Yogesh Avasthi

Carry your ID proof on board: Rly mandate

2012-01-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

According to a new norm which is set to come into effect from Feb 15, passengers

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, January 18, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012011820120118024255326b5f46e4d/Carry-your-ID-proof-on-board-Rly-mandate.html)
If you have a train journey on the cards after February 14, don’t forget to take your ID proof along with your tickets. Because if you fail to furnish the ID proof, according to the railway’s new norm, you will be held guilty of travelling without ticket and will be penalised. Set to come into force from February 15, the newly introduced rule will be initially applicable to people travelling in AC and executive classes.
“Earlier, the condition was applicable to passengers who book their tickets through internet or under Tatkal scheme. But now it is mandatory for AC and executive class travellers to keep their ID proof on board. The move is aimed at checking the practice of journey on transferred tickets,” said Sanjay Manocha, deputy director traffic commercial (G)-II Railway Board. In case of group bookings, ID proof of any passenger of the group will be considered valid during the check.
“Genuine passengers will reap the benefit of this rule because it will check tout’s practice of booking tickets in bulk,” Rakesh Behal, Divisional railway manager.
According to senior railway officials, agents always buy tickets in bulk under fictitious common names which are sold to people on higher prices later on. “Common people have been suffering due to this unfair and illegal practice. They stand in queue but do not get reservation as most tickets are bought by agents within minutes the ticket windows are open,” said a senior railway official.
“Passengers travelling in sleeper classes will also be brought under this norm soon,” said the official.
Your ID proof can be...
Any of the followings can be furnished as identity proof during the journey.
1. Voters’ ID card
2. passport
3. PAN card
4. Driving licence
5. Central/State govt’s ID card with serial number
6. Students’ ID card with photograph issued by recognised university or school
7. Nationalised Bank’s passbook with photograph
8. Credit cards with laminated photograph
9. Unique Identification Card “Aadhar”

Passengers wash dirty linen in open

2012-01-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

Travellers of Duronto make a hue and cry over supply of unclean, unironed bedsheets and pillows; train stopped thrice as passengers, attendants fight; rlys orders inquiry
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, January 17, 2012 (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOINEW/navigator.asp?Daily=AMIR&showST=true&login=default&pub=MM&AW=1326900408469)

Anon-stop train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai became a moving spectacle after passengers clashed with attendants over dirty linen.
The incident happened on the Duronto train that left Ahmedabad railway station on Sunday night. Duronto runs thrice-a-week (on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday). It leaves the city at 11.45 pm and reaches Mumbai at 6.15 am. According to a passenger, by the time the train reached Nadiad, people started making their beds. As the attendants started distributing the bedsheets, the pillows and covers, napkins and water bottles, the murmurs of discontent began. Soon the noises became loud and clear as more and more people started complaining about the wet, unclean and unironed bedsheets.
The tension had clearly picked up momentum soon after the train passed Vadodara station. The verbal fight turned intense when someone pulled the chain and the train came to an abrupt halt. After abuses flew thick and fast, the Railway Protection Force had to intervene and the train restarted.
However, things worsened as the train neared Bharuch station, when attendants alleged some passengers had thrown linen out of the train. This resulted in another stoppage.
At this point, the attendants set out to lodge a complaint alleging the passengers threatened to throw them out of the moving train.
The passengers countered by stating that the attendants misbehaved with the female passengers. After the Government Railway Police brought about a compromise, the train again chugged off.
The third chain-pulling happened at Surat, where all the attendants, numbering eight, left the train.

PASSENGER WOES
Swati Soni, one of the passengers who lives near VT in Mumbai, said, “The bedsheets were stinking and wet, pillows were without covers, while napkins were not provided. Even the water bottles were of local make.”
Soni complained that of the 64 passengers in her compartment, only 20 were provided with napkins. “The attendants also misbehaved,” she said.
Vishang Deri, another resident of Mumbai, was equally vociferous in his complaint, “The pillow was without a cover and it stinked like hell, making it impossible to sleep on it. The water bottle also did not have the ISI mark.”
Deri was dead sure the attendants had pulled the chain at Bharuch and Surat to stop the train.
Amid the allegations and counter allegations, Divisional Railway Manager Rakesh Bahel assured Mirror, “We’ve intitiated a probe into the entire incident. The contractor has given us his version. He said the bedsheets were not dirty, but passengers had soiled it themselves and the water provided has been recognised by Western Railway.”
The attendants also told the DRM that some passengers had threatened to throw them from the moving train, hence they alighted at Surat station.
Additional Divisonal Railway Manager Yagnik has been entrusted with the responsibility of probing the incident.
Regarding the wet sheets, Bahel said, “Mechanised cleaning is used for the bedsheets, which automatically washes, irons and folds the sheets. However, when the numbers are large, they are ironed manually. Since the laundry person sprinkles water on the clothes, the moisture is retained due to the cold weather.”

DEFENCE VERSION
In his defence, Bhupeshbhai, owner of Cap-a-Pie laundry, which cleans the railway linen, said, “We changed some bedsheets that were dirty. However, some passengers who were drunk created a ruckus.”
When asked if they don’t check the dirty laundry, he said, “Since it is festival season, some linen might not have been checked.”
According to a top official in Western Railway, “Responsibility will fixed at the official level and strict action will be taken against those found guilty.”
Railway officials admit that despite having hired 12 to 15 officers and supervisors to check the quality and supply of linen in all AC coaches in long-distance trains, the problem prevails.
Under the Right To Information (RTI), Mirror had found that in 2010-11 railways had received 261 complaints of dirty linen being supplied to passengers; 279 complaints were registered in 2009-10. Railways had imposed a penalty of around Rs 30 lakh on the contractor who was supplying the linen.

Kolaveri gets chemistry right

2012-01-18T06:53:00.000-08:00

Anand Niketan children re-write lyrics, setting 30 elements of chemistry to the hit song

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, January 16, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2012011620120116013036890c9bbf7e2/Kolaveri--gets-chemistry-right.html)

Madhav Joshi, Vrajesh Parikh and Hrushikesh Shah
A Shilaj school has come up with a foot-tapping way of keeping students interested in science. As Kolaveri Di busts charts everywhere, students of Anand Niketan have tweaked its lyrics to include the 30 elements of chemistry.
Said Class 8 student Madhav Joshi, “Seven students and teachers were going to a function in Gandhinagar when our jeep driver turned on the Kolaveri song. Its catchy tune caught our attention and we churned out some chemistry-inspired lines in an impromptu jam session. We realised we could develop the song to help students memorise the chemistry elements. It took us 2-3 days to set names of the elements to the music.”
Class 8 student Hrushikesh Shah said, “The song looks silly but is effective in helping students memorise the names. We temporarily recorded it in school but plan to bring out a professional version. We have also prepared a video which we will upload on YouTube so students from other schools can use it.” Vice Principal and chemistry teacher Vrajesh Parikh said, “We are looking at other songs for other scientific processes. We will clear the basics so that the student will remember it even after he enters IIT.”
Yo guys, the tweaked song
Why this chemistry, always interesting,
Why this chemistry, always amazing, Am I correct
Why this chemistry, always interesting, elements please.
Why this chemistry me elements....
sulphur, chlorine, argon, potassium;
calcium, scandium, titanium, vanadium,
chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt,
nickel, copper, zinc; elements, elements, 30elements
my future bright....

School shows way to honest GenNext

2012-01-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

A Bodakdev school wants to create a system whereby students of classes 6 to 8 take exams without the presence of a teacher in class

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, January 10, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20120110201201100242353429efb4d2f/School-shows-way-to-honest-GenNext.html)
Inspired by Anna Hazare’s slogan, “If you want to end corruption, it should begin with you”, a city school has initiated steps to inculcate honesty among its students. Prakash School in Bodakdev has set in motion a novel idea, which if it clicks can set an example for other schools to follow suit.
As part of their pilot project, the school management wants to introduce a system whereby students take the school examinations without the presence of a teacher in class. The school, which follows the CBSE pattern, wants to introduce this system for classes 6 to 8 from the new academic year.
Teachers will take a roll call of the students appearing for the examination and after distributing the question papers will leave the class. After the time duration is over, they will collect the answer sheets.
The purpose of the entire exercise is to make the students feel responsible and not cheat.
The school has no closed circuit television cameras in the classes, though they have cameras on the premises.
To discuss this issue threadbare and invite suggestions, the school will hold an open discussion with parents on Saturday and Sunday. “Their suggestions will be taken into account and an action plan will be initiated,” one of the brains behind this unique initiative said.
The action plan is expected to be put in place before March. In April, before the new academic year starts, parents will be informed about this venture.
Some of the teachers in the school want to take this one step ahead. They are of the view that children themselves should set the paper, though this is just an idea at the moment.
They say that there will be problems, some students might cheat, but if a majority of students are honest, the others will be forced to mend their ways. In the long run an environment of honesty will prevail.
A teacher who did not wished to be named said, “We believe in our students and have full faith in them that they will not break the trust reposed on them. We need support from the parents. We are hopeful that we will be able to explain to them our sincere endeavour and convince them.”
A school trustee said, “We hope to start this project on an experimental basis from June 2012. We want to take the parents along in this entire effort. In a small way we want to begin this and if we are successful, we will take it forward.”
A parent who is looking forward to this meeting, but does not want to be named, said, “I feel this will remove the fear of examinations among students. If other schools also take this up, we can create a system whereby we create a honest generation next.”
Another parent said, “Since childhood we create fear among children that if he/she does any wrong, we will call the police. We should stop this policing and create self-disciplined students who have integrity. This will create a strong and non-corrupt society.”
Inspired by Anna Hazare’s slogan, “If you want to end corruption, it should begin with you”, a city school has initiated steps to inculcate honesty among its students. Prakash School in Bodakdev has set in motion a novel idea, which if it clicks can set an example for other schools to follow suit.
As part of their pilot project, the school management wants to introduce a system whereby students take the school examinations without the presence of a teacher in class. The school, which follows the CBSE pattern, wants to introduce this system for classes 6 to 8 from the new academic year.
Teachers will take a roll call of the students appearing for the examination and after distributing the question papers will leave the class. After the time duration is over, they will collect the answer sheets.
The purpose of the entire exercise is to make the students feel responsible and not cheat.
The school has no closed circuit television cameras in the classes, though they have cameras on the premises.
To discuss this issue threadbare and invite suggestions, the school will hold an open discussion with parents on Saturday and Sunday. “Their suggestions will be taken into account and an action plan will be initiated,” one of the brains behind this unique initiative said.
The action plan is expected to be put in place before March. In April, before the new academic year starts, parents will be informed about this venture.
Some of the teachers in the school want to take this one step ahead. They are of the view that children themselves should set the paper, though this is just an idea at the moment.
They say that there will be problems, some students might cheat, but if a majority of students are honest, the others will be forced to mend their ways. In the long run an environment of honesty will prevail.
A teacher who did not wished to be named said, “We believe in our students and have full faith in them that they will not break the trust reposed on them. We need support from the parents. We are hopeful that we will be able to explain to them our sincere endeavour and convince them.”
A school trustee said, “We hope to start this project on an experimental basis from June 2012. We want to take the parents along in this entire effort. In a small way we want to begin this and if we are successful, we will take it forward.”
A parent who is looking forward to this meeting, but does not want to be named, said, “I feel this will remove the fear of examinations among students. If other schools also take this up, we can create a system whereby we create a honest generation next.”
Another parent said, “Since childhood we create fear among children that if he/she does any wrong, we will call the police. We should stop this policing and create self-disciplined students who have integrity. This will create a strong and non-corrupt society.”

GTU to conduct energy, pollution audit in state

2012-01-15T06:56:00.000-08:00

Third year students of the varsity will conduct the audit for small units and suggest changes for optimum utilisation of energy as part of their academic project

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, January 09, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20120109201201090133154844ebd6140/GTU-to-conduct-energy-pollution-audit-in-state.html)
Students of colleges affiliated to Gujarat Technological University will conduct energy and pollution audit for small industries of the state as part of their academic project. The third year students from all branches of engineering, will work on Saturdays and Sundays, auditing and giving these industries alternatives to make optimum utilisation of energy and minimise pollution.
GTU Vice Chancellor Akshai Aggarwal said, “Most of the small scale industries are not aware of the scarcity of energy. Neither are they aware of how a few small changes can help them in cutting down the consumption of energy and also help them financially. Our students will conduct this audit as part of their academic project. This will give them the exposure and experience.”
The students will measure energy consumption by the small units and also the level of pollution they cause in the environment. “After collecting the data, students will analyse it in the laboratories built for this purpose. They will then suggest ways and changes, by which these units can make optimum utilisation of the resources,” added Aggarwal. GTU has divided the state in five zones and will build a lab in each of these zones.
According to the vice chancellor, the small units will benefit from this project, while the students will get the benefit of having some on-field experience. “Most of the small scale units are hard-pressed for money. This audit will help them saving money,” Aggarwal said.
Recently, some colleges of Vallabh Vidhyanagar in Anand conducted a similar audit of industries in the district and suggested changes. This had helped the industries to save Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 every year.
A training session has been organised by the varsity at Baroda and Vallabh Vidhyanagar on January 28 so that teachers and students get acquainted with the methods that will be used for the audit.
The university is also planning to collaborate with agencies like the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) and Gujarat Pollution Board so that the students can avail the benefits of the hi-tech equipment. “It will be mutually beneficial as the data collected by the students will help these agencies to make better environment and energy policies. It will save the agency money and man-power. Also students will benefit from working with them,” said Aggarwal.

GTU students shown answer sheets under RTI

2012-01-15T06:03:00.000-08:00

After two months of waiting ten students of GTU, who had applied under RTI, were invited to view the answer sheets they had requested for

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, January 05, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20120105201201050223092647d8736e7/GTU-students-shown-answer-sheets-under-RTI.html
Finally, Gujarat Technological University has taken the necessary steps to make answer sheets available to the students. Ten students, who had appealed under Right to Information Act, were called by the university to check their answer sheets on Wednesday.
Five of the students were of Bachelor of Engineering, one of Diploma Engineering, two of MBA and two students of Bachelor of Pharmacy. Overall, the university had to distribute 15 answer sheets among these students.
A GTU source said, “Ten students had applied to see their answer sheets between September and October under RTI Act. But, we had declined the offer at that time. The applicants appealed and following the supreme court order, we sent out letters for them to be present on Wednesday. We had opted for the open method system were they could check their original answer sheets.”
The students and parents were pleased by GTU’s move. One of the parents Rohit Desai said, “Often due to small mistakes by evaluators, the career path of the student changes entirely. This system could ensure that evaluators remain alert while grading. If they grade unfairly, they would be caught eventually.”
Saloni Dhawal, one of the students present on Wednesday, said, “I thought I had written the exam well but I ended up scoring very low. I wanted to know if I had made mistakes or the evaluator had. I am glad I can spot the mistakes and learn from them.”
Vice Chancellor Akshai Aggarwal said, “This facility is great for both the students and faculty. But the problem is that it requires manpower to stay active. For universities that have lakhs of students, this system is difficult to implement. For universities with few students, the system can be put into practice easily. The number of students applying is bound to increase as awareness of the system grows.”

Setbacks
Sources in GTU said, “The university has a student body of more than 5 lakh students. If even a mere 5 per cent of the students applied for the system, the time needed to retrieve their papers will be phenomenal. A multi-storeyed building and an extensive number of people will be needed to run the system in the future years.”

SC ruled pro RTI
The Supreme Court ruled in August that students unhappy with their examination scores — class X and XII, entrance exam for professional courses as well as job recruitment tests — can take a look at their answer-sheets by moving an application under the Right to Information Act. So far, only re-tabulation of marks was possible. Now, the court has provided for re-evaluation of answersheets, which will factor in whether the examiner missed out on awarding marks for some answers.

GU rap for docs helping wards in exams

2012-01-15T05:56:00.000-08:00

Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi promises to crack down on doctors helping their children in medical examinations to ensure ‘free and fair’ results

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, January 03, 2012 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20120103201201030200245933d13db76/GU-rap-for-docs-helping-wards-in-exams.html)
It is finally out in the open. Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi has admitted there are indeed some doctors and parents who try to help out their children and wards in their medical examinations and that it is a challenge for the varsity to ensure “free and fair” examinations for medical and dental courses.
Parimal Trivedi on Monday said Gujarat University has now taken special steps to check this menace. As many as 1,500 students are appearing for the MBBS, dental and super specialisation examinations this year.
Malpractices have been reported in the practical examinations in the past, which the vice chancellor said are being closely monitored. There have been allegations of some examiners favouring a select few by posing easy questions in the viva voce while targeting others. This will be strictly dealt with, Trivedi said.
In the past there have been rampant allegations that an active syndicate member of Gujarat University ran an ‘organised’ racket to ‘help’ children of some prominent doctors appearing for the medical examinations.
The member is also alleged to have ensured that only selected examiners were given duty to conduct the viva voce. An oral complaint was even reportedly made to the then education minister.
A case even reached the high court. In May last year, Gujarat High Court had ruled in favour of Manoj Bansal who had topped the super speciality course of DM cardiology in 2009 but was denied the gold medal by Gujarat University, that refused to award him the medal because he had passed at second attempt. A division bench concluded that “number of attempts was not a constraint at all” in awarding the medal. The bench sent the issue back to the vice chancellor and registrar for reconsideration.

No cellphones for examiners
While students have been barred from taking mobile phones in the examination hall, examiners, too, have now been barred from carrying cellphones. Observers will be the custodian of all the mobile phones.
The vice-chancellor has also set up a three-member committee to look into complaints of students indulging in wrong practices to get more marks. Students using different coloured pens, making signs of swastika or Om in the paper, using coloured staples or coloured threads to tie the papers to differentiate their answer paper from the others will be strictly dealt with, Trivedi said. The panel will scrutinise these papers, and if any student is found to have indulged in any illegal activity, he/she will be barred from appearing in the examinations for two years, he said.
The university will also increase flying squads to keep an eye on any wrongdoing. “We will also analyse the results to check if a particular centre has got unusually high marks and another centre has got comparatively low marks,” Trivedi said.

Gutkha maker backs out of Rs 10-cr deal with GU

2011-12-31T22:39:00.000-08:00

A pan masala company that promised to donate Rs 10 crore to Gujarat University for renaming the convention centre developed cold feet after dailies slammed the association; proposal was cleared by the executive council

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, December 28, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011122820111228024508732592af0c/Gutkha-maker-backs-out-of-Rs-10cr-deal-with-GU.html)
A gutkha maker who had promised to donate a huge sum for the Gujarat University Convention Centre backed out at the last minute after there was a lot of hue and cry in the media over the tobacco company’s association with an education institute.
According to a deal with Gujarat University by the Pan Parag company owner in June, the company was expected to donate Rs 10 crore to the university and the varsity in turn would rename the convention centre as Mansukhlal Kothari Convention Centre.
The proposal was even put up before the executive council, which cleared the deal. However, the pan masala company later developed cold feet after the university was slammed by the media and eminent people for associating itself with a gutkha company. The university had not heard from the company since.
Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi told Mirror, “The gutkha company had sent us a proposal saying they would like to donate Rs 10 crore to rename the convention centre. We had put it up before the executive council, which passed it. However, the patriarch of the company was unhappy after newspapers splashed the news that a tobacco maker was funding the centre.”
Trivedi added that it depends on the donor whether they want to give or not. “We cannot force them to donate. For the past five months we haven’t heard anything on the issue from them. The university also has not pursued the matter.”

MG goes organic with solid waste management

2011-12-31T22:37:00.000-08:00

MG Science Institute’s Micro-biology Dept, along with AMC and CEPT, have started collecting plant litter, waste paper, kitchen waste to decompose them on its campus

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Sunday, December 25, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011122520111225021701905fb495f28/MG-goes-organic-with-solid-waste-management-.html

Students visited Pirana landfill site to learn techniques of managing solid waste

Students of M G Science Institute have taken the initiative to recycle urban solid waste. Micro Biology Department, in collaboration with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and students of CEPT, have started collecting plant litter, waste paper and kitchen waste from corporate houses and housing societies to decompose them on its campus.

To understand the concept, students visited AMC’s Pirana landfill site and learned the method to decompose waste. “We heard that AMC was carrying out the solid waste management at a huge scale. Therefore, we decided to be a part of this project, for which, our students visited the Pirana site to learn the techniques and handling of solid waste,” said Mrugesh Shukla, head of Micro-biology department.

Shukla further said, “The purpose of the project is to collect, treat and dispose of solid wastes generated by urban population groups in an environmentally and socially satisfactory manner, using the most economical means available. The students have already started collecting solid waste and decomposition process on the campus.”

AMC provides 22 dustbins
They have divided the solid waste into three categories: plant litter, waste paper and kitchen waste. Each of these areas focuses on the collection of different recyclable materials like office and computer papers from offices, kitchen waste from canteens, neighbouring societies and party plots, plant litter from MG and CEPT campuses. The students have asked universities, and corporates for their support.
“AMC is helping us in a huge way. They have even provided us with 22 dustbins to collect the waste. Sterling Hospital will be providing the students with hospital waste like papers and other materials,” Shukla added.
For crushing the papers, initially AMC will be helping the students. The crushed papers will then be brought back to the college campus for decomposition, he said.
B K Jain, principal of M G Science Institute, said, “This project would not only solve the problem of domestic solid waste disposal, it would keep the environment healthy and also provide organic fertilisers for farmers. In fact, now our students have decided to use only bio-degradable plastic. This is a huge transformation for the society as whole.”

Encounter Latif team in lock-up

2011-12-31T22:34:00.000-08:00

RPF arrest crew members of film based on the life of slain gangster Abdul Latif for shooting fight scenes at Kankaria railway yard and Kalupur overbridge without permission

Yogesh Avasthi, Zahid Qureshi
Posted On Friday, December 23, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20111223201112230255114548b0d4318/Encounter-Latif-team-in-lockup.html)
The story of the film promises to be explosive. After all, it is based on the life of Abdul Latif, Ahmedabad’s original gang leader who was shot dead in an encounter. What the film director had not bargained for was some real cops on the sets and some real arrests.
Midnight drama unfolded on the sets of Encounter Latif when Railway Protection Police swooped down upon the hotel where it was being shot and arrested an actor and two members of the crew on charge of shooting a part of the film on railway premises without authorisation. The director, too, was detained.
The team was charged with attempt to run their vehicle over two cops, preventing them from discharging their duty and creating public nuisance, said RPF-Kankaria Sub-inspector Sunil Yadav.
The drama had actually begun a few hours earlier when around 5.30 pm RPF head constable Lal Singh and constable Bardu Ram tried to stop the crew from shooting the film at Kankaria yard. The film members not only brushed them aside, but tried to run them over when the cops attempted to detain them on the railway premises until reinforcements arrived, said Yadav.
Those arrested included actor Shagun Sharma who is playing a superintendent of police in the film and two make-up artists — Zubair Syed, 27, and Imtiaz Siddiqui, 28. While Syed is from Rajkot, Siddiqui is from Mumbai.
Singh and Ram were alert enough to note down the registration numbers of the film units’ vehicles. The RPF team traced the unit to a hotel in Lal Darwaja late at night. However, most of the crew members had left the sets by the time they reached there and the police found only Sharma, Syed and Siddiqui who were arrested.
They also detained the director of the film Sharique Minhaj later in the night.
Incidentally, Hamid Khan, the son of city MLA Farooq Shaikh is playing the a lead role in the film which is based on the life of Abdul Latif who at one point of time was a close associate of India’s most wanted fugitive wanted Dawood Ibrahim. The film has references to him as well as Sohrabuddin Shaikh’s fake encounter.
Sohrabuddin used to work for Latif and formed his own gang after the latter was arrested.

Traditional dress code for GTU convocation

2011-12-31T22:29:00.000-08:00

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, December 23, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20111223201112230230301392906ecac/Traditional-dress-code-for-GTU-convocation.html)
Gujarat Technological University (GTU) has decided on a traditional dress code for its first convocation being held at the LD Engineering College ground on January 19. The authorities have also decided to do away with the convocation cap, which has been an integral part of the convocation robe for several institutes.
“Knowing that it is our first convocation and would set a trend for the coming years, we decided to lay emphasis on our traditional values and culture and not on the robes which would remind us of colonial times,” said Dr Akshai Agrawal, Vice chancellor of GTU.

Off white code
For students it would be off white choodidaar pyjama and kurta, along with a scarf. While women will have an option of wearing an off white saree and a violet scarf. Dignitaries like chancellor, vice chancellor and the chief guest on the occasion will be offered to wear red gown and golden scarf.
Earlier it was proposed that the National Institute of Design (NID), would be roped in for deciding on the dress code, but when it could not work out, authorities gave the responsibility to LD textile technology department for dress designing and dress code.
“We carried a quick survey and thoroughly examined the photographs of convocation ceremonies of various leading institutes all over the country. After considering a number of suggestions about designs and colour combinations, we zeroed in on this combination, which will hopefully carry forward our culture,” said Prof Ashwin Thakkar, who heads LD textile technology department.
Around 7,000 students will be part of the convocation which has an impressive list of invitees. Besides Governor Kamla and Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the authorities will be sending an invitation to former President APJ Abdul Kalam, Ambani brothers, Sam Pitroda and N R Narayana Murthy.

Now, RTI Act available in Hindi, English Braille scripts

2011-12-31T22:26:00.000-08:00

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, December 20, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20111220201112200259367968fdf5d08/Now-RTI-Act-available-in-Hindi-English-Braille-scripts-.html)
The Braille version of Right to Information Act in Hindi and English will now be available for the benefit of persons with visual impairment, said Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) sources on Sunday. The copies may be obtained from the commission offices, universities, libraries and Blind People’s Associations across the country. Recently, the commission had translated the Act in Gujarati Braille.
Sources in GIC said, “Many visually-impaired people are taking the help of RTI Act. The commission is distributing the copies to create awareness regarding its rules and regulations among visually-impaired and to provide them an opportunity to use it for their benefit.” The initiative to translate the Act in Braille was taken by R N Das, the former chief commissioner of GIC.
K S Divan, deputy secretary GIC, said, “We are ready with RTI Act in Hindi and English Braille scripts. We are currently distributing two copies each.” Apart from this, the sources said that the commission has started giving priority to the applications filed by senior citizens, illiterate and disabled.

