Yogesh Avasthi

Finance panel has approved the quote of Rs 7.5 cr a year by Gandhi Associates even though only the exhibition hall of the incomplete complex fetched Gujarat University Rs 6.4 cr last year; now the convention centre and two seminar halls also are ready and can earn revenue Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, May 16, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201205162012051602543970661e2a3b2/Available-for-a-song-GU-convention-centre.html) By giving away its swanky convention centre to a private agency for a paltry annual fee of Rs 7.5 crore Gujarat University has raised the eyebrows of many. People in the know express surprise and smell a rat as the finance committee has approved the deal though the university earned Rs 6.4 crore by letting out the complex for only 28 events last year when the complex was even not fully functional. Now, apart form the huge exhibition hall, the  sprawling convention centre and two seminar halls are ready for use. However, justifying the move, Vi...

A report by Gujarat Technological University’s inspection committee states that of the 103 engineering colleges in Gujarat, nearly 70 per cent are short of faculty members, laboratories, computers and libraries Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, May 15, 2012  (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201205152012051502523997fc1a6e9c/Engg-aspirants-check-how-good-is-college-you-plan-to-get-into.html) The Admission Committee for Professional Courses began admission process for engineering on Monday. Booklets will be distributed till June 4 while online registration process has begun. But how good are the colleges students will be opting for during the choice-filling process?  Mirror had filed an application under Right to Information Act (RTI), seeking the report submitted by the committee that had conducted inspection of 103 engineering colleges of Gujarat Technological University (GTU) between July and Sept...

Delay in registration of research work at GU has caused students to opt for other universities; senate blames Parimal Trivedi for this Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, May 15, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012051520120515022715893fb8a1a36/Kept-waiting-researchers-desert-GU-.html) Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi proudly claims that the number of research work at the university has increased during his tenure. “In the past several months, the number of PhD and MPhil registrations have gone up,” said Trivedi. Despite his tall claims, the figures released by GU senate presents a different picture. According to university sources, the number of research students have gone down due to GU’s policies and Trivedi’s interference.  “He demands that every applicant’s file should be shown to him. These files lie with him for a long time and eventually get lost in the clutter. Now, researchers prefer other universities rather than d...

Even safai workers and touts, in connivance with railway cops, block general compartment seats and sell them to passengers for Rs 50-Rs 100 per seat. Those who protest are roughed up and their wallets snatched Yogesh Avasthi ,Vijay Zala Posted On Wednesday, May 09, 2012 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201205092012050922162546f9fffb07/Porters-sell-unreserved-seats-RPF-acts-blind.html Mirror reporters get in touch with Ashraf, a safai worker, and his son on platform 6. Father-son duo agree to get them two seats for Rs 100 each in a general compartment of Ashram Express. While passengers in the queue wait for cops to open the bogie’s door, Ashraf opens it himself and allows reporters in. All this happens right in front on an RPF cop (circled) who chooses to look the other way. Even the passengers in the queue do not protest Taking advantage of summer vacation rush, touts and porters at Ahmedabad Railway Station are minting extra cash by extorting money from passenge...

Shankerlal Sompura who unwittingly left one of his bags at New Delhi railway station got it back after railway officials helped him locate it Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Sunday, May 06, 2012 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201205062012050619195953179514e7d/Luggage-lost-and-found-within-48-hrs.html ) Several passengers travelling by Indian railways will vouch that recovering baggages lost at stations is not only difficult, it is close to impossible. But that is a thing in the past. Recently, a senior citizen who reported a lost baggage on April 25 got it back within 48 hours, thanks to the dedication of railway officials. Shankerlal Sompura and his family had taken a trip to Mathura, Haridwar and Delhi. While returning to Ahmedabad, the family boarded Delhi-Ahmedabad Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani Express at the New Delhi station on April 24. Before boarding the train, the Sompuras had to get their 17 pieces of baggage checked as per the security norms at the station. “On April ...

Even as buses worth lakhs bought to promote computer literacy in rural areas lie unused, Gujarat University and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University plan to buy more vehicles Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, May 04, 2012 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2012050420120504220459593eab05dbf/Bus-bhai-bus.html Not long ago, two universities announced separate projects to promote computer literacy among students in far-flung areas of the state. For this purpose, they even purchased buses and installed computers. But the projects never took off. What questions the intentions of these varsities as also their wisdom is the fact that while these buses lie unutilised, the authorities are all set to purchase more buses for the same projects. Gujarat University and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University cited lack of drivers and teachers as the reasons for delaying the projects they had launched separately last year. Now, regardless of the manpower crisis, both universities wil...

22-year-old Keyur Surti is abused and threatened with molestation charges by railway officials for requesting faster service; The youth fights back and gets a written apology Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, May 03, 2012 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012050320120503220353312bdc4fa65/Youth-makes-rude-rly-official-apologise-.html ) N T Jaswani (extreme left) told Surti (extreme right) that the woman official will file a molestation complaint against him if he persisted on filing a complaint Officials at Ahmedabad railway station are in need of a lesson in politeness. It took the efforts by a 22-year-old youth to expose the official’s rude behaviour and extract an apology from him. Keyur Surti , who is preparing for the UPSC exams was buying tickets to board a train to Surat, when he encountered a rude official. “I study for the UPSC exam in Ahmedabad. I was returning to my hometown in Surat and was standing in the queue to buy ticket. The woman issuing tickets was ...