes. LD College of Engineering, however, has decided to take a step in a different direction. During its two-day technology festival beginning on February 24, the college plans to throw students a challenge of coming up with an efficient waste collection and disposal method for its campus. “All participants will be asked to clean the campus and suggest eco-friendly ways to dispose of organic and inorganic garbage,” a faculty coordinator, professor G H Ban, told Mirror. The objective of the exercise, Ban said, was to hammer the soci...

Dirty blankets on our trains will be history. Railway has started supplying blankets with cover to passengers in first class AC of Rajdhani Express. Other trains to follow suit By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, February 18, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2010021820100218031145921627d7b0c ) Next time you travel in an AC compartment of a train, don’t lose your sleep pondering over the cleanliness of the blanket you are given. Taking into account passengers’ hygiene, the Indian Railways has started supplying them with covers. Acting swiftly on a Railway Board directive, the Ahmedabad Division has started the practice of providing AC first class passengers of Rajdhani Express with blankets having fresh cover a fortnight ago. Gradually, the facility will be extended to all classes of Rajdhani Express and in AC coaches of other trains. Divisional Railway Manager of Ahmedabad Ashok Garud said: “We have starte...

Parents, teachers, psychologists in city give thumbs up to Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal’s plan to raise admission age to nursery from three years to four By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, February 17, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2010021720100217034050627a9990d1c ) Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal’s proposal to increase the minimum age of admissions to nursery to four years has found an echo among educationists, psychologists and parents in Ahmedabad. The race among parents to put pressure on children to study at an early age not only impedes their mental growth but also curbs their overall development, they say. Currently, three-year-old kids could be admitted to nursery. Play groups are tension groups Anju Musafir, founder of Mahatma Gandhi International School, feels “play groups” have become “tension groups” and the impatience of the parents to get quick results for the money they pay restricts ...

Higher education department sets up new panel to look into their salary grievances after principals’ body alleges corruption By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, February 15, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=20100215201002150310065345b966d8 ) After a hue and cry over ‘fixation’ of salaries for college teachers as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations for the past two months, the higher education department has decided to set up a new committee to look into the grievances of lecturers. According to the principals association, certain vested interests had asked lecturers to shell out Rs 800 on an individual basis and submit their service books to fast-track their new payscales. President of the Gujarat University-affiliated College Principals Association Saurabh Chowksi said, “At our meeting today (Sunday) we took up this issue. It also came to our notice that some adyapak mandal members were charging mon...

That’s the funda of the Children’s University which will get functional in March. It has set up core groups to look into all areas of child development; wants suggestions on the education system By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, February 11, 2010 The Children’s University, said to be the only such in the country, is preparing its foundations based on thes simple rule that every child matters and has formed what it calls special groups that will help with the intregal development of a child from its birth to adolescence. Each of the nine groups, the varsity’s core research team, comprises of experts and practitioners from the fields of literature, health, special needs, arts and theatre, films, children’s furniture and accessories, music, psychology and education. The university, expected to be operational by March, is quite ambitious in its plans to put together a wholesome, modern system which will cater to students from all sections and age groups. Equal emphasis will be laid...

City-based Panther Security bags contract to guard Sawai Mansingh stadium during the first India-South Africa ODI match on Feb 21; 100 bouncers of Apnu Amdavad will be on duty there By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, February 08, 2010 (pic - Kalpesh Bhatt) Amdavadis will be involved in the India-South Africa ODI series well before Dale Steyn and Virender Sehwag cross swords at Motera on February 27. Six days earlier, 100 bouncers from apnu Amdavad will take guard at the gates of Sawai Mansingh stadium in Jaipur on February 21 to keep unwarranted people at bay from the venue of the ODI series opener. The bouncers will be a part of the 600-strong contingent of city-based Panther Security, endowed with the responsibility of maintaining vigil on spectators at the Jaipur stadium. Besides the 100 city-based bouncers, the firm will press into service 200 ex-armymen, 300 guards and a dog squad to avert any untoward incident during the match. It will also install CCTV cameras and metal ...

Mobile phonesnotes, power point presentations and educational videos via bluetooth to students’ cellphones. They call it the new-age teaching method that is ‘green’, effective and trendy By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, February 06, 2010 While most college professors would do anything to rid campuses of mobile phone cacophony, at L M College of Pharmacy it is being promoted as a must-have gadget. This because the college professors transmit power point slides of important chapters and pdf files via bluetooth to their students’ cellphones. The points-to-remember are sent as SMSes. The college staff has converted the so-called ‘nuisance’ into a valuable teaching tool, much to the delight of the students. This new mode of teaching is a huge hit with the B Pharm and M Pharm students who can access important chapters with fingertip ease. Revision anywhere, anytime The best part of this innovative teaching method is that it facilitates revision of the content anytime, anywher...

A study conducted by physiotherapist reveals the damage school bags inflict on children By Yogesh Avasthi, Mehul Jani Posted On Friday, February 05, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2010020520100205030121230b36cba51 ) How much is too much for your child’s back? A study has found out, startlingly, that even a load of 10 per cent of the body weight can ruin a child’s back, leading to musculoskeletal problems like wrong posture, functional scoliosis, ruck-sack palsy and reduced lung functions. The ill effects of a heavy bag are carried into adulthood and can impede the body’s functioning. And, our kids are carrying much, much more, giving us enough reason to worry. Heavy school bags are the clear suspects, says Divya Raghavan in her report ‘Effect of Backpack Loading on Cervical and Shoulder Posture and Chest Expansion in Indian Schoolchildren’, which is part of an extensive study being carried out on back probl...

Ahmedabad will get first-of-its-kind anytime rickshaw (ATR) service on February 26 By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, February 04, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2010020420100204024224229a939d277 ) Finding an auto in the dead of night to reach the railway station, airport or any other place in the city is going to get as simple — and speedy — as ordering a pizza. A charitable organisation, Nirmal Foundation, that gave Ahmedabad the innovative G-Auto service has now come up with anytime rickshaw (ATR) concept. Starting February 26, the day civic officials plan to celebrate the foundation day of the city, you will be able to get an auto on your doorstep by simply making a phone call. Wondering if such a facility will tax your wallet? Don’t fret. Apart from a service charge, you will have to only pay a fare fixed by the state government. “We have trained a group of autorickshaw drivers who will be available...

Inquiry against RPF officer who recommended emergency quota berths to passengers buying waitlisted tickets from select touts By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, February 01, 2010 (  http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=201002012010020102211439f7761a80 ) Wondering why your waitlisted train tickets never get confirmed but a few down the list are allotted berths? Blame it on unholy nexus between an RPF officer and a few touts, lapping up majority of the berths released under the emergency quota (EQ). Hand in glove with a few touts in the city, the RPF officer allegedly recommended allotment of emergency quota berths to passengers buying tickets from them at a premium. Several shady deals on, the personnel is now on the radar of the railway authorities. An inquiry has been ordered against him. Following a series of complaints on rampant misuse of emergency quota berths, the commercial department of Ahmedabad railway div...