Xavier’s Initiates Sex Education for Class 8 and 9

2011-12-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

Approached by parents to guide their wards on sex, St Xavier’s Loyola becomes first state board school to educate students on the changes taking place in their body

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, December 14, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011121420111214024918686fe83983f/Xavier%E2%80%99s-Initiates-Sex-Education-for-Class-8-and-9-.html)
When most Gujarat board schools shun sex education, a reputed city school has taken its first step towards breaking this taboo. St Xavier’s, Loyola Hall, has begun imparting ‘Sex Education’ to students of class 8 and 9.
Concerned about their wards asking them questions they were uncomfortable with or had no answers to, the parents first approached the school to find a solution. The principal had a discussion with the teachers and decided to teach sexuality and adolescent education. Since the teachers had their own limitations in conveying the subject correctly, the services of an expert were sought. However, finding one was a gargantuan task.
Thankfully, for them, they found a doctor among the parents who volunteered to simplify the subject for the students. Dr Hemant Mankad first made a powerpoint presentation about the subject, Sex Education — The Myths and Facts, to Father Fernand Durai, principal of the school. Only after he and the teachers were convinced of the subject was it decided to impart it to the students.
For the past two years, the school has been trying to impart Sex Education in the school, but lack of a proper teacher had forced it to shelve the plan.
However, last Saturday the first class of an hour was held for the first batch of 50 students each from class 8 and 9. There are a total of 200 students each in class 8 and 9.
The entire purpose, according to the principal, is to educate students on sex in a proper manner, which otherwise they would seek from other sources that might be harmful to them.
Father Durai said, “We’ve accepted it as a part of our curriculum and we will constantly update it to make it accessible and understandable to the student. Those questions which parents are not able to provide to their children or the teachers fail to convey, we are providing through an expert.”
The response from parents has been positive, the principal said, adding that other schools should take a cue from them and take a step in this direction. “We get experts on different subjects to teach the students, but when it comes to sex education, we tend to avoid it. This will only create confusion in the minds of the children and they will seek incorrect information that is harmful to them,” he said.
When he first started the lecture, Dr Mankad said, the students were giggling and nudging each other. But once he started explaining to them scientifically about the subject, they got interested and started asking questions that were bothering them. There were a range of questions: I am attracted to someone, what is the reason for it? What is a condom? What is AIDS? Do we transmit AIDS if we kiss or embrace someone? What is an eunuch? Who is called a gay or lesbian? What is a wet dream ?
Talking about the subject, Dr Mankad told Mirror, “There is an information overload, which is confusing to a student. A scientific explanation of sex is lacking. Parents fail to explain the hormonal changes that take place in a child, while teachers try to laugh it off or give examples that are totally irrelevant. At this juncture, it is imperative to impart the correct information on the subject.”

150 colleges of all Gujrat state to get principals soon

2011-12-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

Commissionerate of Higher Education has started the process of issuing NOC to colleges; recruitment of principals will get over by March

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, December 05, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011120520111205004656518fa6bd84c/150-colleges-of-Guj-Uni-to-get-principals-soon.html)
Commissionerate of Higher Education has finally decided to start recruiting principals for about 150 grant-in-aid colleges of All Gujarat states that do not have full-time principals.
The commissionerate on Friday put up a notification on its website inviting such colleges to file declaration forms to obtain no objection certificate (NOC) for recruitment of principals.
Colleges where headmaster will retire soon can also file the declaration. The commissionerate intends to finish the recruitment process by March so that the new principals can take charge of the new academic year.
Sources in commissionerate said, “The procedure to fill up the vacant post has been going on for a long time but we weren’t able to issue NOCs due to technical reasons. Now, finally the recruitment process is on the fast track. This procedure will include arts, commerce, science, law and BEd colleges.”
The recruitment is going to be centralised. “We are going to recruit principals through a centralised process. This will not only be economically viable, but will also make it more transparent,” a source said. Those colleges that don’t wish to take part in the centralised recruitment will have to hold their recruitment procedures at GU’s main office.
The education commissionerate has also issued a points table, on the basis of which the candidates will be evaluated. Most points have been awarded for PHd, work experience, holding the post lecturer in post graduate colleges, holding a position of authority in college, having done a research paper for UGC, DST or GUJCOST.

Relax maximum age limit for teachers: Candidates
Several candidates for the post of college teachers met at the Gujarat University library to protest against Gujarat Public Service Commission’s (GPSC) advertisement inviting application from candidates below 30 years of age for the 500 vacant posts for teachers in government colleges. The maximum age limit for reservation category is 35.
According to the aspirants, the GPSC, last, invited applications for the post of teacher in 1998. So, candidates who have passed requisite exams to become a teacher in 1998 will not get an opportunity to apply this time. Some even complained that there was shortage of proper PHd guides in the state universities.
The candidates are going to submit MoU to Governor Kamla, Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Education Minister Raman Vora, Commissioner of Higher Education Jayanti Ravi and other officers, requesting relaxation in the age limit. It is mandatory for candidates to clear NET/ SLATE, and have a Phd to become a teacher.

GU asked to exercise more ‘care, vigilance’

2011-12-15T09:13:00.000-08:00

Information commissioner, in response to an RTI filed by Hemlata Patel, advised authorities at Gujarat University to exercise greater care and vigilance

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, December 05, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20111205201112050046481585f6fefa9/GU-asked-to-exercise-more-%E2%80%98care-vigilance%E2%80%99.html)
Gujarat Information Commission has warned Gujarat University to ‘exercise greater care and vigilance’. The stern statement was made with regard to an appeal filed under Right to Information Act-2005 by Hemlata Patel dated April 9, 2011.
However, Hemlata didn’t receive an appropriate response from the Public Information Officer at Gujarat University. Then, she filed an appeal to the Appellate Authority under RTI Act, to which no response was received. The applicant had requested for a copy of the report of the Local Inquiry Committee regarding affiliation of Ghantakarna Physiotherapy College, Godhra district.
Sources said, “When Hemlata didn’t get the answers, an appeal was filed directly with the Gujarat Information Commission following which the strict orders have been issued to those concerned at Gujarat University.” The statement also states that neither of the parties concerned have ‘acted as per their duty under the provisions of the Act’.
Several complaints against the university have been made for the insufficient details and late responses.

Prior cases
The State Information Commission has slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on Gujarat University’s registrar for delaying the information sought by senate member Pradeep Prajapati in February 2008 under the RTI Act. The decision came on July 4, 2010.

Rly held responsible for passengers’ discomfort

2011-12-15T09:06:00.000-08:00

Consumer forum observed that inaction on part of railways authorities had caused hardship to nine passengers; orders Rs 5,000 compensation for each of them

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, December 03, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20111203201112030300121748fea0c78/Rly-held-responsible-for-passengers%E2%80%99-discomfort.html)
If you face inconvenience due to unauthorised passengers while travelling on a reserved berth in the train, you can make railways authorities accountable and even get a compensation.
Vadibhai Maganlal Thakkar and eight other senior citizens from Gandhinagar went through a similar ordeal during their 38-hour-long journey from Varanasi to Ahmedabad. They approached Gandhinagar district consumer disputes redressal forum against the railways authorities and made them pay for their indifference and deficient services.
Taking up their plea, the forum directed railways authorities to pay a compensation of Rs 5,000 to each of them, along with the expenses incurred for filing the complaint.
Holding railway authorities accountable for deficiency of service and causing mental harassment to the passengers, the forum ordered the authorities to pay an interest of 9 per cent with effect from the date when the complaint was made.

Ordeal due to unauthorised travellers
On July 6, 2010, Thakkar, Rasikbhai Brahmbhatt and seven other senior citizens, had boarded Sabarmati Express from Varanasi. All had confirmed tickets and occupied their berth before the train left for Ahmedabad. However, as the train came to halt at Faizabad, about 100 passengers got into their compartment and occupied space on the berth and in the aisle.
In their complaint, Thakkar and others claimed that the passengers, who did not have a valid ticket for the said coach, blocked the passage to the toilet and littered all over the coach. They caused great inconvenience to passengers, many of whom were senior citizens and suffered from serious ailments.
What added to their woes, was that the Travelling Ticket Examiner and other railway personnel ignored their complaints and declined to ask the passengers to disembark and occupy another compartment.
Blaming authorities for their callous approach, the application mentioned that one of the senior citizens Purshottam Thakkar, who got down to lodge a formal complaint at Jhansi railway station, was even manhandled by a railways officials.
Later on July 11, 2010, Thakkar and some other passengers sent a complaint to the railways authorities seeking a compensation of Rs 50,000 but the authorities took no action.

Railways response
Railways authorities, on the other hand, submitted before the forum that no complaint was made to the authorities or the TTE by the applicants.
Referring to the provisions of Indian Railway Act, 1989, they mentioned that a penalty could be imposed against those found travelling without a ticket. Besides it was for the ticket checker to deal with the complaints with regard to unauthorised passengers.
The forum, however, observed that the inaction on the part of railways authorities had led to mental harassment and inconvenience to the passengers. Therefore, the authorities should compensate them.

Hey, how was the paper ? Go to GU website and find out

2011-11-30T06:54:00.000-08:00

University will upload answers to next month’s first semester BCom exam papers. Other undergraduate courses to be covered from second semester

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, November 29, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011112920111129024919138ce6b71d4/Hey-how-was-the-paper-Go-to-GU-website-and-find-out.html)
Gujarat University, which will conduct semester exams for undergraduate courses for the first time next month, plans to upload the answer key on its website to benefit students.
To begin with, it will only upload answer keys to first semester BCom papers. Second semester onwards, science, arts and other disciplines will be covered.
As many as 32,000 students are expected to appear for the first semester BCom exam to begin on November 30.
As per plan, the answer key will be uploaded three hours after the daily exam and will stay on the website for two days.
Usually, answer keys are uploaded for multiple-choice questions asked in competitive exams. But GU plans to upload even solutions to theory questions so that students know the content and the length of the answers expected from them.
The key will also give students a fair idea of how much they stand to score if they have attempted a part of the question. This will help the student carry out self-assessment and prepare better for the next day’s paper. It will also help the teachers assessing the paper as they will know how many marks should a student be given for his answer.
It will also mean that paper-setters will have to carefully plan the questions as they will also be required to provide detailed answers to be uploaded on the website. “Many a time students think that a particular question asked in the paper is out of syllabus. So, the key will also have a link to the reference material which holds the answer,” said an academician.
GU Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi said, “We are conducting semester exams for undergraduate courses for the first time. In the first phase, we shall upload answer key for BCom papers and cover other disciplines from the next semester. We believe the answer key will boost students’ confidence by helping them assess themselves.”
He added, “We will also give them solutions for theory questions. This will make it easy for them to find out how many marks they are likely to score. Students of the next batch stand to benefit the most as they will have a clear understanding of how to and how much to write in the theory papers.”

More students must take the test: SCOPE

2011-11-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

Officials at SCOPE have made demands for every college to list a minimum of 200 students for the language exam; students complain that compulsion is not right

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, November 28, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201111282011112801470498689a37296/More-students-must-take-the-test-SCOPE.html)
SCOPE officers have mounted pressure on colleges to increase the number of students taking the test. In the numerous meetings held with colleges, they have demanded that at least 200 students from each college should take the test. Many students feel that making the test compulsory is ‘unfair’ and an unnecessary expense.
Society for Creation of Opportunity Through Proficiency in English (SCOPE), an initiative of Gujarat Government, is aimed at developing soft skills among youths for communication in English.
Gujarati medium students are required to pay Rs 200 while English medium students have to pay Rs 300. However, little option has been left in this regard for the students of Gujarat Arts and Science College.
A notice put up by the principal of the college states that submitting applications for the exam is compulsory. The notice reads, “All students of TY BA, B Com and TYB Sc have to write the SCOPE test.” The notice prompted many students to approach Principal A S Rathod to protest the compulsion.
A student requesting anonymity said, “The notice states that when the entire college will write the exam, the prestige of Gujarat College will increase. Forcing the students to give the exam is not fair. We are being convinced that taking the test will help us secure jobs. But none of the recruiters for government jobs check if we have written it.”
One of the principals said, “Writing these exams will give the students a five-point credit. This, in turn will help them get better jobs. The implementation of the request by SCOPE will benefit everyone involved. We have spoken to the students and asked them to fill up the forms.”
On the other hand, a principal who asked to not be named, said, “We try to make the students understand the benefits. We cannot and should not be forcing them to take these exams. They should be allowed to decide if they want to write the exams. Some of them cannot afford the extra fees as well.”

Friends hack UDGAM boy's FB account, post Lewd comments

2011-11-28T06:47:00.000-08:00

A depressed Aadit Shah, 15, spent his Diwali vacation behind closed doors after his Facebook mates accused him of posting nasty comments on their wall. He later found out that two of his friends had hacked his account to malign him

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, November 27, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011112720111127030513876f697e30c/Friends-hack-UDGAM-boys-FB-account-post-Lewd-comments.html)
This should serve as a warning bell for parents oblivious to their child’s online habits and the dangers of the cyberworld he/she is exposed to. A class X student of Udgam School was pushed to the brink of depression after his friends hacked his Facebook account to send lewd messages to his acquaintances.
It was jealousy that drove the two students — Kush (name changed) from Udgam and Arpan (name changed) from St Xavier’s Loyola — to hack the FB account of their friend Aadit Shah, 15. The reason: They did not like the fact that a popular student in their group was friendlier with Aadit.
The sad part of the story is that though the two friends admitted to having hacked his account, they are unapologetic. Since Aadit’s parents are concerned about the future of Kush and Arpan as much as they are about their son’s, they have chosen not to register a criminal complaint.

‘THE KEPT TO HIMSELF’
Aadit’s ordeal began on October 24 and continued for nearly 20 days. Disturbed after his FB friends began screaming at him for posting vulgar comments on their profiles, the boy shut himself up in his room.
He did not celebrate Diwali with his family. “He neither tasted the sweets I had prepared nor lit the diyas. What worried me was that he had stopped taking food and would get irritated if we asked him anything. He would keep asking his father whether he knew any professional hacker. When asked why, he would not answer,” said his mother Bhavna Shah.
A fortnight ago, Aadit tried to reset the password of his hacked FB profile. But the hacker had changed the email address and also added his cellphone number to the profile so that any request for password-reset from Aadit came to him for approval.

TRACED CULPRITS BY FLUKE
“When I tried to reset the password, I was asked to enter either the user’s email id or cellphone number. Since Arpan had bullied me in the past, I suspected him of hacking my account. I entered a new password and typed in his cellphone number. I was shocked to get a confirmation from Facebook stating that the approval for new password was sent to the cellphone number I had entered,” said Aadit.
Furious, he called up Arpan. “Initially he told me he wasn’t behind all this. But later his tone changed and he started abusing me. When I threatened to expose him in front of his principal, he said his partner in crime was Kush, one of my classmates. I immediately told my parents about it,” said Aadit.

‘PARENT’S BEHAVIOUR MORE SHOCKING’
Concerned about their child’s emotional well-being, Aadit’s parents fixed a meeting with the parents of the two boys.
“Though both Kush and Arpan admitted to having hacked his FB to malign him, they were not ready to apologise. They kept blaming each other. Arpan would say the laptop was Kush’s and Kush would say the comments were posted by Arpan,” said Dr Malav Shah, Aadit’s father.
Worse than the children’s behaviour, said Aadit’s mother, was the attitude of one of the parents.
“Instead of admonishing him, Arpan’s father told him, ‘Before you do something like this, you should make sure you are not caught. Else you must not do it.’ Is this what a parent should teach his child?”

CULPRITS SAY NO TO APOLOGY
When she asked Arpan and Kush to write a note on Aadit’s wall saying they were responsible for posting dirty comments, the boys came up with another trick — creating a new Facebook account for Aadit and then posting an apology so that his friends did not find out the truth.
“I wouldn’t have known about their plan had Kush not blurted it out. Just imagine to what extent kids can go to make somebody’s life miserable. I have requested Aadit’s principal to ensure that Kush apologises to him in the assembly. Aadit is a bright kid and I don’t want this incident to affect his studies,” said the mother.

‘WON’T USE FACEBOOK AGAIN’
With a harrowing experience behind him, Aadit has decided never to use Facebook again. He said, “While a lot of friends thought I had posted those nasty comments on their profile, there were some who trusted me so much that they were sure I was not behind it. I have decided not to use Facebook again. I value my friends and don’t want to lose them again.”

LECTURE ON ONLINE BEHAVIOUR
Meanwhile, Udgam School is planning to conduct a session on how to conduct themselves on social networking websites. “We take this matter very seriously and shall make sure the incident is not repeated. Parents, too, should monitor their child’s online behaviour,” said Radhika Iyer, principal, Udgam School.
“Earlier, we had invited an expert to explain the perils of online socialising to students of class 6-12. We now plan to organise a lecture for both students and parents on ‘How to conduct oneself on social networking websites’,” Iyer added.

Private firm to wash rlys’ dirty linen

2011-11-28T06:42:00.000-08:00

Rlys signs a 10-yr contract with Jyothy Laboratories which will set up a mechanised laundry near Kalupur railway station

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, November 26, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011112620111126022941299651f3aa/Private-firm-to-wash-rlys%E2%80%99-dirty-linen-.html)
Faced with the risk of soiling its reputation over complaints of unwashed linen being provided in the AC coaches, the railways has finally pulled up its socks.
Western Railway (WR) has now signed a 10-year contract with Jyothy Laboratories to set up a mechanised laundry plant on railway premises. The land, water and electricity supply will be provided by the railways.
Touted to be the largest unit in the country, it will have a capacity to clean 16 tonnes of linen per day, said railway sources. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2012. The railways will foot a total bill of Rs 65 crore for 10 years, sources told Mirror.
A tender was out in June 2010 in this connection. “Every passenger in an AC coach is given a linen kit comprising two bed sheets, one pillow, one pillow cover, one hand towel and one blanket. In addition, a bath towel is also given to the passenger of 1st AC coaches. However, according to passengers, the linen provided to them are dirty and many a time unwashed,” said sources.

RLYS TO GIVE LAND, WATER, POWER
According to sources in the Ahmedabad Railway Division, the railways will provide 1,800 sq m of land to Jyothy Laboratories to set up the laundry plant.
It will also provide water supply and electricity for the operation. However, the company will not be allowed to use the unit for any purpose other than washing and cleaning railways’ linen.
The company will be in charge of collection, transportation of used linen to the unit, cleaning and loading the packed linen to AC coaches.
Laundry collected from around 30 trains at Ahmedabad Railway Division will be cleaned regularly by the company. Sources added that Jyothy Laboratories, the maker of Ujala fabric care liquid, is all set to become the biggest laundry services player in the country.
According to Right To Information (RTI) replies, in 2010-11 railways had received 261 complaints about dirty linen being supplied to passengers; 279 complaints were registered in 2009-10. It had also imposed a penalty of around Rs 30 lakh on the contractor who was supplying the linen.
The railway officials said that despite having hired 12 to15 officers and supervisors to check the quality and supply of linen in all AC coaches in long-distance trains, the problem prevails .

GTU TO PAVE WAY FOR TECH RESEARCH WITH RS 38-cr LAB

2011-11-26T07:50:00.001-08:00

To be modelled on Taiwan’s ITRI, the laboratory will facilitate setting up of a domestic manufacturing base so that India can have locally manufactured electronic products

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, November 21, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201111212011112102234478359a3f87d/GTU-TO-PAVE-WAY-FOR-TECH-RESEARCH-WITH-RS-38cr-LAB.html)
Gujarat Technological University (GTU) is coming up with a first-of-its-kind electronics laboratory in the country to facilitate technological research and build an indigenous high-technology industry.
To be built along the lines of Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), the Rs 38-crore lab will be set up on the new GTU campus in Chandkheda.
The labs will focus on two broad areas of tech research: Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) — the process of creating integrated circuits by combining thousands of transistors into a single chip — and mobile computing.

INDIGENOUS PRODUCTS
“Since adequate research facilities are not available for electronic companies in the country, their ideas never reach the execution stage. We usually have to outsource our ideas to countries like China. By setting up an interdisciplinary research laboratory, similar to ITRI, Taiwan,
we plan to facilitate a higher degree of collaboration between research and development in the country so that products are manufactured indigenously,” said Akshai Aggarwal, Vice Chancellor, GTU.
“The aim is to hone the skills of our students, promote entrepreneurship and transform the domestic technology industry into a global bedrock for innovation. We already have the names of companies who would like to use our facility,” added Aggarwal.

FIRST PHASE COMPLETION : 2013
The research facility will be built in two phases with the first — on 18,000 sq ft space at a cost of Rs 12.5 crore— expected to be completed by 2013. In the first phase the varsity will build an advanced embedded multimedia lab, a printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication lab and a wafer fabrication lab to develop highly sophisticated electronic logic and control devices known as integrated circuits.
The second phase will have a lab for research on solar-photovoltaics, smart grid, mobile and wireless technologies and robotics.

WHY IMPORT GADGETS ?
“Recently, Sam Pitroda, PM’s adviser, had remarked that by 2025, import of electronic products from East Asia will equal import of oil from West Asia. That’s a worrying situation. While our information technology and services have made us one of the fastest growing economies in the world, manufacturing accounts for only 16 per cent of the output. This is half of China’s share and much behind India’s targeted 25 per cent in the next 10 years,” said Aggarwal.

SKILL CREATION
Aggarwal says that while we have Entrepreneurship Development Institute and GIDC Electronic Estate, none of them can create skills.
He added: “It is time that technological universities teach their students circuit skills, device physics and characterisation skills and also provide facility to incubate ideas. Later on, with help from venture capitalists they can be on their own. We need to have more chip plants and research parks if we want to meet the demand for smartphones, laptops and other electronic products.”
GTU has already introduced masters programme in VLSI and Embedded Systems and Wireless and Mobile Computing. “By the time we are done with the first phase of the lab, 60 students would have completed their masters. We will also introduce a PhD programme for our students as well as others who are interested in research work. These researchers will be the workforce at our laboratories,” adds Aggarwal.

Amdavadi entrepreneur develops mobile CAT app

2011-11-15T07:56:00.001-08:00

Ashish Chowdhary, a student of EDI and a Steve Jobs fan, has come up with a free cellphone app that allows CAT aspirants to work on 14 original test papers and also provides scores

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, November 13, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20111113201111130018403931ac787ab/Amdavadi-entrepreneur-develops-mobile-CAT-app.html)
Now, IIM aspirants can prepare for CAT at their convenience and that too, without spending a rupee. Ashish Chowdhary, a student of PGDBM in Business Entrepreneurship at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, has co-developed the CATapp, a unique cellphone application that can be downloaded for free. The app provides all CAT papers from 1994 to 2008 along with the solutions. It also comes up with a scorecard based on your test performance. Students simply have to send him an email at ashish@catapp.in to avail of the CAT app.
Ashish, a B.E. in Information Technology from Dharmsinh Desai University in Nadiad, says commuting between city and college every day left very little time for him to prepare for CAT.
“Day scholars like me had to carry CAT test material too, to the college along with the engineering books. Most of us travelled every day with a backpack weighing 5 kg. I would prepare for CAT in the train as after coming back home, I would get busy working on college projects. Even today, students face the same problem. That is what gave me the idea of developing a mobile phone app,” said Ashish, who was employed with Tata Consultancy Services, till he decided to start an enterprise of his own.

‘STEVE JOBS INSPIRES ME’
An ardent fan of late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, Ashish chose to release the app on October 24, the day the company released iPhone4S. “So far, 500 students have registered for the free app which runs on Java/Symbian platform. You don’t even need the internet to use this app. A lot of them have sent me a feedback saying it is very convenient because cellphone is a gadget that always stays with them. I want maximum students to take benefit of the CAT app,” said Ashish.
He is now planning to launch more apps for health, education, communication and banking sectors. “I want to come up with more challenging applications for different sectors. Like Steve Jobs said once, ‘We are here to make a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here’. It is a highly competitive marketplace. But I am optimistic and ready to take up challenges. If India can give the world the cheapest tablet, you think I cannot spring up surprises?” said Ashish.

NO PRINCIPAL IN 175 GU COLLEGES!

2011-11-15T07:48:00.001-08:00

These are run by in-charge principals who do not have the power to make decisions on policy matters. While the colleges have sent requests to state education dept for fresh appointments, it is yet to issue NOCs

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Saturday, November 12, 2011 (http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4262288374987173563#editor/target=post;postID=1062546356571867691)

The state government should talk about improving the quality of education only after it removes this roadblock. Of the 396 colleges affiliated to Gujarat University (GU), 175 do not have full-time principals. It is the in-charge principals who run the show in these colleges, reveals the newly published GU diary.

Since the power to make important decisions does not lie with them and neither are they allowed the benefits principals enjoy, development activities are put on the back burner.

Of the 86 BEd colleges, 72 do not have principals. Same is the case with 50 per cent of colleges that offer both arts and commerce courses. A total of 13 of the 53 commerce colleges and 13 of the 15 BBA colleges are also run by in-charge principals. Only 14 of the 27 medical and paramedical colleges have full-time principals.

“As per the eligibility criteria, a principal has to have a PhD degree as well as 10 years of teaching experience. And that makes recruitment quite difficult,” said an academician. But the in-charge principal of a college said requesting anonymity, “Colleges have been seeking approval from the state education department to fill the vacancies for post of principals.

But department has not responded yet. Last year, 10-15 per cent principals retired from grant-in-aid colleges. In the next two years, we will have many more vacancies to fill.” These are the same colleges that are grappling with faculty crunch. To add to their woes, now these don’t have principals, either.

A faculty member of a BBA college told Mirror, “No faculty member is keen on becoming an in-charge principal because then, the expenditure incurred is more than the income.

“The ones who agree to it, work very hard, hoping they will be promoted as principals. Firstly, they only get Rs 400-500 more than the salary offered to the faculty members. While the professors can go home after taking four lectures, the incharge principal has round-the-clock job.”
“The in-charge principal not only has to take lectures but also meet visitors, fill up applications requesting grants and attend to several other issues. Why should an in-charge principal trouble himself/herself by taking additional responsibility? But still, there are some in-charge principals who toil day and night, hoping that they will be appointed principals some day. If the government agrees to it, they can avail themselves of a host of benefits,” said a member of Gujarat University Affiliated College Principals Association.
Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi said, “We will request the state government to speed up the process of issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the colleges so that they can recruit full-time principals. BBA, BCA and BEd colleges face a lot of problems because they do not have full-time principals.”

Two passengers caught using fake letter-head of Mamata for getting berth

2011-11-15T07:42:00.001-08:00

Businessmen from Andhra Pradesh tried to get their berth confirmed by getting a fake letter in the name of the former railways minister

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, November 11, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20111111201111110233094797426d170/Two-passengers-caught-using-fake-letterhead-of-Mamata-for-getting-berth.html)
Between her hectic parleys with the UPA government over threats to withdraw support and surprise visits to the police stations for getting her party workers freed, when would former railways minister and Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee find time to send a personal fax to Ahmedabad railways authorities, asking them to confirm the reservation of passengers in the VIP quota.
This question apparently bothered officials in the Emergency Quota (EQ) cell of railways who received a faxed letter-head bearing the “signature” of Banerjee, asking to confirm ticket of two passengers in Navjeevan Express from Ahmedabad to Chennai.
The letter said that Madan Jain (62), a physically challenged person, and SK Jain (30), who had to travel from Ahmedabad to Vijaywada on Thursday, should be accommodated in the VIP quota. The letter also had their PNR numbers and other particulars.
The hand-made corrections in the text printed on the letter-head made the local railways officials suspicious, who asked their counterparts in the Railways board in Delhi to further check with the Ministry of Railways.
Officials, however, found out that no such letter was sent from the concerned. The officials compared the signatures of Banerjee in the letter with those on the circulars which were sent during her tenure as railways minister in the past. They bore no resemblance. Further queries revealed that the letter was faxed from Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.

