Yogesh Avasthi

According to University Grants Commission’s anti-ragging helpline, more boys get ragged compared to girls Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, July 27, 2013 http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2013072720130727025131699df506b06/Mostly-boys-bear-brunt-of-college-ragging.html A GNLU student’s plea to the University Grants Commission’s anti-ragging helpline for assistance has brought the focus back on the menace of ragging. According to the data released by UGC helpline, more boys fall victim to ragging compared to girls. Since June 2009, the helpline has received 1,908 complaints of ragging of which 1,732 were from boys. From Gujarat, UGC helpline has received 20 complaints of ragging in last four years of which 16 are from boys. An UGC official, on condition of anonymity said, “Most of the complaints that we receive are regarding ragging in college hostels. This year, we have so far received 176 complaints. The data comprises complaints we receive on the helpline. They don’t inc...

Fresher called up UGC’s anti-ragging helpline alleging constant harassment by SY, TY students. GNLU claims his complaint was ‘fake’ and aimed at ‘checking’ UGC response Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, July 26, 2013  ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20130726201307260222491846dbd7ba8/GNLU-BOY-PLEADS-WITH-UGC-FOR-HELP-AFTER-RAGGING-BY-SENIORS.html A first-year student of Gujarat National Law University called up the anti-ragging helpline set up by University Grants Commission after he was allegedly ragged for three days from 10 pm to 4 am by his seniors at the boys’ hostel. Prabir (name changed), from Kolkata, claims he contacted the UGC helpline (1800-180-5522) because he was not aware of the anti-ragging cell in place at GNLU. The complaint registered with the helpline states, “My batchmates and I are being harassed and pushed to the limit after the class gets over. We are forced to indulge in obscenity as our seniors (mostly students from second year along with a few...

Several innovators are unable to file for their patents due to lack of funds Yogesh.Avasthi Posted On Thursday, July 25, 2013  http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20130725201307250230352158dcb0926/Funds-scarcity-hits-patent-filing-at-GTU.html Though Gujarat Technological University (GTU) has been able to provide a conducive atmosphere to promote research and innovation on campus, fund scarcity has hit hard innovators who cannot afford to pay the fee of patent filling. Despite the best of the efforts of GTU, several students have not been able to register their patents as they can’t bear the cost of filing and there is no funding agency to save them from the situation. GTU Vice-Chancellor Akshai Aggarwal said: “The varsity organises workshops on regular intervals to create awareness on research and innovation and provide logistic support to file for patent. In fact, we have trained 2,000 teachers and 3,000 students for this purpose. In 2012, 177 patents were filed by studen...

Hundreds of kg of cereals rot after they fall on and off platform at Kankaria railway yard; poor people from the neighbourhood and cattle feed off this grime-mixed grain Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Saturday, July 20, 2013  http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20130720201307200214225288f19e94a/FOOD-FOR-ROT.html While the nation struggles to make food available to its poor and the Union government comes up with an ordinance to ensure food for them, grain that could feed hundreds gets wasted at the Kankaria railway yard every month. Also, a part of the hundreds of kg of grain that fall on and off the platform is collected by some people who after cleaning it pass it on for human consumption. An official of Food Corporation of India (FCI) at the yard denied any loss of grain, but sources said this was because contractors repackage the wasted grain along with grime and dust to make up for the tonnage loss. Scores of goods trains arrive at Kankaria railway yard every month w...

Answer books of lakhs of university students lie at the ‘no entry’ examination centre with virtually no security Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, July 17, 2013  http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20130717201307170212055749f4ccfe6/GU-answer-scripts-%E2%80%98open%E2%80%99-to-all.html The centre was built at a cost of Rs 6 crore. Later the VC had the computer labs housed here shifted by spending Rs 31 lakh. (Right) Answer scripts stacked in the basement Right to information allows a student to take a look at evaluated answer scripts. Gujarat University seems to have widened the scope of this right. One can have access to not just one’s own, but others’ too without much ado. For, the answer sheets of lakhs of students lie at the examination centre on the campus with virtually no security. With no fire safety measures or CCTV surveillance in the building, they are exposed to the threat of being tampered with or, in the worst case, even getting stolen and damaged. This, des...

GTU’s choice-based credit system will allow good students to teach their contemporaries and earn two credits Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, July 11, 2013 http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20130711201307110230028875485ea5f/Earn-credits-by-teaching-mates.html The students of Gujarat Technological University can lessen their credit burden by teaching fellow students from this academic year. This will also help them earn the much valuable experience if they decide to take up teaching as a career. The opportunity has come up as an interesting offshoot of choice based credit system that GTU is introducing this academic year. “Students good in a subject will teach fellow students who are weak in it, thus helping each other. This will help students develop themselves and also give them the opportunity to learn team work which is so important for their professional life,” said incharge GTU Vice Chancellor M N Patel of the proposed system. Admission process to all engineering is o...

GU Vice Chancellor Adesh Pal asks law colleges to begin admission process afresh after academic session begins. He then goes on the back foot following strong objection from principals Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Wednesday, July 10, 2013   http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2013071020130710022255887d609a61d/OOPS-HE-DID-AGAIN.html It was déjà vu for Adesh Pal the day he was forced to revoke his decision asking law colleges — that were almost through with their admission process — to start the procedure afresh. Not long ago, he had to do away with his decision of centralised admissions for BBA, BCA and BEd courses after being pulled up by the state government. Before initiating the admission process, the law colleges had on May 30 written a letter to the registrar and attached with it the schedule for LLB Semester 1 admission. The colleges had decided on a common schedule for the first time. According to sources in Gujarat University, soon after the first merit list was out, a...

Vendors at Ahmedabad Railway Station use fungi-infested water stored in bottles to make tea and coffee. What’s more, the water allegedly comes from the washing lines on the tracks Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Tuesday, July 02, 2013  (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20130702201307020223487423c80ea9/RAILWAY-STATION-SERVES-FUNGILICIOUS-BEVERAGES.html ) The water used by stalls to prepare beverages is clearly unfit for consumption. While the railways gets premium brands to install their vending machines on the platforms, it fails to conduct quality checks. Vendors do as they please, serving passengers with tea and food prepared using contaminated water Next time you decide to enjoy a cup of tea while waiting for your train to arrive at Ahmedabad Railway Station, be warned – it might contain fungi, algae or even worms. The water used to prepare tea and other beverages is stored in 20-litre mineral water bottles, which look like they haven’t been cleaned in ages. According ...