Railways get cracking
“The only way to get to the bottom of the case was through the passengers, so we decided to confirm one of the two berths,’’ said Assistant Commercial Manager Darshit Priyadarshi.
On Thursday, the duo arrived at the railways station well before the departure of train and occupied their ‘VIP’ berth in B-2 coach, blissfully ignorant of the special team of railways officials and cops, which was keeping a tab on them. The team was being guided by the supervision of Senior Commercial Manager Dinesh Chanchodia and RPF Divisional Deputy Commissioner Sumit Shandilya. As the train departed, the team members started questioning the duo and found that they had managed to send the letter to the railways officials through their friend K Bhaskar Reddy in Andhra Pradesh.

Booked by the police
Assured that the duo was well aware of the forgery and cheating which was being committed to get the berth, the officials made them alight the train at Nadiad and registered a case against them.
Further interrogation revealed that both were businessman from Kakinada. They had come to Ahmedabad on vacations and contacted their friend after they could not get their berths confirmed. Investigating officials also mentioned that the claims of Madan Jain that he was handicapped were also being ascertained.

Passengers beware !
Division Railways Manager Rakesh Behal said that the case should serve as a reminder to all those passengers who try to get tickets confirmed through unlawful means.
There have been instances in the past wherein passengers have tried to take up journey by falsely using names of MLAs and MPs, which is a serious offence, he said. He also said many travel agents try to mislead passengers by taking money from them on pretext of getting their tickets confirmed.

Come 2012, LD engg students, faculty will interact on their own portal

2011-11-15T07:39:00.001-08:00

Experts and students are working on a website that will give access to ebooks, exam results, events, R&D at the college; parents, can log on to check their children’s progress

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, November 08, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20111108201111080233291691b093552/Come-2012-LD-engg-students-faculty-will-interact-on-their-own-portal.html)
LD College of Engineering has launched a project to bring students, teachers, college administration and parents on one platform through a portal in the next couple of months.
Experts, along with students, began working on the Rs 10-lakh venture about two months back and expect to complete it early next year. While students and faculty will have access to ebooks, examination results, attendance records, college events, research and development works of the faculty, the website will display the students’ performance in internal tests and parents will be able to track the progress of their children on it, said Principal M N Patel.
The management information system being developed envisages a unique identity to each student, faculty and other staff members so that they can access and interact with each other on the portal. The portal will double as a one-stop resource to check the illustrious projects done by the college, the first in the state to get autonomy.
Prof Patel said that the students will also have access to lectures and other course materials as the portal will virtually act as an audio-visual classroom as the lectures of the faculty and soft texts will be stored on the server. These will be open to those who need clarification on the paper discussed in the classroom.
The website will make life easier for the students and faculty simultaneously as the latter can give assignments online and the former can submit the same on the same platform. The students will get to know the review in real time as the teachers upload their comments.
Students or faculty can also post their academic problem online which will be attended to by a team of students and teachers. The most interesting part of the project, said Prof Patel, would be the access that parents will have to these reviews. They will get to know the progress their children are making .
The developers of the portal have made provisions to display the various placement offers the college keeps getting. The website will also help students save time they have to spend on essential administrative procedures such as paying fees, filling in various forms and procuring relevant certificates. To make the system successful and accessible, the college plans to set up kiosks with touch screens at a few places on its sprawling campus, Prof Patel said.

First to get Autonomy
Lalbhai Dalpatbhai College of Engineering has bagged the unique distinction of becoming the first engineering college in the state to be granted autonomy based on the recommendation of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
The autonomy helps the college expedite recruitment of faculty members, design new curriculum, introduce judicious evaluation and assessment systems and industry-oriented courses for the benefit of the students. It also makes it entitled for grants from the state and the central governments.

GTU introduces course on intellectual rights

2011-11-15T07:31:00.001-08:00

Intellectual Property Rights & Technology Transfer will be taught in semester VIII from Jan

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, November 08, 2011 http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011110820111108023322919fa2f729c/GTU-introduces-course-on-intellectual-rights-.html)
For the past many years, students from across the state have been pouring out their innovative minds and creating wonders. But many a time, their ideas are pilfered by industries and individuals. Therefore, to help students understand the importance to patent their innovations, Gujarat Technological University (GTU) has decided to teach Intellectual Property Rights and Technology Transfer course in the eighth semester of BE from January 2012. The course has been designed by IIM professor Anil Gupta and expert lawyers.
Sources in GTU said, “No university has taught such a course. Students, especially from engineering field, need to understand the seriousness of intellectual property rights. They have been making great innovation and there are all the chances their ideas could be used by someone else.”
Topics such as the meaning of intellectual rights, how and where to file for it, how to make project reports of innovation, and so on, will be taught. The course will carry 50 marks. “As of now, we have included the course in the semester 8 of BE. In future, we will be including it in the first semester of BE,” the sources added.
In Kerala, students are taught the concept of intellectual property from class 4. However, there is no awareness of the topic in Gujarat. “There is a need to create awareness in the state. It’s very expensive for students to patent their innovation. The cost of filing application for patent is around Rs 50,000-60,000. Therefore, we are planning to form a group which will patent their innovations for lesser amount,” added sources.
Recently, as part of a project initiated by GTU and Techpedia – a brainchild of Gupta — the varsity incubated 100 best research prototypes created by final year students of engineering and pharmacy to help industries grow after mapping industry requirements over six months.

Computer Exem For Babus gets Tougher

2011-11-15T07:14:00.001-08:00

Now, tech varsity will conduct online exam that is mandatory for class II, III govt employees, teachers to get annual increments; step taken after complaints of malpractice in tests organised by ITIs

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, November 04, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011110420111104025944134a344fef3/Computer-Exem-For-Babus-gets-Tougher.html)
Government employees who want their annual increment released now need to be better prepared for the mandatory departmental computer test. Fed up with complaints of irregularities in the examination, Department of Employment and Training has asked Gujarat Technological University (GTU) to conduct it online.
The Course in Computer Concepts (CCC) examination that all class II, III and IV government employees and teachers have to clear to get their yearly salary revision was being conducted by ITIs since 2006. However, there were complaints of the employees getting away with cheating, fielding dummy writers and getting wrong evaluation done.
The govt expects the online test by Gujarat Technological University to make the process tamperproof and transparent
“To set the house in order, we have decided to ask GTU to conduct the test now on,” said a highly placed source in the Department of Employment and Training.
Department and GTU officials met in Gandhinagar on Thursday to work out the details. The meeting could not finalise the test dates and the officials decided to meet next week again.
While the state government wants the examinations to roll out around December, GTU has expressed its inability to conduct it as the semester exams begin on November 19 and continue through February 2. About 50,000 employees take the test every three to four months and the university is wary of handling the volume simultaneously with its own examinations, the official said.
Incidentally, no test has been conducted for the last nine months and hence the government wants early papers so that the increments granted to the employees could be regularised. If they do not clear the test before January, the government will find it difficult to grant them their annual increments. Besides, the backlog of employees will only increase.
According to a senior GTU official, the government decided to go online as it would make the process transparent. The exercise was awarded to GTU as it has successfully conducted online GCET for a few years now. Besides, the university has also conducted online tests for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and Mangalam, the recruitment process for fixed-pay employees for various government departments.

Board fails to print Std 11 question bank

2011-10-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Despite promising to print question banks for Class 11 science by mid-September, Gujarat State School Textbook Board fails to print them; Angry parents allege that the board is involved in a conspiracy to profit private publishers

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, October 24, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011102420111024021632391b109836e/Board-fails-to-print-Std-11-question-bank.html)
Gujarat State School Textbook Board (GSSTB) had proudly announced that it was putting together sets of self-assessment papers (swadhyay-pothi) for class XI students to help them prepare for semester exams introduced this year.
The officials had assured that the reasonably priced question banks would be available for sale by mid-September.
September came and went. Students, too, are done with their first semester exams. Still, the textbook board’s question banks are nowhere in sight.
N D Trivedi, sales officer of Gujarat State Textbook Board’s Ahmedabad operations, said, “I don’t know why the question banks have not been printed. Now that the first semester exams are over, it doesn’t matter whether they are printed or not.”
And what about the promise made? Nikhil Shah, parent of a class 11 student said, “This was the first time that Gujarat board was conducting semester examinations for class XI. The papers were to be a mix of objective and subjective questions. I wanted to get practice papers and reference material for my child. When the textbook board announced that it would print question banks in the semester-paper format, I was relieved. But they ditched us.”
“Surprisingly, question banks by private publications were available easily. Three such question banks cost me around Rs 450, twice the price announced by GSSTB. I had no choice but to buy those,” he added.
According to sources, the first semester question banks for mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology had been prepared by experts and submitted to the GSSTB in the second week of August.
One of the experts who helped in putting together the self-assessment books said on condition of anonymity said, “It took us more than two months to prepare the question banks. Questions were devised to ensure that the subject is covered in its entirety. Each set contained multiple choice questions worth 70 marks and short-answer questions carrying 30 marks.”
“We had submitted the materials for English and Gujarati medium by the second week of August. I am clueless why the board failed to print the material or make it available in the market,” he added.
More than 1.2 lakh class XI students had appeared for the first semester exams which got over last week. The GSSTB was supposed to print over 4.5 lakh copies of question banks by September. However, Mirror correspondent could not find GSSTB question banks at any of the stationery or book stores he visited. He was instead offered self-assessment books published by private firms.
“I suspect that textbook board officials and private publishers are hand-in-glove in what looks like a scam. The matter should be probed into. There are several students who cannot afford to buy costly books and had to suffer because the promised question banks were not available,” said Yogesh Mishra, a parent.
Depot director Haresh Limbachiya, incharge of the distribution of question banks, said that the books had been printed and were available in the market. “We have already printed the question banks and these are available everywhere.” When the correspondent told him that that the sales manager at the depot office had informed him that the books were not available, Limbachiya remarked, “That is because he does not understand English.”

Ahmedabad RPF gets bomb squad

2011-10-16T04:12:00.000-07:00

A five-member unit, equipped with high-tech gadgets to detect explosive, formed to counter bomb scare at rly station

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, October 15, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20111015201110150236479657b8cf41a/Ahmedabad-RPF-gets-bomb-squad.html)
To effectively tackle bomb scare and help in preventing terror strikes at Ahmedabad railway station, a five-member bomb squad, equipped with the latest gadgets, has been formed by Railway Protection Force (RPF). The full-fledged squad will not only detect threat quickly but also reduce the dependence on the police bomb detection and disposal squad. The initiative is the railways’ attempt to provide security to sensitive and vulnerable stations in the country.
“RPF Ahmedabad is now well-equipped to tackle any threat. The squad members have been given three-month rigorous training by National Security Guards (NSG). Whenever there is a bomb scare at the station, it leads to commotion until the bomb squad arrives. But with our own squad now, we can immediately take charge of the situation as time is crucial in such situations,” said Sumiti Sandilya, RPF divisional security commissioner, Ahmedabad.

Approval came last year
Sandilya said the nod for the constitution of bomb squad and sourcing its equipments had come last year. “But the procedure of selecting efficient crew and arrangement for their training took time. The unit has DSMD (deep search metal detector), electronic stethoscope, vapour tracers and other latest gadgets to track explosives,” he added. Railway stations are soft terror targets and discovery of huge cache of RDX outside Ambala Cantonment railway station on Thursday has led to the need to strengthen the stations.
“We have well-trained sniffer dogs which can search explosives but addition of bomb squad has improved our strength and efficiency to thwart any terror plot,” Sandilya said. The unit will also cater to surrounding railways stations. “The squad members will be given training at regular intervals to upgrade their knowledge on the handling of latest technology-based equipment. We will also add more eqipment. This will make our bomb squad more efficient,” the official added. NSG and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) conduct training for the bomb disposal squad, he said. Currently, 17 CCTV cameras are installed at the station. But by the end of the year, it will have 40 better quality cameras at strategic locations at the station.

All ticket collectors to use handheld terminals

2011-10-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, October 06, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20111006201110060439557798026328b/All-ticket-collectors-to-use-handheld-terminals.html)
Nearly two years ago, Ahmedabad Railway Division had introduced Hand Held Terminals (HHT) in a few trains on trial basis. In a couple of months, the system will be applied to all the trains in Ahmedabad division.
Indian Railways had launched a new HHT system of Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) in the Ahmedabad division in October 2009. The system was aimed to help the railways do away with paper charts as they will be available online. HHT will also enable last minute reservation.
Ahmedabad Railway Division officials said, “There are around 450 Travel Ticket Examiners in Ahmedabad division. We have requested the necessary HHTs to be given to us. We will receive them in a few months. After the TTEs are trained to use the system correctly we will implement the same in every train in our division. The system will be launched in all trains across the country as well.”
The system was introduced on trial basis in Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express, Gujarat Queen, and Samparkranthi Express. A railway official said, “The system will help reduce the corruption and allow more passengers to book their tickets last minute. Unauthorised selling of the tickets can be controlled. The passengers on the waiting list will be able to book tickets from the next stop. “The berths that are unoccupied will be allotted to passengers on the waiting list from further down the train route.”

How does HHT work
When a seat is vacant as the passenger has not come, the TTE presses the ‘no’ button. The HHT is connected to the server and immediately allows other passengers in the major stations on route to book tickets in the now vacant seats. The system allows current booking without any hassles.

Soon, you can SMS your complaints to rlys

2011-10-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

Ahmedabad Railway Division, taking a cue from Vadodara division, will start SMS-based complaint system within two months for passengers to register their grievances

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, October 05, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011100520111005021816495be378f6b/Soon-you-can-SMS-your-complaints-to-rlys.html)
In a bid to make the journey for passengers safer and more convenient, the Ahmedabad division of the Western Railway will launch an SMS-based complaint system and ‘Say No to Bribe’ campaign following the foot steps of the Vadodara division that started a similar system on Tuesday.
The facility which will be operational in Ahmedabad within two months will enable passengers to send their complaints and grievances through SMS to a number which will be announced at a later date. The travellers will also be able to communicate through emails.
At present, if travellers face any problem during the journey, they have to write down the complaint available with the train ticket checker (TT) or at the next station. Most of the time, the TTs and attendants at the stations don’t allow passengers to lodge complaints or demand bribe to allow them to do so.
Also, it takes time for the written complaint to reach the concerned department and for the problem to be solved. By the time the entire process is completed and the complaint sorted out, the passenger in all probability is at the end of his journey.
The SMS system will make it easier for the passengers to get their complaints resolved. According to officials, the SMSes will go to the main server from where they will be diverted to the concerned department. This will save valuable time and help in avoiding any confusion. The department will be time-bound to solve the problem and also co-ordinate with other divisions if required. The passengers will get a confirmatory reply once their SMS is received. They will be intimated once their complaint is resolved.
“This system will allow passengers to have direct access to various departments in the railways. Every department will have a unique code, using which the travellers can send SMSes. They will have to provide their PNR number along with their complaint. As soon as their grievance is attended, they will be intimated through a phone call or an SMS,” a railway official said. Divisional Railway Manager Rakesh Behal said, “The system will be operational within two months. This will not only help passengers but will also enable us to improve our services. The system will also help to reduce any inconvenience caused to the passengers during the journey.”

Security helpline
ARD is also planning to come up with a security helpline. Passengers can call this helpline if they encounter any kind of nuisance or there is theft during the journey. Behal said, “It is not easy to station railway protection force (RPF) on every train. The security helpline will enable passengers to know where to go for help if required. Once the complaint is received through call or SMS along with the passenger’s PNR and seat number, the RPF will meet the passenger at the next station and sort out their problem.” This will ensure passengers’ safety. The helpline number will be announced within two months.

Respite for Railway colonies
The railways has also come up with a solution to the problems faced by the thousands of people living in the railway colonies. There will be a special number which will enable the residents at these colonies to register their complaints like lack of water, sanitation, faulty plumbing, electrical faults etc. The residents will get a docket number and a specific time period within which their problem will be solved. Once the problem is resolved, the person will get an intimation call. This will also help railways to prepare a detailed list of areas that face major problems.

Student’s handicap under scanner

2011-10-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University’s Deep Aghera’s disability is being probed after he was accused of availing himself the PH category without qualifying for the same. Authorities say if charge is proved, his admission will be cancelled

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, October 04, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20111004201110040325465844f59640c/Student%E2%80%99s-handicap-under-scanner.html)
A student of Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) is under investigation for an alleged malpractice for admission under the physically handicapped (PH) category. The details of this particular case have come to the fore through a series of RTI applications filed by Ajay Mishra.
Deep Bharat Aghera, a student of BTech (petroleum engineering), received admission in 2009 against seat reserved for the handicapped. To be eligible for admission in PH category, the applicant had to be medically certified as above 40 per cent handicapped. However, the medical report issued by Civil Hospital states that he comes under the mild category of PH — 25 per cent physical handicap.
The higher education department has ordered Admissions Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC) to begin investigations in this regard.

RTI responses
In response to an RTI application questioning the admission criteria, ACPC Member Secretary M N Patel said, “We have been given the documents to investigate and verify the details in this case. According to the rules, an admission in this category can be given only to candidates who are 40 per cent or more handicapped. If it is proved that this case does not meet the required rules, then admission can be cancelled.”
Mishra filed separate RTI applications in every educational institution that Deep had gone to. He had studied in C N Vidyalaya from class 8 to 12. He had written his board exams of class 10 and 12 in the general category. However, in the AIEEE form, he had registered under the PH category.
On behalf of AIEEE, Preetam Singh in reply to the RTI plea said, “In the form both the mother and father declare that if the details of the form are wrong then the admission can be cancelled. No documents are handed in while filling the form. Universities and colleges have the responsibility of checking the validity of the documents.”
However, the university stated in its reply, “He is studying in the third semester in our university. We gave him admission in 2009-2010 in the handicapped quota. He has submitted all the necessary medical documents so he was given admission.”

Their side of the story
Deep’s father Bharat Aghera said, “ He was a studious boy in school so he didn’t need to avail himself the PH quota. However, for AIEEE we applied through the handicapped quota and the same was considered during admission to PDPU. All originals were checked before Deep was given the admission. I was unaware of the 40 per cent rule.”
When asked about the case, Deep told Mirror, “I have had problem in my leg since childhood. I have had an operation three times in the past. I used to get 92 per cent in 10th and 12th standard. I have not given any wrong certificates to the university.”
During investigation, an ACPC source said, “Based on Deep’s AIEEE rank he would not have got admission to PDPU. But it seems as no other handicapped student was enrolled at that time, he was given admission. The 40 per cent rule was not followed.”

HC issues notice to centre over PIL filed by BPA
The Gujarat High Court Monday issued a notice to the centre in a public interest litigation filed by Blind People’s Association (BPA) Ahmedabad. A divison bench of acting Chief Justice AL Dave and Justice JB Pardiwala issued notice to Ministry of Human Resource Development and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in the PIL wherein it has been alleged that three per cent reservation ratio in favour of disabled is not being maintained by the state government while recruiting candidates for post of teachers under the ‘Vidyasahayak’ scheme. The next hearing of the case has been scheduled on October 10.
Kishore Paul, advocate for the petitioner argued, “In a recruitment process, where 13000 candidates were supposed to be appointed, state government has put only 366 seats for disabled candidates, but as per the law of 3% reservation it must be 390 seats.” There is a norm to provide three per cent reservation under ‘Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.
However, government pleader P K Jani argued that the state government has maintained three per cent reservation, but as far as teachers are concerned, they are appointed as Vidyasahayks who are supposed to teach as class teacher, they are not appointed as a craft teacher or music teacher. The teacher has to see whether the students are attending the classes or not. A person with blindness would not be able to monitor the attendance and this would prove counter-productive for the students. He further said, “A person with disability of 75 per cent or 85 per cent can be considered.”

WHO CARES ?

2011-10-03T01:12:00.000-07:00

My story 'WHO CARES ?' the link -

http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201109212011092102132781263bffba4/WHO-CARES.html

regarding the dumping of entire sadbhavna suggestion box in to a dust bin by careless officials of CM, published in AHMEDABAD MIRROR on 21/09/2011.

SANDESH carried an editorial on the story we broke in their issue dated 29/9/11

New DEMU train to Patan

2011-10-02T08:57:00.000-07:00

Modelled on a bullet train, it will have toilets, large windows and air suspension springs for a jerk-free four-hour journey

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, September 28, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011092820110928023046461b744d248/New-DEMU-train-to-Patan-from-today.html)

A new diesel electric multiple unit (DEMU) train, modelled on a bullet train, will run between Ahmedabad and Patan from today. It will be the first demu train in the western region to have a new design, closed coaches for women and an array of facilities, including toilets.

For the past several years, people have been demanding toilets on short-distance trains. The Ahmedabad-Patan demu will run via Gandhinagar, Mehsana and Bahucharaji. The journey time is four hours. Every day close to 4,000 people travel on this route. These include working professionals, contract workers and students. For some time now the railways have been contemplating introduction of a train on this route.

The train, manufactured in Jalandhar, is spacious, with large windows, and has a 1,400 horsepower-engine. It has been installed with air-suspension cushion springs for a jerk-free journey and has a backup to power fans and lights.
“The new demu between Ahmedabad and Patan will cater to nearly 5,000 people daily. To make the journey safer for women, their compartments have been fitted with doors. They can lock the doors to prevent entry of people from other compartments. Most-modern technology has been used in the train. We have air suspension springs and a control discharge toilet system to ensure cleanliness on stations,” said an official of Ahmedabad Railway Division.

Roach coach

2011-10-01T00:03:00.000-07:00

After officials at two stations fail to clean pest-infested train, passengers pull chain; clean-up and written apology by officials got them moving 2 hours later
Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, September 23, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011092320110923015322902b035bc0e/Roach-coach.html)

Cockroaches (circled) crawled out of sockets, window panes and berths, said passengers

Imagine hordes of cockroaches crawling over you. Disgusting? Now, imagine the hairy pests crawling all over you in a closed room. This was the plight of passengers who were forced to share bed and food with roaches and even rats inside the Hapa-Bandra Express.
The holiday special train, which had left Hapa at 5 pm on Wednesday, was brought to a halt by agitated passengers at Ahmedabad Railway Station at 11 pm after railway officials en route failed to act on their repeated complaints. The train left the station two hours later after officials got the compartments cleaned and also tendered a written apology for their negligence.

Unending ordeal
The ordeal began soon after the train was flagged off from Hapa. “We were about to open our tiffins when we saw armies of cockroaches fanning out of sockets, windowpanes and the berths. In seconds, they were everywhere. Some crawled on the water bottles and even dropped in my tiffin. I threw the food away and remained hungry,” said Hasmukh Vaishnav, a 45-year-old clothes trader who was going to Mumbai to close a business deal.

AC coaches hit
The worst-affected were passengers of AC 3-tier, B-1 coach. “The cockroaches were crawling into our clothes and luggage. The kids began crying. We tried swatting the pests away but there were so many, we grew tired soon,” said a female passenger, refusing to be named.
“I had taken out my laptop to finish some work. But the roaches began running over the computer and my fingers. They were coming out of the berths and it became difficult to sit. We also saw rodents running helter-skelter. The entire coach was overrun with the pests,” said Neeraj Shah an insurance agent travelling in B-1 coach.

Passing the buck
What angered passengers was the indifference shown by railway officials. When the train reached Rajkot, the passengers complained to the station authorities about the insects. Instead of cleaning the coaches, the officials passed on a message to the next station. When the train reached Surendranagar, the passengers approached the authorities again. This time, they were told that the clean-up would be conducted at Ahmedabad station. The train arrived here at 11.30 pm but there was no cleaner was in sight. A passenger said, “We spoke to station authorities who said there was nothing they could do as the train should have been cleaned at Hapa railway yard. And now, it was upto the Bandra division to look after maintenance. We asked the coaches to be replaced, but the officials said there was none available.”

Indifferent officials
The authorities tried their best to avoid delaying the train. They even flagged off the train. But vexed passengers pulled the chain and sat on the platform, raising slogans. “Railways claim to spend crores of rupees over maintenance and cleanliness of coaches. Where is the money going? Is it being used to feed cockroaches and rats?’’ asked Kalpash P Jugi, an entrepreneur from Mumbai, who was travelling in B-1 coach.
Teams from the Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police were called in. When the passengers refused to budge, officials finally got the coaches sprayed with insecticide.
This did failed to appease the angry passengers. They agreed to get on the train only after Chief Train Examiner Kiran Pawar and Deputy Station Superintendent L M Tiwari tendered a written apology and sent a cleaner along with the train.
Train left at 1.20 am from platform no 7, almost two hours after scheduled departure. It was still missing two passengers, Dawoodi Bohra businessmen who unsure of whether the pest-ridden train would make it to its destination on expected time, decided to catch a flight to Mumbai.

ecurring problem
Divisional Railways Manager (Ahmedabad) Rakesh Behal admitted to the problem. “We tried to resolve the issue when the train reached Ahmedabad. However, the passengers were not satisfied.” He added that Bandra division had primary responsibility of maintaining the train.
When contacted, Rajkot DRM Ved Pal said the problem had occurred mainly because there was no AC coach available for replacement. “The AC coach could not be disinfected and there was no alternative coach available. Once the train returns, we will replace the particular coach.”
Sources disclosed that cockroaches and rodents, particularly in AC coaches, are the biggest menace for the railways authorities. On July 18, 2010, passengers of Mumbai-Howrah Duronto Express staged protests at Howrah station after they discovered a cockroach in a meal supplied on the train. In another incident, passengers aboard Saket Express on July 22, 2010 had to pull the chain thrice to get the railway authorities to change their insect-infested coaches.
On June 28, 2010, Passengers of the Ahmedabad-Delhi Swarna Jayanti Rajdhani Express caught as many as six rats with the help of TTE. The railways had formed a three-member committee to look into the case.
Data collected through an RTI by Mirror revealed that Ahmedabad officials spent over Rs 23 lakh for pest and rodent control in all coaches from January 2010 to June 30, 2011. Figures are only for trains maintained by Ahmedabad railway division.
An official said the problem of rodents and cockroaches persist even after spending crores of rupees to tackle the menace every year. “These are compounded by passengers who drop eatables on the floor and leave coaches unclean. Rodents feed and cockroaches thrive in such unhygienic environment. We are now using strong insecticides like Propoxur and Lambda-cyhalothrin (ICON) to keep control of their population,” the official added.

WHO CARES ?

2011-09-30T23:52:00.000-07:00

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Wednesday, September 21, 2011 (

CM Narendra Modi had announced on the eve of his sadbhavna fast to people of Gujarat that ‘your pain is my pain’. In a shocking exposure, Mirror reveals how letters of hundreds of aggrieved citizens who wanted the CM to know of their pain were found abandoned. These commoners had dropped the messages addressed to the CM in the sadbhavna suggestion box. In a typical sarkaari style, the state government officials did not bother to take the drop box along with them after they vacated the venue. Good governance, eh?

As chief minister of the state, the pain of each and every citizen is my own pain. Ensuring justice to all is the duty of the state,” wrote Narendra Modi in an open letter shortly before he started his three-day sadbhavana fast.
The irony could not have been more stark. On one hand we have an extremely concerned CM who says CM for him stands for the Common Man, and on the other his government shows blithe disregard for aggrieved people who are common men and women.
Hundreds of emotionally charged letters addressed to him expecting the Chief Minister’s Sadbhavna were simply abandoned after the high profile event. The disconnect between the head of the state and his administration was evident at GMDC ground on Tuesday where hundreds of these letters were lying scattered.
These letters — each narrating a story of pain and injustice and begging help — were dropped in the ‘Sadbhavna Soochan Peti’ by those who could not meet him despite waiting for hours. “We are common people and meeting you is difficult. We waited for two hours and are now leaving this letter”, one person wrote, stressing he expected the Chief Minister to express “sadbhavna” in his action instead of mere words. Of course the person would never come to know whether his letter would reach the CM or not as nobody was simply bothered.
On Tuesday, Mirror found these letters discarded in the open. Workers dismantling the makeshift domes found an abandoned box dumped on the venue along with other disposable stuff like used water bottles. The illiterate workers emptied the suggestion box and used it to store nuts and bolts. Since the workers, many of them illiterate, could not make head or tail of the letters, they threw it away thinking the safai workers would do the needful.
Mirror browsed through some of the heart-wrenching letters written by people from all walks of life — businessmen, retired citizens, housewives, students, larriwallahs harassed by corrupt police and corporation officials. Common citizens threatened by the rich, famous and powerful thought Chief Minister Modi’s sadbhavna fast was the best venue to make the CM aware of their real life issues.

‘I WANT SCHOLARSHIP’
An emotional letter by a 17-year-old said he wanted to avail himself of state government’s scholarship programme. The boy, who had scored 80 per cent in class XII exam, belonged to a financially poor background. He had even attached copies of his marksheet with the letter, hoping Modi would help him out.
Another note sought to draw Modi’s attention to alleged corruption by Bhuj District Health Officer. The complaint alleged that the officer charged Rs 50,000 in bribe for every transfer he sanctioned.

CORRUPTION COMPLAINT
One of the letters, where the complainant sought anonymity if it was published, alleged corruption by the director of Ahmedabad Textile Industries and Research Association (ATIRA).
An elderly state government official wrote an emotional letter to the CM, requesting him to allot a plot of land since he was to retire soon. He said he had completed all the formalities including handover of nagarpalika’s no-objection certificate, but was still not given the plot.

GIVE US PLACE TO CONDUCT BUSINESS
Vijaynagar char-rasta larrigalla owners requested Modi to allocate them place to conduct their business. “We are aware that people are not able to use the footpath because of our larris. But we have no other place to go. Please give us a place from where we can run our businesses,” it read. The letter was signed by 14 people including a paratha stall owner, fruit vendor, panwallah, painter and a carpenter.

MY DAUGHTER IS INNOCENT
A letter written by a distraught father from Dahod alleged that his daughter was “framed” in a copying case during the board exams. He wanted the CM to initiate a probe and punish the guilty. An airforce captain too was one of those who wrote to the CM, seeking his appointment to discuss a business proposal that aimed at making Gujarat “the biggest hub of aeronautical industry”.

AHMEDABAD IS UNSAFE. MAFIAS RULE THE CITY
One of the letters was from a Khokhra businessman who complained about threats from a local goon. He said the local mafia had grown very powerful and common citizens’ complaints were not heeded by the police. So terrified was he that he packed off his pregnant wife to her native place, he said in the letter.

HAPPY GOLMAAL BIRTHDAY
Not all letters were complaints. One of them was a greeting card by an Amrut Panchal wishing the CM a ‘Happy Golmaal birthday’. “Jyaan aape balpan na divaso kadhya chhe”, it read. Some had scribbled a congratulatory note wishing him “10 lakh votes” in the next election, others expressed an unfeigned “I love you”.
The trust many of these people have in their chief minister can be gauged from the fact that their letters posed a risk to their own safety, in case they reached wrong hands. But they still put those letters in the drop box, confident the CM would read them. Some people categorically wrote that the CM only should read the letters and if they reached in wrong hands their lives could be endangered by the people they were complaining against.
Since the letters were found at GU Convention Centre premises, Mirror reporter handed them over to Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi.
“People have a lot of faith in the CM and that is the reason they wrote letters to him. I will make sure these reach him,” Trivedi has promised Mirror.
Mirror hopes that not only these letters reach Chief Minister Modi, but he also looks into the grievances of the commoners. That would be real Sadbhavna. Isn’t it ?

CM is not as accessible as shown on television

2011-09-30T23:33:00.000-07:00

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Tuesday, September 20, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011092020110920031718217aa8dd733/CM-is-not-as-accessible-as-shown-on-television.html)

The three-day ‘Sadbhavna Mission’ saw hundreds of people thronging the venue. While a few came on their own, some others were said to be the forced visitors. And there was also a group that just dropped in to share a frame with Chief Minister Narendra Modi. But, amid all this fanfare, two nursing students, believing that the chief minister is accessible to public and pay heed to their grievances, came with the true spirit to meet their leader.

But the ignorant students after two-hour struggle to meet Modi realised that it is not aam aadmi but only khaas (special ones) who can catch up with the ‘people-friendly’ CM. Despite being turned away, the girls did not lose heart and dropped their letters, seeking financial support to carry on with their studies, in a suggestion box at the venue.

Two-hour struggle
Students of a self-financed nursing college in Ahmedabad, the two kept wandering at the spot for about two hours, in search of any means to reach out to the chief minister. “We had been watching on TV how people could meet Modi on dias. So, we thought even we could make it. All we wanted was to tell him in person our grievances,” said one of the students.
“We were told that we cannot meet the chief minister without any reference. So we must first contact our representatives (MLA or councillors) who can lead us to Modi. But we didn’t find any influential person who could help us. Maybe because of security reasons, we were not allowed. But I have put my letter in a suggestion box, hoping that our chief minister will definitely help us out,” said one of the girls.

The letter

The girl students wanted to make a written submission of their problems in person. “My father is unable to bear expenses of my study. I do get a scholarship of Rs 2,500 but it is too meagre to support my studies. I aspire to make my career in nursing and financial help from you can help me achieve my dream. I request you to help me in this hour of financial crisis,” stated the letter of the student.

Toxic School

2011-09-23T08:42:00.000-07:00

Sacks of gammexane, a toxic insecticide, was dumped at a civic school in Saraspur. Over 900 students were exposed to the chemical during recess. Don’t their lives matter?

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, September 14, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011091420110914024931527829e0d6d/Toxic-School.html)
Children can be pests, at times. But that is no reason why the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) should dump sacks of poisonous insecticide within their easy reach. At Saraspur Gujarati shala no. 11, 12 and Hindi shala no. 6, more than 900 kids were exposed to benzene hexachloride, commonly known as gammexane or lindane. AMC vans had left sackfuls of the powerful chemical at the steps leading to their school building.
The sacks, which contained insecticides like lindane and malathion as well as lime dust, were being delivered to the sub-zonal office of India Colony Ward (North Zone). The office has been set up in the school building. And the civic authorities have converted a room on the ground floor into a storeroom where they keep chemicals and equipment used in cleanliness programmes.
The AMC has launched a campaign against mosquitoes and malaria in the city. As part of this, a consignment of gammexane was unloaded — right in front of the school steps, even though there was a large, empty ground next to the building where the sacks could have been stacked.
This was just a few minutes before the recess bell rang and students from Class 1 to 7 poured out of the building. Unaware of the toxicity of the sacks’ contents, the kids stepped over it to get to their playground.
Many of the students, who come from poor families, wore no shoes. A small child, who was hearing impaired, was seen using his hands to climb over the toxic pile.

Strict warning
The print on sacks from Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Limited clearly warn: “Do not touch this chemical. Keep it away from food stuff, empty food packets and animal feed. Destroy empty sacks. If you notice symptoms of poisoning, call the doctor immediately. Use: Atrophine, 2 PAM (chloride).”
Lindane is absorbed significantly through the skin. Adverse effects include nausea, dizziness, headache, vomiting, restlessness, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), hematuria (blood in urine), paresthesia (tingling or burning sensation on skin), urticaria (itchy skin eruption) or pruritus (intense itching). And these occur when the exposure is limited.
Acute exposure may lead to central nervous system stimulation, mental/motor impairment, excitation, clonic (intermittent) and tonic (continuous) convulsion. Other reactions include central nervous system toxicity, as well as skin and gastrointestinal changes.
Paediatrician Parag Thakkar confirmed, “Minimum exposure to the chemicals can cause itching if it touches the skin. If inhaled, it can lead to respiratory problems. The reactions also depend on the victim’s level of immunity.”
The children at this school come from families that find it tough to put together two meals a day. They have low levels of immunity, making them highly susceptible to the chemicals.

‘Conduct inquiry’
Principal Jasubhai Patel admits that the corporation has been dumping various ‘powders’ at the school’s entrance. “The men leave the powders here and promise to remove it soon. But nothing is done on time. They keep chemicals, brooms and other stuff that are unclean and harmful in the storeroom. We have asked the health department several times to shift their godown to another section of the building, but no one pays any heed.”
Jagdish Bhavsar, chairman of the municipal school board, said, “We will conduct an inquiry into the matter. There is nothing more important than the safety of kids. We will make sure that the incident is not repeated again.”
Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said, “This is a serious issue. Students from economically weaker sections of the society study at municipal schools. It is sheer luck that no kid was harmed. The godown should be shifted immediately and then the officer responsible for such negligence must be sacked. Such cases should not recur.

It’s a dog’s life for railway sniffers

2011-09-23T08:37:00.000-07:00

City on high alert, sniffer dogs work 12-hour shifts to secure Gujarat’s largest rly station. And this for a pittance of Rs 4,365 which is not enough to buy them food

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, September 12, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011091220110912021521431c0d22582/It%E2%80%99s-a-dog%E2%80%99s-life-for-railway-sniffers-.html)
Security at the Ahmedabad Railway Station has gone to the dogs, literally. The trouble is that there are not enough of them to secure the station at Kalupur. And ‘working like a dog’ takes on a whole new meaning if one notices the plight of the two sniffer dogs manning the largest railway station in Gujarat.
With the city put on high alert following multiple terror threats, the dogs are being run off their paws, trying to cover the station that sees an average of 100 trains and over 1 lakh footfalls daily.
Till six months ago, the Ahmedabad railway station had three dogs — Wendy, Candy and Dolly. After they died, Jock (German Shepherd) and Sunny (Labrador) were transferred from Sabarmati and Maninagar railway stations to Kalupur.

Work them less, pay more
Trained to nose out anything from a hidden handgun to a cache of dynamite, the dogs are employed to check important trains like Rajdhani Express or Ashram Express when they arrive at the platform. They are also pressed into service when authorities receive a bomb threat call.
Usually, on an eight-hour shift, Sunny and Jock are now working overtime to ensure that the entire station is safe for passengers. Requesting anonymity, a senior official revealed the dogs were working 12-hour shifts everyday.
And this for a pittance of Rs 4,365. “That is the salary that the dogs receive. It is not enough to buy meat, eggs and milk for them. They need to be worked less and paid more,” he said.

Vulnerable stations
“We need at least 12 sniffer dogs for the Ahmedabad station. But we have to make do with just two dogs. If something happens to them, we do not know what we will do. It is just not possible for one dog to check such a huge station,” the official said, adding, “Meanwhile, this leaves Sabarmati and Maninagar stations vulnerable. With the city growing in all directions, more and more passengers are using these two stations to commute. We need dogs for these stations, too.”
RPF Divisional Security Commissioner (Ahmedabad) Sumiti Shandlya accepted there is a shortage of sniffer dogs. “We have received permission to get 10 more canines. We will have to issue tenders and get the puppies. Then, it will take us at least a year and a half to train the pups and bring them into the field,” he said.
The authorities plan to hire dogs from a private security firm to secure the station in the meantime. “We have sent a proposal to the higher authorities and expect an approval soon. Following this, we will issue a tender for the process,” Shandlya added. The official said, “The process is so time-consuming that we are not likely to get any dogs this year.”

Plans on paper
The railways spend the most on security and safety of passengers. After the blasts in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, the authorities drew up an integrated security plan three years ago. These included parcel scanners, sniffer dogs and CCTV cameras at every nook and cranny of the railway station so that it could be monitored from anywhere, including headquarters in Mumbai and Delhi. The plan was that every move made inside the station would be monitored by CCTVs. Lack of funds means these ideas remain only on paper.
A peek inside the CCTV control room reveals that the cameras already installed provide blurry images which make it impossible to identify faces or detect if any parcel has been left behind. Metal detectors were to be upgraded to the standard of explosive detectors. ‘’The hand-held and metal detectors cannot detect an explosive like RDX,” said an official. The most vulnerable spot is the parcel office. ‘’In the eventuality of explosive-laden parcels there is no contingency plan. There is no checking and scanning of parcels,” the official added.
Shandlya said, “Shortage of funds mean that work on integrated plan for Ahmedabad will be delayed by a year. If the western region receives funds next year, security work will be initiated in Ahmedabad, Surat, Godhra and Ujjain.”

Won’t sell land for freight corridor: Farmers

2011-09-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

We do not have any land left to till, protest villagers from Kalol, Pansar, Vada Swami, Insad, Ora, Chhatral, Pratapura, Ramnagar, Pipaj, Vamaj and Dajipura

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, September 07, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20110907201109070229126612778812/Won%E2%80%99t-sell-land-for-freight-corridor-Farmers.html)
Indian Railways’ ambitious project of developing a dedicated freight corridor, aimed at changing the face of its freight traffic business, is suffering a setback due to land acquisition trouble in the state. Farmers of several villages — Kalol, Pansar, Vada Swami, Insad, Ora, Chhatral, Pratapura, Ramnagar, Pipaj, Vamaj and Dajipura — are protesting the acquistion of their land for this purpose.
Around 250 farmers met in a farmhouse on Sunday to chalk out an action plan. Those present at the meeting agreed unanimously against signing any papers or giving up their land. On Monday, a delegation of 25 members left for Delhi to meet the railway minister to discuss their problems. They said that if the need arises, farmers would be willing to go on protest fast as well.
In Gujarat, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) had reportedly aligned the corridor from Kalol to Ahmedabad. Later, changes were made to avoid congested areas and railway junctions. The route was diverted at many places including Mehsana and Palanpur to run from Kalol to Sanand through Pansar. The railways have special powers to take possession of land for projects of national importance but objections have surfaced from land owners in villages along the proposed route.
Joining hands under Railway Corridor Virodh Kisan Sangh, the farmers have vociferously protested the move. Sangh secretary Mohan Prajapati said, “The DFCCIL wants to acquire 322 bighas of land in these villages. The corporation is offering monetary compensation, but this is not a good deal. Earlier, the state government took away a lot of our land to create GIDC, Narmada canals, roads etc. Today, farmers have no land to till. The money does not last long. We need a steady means of earning. More than 300 farmers are affected by DFCCIL’s decision. And this is just one stretch.”
He added, “Several elected representatives have written to DFCCIL about our woes, but no one is paying heed. We are not ready to give up our land. If forced, we will go to Delhi and meet the railway minister. If that fails, we will plan massive protests.”
“It has been decided that no farmer will help the official map the land. Payment by the railways have been rejected. We also refuse to help government officials with any work,” added Prajapati.

The project
The Western Dedicated Freight Corridor is part of a Rs 77,000-crore project being handled by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), a special purpose vehicle under the ministry of railways. Under the project, new tracks are being built to transport containers and goods at speeds up to 100 km per hour, reducing travel time by a third, and creating one of the world’s largest and freight operations. The construction of Dedicated Freight Corridor aims to link the ports of western India and the ports and mines of eastern India to Delhi and Punjab. The western stretch will connect Haryana, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

M G Students solve crisis, Design their own BSc Textbooks

2011-09-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

GU introduced semester and choice-based credit system for undergraduate courses this year. However, with no prescribed textbooks, students are a confused lot. So, three students from M G Science have taken it upon themselves to prepare textbooks

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, September 06, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011090620110906031557721320c58d0/M-G-Students-solve-crisis-Design-their-own-BSc-Textbooks.html)
It was an ideal Teachers’ Day gift from three college students to their department head — a textbook designed by them after painstakingly collecting and compiling information from the internet and reference books over a period of a month.
Unavailability of textbooks for BSc course is what prompted Jay Patel, Maulik Vala and Nupur Sanghvi, first year students of M G Institute of Science, to design a zoology textbook.
Before implementing the semester and choice-based credit system for undergraduate courses this year, Gujarat University had given colleges a long list of reference books. But that didn’t quite help; instead it added to the confusion of students and teachers.
So Jay, Maulik and Nupur decided to come up with the college’s own textbook — ‘Easy to Learn’ — for the benefit of their batchmates and teachers.
Jay said, “There are a dozen reference books available on every subject. We were confused about which book to refer to for a given topic. Also, these are priced between Rs 500 and Rs 5,000. Not every student can afford such costly books.”
Nupur said, “The library would not have more than three-four copies of the same reference book. So, what do the students do? As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. We had no choice but to have our own textbooks.”
The three classmates joined hands for a never-before-thought-of project – compiling textbooks.
“We wanted to make learning simpler for our classmates. So, based on the syllabus, we started gathering information. Our teachers edited the same. We even included diagrams and figures. After a month-long process of collecting, modifying and rejecting material, we compiled a zoology textbook,” said Maulik Vala, who studied in Devashish School till Class XII.
Jay is a resident of Mumbai while Nupur hails from Jodhpur. What makes the book different from other textbooks is the fact that it also incorporates Gujarati words for English jargon for the benefit of students from Gujarati medium.
“This is our first attempt. More students have joined us and we will now be coming up with Microbiology, Chemistry and Botany textbooks. Students can either buy the reasonably priced books from us or xerox the same,” said Nupur.
Later, they also plan to put up the textbooks on a new website so that students from other colleges can download the material.
Pratibha Joshi, head of the zoology department, said, “This is a huge surprise. I did help them in editing and filtering the content for the textbook. But I never thought they will come up with a book so soon. It is indeed the best Teacher’s Day gift I have received.”
“Since there is no textbook in the market that covers all the topics in the syllabus, this book is going to help students a lot,” she said.
Principal B K Jain, too, is all praises for the three students. “The work done by them is very impressive. Even teachers do not take such commendable initiatives. These students spent money out of their pockets to design a textbook.”
Jay, Maulik and Nupur also plan to design textbooks every semester. “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem, isn’t it? Though the three of us took the initiative, we are glad to have more students willing to participate in the endeavour. We’ll design textbooks even for the next semester.” says Jay.

By God, there's more to College than lectures

2011-08-31T08:38:00.000-07:00

Beginning September 5, arts, commerce and science colleges will start their day with a prayer in the assembly hall. It will be followed by news highlights, GK quiz and debate on current affairs

Yogesh.Avasthi

Posted On Wednesday, August 31, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20110831201108310238352452fb7976d/By-God-theres-more-to-College-than-lectures.html)

Call it divine intervention. Beginning September 5, city colleges that are busy round the year with ectures and examinations will start their day with a prayer session in the assembly hall.
The higher education department has asked arts, science and commerce colleges to hold ‘sarva dharma’ prayers every day. Students will be asked to compulsorily attend the session. The idea is to inculcate a spirit of togetherness and begin the day on a positive note.
After the 3 to10 minute prayer, students will read out news headlines in English and Gujarati. This will be followed by general knowledge quiz and discussion/debate on current affairs.
The initiative is part of the higher education department’s Chalo College campaign. For the first 15 days, teachers, principals and Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat will also make students aware of the department’s projects like saptadhara (extracurricular activities), choice-based credit system, Udisha (placement programme) and SCOPE (English- proficiency course).
“We have asked the colleges to make the assembly session mandatory. It will begin with a sarva dharma prayer, respecting the religious sentiments of all the students. Remembering God at the start of the day is a good practice. Reciting a prayer together fosters a feeling of unity and team spirit,” said a higher education department official seeking anonymity.
“The students’ committee in the colleges will be made in charge of running the assembly which will witness news reading, debates, discussions, quiz programmes, career guidance and celebration of college’s achievements. The objective behind having an assembly is to instill good values among students and encourage all-round development. We will review the assembly sessions in January,” he added.
Subhash Brahmbhatt, principal of HK Arts College, said, “We always start our day in the college with prayers. Remembering God before taking up any work is a good thing. A prayer generates an aura of positivity and peace. It also makes one feel better psychologically, no matter whatever the hardships in life. I think making prayers mandatory in colleges is a good idea. What should attract students is the idea of debate and discussion after the prayers.”
B K Jain, principal of M G Science Institute, “As per Indian culture, a prayer holds an important place in our daily life. However, it is out of fashion for many youngsters today to offer prayers on a daily basis. But if they make it an every day practice, it will do them a lot of good psychologically. Though, initially the assembly session might not attract many students, once students start attending they’ll never want to miss it.”

Ghanshyam Shukla, a student of Saraspur College said, “The assembly was part of our school life. I missed it in college and am glad to know that that the higher education department is introducing it. It is unlikely that every student will attend the assembly initially, but it will eventually be a huge hit. It provides a great platform to the students to interact, showcase their skills and hone leadership qualities.”

100 student ideas to help industries grow

2011-08-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

GTU will convert 100 best student prototypes designed to meet needs of industries in Gujarat into commercially viable products. It will also seek patents for 1,000 cost-effective models created by engineering students, faculty

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Monday, August 29, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011082920110829020543362984c30f2/100-student-ideas-to-help-industries-grow.html)

Gujarat Technological University (GTU) plans to incubate 100 best research prototypes created by final year students of engineering and pharmacy after mapping industry requirements over six months. It will also file for 1,000 patents to protect their intellectual property rights.

As part of a project initiated by GTU and Techpedia – a brainchild of IIMA professor Anil Gupta – more than 50,000 students had visited micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the state to identify their problems and understand their needs in the technical domain. They even carried out the technology, energy, waste and process benchmarking of these MSMEs.

GTU students have documented over 10,800 problems and are now in the process of creating models to address several of them – for example designing automated machines to replace traditional ones or creating new machines that use less electricity and thereby help in reducing costs. Later, GTU will assess these prototypes and file for 1,000 patents. Of these, the best 100 will be incubated by GTU, Techpedia and the interested industries.

Through the project, the industries will get solutions to their problems as well as competent, creative and socially responsibly technology graduates. By applying for patents, the university will help the students and faculties to protect their intellectual property rights. Also, incubating a prototype — developing it into a commercially viable product — will hugely benefit the MSMEs, along with major players in the field of manufacturing and services.

“We shall bear 30 per cent of the incubation cost of the prototypes designed by students. The project will foster innovation-fuelled student-enterprise modules and lead to setting up of several new start-ups,” said Hiranmay Mahanta, MD, Techpedia. The GTU has organised a seminar by industry and legal experts on September 3 to help faculty members and students understand the procedure of filing for patents.

The academia-industry linkage thrust in GTU began in 2010 following several meetings between IIM-A Professor Anil K Gupta and GTU Vice-Chancellor Akshai Aggarwal.

Says Aggarwal, “The research and development (R&D) costs for developing new products, designs and finding solutions for technical and design related problems are very high and unaffordable for most MSMEs.

By developing cost-effective tools designed by the students, we aim to benefit both students and industries and bridge the gap between industry and academia.”

2013 to usher in new evaluation for primary kids

2011-08-28T00:11:00.000-07:00

No more annual exam as CCE will check students’ performance in scholastic areas as well as their thinking ability, emotional skills, behaviour and understanding of values

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Monday, August 22, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20110822201108220258346654552038c/2013-to-usher-in--new-evaluation-for-primary-kids.html)

Soon, ratta marna will no longer get your kids good grades in school. After higher secondary school and colleges, primary schools in the state are facing an overhaul of the existing education system. Under the Model Rules of the Right to Education Act, rote learning will be replaced by a system of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) that will take into account the talents of children in fields such as music, dance, art, writing and oratory along with their analytical ability and intelligence.

Semester system will be introduced in classes 6, 7 and 8 in 2012. It will be implemented in classes 1 to 5 in 2013.

Total learning package
Affirming this, Gujarat Council of Education, Research and Training Director M N Bhad told Mirror on Sunday, “The present system lays emphasis only on scholastic aspects. We are creating a Total Learning Package to ensure all-round development of students. Year 2012 will be trial period for the system to be implemented in 2013. Our focus is on how a child learns and not what he learns.”
The system emphasises on learning each chapter in detail through experiments, quizzes and practical models. The first step was to change the textbook content. An official said, “Topics have been localised so that children can identify with them. After every topic, there is a blank space in the textbooks.
Students have visit the library, read, research and write on the subject here. In many places, they will have to narrate their experiences or look up the local equivalent of the subject. Only then will the lesson be taken forward.” This will make the concepts real for the students, making them a part of the experience instead of mere observers/learners.
For instance, lessons on perspective will be reinforced using diagrams of devices commonly seen at home or in the classroom from different views. Likewise, the concept of measurement will be introduced by asking students to measure objects such as a book and calendar using non-standard units of measurement such as finger or hand spans, foot, cubit or pace.
Similarly, lessons in English will be backed by classroom discussions on topics related to the chapter concerned, descriptive writing of visits undertaken by children to places such as the post-office or the zoo, role play, craft-activity and solving language puzzles.

Teacher as facilitators
The role of the teacher changes tremendously in this system. “A teacher is a guide now. Assessment is based on two parameters — formative (extra-curricular) and summative (theory) - and the students will be graded instead of being given marks. Formative evaluation will include daily observation of the students’ behaviour and interaction with classmates, oral tasks, practical, activities, projects, surprise tests, open book tests, homework and class work. Summative evaluation will be done twice a year, based on oral/practical and written work. The weightage of marks is likely to vary from class 1 to 8,” the official added.

Factoring in feedback
The semester system has been currently implemented in classes 6,7 and 8 of 566 schools of Prantij, Kamrej, Sehra and Rajula talukas on a pilot basis. “The feedback from teachers, students, parents and educationists is being used to rectify and finalise the course. The system will be introduced in these three classes in 2012,” said Bhad. The response ensures that the time of the slowest learner is taken into consideration to fix period allotted to teach each topic.
Next year, the system will be implemented in classes 1 to 5 in 500 selected schools in villages, towns and cities across the state. The final course will be introduced in 2013.

Reducing stress
Principal Fr Fernando Durai of St Xavier’s High School, Loyola Hall, said, “The current education system is oriented towards textbooks and exams, leading to intense competition and stress in students. The semester system ascertains constant evaluation. Students will not have to answer in April the questions on topics he learnt at the beginning of the year.”
Principal Mahesh Brahmbhatt of B R Somani School said, “A student will learn to apply his mind, and not depend only on his memory. Semester system promotes learning through application of concepts. It encourages students to analyse a problem and find the solution. It secures holistic development if implemented in the right way.”

Join MBA or MCA, get laptop, EMI option, discounts

2011-08-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

With GTU asking institutes to fill up seats by September 5, professional institutes are going all out to woo students

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Sunday, August 21, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201108212011082102594261e6593b62/Join-MBA-or-MCA-get-laptop-EMI-option-discounts.html)

The rising number of vacant seats in MBA and MCA courses every year has left professional institutes in the state worried. They are now trying hard to woo students with attractive offers.
The management authorities, who till a few years ago, looked hard-pressed to accommodate your ward in these courses, are now keen to welcome you along with freebies and discounts.
Newspapers are replete with advertisements offering you a laptop or discount in the admission fee, while giving you an option of different colleges to choose from.
“If you are a graduate with Gujarat Common Entrance Test (GCET)/Management Aptitude Test(MAT)/Common Aptitude Test (CAT) or any other valid entrance score, join our college and get a free laptop,” reads one advertisement. “Call us for admission at this number and avail of a discount on admission fee,” says another.
When Mirror called up some of these numbers, receivers not only indicated that the fee being quoted was negotiable, some of them right away offered a discount of up to 12 per cent. Some institutes also offered the option of fee payment on interest-free easy instalments.
Authorities mentioned that the trigger to such splash of advertisements in the newspapers is a recent directive from the Gujarat Technological University (GTU), which has asked the management of these institutes to fill up the vacant seats on their own. As per a recent communication, the institutes have to complete the admission process to these professional courses from August 25 to September 5 and apprise the GTU of its status by September 9.
Sources said the directive came as even after two rounds of admissions this year, only 9,922 of the 16,288 seats in MBA and MCA courses had been filled. This means 6,366 seats remained vacant. The number of unoccupied seats was 2,200 last year.
How grave was the situation could be gauged from the fact that in as many as six colleges, not a single student turned up to take admission in these professional courses. Looking at the poor response, about 25 MBA/MCA colleges in the state are planning to close down.
GTU Vice Chancellor A K Agrawal said that it was the inability of these colleges to provide quality education that students were not keen to get admission.
“Most of the colleges have failed to improve the quality of education, which is having a direct bearing on the number of admissions. There are several colleges which have witnessed considerably high number of admissions because they have good faculty and provide high-class education facilities,” he said.
When asked about freebies and discount offers being made by these institutes, Agrawal said it was an attempt to compete with one another, but ultimately only those institutes providing quality education will be able to sustain themselves.

Question banks for first sem Class XI to be released

2011-08-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Gujarat State School Textbook Board will be publishing question banks for reference and to help students grasp textbook material better

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Thursday, August 18, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201108182011081803495858731f01bca/Question-banks-for-first-sem-Class-XI-to-be-released-.html)

Question banks for students of Class XI (science) of all four subjects will be published by Gujarat State School Textbook Board by mid-September. Semester system has been introduced in the state in the academic year 2011- 2012. In the year after, the semester system will be carried forward.

Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Higher Education Board had declared that the first and third semester exams would be entirely objective type, whereas the second and fourth semester exams will be a mix of subjective and objective type questions.
“The question banks were made by experts in the respective subjects. A question was picked from every line in the text book to ensure that the entire material of the textbook will be covered,” source said.
So far, only the first semester question banks for mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology have been prepared.
“These contain multiple choice questions which will carry 70 marks and the remaining 30 marks will have short questions,” the source added.
The authorities feel that this method will ensure better understanding and knowledge of the subjects. Preparation for competitive exams with the help of these question banks will be easier as well.

Soon, the question banks for the other semesters will be ready and printed simultaneously.

The semester rule has been implemented from this academic year. The weightage of each paper would be 25 per cent. At the end of the fourth semester in class XII, the board would add up the marks scored by the students in each semester as per the weightage and declare the final result.
Board officials said that the semester system is likely to increase the burden on the board which will now conduct four exams but the aim is to reduce the stress on the students.

Innovation drives GTU into action

2011-08-27T23:57:00.000-07:00

The university has initiated a project that requires students to come up with 10 low-cost innovations in 10 months for economically weaker section

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Wednesday, August 17, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011081720110817023522305d6e0c1b6/Innovation-drives-GTU-into-action.html)

With an aim of promoting low-cost innovations, Gujarat Technological University (GTU) has tasked final year engineering students with a unique project – 10 innovations in 10 months.
Students and faculty members will also be analysing the trend of expired patents to target futuristic needs of the bottom-of-pyramid market. Focus will also be on improving the product quality and minimising the production cost.
In order to develop a user-centric model of innovation, the students will measure the need of the industries as well as that of the end users. Users’ choice and affordability have been kept as two of the key parameters in each module.
GTU innovation council has established links with industries and the SME sector, but it still faces the challenge of establishing links with the PSUs of the state. This enabled the university to form a working group called sectoral council.
With advice for a handful of national experts from National Mentoring Network at Techpedia, the students would also have mentors to assist them in their innovations. Energy and environment, and biomedical engineering are the two sectors that have already begun working on the project.
Students in the energy and environment sector will be auditing the energy used by the colleges under GTU and promote creation of a ‘green university’. Innovation council aims to train students to find ways to recycle waste from one industry and use it in another. Students are being made to understand the importance of creation, innovation, preservation and efficiency.
Meetings have been held since July 25 to create a road map for the programme for both these sectors. More than 35 associated mentors are tracking real time development of each of the industry defined problems.
Presently, the total number of students involved in this project from biomedical engineering at GTU are 2,700 including 36 students of ME, 1,420 of BE and 1,250 of diploma engineering. Around 16,000 students will be involved from the energy and environment sector.
A total of 55 faculty members will also be associated with the project. During the academic year 2011-2012, 145 biomedical engineering students in bachelor of engineering and 300 in diploma engineering will start work on 107 industry or user defined projects.

For this, they will be visiting hospitals, start-ups, existing biomedical companies and national labs. Dr Devi Shetty, a member of National Innovation Council, is leading one of the teams assigned to design the road map for the medical or health care innovation.

Authorities turn blind eye as L D hostel students suffer

2011-08-27T23:54:00.000-07:00

Tuesday’s incident in which a fresher was reportedly slapped by a drunk senior has created panic among other students. They fear the worst is not over yet as outsiders continue to frequent the engineering hostel without anyone checking them

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Thursday, August 11, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011081120110811021952786c3312d8c/Authorities-turn-blind-eye-as-L-D-hostel-students-suffer-.html)

Tuesday night’s alleged ragging of a fresher by senior students after reportedly consuming alcohol at the L D engineering college hostel has not only created a sense of fear among hostel inmates, but is also indicative that the worst might still be waiting to happen if the authorities continue to turn a blind eye to the problem.
A day after the incident, the matter was handed over to the anti-ragging committee, a student was ousted from the hostel and the police were trying to trace the ‘guilty’ students. But this has done little to create a sense of security among the inmates, who continue to live amid fear. The authorities need to wake up and take some concrete measures to avoid recurrence of such incidents, many students complained.
Barely a year ago, a 30-year-old man was stabbed to death on the hostel premises in a brawl that followed a drinking session in a hostel room. Though none of those involved in the incident were college students, they had gathered for a booze session in the room, and then got into a brawl.
A number of students, university staff and security personnel whom Mirror spoke to after the Tuesday incident, mentioned that the interference of outsiders, who would frequent the hostel without any check, consumption of liquor and harassment of junior students was quite common in the hostel, with the authorities turning a blind eye to such incidents.
A security personnel of Gujarat Industrial Security Force (GISF) even alleged that everything was happening with the consent and knowledge of college authorities. “The rector himself has been having booze sessions with some of the inmates. How do you expect him to stop such activities? Such booze sessions and brawls are common with outsiders easily gaining access and there is no sense of security among the students,” he said.
The college authorities admit they can do little to prevent entry of antisocial elements into the hostel, but denied the involvement of officials in such activities.
“No official from the college is involved and such allegations are baseless. If a security personnel finds anyone involved in such activities, he should bring it to the notice of authorities or nab the persons who are involved,’’ said L D engineering college Principal M N Patel.
Patel also claimed that under given circumstances, it was not possible for the authorities to keep a check on such incidents. “There are too many entry points to the premises, all of which cannot be closed. If any of the security personnel or students notice anyone indulging in such activities, they should bring it to the knowledge of authorities,” he said, adding, “it was practically not possible to keep a watch on all 1,000 students who are staying in 240 rooms of hostel.”
However, security personnel and students maintained that whenever authorities were apprised about such incidents, they did little.
In his complaint to the Gujarat University police station, Ashish Sorathiya has alleged that the rector whom he approached after the incident, tried to hush up the matter. “Instead of showing any concern about the incident he asked me to give him a written complaint about the incident. He did not show any interest in getting to the bottom of the issue, nor did he accompany me to the police station,” Sorathiya said.
NSUI activists met the GTU registrar and apprised him of the situation at the hostel

The police file
In his complaint to the police, Sorathiya, who is a first year student and had come to stay in E block, room number 520 two days ago, said, “Around 8.30 pm when he was watching his two roommates playing chess, Satyam Modi and Neel Patel along with a few others came there from another room where they had had a drinking session. Modi, who was drunk, asked Sorathiya to show respect to his seniors and address him as Bhai.
Neel Patel, who too seemed to be under the influence of liquor, slapped him. A frightened Sorathiya, mentioned this to some other students who were from his region. Soon a call was made to the local police control room. Sorathiya and some other students then went to meet rector N K Arora, who asked him to give a written complaint about the incident. Later he filed a non-cognizable complaint against Satyam Modi, Neel Patel and four others at the Gujarat University police station.
Police Inspector S J Vagasiya, who is looking into the complaint, said going by the version of complainant and others, the incident does not appear to be that of ragging. “We are trying to reach out to the students named in the incident but they are not traceable,’’ he said.

Action taken by college
According to L D Principal M N Patel the matter has been handed over to the anti-ragging committee, which will give its report within a week. “Before drawing any conclusion we should await the findings of the report,” he said. Both, Satyam Modi, and Neel Patel who are in seventh semester will not be eligible for placements, he said.
During the initial probe it has been found that Modi was staying illegally in the hostel. Neel Patel, who also faces allegations of ragging, meanwhile has been barred from the hostel till the anti-ragging committee submits its report. Parents of both the students have also been summoned.
The principal also assured that if it is proved that the students were involved in ragging, their admission would be cancelled.

No takers for rector’s post
NSUI, meanwhile, has given a memorandum to the principal seeking removal of Rector Dr N K Arora for his “inaction and irresponsible’’ behaviour. The memorandum said he showed no concern towards the affected students and did not act responsibly.
Even though present rector is facing allegations of indifference and being hand-in-glove with the students who were indulging in unlawful activities including boozing, there has been a reluctance on part of the university staff to take up this post.
Apart from dealing with as many as 1,000 students in the hostel, many of whom would not mind flouting their proximity to political parties and heavyweights, the post comes with no incentives such as house rent allowance and restriction on movement. With hardly any member of the faculty showing willingness to take up the responsibility, they are forced to take up this post, with an assurance of a change after a while.
College authorities suggest that instead of such a ‘stop-gap arrangement’ the responsibility to manage college affairs should be handed over to a trust or private security agency.

Anatomy of clashes
L D College of Engineering hostel, which houses 1,000 students from different regions is not new to brawls and incidents of violence. Till four years ago, students, coming from same regions were allotted rooms in the same block.
For instance, students coming from Mehsana and Saurashtra were given rooms in A and B blocks. Similarly, C block was allotted to those from outside the state and D block was kept for students of polytechnic. However, when it was found that the students from particular region and communities started getting into brawls after making their groups, a segregation was done.
Authorities also maintained that around 35 IAS officials have accommodations near the hostel and there is a Public Works department office near to the campus. It was not possible to restrain the movements of vehicles, which made it easy for several unwanted elements to gain access into the campus, they said.

Switch pen for mouse to take PG exams at GU

2011-08-27T23:44:00.000-07:00

MSc students will be first to take exams that offer flexible timings. Varsity will fix a week in which candidates can choose the day and time they will appear for the test

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Wednesday, August 10, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20110810201108100222085459aa6c9e9/Switch-pen-for-mouse-to-take-PG-exams-at-GU-.html)

Gujarat University is planning to abandon the traditional pen-and paper-format in favour of an online exam system for post-graduate courses. The system, to be in place by November, will ensure a transparent and efficient exam process. It will also reduce burden on examiners.
On an experimental basis, the online exam will be restricted to science stream initially. Later, it will be extended to commerce and arts courses conducted at the varsity. Vice-Chancellor Parimal Trivedi said, “MSc students will appear for the online exam first. We are preparing a question bank for the 50-mark paper. The online exam database will be uploaded on the university’s
server. The question bank will contain hundreds of questions which the software will pick at random to form a question paper for an exam candidate. The software makes sure that no two students get the same question paper. This will eliminate copying.”

Flexible timings

He added, “The system is on-demand, online (ODON). This means the varsity will decide which week to take the exam, but students have the freedom to choose the day and time they want to give their exams. Each student can choose a time that suits his/her convenience.

Trivedi said, “The exams will be taken at the university’s state-of-the-art computer laboratory where 500 students can be seated at a time.” The lab has 18 servers to provide high-speed internet connectivity of 10 Mbps. It also has a high-speed web portal to support this facility. Details of the examination will be posted on the portal. It will also be SMSed to concerned students.
Of the 18 servers, nine will be reserved for the exams. There will be a backup to prevent loss of data due to problems like power failure.

Fair evaluation
Explaining the process, Trivedi said, “Every student will be assigned a unique password. The code will unlock the question paper. There will be multiple-choice as well as essay-type questions. Once the student completes the paper, the software converts the answers into Portable Document Format (PDF).

“The software assigns the PDF to examiners who can access it by entering their passwords. Once the PDFs are checked, the software automatically generates the result.” After the week is over, an answer key will be uploaded on the website so students can verify their answers. The scores will be recorded on the server to negate chances of mischief.

Why this theft is a shocker!

2011-08-27T23:40:00.000-07:00

Swami Vivekanand Institute pilfers electricity from two light poles to power 400-V halogen lamps to illuminate its facade. What is AMC’s loss? Rs 24,000 a month

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, August 09, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011080920110809021615307ad2ba50d/Why-this-theft-is-a-shocker.html)
At a time when power theft has become a major challenge for the civic body, an educational institute is blatantly rustling electricity to brighten its future. For the past one month, the building of Swami Vivekanand Institute near Akhbarnagar Circle in Nava Vadaj is being left illuminated for 12 hours — from 6.30 pm to 6.30 am.
Though unfortunate, wasting electricity is still not a crime in our country, but stealing definitely is. Two 400-volt halogen lamps throw light on the facade of the institute that was set up a year ago. The lamps are tied to two electricity poles across the street.
Two white wires snake around the poles (numbered 7786 and 7787) and into mounted transformers. It is clear that the seal on the transformers have been tampered with to connect the wires inside. The loss to AMC caused by power theft: Rs 24,000 a month!
The institute offers courses like BBA, BCA, hotel management, computers and accountancy. It is also a centre for courses offered by Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University. Ahead of the new academic year, the institute had advertised heavily to draw students. The lights were added last month to draw people’s attention and popularise the institute — at public expense.

Power play
Said Dinesh Panchal, a resident of nearby Sagar Apartments, “When the lights were first turned on, we thought the institute was hosting some major function. The light poles are at a distance from the road, leaving the area dimly lit. But when a passer-by nears the patch where the institute is situated, suddenly, night turns to day.”
He added, “The lamps are powered by poles installed by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for the public. It is a facility funded through of tax-payers’ money. There is an AMC office a little further down the road, but officials will not take action against the institute. They know about the power theft but they will not do anything as the institute is run by people with political influence.”
One of the institute’s trustees is senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Surendra Patel.

Mighty warning ?
Anil Pawar, an electrician from Nava Vadaj, said, “These halogen lamps are made for 400-volt operation and have strong light output. Since these lights are being used for commercial purpose, the electricity charge will be around Rs 400-Rs 450 per lamp for 12 hours.”
This means the institute has been stealing power worth Rs 24,000 every month from the AMC.
Interestingly, Municipal Commissioner Guruprasad Mahapatra issued a ‘public warning’ in the form of an advertisement in vernacular newspapers on Sunday. It read: “Streelights are public facility. But several people steal current from the poles to light up social and religious functions. They also encroach upon areas where power cables are laid. These cables carry 230-volt current which can electrocute people. If anyone steals power from these cables/poles, legal action will be taken against violators. Also, they will also have to pay for the damages caused.”

Now, it is left to be seen if this is another empty threat or the civic chief really means business this time.

Panel indicts VC Trivedi for flouting norms

2011-08-27T23:36:00.000-07:00

A two-member committee which was asked to investigate allegations against Parimal Trivedi has submitted its findings to the higher education commissioner

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Monday, August 08, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011080820110808022050250e61ca229/Panel-indicts-VC-Trivedi-for-flouting-norms.html)

Controversies do not seem to leave Gujarat University Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi. A two-member committee accompanied by a senior accounts officer that was ordered to look into the allegations of corruption and irregularities has found him prima facie guilty of flouting several norms while awarding tenders.
The committee comprised S U Vora, principal of M P Shah Arts and Science College, Surendranagar, and Dr A S Rathod, principal of Gujarat Arts, Science College, Ahmedabad. They were sent to quiz Trivedi and in-charge registrar on June 22. The committee submitted a report of the findings to Higher Education Commissioner Jayanti Ravi on June 23. Jayanti forwarded this report to Principal Education Secretary Hasmukh Adhia on June 27.

Panel’s findings
The rules and regulations require the formation of a tender committee that monitors the procedures involved in each tender bid. However, this has not been followed and no such tender committee exists. The rules require that tenders with a value higher than Rs 2 lakh must give interested parties a 21-day period to place their bids. But all procedures of the tenders at GU were completed in seven to 10 days. Added to this, there were no signatures on the list of bids for any tender (only prices have been listed).
Also, there has been no formal written order issued by any authority for discussing the list of tenders and their bids. All tender procedures have been undertaken by the VC’s oral orders alone. The report shows that in 2010, tender procedures for printing of answer sheets was opened to all the contending parties despite the lack of facilities available with many of the contending parties.
In 2008, Wilson Print City and Crystal Firms Private Limited were involved in the technical bidding for printing answer sheets. Inquiry into the matter has revealed that no paper samples were submitted by Wilson Print City. This fact has been accepted in writing by in-charge registrar Minesh Shah as well. But the tender file states that Wilson Print City’s paper quality was far better than that of Crystal Firms Private Limited.
In the same year, the committee found that High Scan Private Limited had quoted lower price in the bidding procedure. As per the rules, there must be negotiation with the lowest bidder. Instead the negotiation took place with Wilson Print City and the tender was offered to it. The bid of Wilson Print City was presented to the Executive Council and the final bid was then awarded to Wilson Print City. But there is no proof of the Executive Council accepting the bid of Wilson Print City.
The report also states that VC told the panel that Wilson Print City, had completed its work on time. But then when committee checked the tender files, it showed that Wilson Print City failed to maintain its deadline. If the delivery dates are not maintained, rules state that the parties concerned were supposed to be penalised. Wilson Print City was not penalised and a certificate of satisfaction was given to it.
The committee in its findings showed that there was a gross violation of rules and regulations while awarding of tenders. Further the committee found that on February 20, 2010, Trivedi misinformed the finance committee while he stated that two bids of the tender had been opened. But actually, four bids were opened. This is considered as a serious offence.
According to the rules, the payment for the printing of question papers was based on a minimum of 100 copies printed. However, the 2006-2007 audit shows that payment for the question papers printing was based on a minimum of 1000 copies printed. Due to this, Gujarat University spent Rs 1,74,500 extra on the printing of these papers. The printing costs could have been just Rs 19,390 but a payment of Rs 1,93,800 was made.

Background

Pradeep Prajapati, former dean of arts faculty, had sent letters on April 3, 2010, highlighting the irregularities to the chancellor; University Grants Commission chairman, Chief Minister Narendra Modi; Gujarat Vigilance Commissioner and Central Bureau of Investigation.
The commissioner of higher education initiated a probe after Prajapati alleged misdeeds, corruption and misuse of public money by the university officials in his letter. Prajapati in his letter alleged that Trivedi suddenly stopped functioning of the university press without reason to facilitate the printing at a particular printing press.
Trivedi had contended that the committee members had prepared a report based on half-baked information.

Fasting mess

2011-08-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

Unlike GU and St Xavier’s boys hostels which do not provide pre-dawn meal to Muslim students fasting during Ramzan, IIMA and NID canteens start at 3.30 am and even offer special menu for sehri and iftar

Yogesh Avasthi & Tanushree Bhatia
Posted On Saturday, August 06, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011080620110806024031973e49c76e7/Fasting-mess.html)

Muslims across the city, including college students, are observing the roza in this holy month of Ramzan. Considered to be a period of spiritual refinement and enlightenment, each fasting day begins with suhur or sehri (pre-dawn meal) and the morning prayer.
The breaking of the fast takes place at sundown with water and dates. After the evening prayer, the students savour the iftar (post-dusk meal). While food is not an issue for Muslim day scholars, as many as 35 outstation students residing in Gujarat University hostels have to stock up snacks for suhur. This, because the mess does not make special arrangements for their food.
In sharp contrast to GU, which harps on maximising its global presence, premier institutes like Indian Institute of Management (IIMA) and National Institute of Design (NID) are more sensitive towards Muslim students. Their canteens open before daybreak to serve meals to the students observing the roza. They even have special menus for Ramzan.
GU hostelite Shahbaz Hamir (name changed) said, “Ramzan means a lot to devout Muslims. We are supposed have our meals before dawn and break the fast with the iftar. But since the canteen doesn’t open before daybreak, I can only have the evening meal. For suhur, I have dates and water. I have to remain hungry for the whole day and can barely concentrate on my studies. I miss my home.”
Chief warden of GU hostel Amrut Bharwad, said, “We have 35 Muslim students in the boys hostel. But we have not made any special arrangement for them as no one ever demanded it. The mess opens at the regular time in the morning. As far as I know, the students arrange for the breakfast on their own. They only have their dinner in the canteen with the other students.”
Even St. Xavier’s men’s hostel does not make any special arrangement for the fasting students . Three Indian Muslims and four from Afghanistan reside in the hostel.
Fr Ronald Sanctis SJ Hostel, Rector, Xavier’s Men’s Hostel, “We do not start our mess early because the students never demanded it. In fact, some of them go to their relatives’ place for iftar, spend the night there and come back only after the morning meal. The others arrange for breakfast on their own.”
At IIMA, 10 PGP students are observing the roza. The mess starts at 4 am specially to prepare sehri for these 10 students. Secretary of student’s mess Mohit Garg said, “The menu for sehri comprises seviyan kheer, fruits and chicken keema which is served with bread or pav.”
“These students also have dinner at 8 pm. We haven’t received any request for special menu by students observing the Shravan fast. But fruits are always available in the mess for these students too,” Garg added.
Mohamed Nizar Naushad, one of the students observing roza said, “The day begins at 4 am for us. The mess provides us our first meal which is a good mix of fruits, meat, sweets. We couldn’t have asked for more.”
He added, “When we have the time, we perform namaz together. Otherwise we offer prayers individually in our rooms. If we have classes in the evenings, around Iftar (breaking the fast), we take a small break. Ramzan fosters patience, spirituality and humility and takes precedence over all other day to day activities for us.”
Even the mess at National Institute of Design in Paldi starts at 3.30 am for the benefit of Muslim students. Around 20 students in NID are observing the roza. Apart from the routine menu, the mess also serves fruits and milk.

SPIPA admits to failure, to make changes in paper

2011-08-27T23:26:00.000-07:00

To add six more students in the final list for essay test and interviews to make sure that candidates do not feel cheated; exam papers now will be set by four experts

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Wednesday, August 03, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011080320110803022501231aff3a2e8/SPIPA-admits-to-failure-to-make-changes-in-paper.html)

A day after Mirror reported how the exam paper for a SPIPA entrance test was similar to the entrance exam paper of Shri Rajput IAS Study Centre (SRISC) in Gandhinagar, the institute has decided to change the manner in which the papers are set. Authorities at Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration have initiated a probe into the matter.
SPIPA Director Arvind Agrawal accepted that the incident exposed loopholes in the system. “We are creating a policy to rectify this problem. We have decided that exam papers will be set by four or five experts. Either one of these papers will be chosen secretly for the examination or questions from each paper will be amalgamated to make a final test paper,” he said.
A record 4,579 students applied and 3,269 appeared for the SPIPA test held on July 17. Of these, 116 students had appeared for both SRIC as well as SPIPA tests. Six of these students figured in the final 180 who were shortlisted for an essay test and interview.
Following the controversy, SPIPA has decided to include six more students in the list. “We will now call 186 students. Probably, the six who were selected got here because of their hard work. But we do not want remaining candidates to feel cheated due to the goof-up. So, we will six more students a chance,” said Agrawal.
On how the blunder occurred, Agrawal said, “The expert, who set this paper, has been doing so for the past four or five years. We spoke to him over the phone and he apologised. We have blacklisted him but we cannot give you further details as the inquiry is still on.”
Joint Director J M Acharya said, “After a paper is set, our panel checks it to see if the questions are too hard or easy. When we checked this test paper, we felt that 33 questions were too tough or had errors, so these were changed. When we compared SRIC and our papers, we found that 47 questions were the same and 33 were different.”
Agrawal said, “Had we not changed the 33 questions, the papers would have been identical.”

No paper leak
He added, “We had given the paper to the government press in Vadodara on July 6. The papers were handed over in a sealed envelope so there is no question of a paper leak. The SRIC exam was held on July 9. We will ask them how they got the paper and who set it for them.”
Meanwhile, refuting all allegations, SRIC co-ordinator Ashok Parmar said, “The problem occurred at SPIPA. They will give you an answer. We will not reveal who sets our papers. It is a confidential matter.”
While SRIC’s was a 100-marks exam with each question carrying 0.25 marks, SPIPA’s was a 200-marks test with each question carrying 2.5 marks.
Asked if SPIPA will conduct a retest, Acharya said, “We are mulling over several options. The committee might cancel the exams. Or we might decide against counting the marks for this paper. It is not possible for us to say anything for sure right now.”

Copy Cat

2011-08-27T23:23:00.000-07:00

SPIPA’s selection process for IAS coaching under a cloud after 100-marks questions in its entrance exam is ‘copied’ from question paper of Shri Rajput IAS Study Centre which held its test first

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Tuesday, August 02, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20110802201108020228263629a4a733f/Copy-Cat.html)

In what has brought the integrity of Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration (SPIPA) under scanner, as many as 41 of the 80 questions in its entrance examination for IAS coaching also figured in entrance exam paper of Shri Rajput IAS Study Centre (SRISC), Gandhinagar.
The Gandhinagar institute had conducted its entrance exam a week before SPIPA conducted the exam for 72 coveted seats. A record 4,579 students had appeared for SPIPA test held on July 17.
Civil services is gaining popularity in the state as is evident from the fact that the number of students clearing the exams has been steadily increasing – this year, six students from Gujarat made it.
But in what reeks of a scam, more than 50 per cent questions in SPIPA paper (D-series) were apparently ‘lifted’ from the question paper set by SRIC. Even the spelling mistakes have been unabashedly retained.
This clearly benefited the students who appeared for SRIC test as well as SPIPA exam. As many as 250 candidates who cracked the SPIPA exam on July 17, were shortlisted for another test. Finally, 72 students were selected after the interviews. Every year, the state government spends lakhs of rupees to train IAS aspirants joining SPIPA.
However, with the ‘blunder’ in the entrance paper exposed, SPIPA authorities say they will conduct a probe.
SPIPA Director J M Acharya said, “First, we’ll take a look at both the question papers [SPIPA and SRISC]. We’ll decide on whether action should be taken against those responsible only after a thorough probe is conducted.”
While SRIC’s was a 100-marks exam with each question carrying 0.25 marks, SPIPA’s was a 200-marks test with each question carrying 2.5 marks.
State government spends lakhs of rupees to train SPIPA’s IAS aspirants in exams, group discussions and extempore speeches
Ramjubha Jadeja, president of Kutch-Kathiawadi Rajput Samaj, which runs SRIC, said, “We hold our ethics high. There has been no malpractice from our end. Also, we were the first to conduct the exam. We have not copied from SPIPA paper. An academic expert based in Delhi sets our question paper.”

A student who appeared for SPIPA exam, said, “People have high regards for the organisation. They provide the best faculty members and train students in extempore speeches and group discussions, too. But now the selection process of the institute has come under a cloud.”

“We’ve heard of Gujarat University repeating its question papers. But SPIPA lifting questions is unheard of. I saw both SRISC and SPIPA papers. Even the figures in the problems are the same. SPIPA has not even corrected the spelling mistakes in the passages,” said another student.

A year on, PRS centre at Sabarmati rly station awaits inauguration

2011-08-27T23:19:00.000-07:00

The building which cost Rs 25 lakh lies unused even as passengers continue facing problem with only two windows available that take more than 900 reservation per day

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Tuesday, August 02, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011080220110802022214603c77be3e4/A-year-on-PRS-centre-at-Sabarmati-rly-station-awaits-inauguration.html)

The new Passengers Reservation System (PRS) building at Sabarmati railway station has been awaiting a VIP for its inauguration for more than a year now. The new building, which was renovated and converted to PRS centre with a cost of 25 lakh, last September has been lying unused and the passengers continue to face problems with only two windows available for the passengers at the station.

The centre was developed to cope with the increasing number of passengers in view of development around the area. Already there is a proposal to make the station a halting point for more number of trains and make another terminal at Sabarmati railway station. At present between 800 to 900 reservation tickets are being taken from these windows every day.
“We have been seeing this new centre for last several months and are surprised why it has not been made operational till now. It seems senior railway officials have no time to make it functional,’’ said R D Harit a resident of Madhav Bungalows in Motera.
Without offering any explanation for the delay, Railway officials meanwhile maintained that the new Passengers Reservation System (PRS) building would be inaugurated soon. “The building is ready and the PRS here will be made operational soon,’’ said Division railway manager Rakesh Behal.
The claims of railway authorities towards improving the facilities for passengers however seem hollow, with conditions being no different at some other railway stations. In March early this year, new Reservation ticket facility was introduced at Asarva railway station.
However till now the separate reservation counter could not be made functional and the office of station superintendent is being used for the purpose. Reservation ticket units and computers have been stalled temporarily in the office of
station superintendent, with passengers seen jostling and pushing each other without a queue for. Visitors in at the station also rued that lack of counter, had made them vulnerable to pick pockets and thefts.

EX-PRESSWAY, IT IS!

2011-07-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

The hi-tech appeal of country’s first four-lane expressway is a thing of the past. With glow signboards missing and cyclists obstructing traffic, cruising on the highway at 100kmph is fraught with danger

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Saturday, July 30, 2011

he 93.3-km Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway, inaugurated in 2003 as part of the Golden Quadrilateral project, was rated as one of the best expressways in the country once. The motorway was built to reduce the travel time between the two cities from 2.5 hours on National Highway 8 to about an hour. But today, it’s almost impossible to reach Vadodara at 100 kmph speed – the maximum speed limit allowed on the stretch – in an hour, without hurting yourself or knocking someone down.

http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011073020110730025857513acd1f3b/EXPRESSWAY-IT-IS.html

WR indifference soils sanitation workers’ lives

2011-07-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

A law banning manual scavenging was enacted in 1993. Yet, at Ahmedabad Rly Station, workers are spotted picking up plastic bags and paper cups along with human waste

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Thursday, July 28, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011072820110728033653853293a70fb/WR-indifference-soils-sanitation-workersâ€™-lives.html)

Despite a long-standing ban on manual scavenging, safai workers at Ahmedabad Railway Station are still engaged in this inhuman work. The Kalupur station is vying to become a world-class terminal and Western Railway authorities are spending crores to keep the place spic-and-span all day, every day. Yet a look at the accompanying photographs will make you wonder how much of this is spent on the workers’ personal protective gear.
A law banning manual scavenging was enacted in 1993. Still, at the station, workers are spotted picking up plastic bags and paper cups along with human waste.
Around 110 trains pass through the station daily. Every day, 130 workers clean the station. Fifty of these keep the tracks free of filth.
The cleaning contract has been given to a firm that clears garbage on the tracks using jet spray machines. But before the machines are brought out, safai kamdars are seen clearing the tracks of litter, especially plastic bags, to prevent it from choking the drains. For this task, they are armed with nothing but brooms and a neon yellow jacket. Many a times, they remove the filth using bare hands.
Said a railway employee, seeking anonymity, “It is clearly mentioned in the contract that safai kamdars have to be dressed appropriately. They have to wear a cap, gum boots, masks and hand gloves. They should have a separate room to change their outfit and be subjected to regular health check-ups.”
The ground reality is different. The photographs show workers in slippers, walking through the tracks, cleaning human waste. “We do not have protective gear. We get Rs 75 to Rs 100 for working anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. All we have is the jacket and broom. We get no other facilities. In fact, we do not even know what it is we are entitled to. Most of the workers are youths and women,” said a safai worker.
On Friday, a railway committee arrived at the station to check the condition that sanitation kamdars worked in. Rajya Sabha member Raju Parmar spoke to employees who complained about lack of facilities provided to them.
He told Mirror, “We had informed the officials about our arrival. Yet, the divisional railway manager was nowhere to be seen. The additional DRM did not have the details we seek. The officials refuse to take us seriously. We have asked them questions and received replies six months later, and this, after repeated reminders. When we insisted that the DRM be present for the meeting, he arrived at the office but claimed ignorance about the issue.”
Irked by the attitude, Parmar said, “If we find that the ban has been violated, we will file a criminal case against the railway officials. We will conduct a surprise check to confirm our doubts.”
Meanwhile DRM Rakesh Behal said, “We have outsourced the cleaning job. Whenever we ask the contractor, he says that his employees refuse to wear protection gear. When we carry out an inspection, everyone is wearing the correct outfit. However, we will ensure that someone is held responsible if the workers are found working without protective clothes.”

National higher edn survey begins from Guj

2011-07-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

Union Ministry of HRD conducting mammoth study as India embarks on building knowledge-based society

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Wednesday, July 27, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20110727201107270244024516e82a0ed/National-higher-edn-survey-begins-from-Guj-.html)

The national survey of higher education by the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development kicked off from Gujarat with the nodal officers from 38 universities and institutes being briefed on the project and its execution at Gandhinagar on Tuesday.

A five-member team from the ministry told the university on the information that they need to gather from their organisations and how to go about the process. The compilation of the reports from across the country will be put on a website in about three months.
Shailesh Bhavsar, the state nodal officer in the Commissionerate of Higher Education, said the survey will be completed in Gujarat in the next 30 days. The MHRD has involved in the project National University of Education Planning, University Grants Commission, All-India Council for Technical Education, Medical Council of India, Pharmacy Council of India and several such bodies that regulate higher education in the country. National Informatics Centre, too, is part of the exercise.
The survey will be conducted in five states — Gujarat, Delhi, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh — as a pilot project. It will be extended to the rest of the country in due course, Bhavsar said.
Incidentally, the ministry had conducted a similar survey of schools across the country a few months ago. The rationale for the survey, according to a ministry document, is that it is needed as the nation embarks on building a knowledge-based society.
“With the growing size and diversity of the higher education sector, it has become necessary to develop a sound database on higher education. It is widely recognised that the existing data base on higher education is inadequate, out-of-date,” the document reads.
The government set a target of increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) from the present level of about 12% to 15% by the end of the XI Five Year Plan and to 30% by 2020. To measure the efforts taken by the government to increase the GER requires complete data on higher education such as number of institutions, students, teachers, etc, document notes.
The survey is being conducted under the guidance of a task force constituted under the chairmanship of the additional secretary (higher education) in the MHRD.
A portal has been developed by NIC (URL: http://aishe.gov.in or http://aishe.nic.in) on which format for downloading and uploading of filled-in format and other survey related information is available.

COVERAGE OF INSTITUTIONS
All institutions of higher learning located in the country, which for the purpose of this survey, is defined as institution conducting programme after completing 12 years of schooling or equivalent and is of the duration of at least nine months (full time) or after completing 10 years of schooling and is of the duration of at least three years.

Slam bunk

2011-07-31T07:28:00.000-07:00

Colleges affiliated to Gujarat University will soon introduce biometric attendance system to keep a track of hours put in by professors and discourage students from bunking lectures

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, July 17, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20110717201107172316357067719f285/Slam-bunk.html)
Students and professors of colleges affiliated to Gujarat University will now have to think twice before they decide to bunk lectures. The university is planning to implement the biometric attendance system in its colleges to keep a tab on their attendance records.
The GU is taking the issue of attendance quite seriously since it usually leads to skirmishes between the professors and students during university exams. At present, students mark their attendance on a piece of paper which is circulated in the classroom. This goes to the professor conducting the lecture who sends it to the administration department. But this system does not check proxy-filling.
However, in the new system, fingerprint impression of each student and staff member will be taken and preserved in a database. For recording the attendance, the student/staff member will be required to place his/her finger on a terminal which will compare the fingerprint recorded with the one in the database to verify its authenticity. Every month, the college administration will send the attendance records to GU.
Sources say that though the attendance system is compulsory, it is not given due importance in several colleges. “Also, if there aren’t enough students attending the lectures, even the professors get an excuse to cancel the lectures. Since colleges don’t address the attendance problem the way it ought to be, it affects college education,” says a professor seeking anonymity.
This year, the colleges have introduced choice-based credit system in which 15 marks are allocated to attendance and other activities. With the biometric system in place, the attendance of the teachers, students and staff will be automatically generated, thus aiding in regularisation of lectures.
Now that the state education department has issued a directive, increasing the minimum work hours of college teachers from five to six-and-a-half hours, the new attendance system will ensure they conform to the rules. Also, in case a student is found to be skipping lectures regularly, his/her parents will be informed about the same.
“In law colleges, students take attendance lightly after enrolment. So, we first plan to implement the biometric attendance system in law colleges. Later, science, commerce, arts and other colleges will introduce it. The guidelines regarding the new system will be sent to all the colleges shortly. They will be required to implement it within six months,” said GU VC Parimal Trivedi.
“We are in talks with several agencies for implementation of the new attendance system. Later on, we also plan to introduce it across GU departments,” added Trivedi.
Pro-vice-chancellor Mukul Shah said, “Right now, it is only medical and engineering colleges that use such advanced technology to record attendance. It is time we implement the same in colleges affiliated to GU.”

GTU cracks down on colleges with poor facilities

2011-07-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

Gujarat Technological University forms local academic expert committee to gather data on infrastructure, facilities and staff strength at colleges; gives them six months to fulfil requirements

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Wednesday, July 13, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201107132011071302490146b4354663/GTU-cracks-down-on-colleges-with-poor-facilities.html)

Tightening its grip over colleges with inadequate facilities, Gujarat Technological University (GTU) has formed a local academic expert committee which has been visiting affiliated colleges across the state to prepare a report on their infrastructure, facilities and staff strength. To make the report comprehensive, the committee has prepared a 20-page form to collect data.
“The data analysis has thrown up some shocking findings. Now, the colleges have been given six months’ time to fulfil the requirements which are mandatory according to AICTE norms. If the colleges do not comply with the guidelines, they will not be given permission to admit more students when admission process begins next year,” said a source in GTU.

Move to ensure quality education
Aimed at ensuring quality education, the move will check colleges that acquire permission from AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) but fail to update infrastructure to admit more students.
“After getting AICTE nod to admit students for first year, the colleges do not equip themselves to meet the rush of second year students. This is a hindrance in providing quality education as students have to compromise with various facilities. There are colleges which do not have sufficient faculty or adequate computers to accommodate more students in the lab,” the source said, adding that all colleges will be required to fill the form when GTU team surveys their premises.
“As the Fee Regulatory Committee has raised the fee for professional courses, there is no reason for institutes to put with poor infrastructure. It is the responsibility of colleges to provide students quality education as they now charge a hefty fee,” said the source.

Data collection
The 20-page form with 40 tables will help the team gather data on the institute’s building, area of construction, number of students, laboratories and libraries, books, journals, hostel facilities and many other parameters.

Rlys sees red, suspends 3, transfers 12

2011-07-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

A day after Mirror Test Drive revealed that station guestrooms were being rented out as couple rooms, Ahmedabad Railway Division instituted an inquiry

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Friday, July 08, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201107082011070803222629aa6995d2/Rlys-sees-red-suspends-3-transfers-12.html

Heads were sent rolling a day after Mirror Test Drive revealed how railway employees were renting out the station guestrooms meant for passengers to couples seeking privacy.
Shocked by the goings-on at Vishram Gruh on Ahmedabad railway station premises, senior railway officials instituted an inquiry on Thursday morning. Three tainted employees were immediately suspended and 12 transferred to other departments.
Higher officials of Ahmedabad Railway Division and Western Railway were supervising the inquiry, sources said. New staff was appointed to overlook the administration of Vishram Gruh, sources told Mirror.
During the sting conducted on July 1 and July 6, four Mirror reporters procured rooms at the Vishram Gruh on the first floor of railway station by a peon who charged them Rs 150 for half-an-hour.
“After primary investigation, three employees responsible for managing the guestrooms during the shifts mentioned in Mirror report were suspended. They are chief booking officer M D Shah, head booking clerk K R Mishra and peon Ganpat Vaghela. The three will be transferred to other locations and a major chargesheet filed against them as per the rules of Railway Board. The quantum of punishment will be decided later,” said Dinesh Chanchodiya, senior divisional railway manager.
Ironically, the railway vigilance office is right opposite the Vishramgruh office on the first floor of the railway station. Three vigilance officers sit here while remaining 12 are seated in the office on platform 12. On Wednesday, when the reporters approached the peon at Vishramgruh around noon, he asked them to come later, saying senior railway officers were carrying out inspection.
Divisional railway manager Rakesh Bahl said, “We will ensure that guestrooms are rented out only to passengers and railway officials. The newly appointed staff will think 10 times before they dare to do something as shameful as this.”
The reporter’s calls to Minister of State for Railways Bharatsinh Solanki went unaswered. As per railways rules, the guestrooms are to be rented out to a passenger after entering his name and PNR number in the register. The passenger is also required to submit copy of his ID proof.
The rooms are meant for passengers. But staff rented them out to our reporters (L), Bharatsinh Solanki, minister of state for railways, did not answer reporter’s calls (R)

More than what meets the eye?
Problem in the ministry? Sack the clerk. Expired medicine administered? Sack the ward boy. On far too many occasions, we tend to either brush the problem under the carpet or hold the lowly staffers responsible. They either get the sack or are transferred. Railway officers at Ahmedabad station have done precisely that -- suspended three lowly functionaries and transferred 12 entrusted with running the Vishram Gruh. If only wishing the problem away washed it away, too.
An excerpt from the transcript of the conversation recorded on July 1 between a Mirror reporter and the peon Ganpat Vaghela — who was suspended on Thursday — indicates that even higher officials were apparently in the know of the illegal practice at Vishramgruh. However, whether or not they will be held guilty remains to be seen.

Reporter: Aa rakho (Keep this)
Vaghela: Bas aatla?? (Only this much)
Reporter: Kaal param divase ayeye toh chalse ne? (Is it okay if we come tomorrow, day after tomorrow?”
Vaghela: Madam aavse... (Madam will be here)
Reporter: Tame ketla wage aao? (At what time will you come?)
Vaghela: Hun toh 8 thhi 8 hovu (I am here from 8 am to 8 pm)
Reporter: Tamaro number aapo ne
Vaghela: ____
Reporter: Hmm. Maara friend ne bik lagti hati vaat karta tamari jode.(My friend was scared of talking to you.)
Vaghela: Darvanu nahi aa babato maan yaar. Gamey te officero hoye toh puchi le. (You should not be scared about such things. Even other officers would ask you the same question)
Reporter: Hmm
Vaghela: Guruvaar ane ravivar hun nathi (I am not here on Sundays and Thursdays)
Reporter: Tamari raja hoye? (Is it your off?)
Vaghela: Haa (Yes)
Reporter: Toh tya ae Madam hoye? (So, will the woman employee be there?)
Vaghela: Haan pan aee 300-400 thi ochu na le (Yes, but she wouldn’t ask for anything less than Rs 300-Rs 400)
Reporter: Acha, roj na aava loko aave khara? Ketla aave? (Do couples come here every day? How many of them come?)
Vaghela: 4-5 aave. Pan, Id proof badhu maange ame loko passengero na...(Four-five couples come daily. We ask the PAN card copy and ID proof only from passengers)
Reporter: Passenger maate hoye id proof? (Is ID proof only for passengers?)
Vaghela: Haan, PNR ne ae badhu (Yes, they even have to submit their PNR)
Reporter: AC? Non-AC na ketla?
Vaghela: Rs 625 AC, Rs 450 non-AC
Reporter: Ae bahane tamaru income thayi jaye?
Vaghela: Kyaan thi...amne officero ne aapvu pade (How...we have to give the money to the officers)
Reporter: Ketla?(How much?)
Vaghela: Aapvu etle ee loko rehwa aawe toh cha ne panin karawu pade...kya thi lavana paisa (When they come to stay here we have to provide them tea and snacks. How else do we get money for the purpose...)
Reporter: Tame kyan raho cho? (Where do you stay?)
Vaghela: Saraspur
Reporter: Post su? Peon tarike? (What is your post? Are you a peon?)
Vaghela: Haan (Yes)

Six-yr-old girl paraded naked for bad writing

2011-07-31T06:55:00.000-07:00

Teacher of the class I student of Islamic School in Shahpur also made her clean the toilet bowls. The female teacher was arrested after parents filed an FIR

Yogesh Avasthi and Zahid Qureshi

Posted On Tuesday, July 05, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201107052011070502564034a840bdc0/Sixyrold-girl-paraded-naked-for-bad-writing.html)

A six-year-old student of Islamic School in Shahpur Mill Compound was allegedly paraded naked by her class teacher because her handwriting was not good enough. She was later locked up in a washroom and made to clean the toilet bowls.

Outraged parents of the class I student, who came to know about the incident from her classmate, confronted school trustee Iqbal Patel. However, Patel vehemently denied such an incident had taken place at school. The girl’s parents filed an FIR with Shahpur police following which the teacher was arrested on Monday evening.
Incidentally, in January, parents had accused the all-girls school of forcing their children to clean toilets.

‘HER CLASSMATE TOLD US’
The girl’s father Sharavar Sheikh told Mirror, “Our child is very enthusiastic about going to school. A few days ago, when she started making excuses for not attending classes, we sensed something was wrong. Although we asked her the reason, she made vague excuses and dodged the issue. It was through a classmate of hers that we came to know about the incident. We are appalled.”
They allege another girl was also paraded along with their daughter.
According to the girl’s mother Samina, class teacher Zebabanu found her daughter’s handwriting illegible and decided to punish her in the most “horrendous” manner.
“She stripped my child naked and paraded her in front of the class. As if that was not enough, she locked her up in the school washroom and made her clean the toilet bowls. Zeba warned my daughter not to tell us about the punishment unless she wanted to endure more,” says an outraged Samina.

TRAUMATISED
The parents claim that their child was also beaten up by the class teacher. “My daughter was so traumatised that she would start sobbing at the mention of going to school. It was only after we assured her nothing would happen to her that she opened up and told us what the class teacher did to her,” says Sheikh, the girl’s father.
The Sheikhs came to know of the incident on Saturday. However, by then the school was over for the day. So the distraught parents met the school principal Rehana Patel and the trustee on Monday.

‘TRUSTEE REFUSED TO BELIEVE’
“The trustee refused to believe us. He kept saying that nothing of this sort could ever happen in his school,” says Samina.
Soon other parents who heard about the incident gathered outside the trustee’s office and demanded that action be taken against the teacher. When Patel refused to pay heed to their demand, angry parents vandalised the trustee’s office and manhandled him.
The Shahpur police reached the spot and brought the situation under control. They took away Iqbal Patel for security reasons.
“When we told Patel about the incident, he kept us waiting but didn’t take any action. This forced us to file a complaint with Shahpur police,” says Samina.

‘TEACHER ARRESTED’

Senior Police Inspector S B Gohil said, “We have arrested the teacher on the basis of the complaint registered by the parents of the six-year-old victim.”

But trustee Iqbal Patel says, “No girl in our school was disrobed or locked in the bathroom. The teacher was merely issuing empty threats so that the children took studies seriously.”
Education minister Ramanlal Vora told Mirror, “We’ll have to find out who exactly governs the school — the state education department or some other board. I will find out what action can be taken.”

‘AUTOCRATIC TRUSTEE’
District Education Officer R I Patel said, “This school is run by the minority community and has its own rules. It is not registered with the education department. We have come to know about the incident but as the school doesn’t come under our purview, we can’t take action. The parents will have to lodge an FIR.”

According to sources, Islamic School is run by the Pir Sultan Trust, but it is not registered with the Charity Commissioner.

“When the school was established, Patel, an NRI then, became the president of the trust. There were four other trustees — Bashir Nagori, Mohammed Khan Pathan, Rasool Khan Pathan and Mohammed Iqbal Kagdi. When these four trustees tried to get the trust registered, Patel got them removed. They have even filed a case against Patel with the Charity Commissioner but the case is pending,” says the source.

‘STRICT ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN’
Bashir Nagori says, “This is not the first incident where a child has been mistreated by the teachers. Strict action should be taken against Zeba.”
President of the trust Hussain Sheikh said, “We are aware of the incident and it is very unfortunate. The teacher should be suspended. Patel has been governing the school as per his rules and that is where the problem lies. He doesn’t listen to the other trustees.”
He added: “In a meeting held two months ago, we had removed his wife Rehana Patel from the post of the principal. At that time, Patel threw the school keys at us and left the meeting in a huff. However, the next day he reached the school early and prevented other trustees from entering the premises. He instructed the peon to make sure the trustees are unable to enter the school.”

NCTE Serves notice on two Pvt Varsities

2011-07-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

The plots on which Ahmedabad’s Calorx Teachers’ University and Vadodara’s Navrachana University run their B Ed institutes have been rented out to them by individuals. This is in violation of National Council for Teacher Education’s norms

Yogesh.Avasthi

Posted On Saturday, July 02, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011070220110702025509792ad253921/NCTE-Serves-notice-on-two-Pvt-Varsities.html_

The National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) has served show cause notices on two private universities in the state for not adhering to its regulations.
Ahmedabad’s Calorx Teachers’ University (CTU) and Navrachana University (NU) in Vadodara have been given 30 days to reply to the notices pertaining to ownership of land. Both the universities run integrated BEd courses recognised by NCTE.
Incidentally, the state government sends students from tribal areas and economically backward communities to CTU for training.
In a meeting conducted in the first week of May, the western region committee (WRC) of NCTE found out that the land on which CTU and NU run their integrated B Ed courses have been given to them on rent by individuals — this is in violation of NCTE regulations 2007.
Also, CTU is registered under the Company Act 1956 which is not permissible under NCTE regulations. CTU’s building plan is not in the name of a society, which is a requisite for NCTE-approval of its courses. The decision taken in the WRC meeting has been uploaded on www.nctewrc.co.in
When contacted, CTU registrar Shailendra Gupta pleaded ignorance about the matter. He said, “I have no idea about any show cause notice served to the university.”
Tejal Amin, Chairperson of Navrachana Education Society, was unavailable for comment.
On Friday, CTU released advertisements in newspapers, inviting applications for its BA-BEd integrated course.
“CTU admits 500 students every year for its BA-B Ed and other courses while Navarachana takes in 300 students for its BSc- BEd course. If NCTE does not receive a favourable reply from these universities in 30 days, it can even withdraw its recognition to these courses, leaving students in the lurch. It will also be a huge embarrassment to the social welfare department of the state government that sends students from tribal areas and economically backward communities to CTU for teachers’ training,” a source told Mirror.
CTU’s curriculum has been set by a team led by Dr M P Chhaya after studying Kothari Commission’s recommendations and curriculum of some similar institutes in India and abroad. CTU has also signed an MoU with University of West Georgia, US, to facilitate student and faculty exchange, higher studies and curriculum development.

HRD Ministry issues show cause notice to NCTE
The Ministry of Human Resource Development has taken notice of complaints and representations against the functioning of NCTE and issued a show cause notice seeking its response. The ministry has also decided to supersede the Council. The show cause notice, issued a fortnight ago under Section 30 (1) of the NCTE Act, 1993, questioned the working the NCTE as well as the regional committees constituted by it. Meanwhile, on appeal against this order, the Supreme Court has decided to review all decisions taken by the WRC in respect of the 291 institutions.

Admission of Corruption

2011-06-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

Some student leaders take money to coerce GU VC into giving less meritorious students seats in reputed colleges. VC obliges to keep leaders from creating controversies for him

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, June 28, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201106282011062803092489431dc9bf1/Admission-of--Corruption.html)
Student wing of political parties at Gujarat University are keen on exposing what they allege is VC Parimal Trivedi’s “illegal and corrupt practice”. BJP’s Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad declared Trivedi among the 25 “most corrupt” serving and retired vice-chancellors in the country while Congress’s National Students Union of India launched an anti-corruption campaign to oust him.
However, it is like the pot calling the kettle black, say academicians. For, during admission time, some of these very student leaders coerce the VC into giving seats in reputed colleges to less meritorious students, they explain.
Sudhir Nanavati, Managing Director of GLS College, says: “During admission time, the VC sends a list. It contains names of students who have scored at least 10 per cent less than others on our merit list. All commerce colleges receive a list of around 80 such students and we have to accommodate them. These names are usually recommended by ministers and student leaders.”
Refusing to be named, principal of a reputed college says, “Students on the VC’s list usually are those who secured less marks. Denying admission to them is not wise as we will have to face other consequences. Last year, a list containing 700-800 names was sent to colleges like HL, HA, GLS, Som Lalit, NavGujarat etc.”
About the list, VC Trivedi explains, “The list is made of recommendations by ministers, NSUI and ABVP leaders. The students on the list have secured at least 65 to 70 per cent. Around 500 students, who have scored less marks, gain admission to reputed colleges every year in this manner.”
He added, “It is difficult to define the number of students recommended by each group.”

Meritorious students suffer
Admitting to the corruption, a senior NSUI leader says, “The VC obliges senior student leaders as he does not want them to create controversies for him. These leaders are not directly involved in the admission racket. They get their junior confederates to collect money and marksheets from students with less marks.”
Even ABVP leaders admit that some student leaders recommend names in return for money. “These leaders send marksheets of such students to the VC who in turn includes their names in the list sent to various reputed colleges. Last year, the list contained almost 1,000 names,” said ABVP member Krunal Shah.
He adds, “This practice affects meritorious students. Anticipating the list, colleges keeps seats free, thereby denying them to students who really deserve it. We have demanded an end to this corrupt practice. We have sought transparency in admission process.”

Cancel VC quota
Recently, a petition was filed in Gujarat High Court, alleging that admissions were granted to students whose names do not figure in the merit list. The petitioners — six students who were denied admission to S M Patel Institute of Commerce on GLS campus — demanded that GU implement a centralised admission system to curb corruption in admission process. Advocate Amit Panchal, appearing on behalf of the students, also presented to the court a list of 86 students who gained admission to GLS following VC’s recommendation last year.
The petitioners sought that students be admitted strictly on the basis of the merit list not on first-come-first-served basis. “When the academic council resolved to do away with management quota of commerce colleges, how can the VC who chairs the council meeting be permitted to have a quota of his own?” the petition questioned.
The court has sought explanation from the university and the college and has asked the authorities to reply by July 7, when the further hearing is scheduled.

Disabled GSPC Aspirant turned away for not submitting fee

2011-06-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

Paresh Khanesa, who has cerebral palsy, was not allowed to take GPSC exam at Odhav centre as he did not submit postal order for Rs 100. Officials did not know that physically challenged candidates are exempted from paying the fee

Yogesh Avasthi and Dhwani Pathak Dave
Posted On Monday, June 27, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201106272011062702404397026decd41/Disabled-GSPC-Aspirant-turned-away-for-not-submitting-fee.html)
As many as 2.32 lakh students from across the state appeared for the Gujarat Public Service Commission examination (GPSC) on Sunday. The exam is conducted to select eligible candidates for state government jobs. But gross mismanagement by the GPSC dashed the dreams of several aspirants including physically challenged candidates who had come to the city from far and wide.
As per rule, candidates are required to submit a Rs 100 Indian Postal Order (IPO) to the officials at the designated centres on the day of exam. But those applying in the ‘reserved’ and ‘disabled’ categories are exempted from paying the fee.
However, several candidates like Paresh Khanesa, who suffers from cerebral palsy, were turned away by the officials for not submitting the IPO.
A resident of Amreli, he reached Sahyog Madhyamik Shala in Odhav early morning to take the exam. But he was not allowed in. “I told them that handicapped candidates do not need to pay the IPO, but they just would not listen. I begged and pleaded in front of them and even offered to pay Rs 100 cash, but to no avail. I had worked very hard for the exam since I was looking for a secured job with the state government,” lamented Khanesa.
Now, GPSC and the officials at the Odhav centre are busy playing the blame game.
When contacted, Ghanshyam Jani, principal of Sahyog Madhyamik Shala, said, “Khanesa did not have the IPO, so we did not allow him to take the exam.”
But GPSC member P R Vaghasia said, “We received a phone call from the school on Sunday morning. We told them that if the candidate is handicapped, he can appear for the exams without paying the fee. We don’t know why the centre denied the candidate permission to take the exam. We shall look into the matter.”
When Mirror contacted Jani after speaking to Vaghasia, he said, “We did not receive any written instruction from the GPSC and that is the reason Khanesa was not allowed to take the exam.”
Similarly, a candidate belonging to scheduled caste was not allowed to appear for the exam at a Bapunagar school, sources said.
CENTRE SHOCK
There were goof-ups galore in the hall tickets issued by GPSC, candidates told Mirror. As many as 22 students reached the wrong examination centre because the address in their hall tickets was wrongly printed as ‘Gita Higher Secondary School, Bapunagar’.
The mistake cost them the opportunity to take the exam they had been preparing for throughout the year.
“When I reached the Bapunagar address around 11.30 am, I was shocked to find that the name of the school was Gayatri Vidya Mandir and not Gita Higher Secondary School. The officials there told me that Gita Higher Secondary School was in Ranip. I immediately rushed to the other school. However, I got late by 15 minutes and the officials denied me permission to enter. There were 21 other candidates with me. We protested, but to no avail,” said Deepak Bharwad.

CHEATING CASES
A candidate appearing for the exam in a Bapunagar school reportedly took home his answer sheet. Another candidate, who appeared for the exam at Jeevandeep Vidyalaya in Ramol, said on condition of anonymity, “In block number 4 where I took the exam, I saw a student copying.”
Several candidates at Sagar School in Naroda did not bring the IPO with them, thinking they could pay cash. “We thought that they would eventually accept cash, as has been the practice all these years. But they did not. We had to miss the exams,” said a candidate.

MISLEADING QUESTIONS
Gargi Raval, another candidate, said, “Five questions in the paper were misleading and created confusion. Also, in my centre, officials started collecting the IPO at 12 noon when the exam was supposed to begin. We lost some time due to this.”
Vaghasia said, “The GPSC forms had 19 simple instructions for the candidates. It is their fault if they do not read the forms.”
He added, “Any decision regarding the complaints registered will be taken only after a board meeting. I cannot comment on anything before that.”

State govt launches integrated courses for ‘class’ teaching

2011-06-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

Starts Indian Institute of Teacher Education that will offer four-year BA/BSc-BEd, six-year MA/MSc-MEd courses

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, June 24, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20110624201106240244332067918413a/State-govt-launches-integrated-courses-for-%E2%80%98class%E2%80%99-teaching-.html)
School teaching is set to undergo a much-needed makeover as the state government gears up to start integrated BA/BSc-BEd and MA/MSc-MEd courses. The education department has set up the Indian Institute of Teacher Education (IITE) to train young teachers in “skills, values and character”.
HSC-pass students aspiring to take up the integrated course will be required to send in their applications by July 7. Selected students will have to take an entrance exam on July 17 for admission to the course. A student can opt for either a four-year graduation course comprising eight semesters or a six-year postgraduation course consisting of 12 semesters.
The fee of the residential course will be Rs 50,000 per annum. There will be 100 seats each for BEd and MEd courses. All the subjects shall be taught by highly-experienced and expert teachers from national and international schools.
According to a recent report, of the 3,294 teachers in city schools, only 2,557 teachers hold BEd and MEd degrees.
“Our existing teachers are not up to the mark to achieve this goal. The prime need therefore is to impart value based education among teachers so that they focus on all-round development,” a source in commissionerate of higher education said.
The integrated course will include subjects like integral personality development, philosophy of value-oriented education, Indian culture, skill-oriented education, evolution of knowledge, fundamental duties, contemporary global world, philosophy of life and education. The aspiring teachers will also be taught French, Chinese and Spanish languages.
The source said, “During the vacation, if the student wishes he/she can work in government institutions or after completion of their study sign a bond with government institutes and serve them for two-three years. This way they will get remuneration for their services through which they can compensate the fees paid during their study. Their internship during four years of integrated BEd will get them an income of Rs 2.3 lakh income.”
The integrated courses have been designed by the National Council for Educational Research and Training unlike the regular BEd and PTC courses that have been designed by National Council for Teacher Education.
“The course provides a holistic approach to teaching. We aim to have teachers for whom teaching is more than a job. It should enhance their own personality and at the same time inspire and awaken the innate abilities of their students. We want to create teachers who are physically fit, globally aware and know much more than their core subjects,” said Prof Amarnath Maheshwari, one of the members of the course committee.
BEd students will also be trained in computers, shorthand, musical skills, engineering skills, story telling, translation and writing articles, organic farming, cottage industries and community service.

GCERT exercises new syllabus

2011-06-29T10:20:00.000-07:00

The syllabus is being tested in 566 schools in Bhavnagar, Surat, Sabarkatha and Panchmahals

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, June 23, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201106232011062302494834764b72ed1/GCERT-exercises-new-syllabus.html)
The Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training (GCERT) is running a pilot project on new syllabus for Class 1 and 8 in 566 schools of the state.
According to Syllabus Reform Committee Chairman Dr Ravindra Dave, “We have been trying to identify changes that can be made in the syllabus to help give better education to children for the past two years. The new syllabus will be interactive and is a two-way communication system. Earlier, mugging was given the importance, but with the new syllabus in place, the focus will be more on learning.”
He further added that the new syllabus has been designed keeping in consideration four points — Experience, Reflection, Application and Constellation.
However, as of now the new syllabus is on a pilot basis and is being implemented in 566 schools in Bhavnagar, Surat, Sabarkatha and Panchmahals, said Dave.
MM Bhhat, GCERT Director, said, “The new syllabus has been implemented in 566 schools and will be launched in all other schools by the next year. There are total 34,000 schools in state. Currently, we are only revisiting the syllabus.”
According to sources, “The concept of the new syllabus is such that it will be will be beneficial for students throughout their lifetime. For example, personal chart of each student will be made, which will be passed on to his teachers. This chart will help teachers to understand their students better. It will be a constant evaluation for students.”
All the Class 1 to 5 of Gujarat medium will be running under the new syllabus by June 2012, while the syllabus will be implemented in English and other mediums by June 2013.
Feedback and suggestions from experts, teachers, students and parents will be helpful in making necessary changes in the new syllabus, said sources.

About GCERT
Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training (GCERT) is a pivotal institution at the state level for the enhancement of qualitative education at primary and secondary schools.
It was “State Institute of Education” before 1988. It was later upgraded as a SCERT in 1988, under the resolution of the State Education Department.
The upgraded SCERT, now named as Gujarat Council of Educational Research and Training is a fully structured State level academic institution and is controlled and guided by a Governing body as well as an Executive Committee.

Shutdown Syndrome ?

2011-06-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

A pharmacy college in Surat is shutting shop because it has no takers. Eight colleges have discontinued diploma courses. Thirty colleges without PCI approval have been kept out of admission mock-rounds

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, June 20, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011062020110620010454364af1d047a/Shutdown-Syndrome.html)
What once used to be the most preferred course after medicine and engineering, has hardly any takers today. The waning popularity of B Pharm can be gauged from the fact that several colleges admitted not more than 10-12 students for the course last year while some did not have even a single student apply for admission. The situation is going to be worse this year, say sources.
One such college, Vidhyadeep College of Pharmacy at Kim in Surat has written to the state government stating it wants to shut shop. Eight colleges have decided to discontinue their diploma courses. This is just the beginning of the shutdown syndrome for pharmacy colleges, sources say.
As many as 30 colleges in the state offering B Pharm have been kept out of the mock rounds for admission to professional courses as they are yet to receive approval from the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). It is mandatory for colleges to get approval from PCI every four years if they want to continue their courses.
Last year, more than 90 per cent of pharmacy colleges offered huge discounts and even came up with EMI schemes to fill up the seats. Not more than 10 years ago, reverse was the trend – parents were ready to pay hefty donations to get their children a B Pharm seat.
M N Patel, member secretary of Admission Committee for Professional Courses, said, “The state government has given Vidhyadeep College of Pharmacy in Surat permission to close down. Like last year, this year too several pharmacy colleges across the state will see empty seats. By 2012, at least five-seven more colleges are likely to down their shutters. Usually colleges send requests to the fee regulatory committee saying they need to hike their fees, but this year no such application was received from any college since their enrolment is on a decline.”
He added, “If a pharmacy college wants to run a course, it should have an approval letter from the PCI. This year, ACPC had asked colleges to submit their PCI-approval letters. While 20 colleges told ACPC that they are waiting for PCI-approval, 10 of them chose not to reply. These 30 colleges have not be listed for the mock rounds of admission this year.”
Meanwhile, the first mock round of engineering admissions shows that nearly 15,000 seats will remain vacant because of the skewed demand-supply ratio. This means, students need not hurry to secure seats in management quota, sources said.

DLA Academy fires its entire teaching staff

2011-06-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Yogesh Avasthi and Shraddha Singh
Posted On Monday, June 20, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20110620201106200102369602acff992/DLA-Academy-fires-its-entire-teaching-staff.html)
The principal and staff members of DLA Academy for Little People, a CBSE-affiliated school in Bodakdev, have come down heavily on the school management for unceremoniously firing them after irregular salary payment for three months. The school has already appointed a new principal.
Protesting against the arbitrary action, the former principal of the school, on behalf of the teaching staff, wrote a letter to the state education minister on June 17 complaining of ‘atrocity and human exploitation’ by school chairman Jatin Jani. The letter with the signatures of the all the teachers has also been sent to Jani.
According to the letter, on June 15, Jani allegedly fired all 23 teachers, including the principle, and asked them to reappear at job interviews.
When contacted, DLA Academy Chairman Jatin Jani said, “We are recruiting new teachers to improve the quality of education in school. We did not see any improvement in the earlier teaching staff. We had given them 15 days notice and they were given their salaries through cheque. This will not affect the students as we already have new teaching staff.”
Jani claimed that many teachers were not qualified and the management had issues with the principal. “We have followed the proper procedure before removing the staff. We have shortlisted 10 teachers for fresh interviews.”

‘SALARY DELAYED’
In the letter, the former principal, who joined the school in June 2010, said, “The chairman called me and said that he is removing all teachers without serving any notice. We were not even paid regularly. Every month, we have to fight with the management for our salary which is usually deposited in our account only by 20th of every month. I have trained the entire staff for CBSE curriculum and methodology and now Jani is saying that we are incapable.”
Interestingly, the number of students has fallen from 190 to 135 in 2011, a fact the administration officer Narendra Parmar. “The chairman does not even release funds for timely payment of the van services available at school, which in turn affects children. It is the teachers who have to bear the brunt of the parents,” the letter further stated.
The salary bracket of the teachers is between Rs 7,500 and Rs 25,000. But the staff alleges that they are not paid as per the Sixth Pay Commission’s norm in spite of the school being CBSE-affiliated.
The salary of the teaching staff was withheld in April and May “to stop the teachers from leaving the school”. It was only after raising their voice that their salary was released in June.

‘IN THE NAME OF RENOVATION’
“We are not beggars. We are asking for our rights. There is no job security and our salary is so minuscule, while the management charges exorbitant fees,” said one of the teachers, who is struggling to meet ends.
Supporting the protest, another faculty, who had been teaching Hindi, said, “We have to repeatedly remind the chairman for our salary. He hardly meets us or takes interest in the academics of the school. He made false promises before removing us.”
It is also alleged that Jani forcibly ordered the closure of school on April 9 in the name of ‘renovation work’, which did not start till May 20. “The school cannot reopen now as the repair work is still unfinished. It is a loss of 60 days of teaching and academic work for the students,” said the former principal in the letter. Not only ours but also the academic future of the students is at stake. We have been running from pillar to post, but to no avail,” said a teacher, who used to take music lessons.

Soon, grab Gujarati thali at Ahmedabad railway station

2011-06-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

To be operational in three months, Jan Ahar, a 24-hour restaurant will offer food like khaman, dhokla, thepla and khandvi for anything from Rs 10 to Rs 35

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, June 20, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011062020110620010219617a84554f2/Soon-grab-Gujarati-thali-at-Kalupur-railway-station.html)
Visitors to the railway station will soon be able to relish authentic Gujarati thali at Indian Railways’ Jan Ahar restaurant. An initiative by the Railway Passenger Services Committee, the outlet will be operational in three months. The price of food will range from Rs 10 to Rs 35.
A senior official of Ahmedabad Railway Division said, “People coming to Ahmedabad railway station will get to eat quality Gujarati food at a reasonable cost. The 24-hour Gujarati restaurant will not just serve thali but also other traditional Gujarati delicacies like khaman, dhokla, thepla and khandvi. These outlets will not be outsourced to private contractors. It will be run by Indian Railways. Officials will conduct vigilance checks frequently.”
To lend it a colourful and vibrant look, the outlet will be painted yellow and green. The tables will be yellow while the chairs will be green. The restaurant can seat at least 50 persons at one time. Waiters will be clad in yellow and green uniform with matching caps. Currently, similar Jan Ahar restaurants are operational at various railway stations like Vadodara, Mumbai, Howrah, Bangalore and Chennai.

FIR against rly tout posing as MLA

2011-06-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

TT alerts authorities after finding that passenger travelling on VIP ticket was not MLA

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, June 19, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201106192011061902432411a0af9310/FIR-against-rly-tout-posing-as-MLA.html)
Ahmedabad Railway Division on Tuesday filed FIRs against six people for their alleged involvement in a fraud which took place on May 25. The railway division received a call on May 25 from a person who demanded confirmed VIP tickets for Sirohi (Rajasthan) MLA Vinod Jain and his family on Jodhpur-Bangalore Express.
The senior divisional railway manager’s personal secretary, who answered this call, noticed the incoming mobile number was a local one. He confirmed only one of the three tickets and briefed senior ticket teller Radhakrishna Rajpurohit of the situation.
Rajpurohit inquired with the passenger, Vinod Jain, how he had received a ticket that was reserved for MLAs. Vinod promptly responded that the ticket was given to him by Ketan Jain. He added that he was neither an MLA, nor did he know any. Following this statement, Government Railway Police (Ahmedabad) initiated an inquiry into the matter.
Police inspector G N Zala said, “When Ketan Jain was approached, he claimed he purchased the ticket from Ramdev Tours and Travels in Madhavpura. The bogus call made to the railway division was traced to Bankim Modi in Raipur. He has earlier made similar calls from Surat, Ajmer, Vadodara and Rajkot.”
Modi is known to have telephoned a senior officer and addressed him in an authoritative manner. Following the verification of his number, six FIRs were filed — one each against Bankim Modi, Vinod Jain, Ketan Jain, owner of Ramdev Tours and Travels Govardhan Prajapati, his son Kalpesh and daughter Suman. The e-ticket was issued using Suman Prajapati’s log-in, sources said. Modi is suspected to be involved in several similar cases.

EMPLOYERS CAN VERIFY DEGREE CERTIFICATES OF GTU ONLINE

2011-05-31T02:27:00.000-07:00

The tech varsity will upload these documents on its website from this year to cut down on recruiters’ time in verifying candidates’ credentials

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, May 30, 2011 (Pg-1) (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011053020110530011028342a2b86a6a/EMPLOYERS-CAN-VERIFY-DEGREE-CERTIFICATES-OF-GTU-ONLINE.html)
Gujarat Technological University (GTU) plans to upload scanned copies of degree certificates and final year marksheets of students on its website, so that the firms hiring them can verify the genuineness of the documents at the touch of a button. This will also discourage people from tampering with the documents. It will even cut down on the time taken by recruiters and varsities to complete the verification process which usually takes two to three months.
GTU will conduct its first convocation around December. Nearly 4,500 MBA students of the first batch will be awarded degree certificates during the ceremony. These certificates will have security features to make them tamper-proof. The documents will bear a security code which when entered on the GTU website will help firms/varsities access the same online.
Vice Chancellor Dr Akshai Aggarwal said, “We are doing our best to ensure it becomes impossible for anyone to defraud recruiters by forging GTU marksheets and other documents. The degree certificates will have security features that will make them tamper-proof. They will also have a security code, using which firms can check the same documents online.”

NO DELAY
Currently, the verification process takes a lot of time particularly because most universities have to conduct a manual check, which is a tedious process, before sending their reply to the recruiters. It is only after the recruiters receive a favourable reply from the varsities that they issue appointment letters to the candidates. GTU aims to cut down on this delay by uploading the documents online, thus benefiting both students and recruiters.
Talks are on with two companies for creating tamper-proof certificates with security features. These degree certificates and marksheets will bear the web address where their scanned copies have been put up.

Documents to remain online
It comes as a blessing for GTU students who will be going abroad for work or further studies as the verification process will take very little time. So firms can issue their appointment letters and varsities, their admission letters without delay. Also, the documents will remain on the website and new certificates will be added every year,” Dr Aggarwal added.
In 2009, LD Arts College received a forged TY BA marksheet by a Mumbai company for verification. In less than three months it received the same marksheet from another Mumbai company for verification, after which the college authorities alerted Gujarat University. GTU’s online access to student’s credentials will help firms check frauds faster and alert the university too, if they come across any.

Railway committee gives station a miss

2011-05-29T01:55:00.000-07:00

Standing panel on railways arrives in city to look into catering service; visits Gandhi Ashram, BRTS control room. But what about Kalupur railway station? Your guess is as good as ours

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, May 24, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20110524201105240232272438af19ec2/Railway-committee-gives-station-a-miss.html)
Have you always been served unpalatable food at the Ahmedabad railway station? Pile the blame on a committee formed to look into railway food but did not think it necessary to visit the station before deciding on ways to improve service.
The members of the Standing Committee on Railways seemed to prefer the cool interiors of a five-star hotel they were staying in, than the hot and humid base kitchen at Kalupur station.
Eight of the 13-member Standing Committee on Railways arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday. They were accompanied by their secretaries; two of them had even carted along their family members.
During their day-long visit, the committee scheduled in visits to the Gandhi Ashram, Kankaria Lake and even the control room for the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) at Usmanpura. Yet, they could not pencil in half-an-hour to visit the railway station, merely seven kilometres away from the Sabarmati Ashram.

Preparing for visit
Senior officials, including the divisional railway manager, of the Ahmedabad division have been on their toes for the past 10 days, readying for the visit. Two days ago, a 10-member team of senior Western Railway officials from Mumbai came down to supervise the preparation at Kalupur station.
A higher official, seeking anonymity, said, “Railway committees visit stations before making decision. Last month, a railway convention committee arrived to look into the facilities, basic amenities, security, cleanliness and so on provided to passengers at the station. They spoke to passengers to figure out the problems they face. This helps them take decisions that benefit the public. We expected the same from this committee.”

Taken to task
A railway caterer said, “Cooking at stations was disallowed a long time ago. Railway authorities had built a base kitchen a little away from the main building. We were supposed to cook there and carry the food to be served inside the station. However, this was not put into practice. Two days ago, the officials took us to task. They forced us to stop cooking inside the station and would inspect the facilities every hour in anticipation of the committee’s visit.”
He added, “Janta khana — puri, sabzi and achar for Rs 10 — was to be served compulsorily at all stations according to the railway board. It was never sold at Ahmedabad station till two days ago. Now, every stall offers janta khana.”

Official presentation
The committee did not visit the station but they did not give the discussion a miss. They got Kulbushan — general manager of Central Railways acting as in-charge of Western Railway — to give an hour-long presentation on ‘New Catering Policy’ at the hotel’s conference room. When the meeting got over, the committee and its entourage departed for Gandhi Ashram. “There, AMC officials took charge of the team as they wanted to visit BRTS and Kankaria which are looked after by the corporation. Realising then that the panel won’t be visiting the station, we breathed a sigh of relief,” said a railway official.

Wasting public money
Committee chairman MP Somabhai Patel said, “Our job is to visit stations and talk to people to check out problems. We decide on which place needs extra trains, if food quality needs to be improved and other facilities that a station must have. On Monday, we discussed what Gujarat needs. On Tuesday, we leave for Bangalore. From there, we will go to Goa.”
Yogesh Mishra, general secretary of Rail Users’ Association, deemed this an exercise in farce. “The stalls overcharge for food. Yet, the food is unpalatable. Things are still better on platform 1 but if you visit the other platforms, the stall owners charge a bomb. The base kitchen was constructed one and a half years ago but has not been put into use. The committee should have visited the station and spoken to passengers to find out what really goes on there. Instead they went to Usmanpura. What has the BRTS got to do with the railways?”
He added, “What was the point of their visit? Nine people came down and stayed in a five-star hotel. The government spent Rs 6 lakh approximately on their plane tickets and hotel stay. If they never intended to visit the station, they should have called an official to Delhi to make the presentation. This would have been cheaper any day.”

What a trip!

Here are names of eight of the 13-members came to Ahmedabad for a visit
Lok Sabha members : Kalindi Lal Bhairwa, Kamleshwar Baitha, K Bapi Raju, Dr Botcha Jhansi Lakshmi, Sombhai K Patel Uma Shankar Singh,
Rajya Sabha members : Ambeth Rajan, Ishwar Singh,
Five Lok Sabha officials :

Visa hurdle grounds 540 GTU students

2011-05-29T01:45:00.000-07:00

Yogesh Avasthi and Hemington James
Posted On Friday, May 20, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20110520201105200308136861aeda39c/Visa-hurdle-grounds-540-GTU-students.html)
» The students of technology varsity were to visit US campuses for a summer camp
» Consulate cancelled the B2 visa granted and asked them to apply for J category
» Insurance company to which students were directed says the programme is cancelled
» GTU says it is trying to pull off the June 1-27 tour; now Canada camp is being planned
The dream of about 540 Gujarat Technological University students to attend a summer camp at Oklahoma University (OU) and Kansas State University (KSU) in the US is all but shattered. Their own university failed to identify the right category of visa they needed. To compound their woes, the US consulate apparently changed its decision on the visa category the students needed to set foot on the US soil.
They were advised to go for J category of visa, which may take up to eight weeks and fresh set of documents. It is now next to impossible for the students to report to the US universities, as advised by them, between June 1 and 8.
About a dozen students had bought tickets. Visa hurdle may lead to them losing their money. They now hope GTU’s plans to take them to Canada clicks and they can get the much cherished foreign exposure to add to their CV.
Rajendra Jani’s son Kedar is student of third year engineering in a self-financed engineering college of the city. Like other fathers he wanted to send his son to the June 1-27 summer camp to the OU, with which GTU has signed an MoU.
When he went to GTU, he found that the staff there was completely blank about the programme and they did not have any idea of how to send students to OU. So he contacted the US university and an insurance company which offers health insurance to students going abroad. From the insurance company Jani came to know that the programme has been cancelled. Jani realised he had wasted the money on buying ticket and applying for the visa.

VISAS CANCELLED
Jani’s is not the only case. There are around 10 students of GTU whose visas have been cancelled after they were granted the same. The reason the US consulate has given to them is that since the course they are going to attend is a longer duration programme the students cannot get B2 visa which they were earlier granted. They have to obtain J visa, which the students cannot get as they are not getting sponsorship either from GTU or from OU. Now neither GTU nor OU is guiding them on what to do next so that they can attend the summer course.
GTU in January this year had signed a memorandum of understanding with the OU and KSU for the course “Creating value in a culturally diverse, interconnected world” as summer camp. Other courses that were offered to the students were product design and value engineering, energy conservation and management, industrial engineering and operations research.

B2 VISA: OU OFFICIAL
As many as 360 students were to go to OU and 180 were to go to KSU for the summer camp. Post the announcement, GTU sat tight on the MoU for almost two months. When the students approached the university officials they could not inform them the category of visa they had to apply for.
Finding no way, on March 25, students wrote to OU to seek help. On the same day university official Kylie Hill Hubbard wrote back to them that ‘because the students from GTU will not be receiving any school credit from OU, but will be receiving grades through GTU this does not allow students to receive J visa appointments as exchange students. In this case we ask that your student be issued a B2 visitors business visa as this visa is appropriate for students who will be attending camps or seminars and not receiving college credit from the US university.”

J VISA: US CONSULATE
Following this the students applied for B2 visa to the US consulate in Mumbai on March 6 and around 10 students along with Kedar got B2 visa on the very next day. A month later in May these students got a call from the US consulate asking them to reappear for an interview. When these students went to Mumbai they were told by the officers at the consulate that since theirs is a long-term course, they cannot be allowed to travel on B2 visa and they will have to get J visa which is for students.
“We are not getting any answers from GTU and OU is asking us to travel on B2. The US consulate does not allow us to travel on B2. How would we go for the summer course?” asked Kedar who came to know through his father that the course has been cancelled.
“When approached, OU gave us the name of Macori Inc for health insurance of Kedar. When we wrote to the insurance company it us on April 19 that the programme has been cancelled. On one hand, the OU is asking us to get J visa, on the other hand the insurance company is telling us that the programme has been cancelled. Where do we go? How would we know what to do? We got the tickets fixed and we did preparation for the journey, who will reimburse us now?” asked Jani.

IF NOT US, THEN CANADA: GTU
Mirror’s email to OU seeking clarity went unanswered.
When contacted, GTU Vice Chancellor Akshai Aggarwal could not explain why the consulate stopped giving B2 category visa to his students.
“We have heard that the US Consulate has been giving the Visas to GTU students on the basis of documents given by OU and KSU. However, during the last 10 days or so, the Consulate seems to have changed the policy and we have heard that it is telling the new applicants that since 2010, it had been committing a mistake, which it did not want to commit any further,” Dr Aggarwal said.
“We are working to somehow get in touch with top officers at US consulate,” he said, adding that the university would try to take its students to a Canadian university for the summer camp if the OU trip does not materialise.
Dr Aggarwal conceded that students would not have received credits upon completion of the programme either at OU of KSU. “A general certificate of attendance was a possibility,” he said.
However, Dr Aggarwal said that attending the camp would have benefited the students.
“All pedagogic studies done in the west and China (at SJTU, Shanghai) show that it greatly helps a student. PDPU (Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar) claims that the students, who visited the USA in 2010 improved their academic performance greatly,” he said.

Main Hoon ? Nah

2011-05-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

Shah Rukh is writing UPSC exam at L D Engineering. That is what the college staff believed on seeing his photograph on attendance sheet

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Saturday, May 14, 2011 (Pg-1 All) (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011051420110514031149930ddf1855c/Main-Hoon-Nah.html)

Authorities at the L D Engineering College experienced dard-e-disco in their dil when they saw who was going to appear for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam to be held on campus. The attendance sheet sent staff into a scramble as it listed superstar Shah Rukh Khan as one of the candidates. The three-day engineering service exam begins on Saturday.

The authorities were checking the attendance sheet to fix seating arrangements when they came across SRK’s photograph opposite roll number 8375. The sheet — which has the candidate’s name, photograph and signature — had WERW written in place of a name. A scrutiny of the signature revealed it was penned by ‘Sunil Tripathi’.

Requesting anonymity, a top UPSC official in Delhi revealed, “Assuming that WERW was a code, someone from the college called up to verify if Shah Rukh was really appearing for the exam. They wanted to inform the police and arrange for security for the superstar. Their request befundled us. After confirming that SRK was not appearing for the examination, we asked the college to check the identity of the candidate who may appear under this name on Saturday. The college will allow him to take the exam as we do not want anyone to suffer if an official has committed a mistake.”
Repeated efforts to contact Under Secretary C L Guleria and Deputy Secretary K K Sherawat of UPSC in Delhi failed as they were away from their desks.
On calling the UPSC control room in Delhi, an official named Arora said, “For the past two-three years, candidates have been filling exam application forms online. It could be the work of a prankster. Or else, a candidate might have committed a mistake while uploading his/her photograph.”
M N Patel, principal of L D Engineering, did not reveal much as “examination details are confidential”. He just admitted, “We faced a problem and have informed UPSC Delhi about it.”
This is not the only goof-up in the UPSC attendance sheet. “Usually, there are no mistakes in the attendance sheet. The UPSC is very careful. But this time, there are just random alphabets like AKAK or BAMH instead of names. Several candidates were named SHORT NOTE. The photograph of one candidate appears thrice — each time with different details. Signatures have been printed upside down. This might make it difficult for staff to nab dummy writers, if any,” said a school authority, refusing to be named.
Around 1,200 candidates are appearing for UPSC exams being held at L D Engineering College in Navrangpura, M G Institute of Science in Navrangpura, Diwan Ballubhai School in Kankaria and Damubhai Shukla School in Paldi.

GTU to make 1st sem Engg, MCA syllabi easy to reduce failures

2011-05-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

In the current syllabus, levels of difficulty are equally distributed across semesters. So, a first-sem student who fails in one or two papers finds it tough to clear backlog

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, May 09, 2011 (Pg-1) (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20110509201105121851178988f427572/GTU-to-make-1st-sem-Engg-MCA-syllabi-easy-to-reduce-failures.html)
Gujarat Technological University (GTU) is restructuring the first semester syllabus of engineering and MCA courses to bring down the percentage of failures.
As many as 50-55 per cent students fail in one or two subjects in the first semester, which they say is quite tough to crack.
In the current syllabus, on a par with that of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the levels of difficulty are equally distributed across the semesters.
Hence, it is highly unlikely that student who fails in one or two subjects in the first semester and gets promoted to the second, will get rid of the backlog till the final semester. Also, if a student fails in four papers, he is detained and not promoted till he clears them. As many as 2,700 students of GTU have been detained so far.
“English and mathematics are the papers most students flunk in,” said a source.
The GTU now plans to restructure the first semester syllabus by adding/deleting or modifying the content of the chapters so that students don’t struggle too hard with the subjects. The move is expected to benefit nearly 1 lakh students every year.
“Yes, we plan to change the first semester syllabus of engineering and MCA courses. A huge number of students fail in mathematics 1, 2 and 3 papers. Alteration of the syllabus is being done to reduce the number of failures and to boost students’ morale. If, in the beginning of a course their morale goes down, they will feel less confident in the succeeding semesters,” said Akshai Aggarwal, vice chancellor, GTU.
He says that a student who has cleared class 12 exams of the state board finds it very difficult to cope with the standard of course in the first semester of engineering. It gets all the more tough for students coming from Gujarati medium schools, he says.
‘Get us better faculty’
Dhaval Patel, a student who failed in a subject in the first semester, said: “I think more than changing the syllabus, the GTU should focus on getting us quality teachers. Gujarati medium students find it difficult to understand lectures in English. That is the biggest reason students fail.”
Agrees Harsh Mehta, a third semester student: “In the first semester, I failed in two papers – mathematics and mechanics of solids. But I cleared them in the second semester. However, if GTU makes the first semester easy for us, it will take a huge burden off us. Most students who fail in the first semester never really score well again. Also, those from Gujarati medium face greater disadvantage since the medium of instruction is English.”
Aggarwal said: “We will first find out the problem areas of first semester students before the committee redesigns the syllabus. Care will be taken not to compromise on its quality. The idea is to lessen the burden on students and help them prepare well. We shall also train the teachers accordingly. The move will benefit 10-15 per cent more students every year.”
Right now, GTU has 34,000 BE students, 48,000 engineering diploma students and 8,000 studying for diploma/degree pharmacy.
SPECIAL CLASSES
The GTU also plans to conduct special classes in mathematics, English and computers for as many as 2,700 detained students. “For as many as 2,700 students who have been detained, we shall organise special classes in mathematics, English and computers. It should benefit them immensely.”

MG bags project on Himalayan glaciers

2011-05-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, May 09, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201105092011050902594051116d9eff7/MG-bags-project-on-Himalayan-glaciers.html)
A research project on monitoring of the Himalayan snow and glaciers has been given to the Department of Geology of M G Science Institute. The project with an outlay of Rs 20.35 lakh, will be carried out for a period of three years beginning April 2011.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), which approved the project, handed it over to Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, which had earlier carried out phase I of the ‘Snow and Glacier Studies’ project. The SAC then forwarded the project to M G Science Institute.
According to R D Shah, professor at M G Science Institute, who will be looking into the phase II project, there are many pockets in the Himalayas where glaciers are not just melting but new glaciers are also forming. “A lot more changes have been going on in the Himalayan regions. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to monitor snow cover in order to understand the accumulation and ablation pattern during seasonal snow fall over the Himalayan region and also to assess the state of glaciers in view of changing global scenarios of climate and water security of the nation,” he added.
The project will look into components such as monitoring of snow cover (2010-14), estimation of glacial retreat/advance, estimation of mass balance of glaciers and research elements such as effect of carbon soot and contamination on snow and glacier ice, effect of debris cover on glacier ice-melt, and so on.
The method to be used for the project will include the use of Ground Penetrating Radar for ice thickness estimation, SAR interferometry and photogrammetry in glacier flow determination and glacier mass balance.
About Phase I
In phase I, the study was carried out in the Bhut and Warwan river basins which are part of the Chenab river basin in Himachal Pradesh. Approximately 400 glaciers were mapped using 1962 SOI topographical maps and satellite images of Indian and foreign data. The estimated loss in glacial area was 9 per cent and 19 per cent for Bhut and Warwan sub-basins respectively for the monitoring period of 1962 (SOI topographical maps) to 2001/02 (IRS LISS III data).
Specific mass balance of glaciers was also studied for these basins for the year of 2005, 2006 and 2007, out of which 38 belong to Bhut basin and 43 belong to Warwan sub-basin. The results show that the mean specific mass balance of the glaciers is continuously negative for these three years which means many glaciers of this region are in retreating phase. Though the retreat can not be attributed to major climate change due to various factors but at the same time the research is going on world wide to find the cause of ice meting.

Teachers’ fight eclipses future of 150 students

2011-05-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

Students of N C Bodiwala Commerce College fail in internal assessment. Plea for grace marks go unheard as principal and teachers refuse to talk to each other, solve the issue

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, May 06, 2011 (Pg- 1) (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20110506201105060218455173b73948b/Teachers%E2%80%99-fight--eclipses-future-of-150-students.html)
In-fighting among teachers and principal of N C Bodiwala Commerce College in Kalupur has left the fate of over 150 students hanging in the balance. Commerce students of first year, second year and third year are falling short of pass marks in internal assessment.
Their plea for grace marks fell on deaf ears as the principal passed the buck onto teachers who assessed the exam papers. In turn, the teachers — who are reportedly at loggerheads with the principal and college management — claim grace marks can be granted only if the principal wills so.
Internal score comprise marks for attendance and behaviour, as well as a percentage of marks got in first and second term exams. If a student scores well in university exam but fails in internal assessment, he is considered fail.
This explains why TYBCom students at the college were worried. “FYBCom and SYBCom students need not fret much as they can appear for the re-test while still in college. But imagine the plight of TYBCom students. We will lose a year because by the time the re-test is conducted, admissions for higher studies will be over,” said a third year Statistics student, seeking anonymity.

‘No one pays heed’
The internal assessment list was declared four days ago. Most students flunked in Statistics, Commercial Communication and Business Law. These are taught by three female teachers who reportedly have a quarrel with the management.
Angered by the result, students tore the list displayed on the noticeboard, raised slogans and marched to the principal’s cabin. “The principal told us the teachers are the ones who can grant us grace marks. But he refused to talk to them. When we approached the teachers, they agreed to do the neeful if the principal asks them to,” said a student of Business Law, adding, “The fight between teachers and management has intensified over the past year, affecting our studies negatively. Forget teaching us properly, they haven’t even taken our attendance regularly. And now this! We had complained to the management and principal about the teachers’ behaviour in class but they paid no heed. Now, our future is being sacrificed to fuel their war.”
Principal Jayantilal Patel admits that most students have failed in one of the three subjects. “It is up to the teacher to grant grace marks to students. I have faced several problems in the past where these three teachers are concerned, so I will not approach them. It is for them to think what is best for the future of the students. If they give me the corrected internal list in a day or two, I will submit it to the university. Once the list is sent to the varsity, nothing can be done,” he says.

‘We just check papers’
In her defence, Deeptiben Shah who teaches Commercial Communications says: “We just evaluate the papers. The internal assessment committee is responsible for collating and finalising internal marks. We do not know who has failed or passed.”
Throwing light on the matter, a college official said, “The three teachers are trying to prove that they have assessed the papers in a righteous manner. And by doing so, they are implying that others who may have given grace marks are wrong. Whoever is right or wrong, it is the students who are suffering right now.”

Think of students: V-C
The three teachers have earlier filed complaints of harassment against the principal and three other teachers with the university. The four were also arrested after the women teachers repeatedly lodged complaints against them with the local police, Joint Commissioner of Police and even the home minister. They were booked for criminal intimidation among other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Parimal Trivedi, Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat University to which the college is affiliated to, said: “The college is responsible for internal assessment. We do not interfere in such matters. However, the teachers and principal must put aside their differences and think of the students’ future first.”

Anyone can flick, tear, burn answer scripts kept at GU

2011-05-09T06:24:00.000-07:00

Mirror finds out how easy it is for a visitor to stroll into the departments on GU campus where answersheets of lakhs of arts, commerce and science students have been kept

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Thursday, May 05, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011050520110505031437491c2e7ef72/Anyone-can-flick-tear-burn-answer-scripts-kept-at-GU.html)

Gujarat University may spend Rs 6 crore to conduct exams every year, but keeping students’ answersheets safe is definitely not its priority. On Wednesday, Mirror found out that the answersheets can be accessed by any Tom, Dick and Harry since there are no guards to stop visitors from entering the rooms where these have been stacked. At places where there are, the guards do not know what they are guarding and therefore let anyone in.

Every year nearly 3.5 lakh students appear for GU exams. Their answer papers are stored in different departments on GU campus. Even if a single answersheet goes missing, it could lead to a slew of administrative issues and cost the student his career.

On Wednesday, this reporter managed to walk into the rooms where BCom and BA answer scripts were stored, without being questioned by anyone. He even clicked the photographs without anyone raising an eyebrow. He says that if anybody intends to play mischief, he can take away the answer-paper bundles easily or even set them on fire. There’s little chance that the security guards or the staff in adjacent rooms will stop you.

‘YAHAN SAHAB LOG HI AATE HAIN’
The FYBCom answersheets are stored in the room on the first floor of the School of Psychology, Philosophy and Education department on GU campus. The guard outside the building, a nonchalant 18-year-old, did not bother to question the reporter as he entered the building on Tuesday evening.
The unlocked room, where both evaluated and unchecked answersheets were stacked, had six chairs and a table. The fan was running on full-speed, but there was no one in the room. The reporter spent nearly 10 minutes there, but nobody questioned him. While exiting the building, he asked the guard why was he letting in visitors without questioning them. To this, he replied: “Yahan toh sahab log hi aate hain (Only university officials come here).”

‘PAPER LEVA AAYA CHHO?’
Next, the reporter strolled into the Social Science department where answersheets of arts subjects were stored. Inside room number 5 though, there were three-four young contract workers hired by the university to label and arrange the answer papers. Assuming that the reporter was a professor who had probably come to collect a bundle for evaluation, one of the workers asked him, “Paper leva aaya chho? (Have you come to collect the answer papers?)”

NO LEARNING FOR GU

Even at other departments on GU premises, where answer scripts of different subjects have been stored, visitors can easily walk in unquestioned. The university does not seem to have learnt from its past mistakes. Last year, scores of answersheets of SYBCom students got soaked in water after officials at School of Languages forgot to turn off a tap in bathroom of the room where they were kept. The answersheets were so wet that the examiners had to spread them in the open for drying before evaluation.

Bhadra aarti to go global

2011-05-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

The temple’s soon-to-be-launched website www.bhadrakalimaa.com will webcast the daily aarti for devotees across the world

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, May 04, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/201105042011050403352571466977f23/-Bhadra-aarti-to-go-global.html)
The famous Bhadrakali temple will now provide live streaming of the divine aarti on its website for devotees across the globe. The temple will be launching the site www.bhadrakalimaa.com in a fortnight. Believed to be as old as the city, the temple had a Rs 2.5-crore face lift last year.
Most Amdavadis, especially those who have been living in the city since long, prefer to begin any auspicious work with a darshan at the temple.
Thousands of people living outside the city often send in a chundli (a saree or stole for the diety) or a token in cash for Maa at Bhadra. Now, with the temple going hi-tech, devotees across the globe will be able to do online darshan. The video streaming of the live aarti on the website is expected to begin in six months.
The site will feature the daily schedule of the temple, details of various rituals, events and festivities during Janmashtami and Navratri.
It will also take the devotees on a virtual tour of the temple, feature information on its historical significance as well as on the various incarnations of goddess Bhadra, also referred to as Nagar Devi.
The temple, built by the Marathas when Aazam Khan was the king of Ahmedabad, has been renovated four times so far –1885, 1932, 1992 and 2010. The old photographs of the temple as well as those of the celebrities and leaders who have visited the place for darshan will be uploaded on the website.
Goddess Bhadrakali is worshipped for prosperity and wealth. More than a thousand people from not only the city and the state but also from other countries visit the temple every day to seek blessings of the goddess.
Since the deity is attired in a different form each day, the devotees who visit the temple on Sunday – which witnesses maximum rush – see her decked up in the same finery. However, once the live streaming of the aarti begins on the website, they will be able to see the goddess decked up to represent different incarnations each day on their computer.
The website will also enable devotees to make donations to the temple online as well place orders for prasad. The temple authorities are currently in talks with various international courier companies for the despatch of prasad packets.
Bhadra temple is governed by Shri Rambali Prag Tiwari Trust for the first six months of the year and by Maharaj Brajlal Gangaprasad Avasthi for the next six months.
Says trustee Ashutosh Tiwari, “The temple’s website www.bhadrakalimaa.com will be launched in a fortnight. However, it will take nearly six months before the live streaming of the morning and evening aarti can begin. Devotees from across the globe can watch the aarti and place orders for prasad on the site. They can also make donations online.”

ABOUT BHADRA TEMPLE
Goddess Bhadrakali is worshipped for prosperity and wealth. The Bhadra temple, as old as the city itself, has been renovated four times so far –1885, 1932, 1992 and 2010. Several well-known personalities like Rabindranath Tagore, Subhash Chandra Bose and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel have visited the temple for darshan. “Swami Sahajanand, the founder of the Swaminarayan sect, was gifted a chundli by the Bhadra temple pujari when he first set foot in the city. You will find the chundli neatly preserved at the Swaminarayan temple in Kalupur,” says temple trustee Ashutosh Avasthi, adding, “Our CM seeks blessings of the goddess on every bestu varas.”

Return of the Bermudas at varsity library

2011-05-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

Librarian forced to take back his diktat after GU VC takes him to task for not taking his permission before banning Bermudas and vests in library

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, April 28, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/20110428201104280317281589c22db0/Return-of-the-Bermudas-at-varsity-library.html)
Relief was apparent on the faces of students at the Gujarat University library on Wednesday evening after the ban on Bermudas, vests and tank tops imposed by the librarian was lifted by the vice chancellor. It was a victory of sorts for the students as they trooped inside the library in the evening wearing Bermudas.
Incharge librarian Aswin Bhavsar had issued a notice that anyone wearing Bermudas, vests or tank tops will not be allowed on the premises. “Since it is the abode of Goddess Saraswati, it was not befitting to come here in Bermudas or vests,” said the library notice. The notice appealed to students to wear modest clothes and sit properly before it proceeded to warn students of strict action.
On Wednesday morning the scene had changed. Soon after the library opened students, who were opposed to the librarian’s dictatorial ways, pasted the AM report, ‘Ban on Bermudas at varsity library’ on the notice board.
In the afternoon, after Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi took the librarian to task for issuing a diktat banning Bermudas and vests on the library premises without his permission, the notice was removed from the board. It was replaced with another whose tone and tenor was subdued. It stated that as per the vice-chancellor’s orders, “students coming to the library should behave decently and exercise restraint”.
The vice-chancellor told Mirror that as soon as the notice was brought to his attention he got it removed. “In today’s age when Bermudas are common among today’s youth, it would be improper to consider it immodest or indecent,” Parimal Trivedi said.
However, the university chief said that discipline and decorum must be maintained. “I believe the students will take this into account and conduct themselves accordingly.” Since most exams are over, the library which remained open from 7 am till 1 am, has reverted to its old timing of keeping open till 10.30 pm. Around 600 students visit the library daily.
Students are also relieved that they no more have to wear stuffy clothes and remain cooped up in the library. Yatin Prajapati, who studies MSc at the University School of Science, said, “In the hostel, students roam around in shorts and Bermudas as it is very hot and they find such clothing very comfortable. After the imposition of this rule, we were forced to change and come to the library or stay put in our ‘boiler’ rooms and study. The VC’s decision has come as a major relief and we can study in a relaxed manner.”
His friend and reading partner, Hardik Panchal, who found it cumbersone to wear jeans to the library, said, “My friend Kalpesh who went to the library wearing Bermudas was stopped from entering the library. After that all hostel students were forced to wear trousers or jeans, which is cumbersome while studying.”

Rly passengers shunted to impress MPs panel

2011-05-01T03:16:00.000-07:00

To get in good books of committee that visited station, RPF jawans wake up passengers sleeping in waiting room, stop children from having lunch

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, April 28, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201104282011042803011029176d0e763/Rly-passengers-shunted--to-impress-MPs-panel.html)
Passengers were left in a lurch when Railway Convention Committee visited Ahmedabad Railway Station at 10 30 am on Wednesday. The officials also visited Sabarmati diesel shed. For the past 10 days, the railway officials were seen on their toes, getting the station cleaned and prepped for the visit.
The eight-member committee, comprised five Lok Sabha members and three from Rajya Sabha, was here to look into the facilities, basic amenities, security, cleanliness and so on provided to passengers at the station. The committee inspected CCTV camera control room, passenger reservation centre PRS, passenger waiting rooms and even toilets.
During this process, many passengers had to go through a lot of problems. In a bid to ensure smooth operation, RPF officials disrupted passengers who were either waiting at the platform or in the waiting rooms. Many waiting on the platform were forced to shift their luggage. A few passengers sleeping on the floor in the waiting room were forced to wake up and sit properly.
One of the passengers whose kids were having lunch, was stopped from eating by the jawans. Jayesh Bhrambhatt, who was waiting for his train to Anand on platform number one with his wife and three kids, told Mirror, “My children were told to stop eating because we were coming in the way of higher official visiting the station. They didnt even let the kids finish their lunch until the officials left.” Same was the scene in AC waiting room.
Shreegopal Vyas, a Rajya Sabha member who is also a part of the committee, told Mirror, “We were here to look into the facilities being provided by the railways and not to trouble any passenger. What happened was absolutely wrong. However, we hope the railways continue to keep the station clean.”

Ban on Bermudas

2011-05-01T03:13:00.000-07:00

Librarian’s diktat of banning ‘objectionable’ clothing at the Gujarat University library does not go down well with students who find casual clothes are more comfortable in summer while studying for exams

Yogesh.Avasthi
Posted On Wednesday, April 27, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/20110427201104270320318533179b535/Ban-on-Bermudas.html)
If you think that the Ahmedabad summer is a reason for you to roam around in casual Bermudas, colourful vests or tank tops, think twice before venturing into Gujarat University’s library. The Central Library which keeps open from 7 am to 1 am these days because of the examination season has issued a clear diktat: Anyone wearing Bermudas, vests or tank tops will not allowed on the premises. Not only does the library think it is immodest to wear Bermudas, it also warns of strict action against those who attempt to violate the rule.
Since this is the abode of Goddess Sarasawati (the Hindu deity of knowledge), “it is not befitting to come here in Bermudas or vests”, says the library notice. The notice appeals to students to wear modest clothes and sit properly before proceeding to warn students of strict action.
Most students feel it is okay to ensure that students behave decently in the library, but are not in favour of the library banning Bermudas or vests. Though this is just the beginning of summer, the city temperature has already crossed 41 degrees Celsius.
A lot of students stroll into the library after dinner for a reading session wearing casual clothes, including Bermudas or vests. Most of them are young boys, including university hostel students. Librarian Ashwin Bhavsar says, “For quite some time, it has been brought to our notice that students wear whatever they like to the reading room. Though nobody has complained to us, we thought it necessary to maintain some discipline to prevent any untoward incident from happening. We wanted to create an atmosphere wherein students can read peacefully and they are not unnecessarily distracted.”
Bhavsar says he was disturbed after he saw that some students dressed “quite immodestly”. He says more than girls it is the boys who dress up “indecently”. He once even summoned a group of girls wearing short dresses to his office. “I politely told them to avoid wearing such dresses to the reading room.” However, when he saw that a lot of students especially boys strolled in vests or Bermudas, he finally put up the notice.
Around 600 students visit the library daily to study.
This is the first time such a notice specifying a dress code for the library has been put up.
Students however are not happy with the decision and say Gujarat University which brags of global standards should first treat its students as responsible adults and not play moral police. However, one student Bhakti Shah said such a rule is okay because some students dress up outrageously.
“On the one hand we talk of globalisation and on the other we harass students over petty matters. Wearing T-shirts and Bermudas in summer is normal. There is nothing wrong in it. It is a matter of comfort and we feel relaxed while studying.”

Pharma, software jobs for C U Shah students

2011-05-01T03:09:00.000-07:00

As many as 82 students of C U Shah Science College were offered good pay packages

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, April 26, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201104262011042601463739453db205a/Pharma-software-jobs-for-C-U-Shah-students.html)
Nearly 82 TYBSc students of C U Shah Science College have been selected for jobs in companies like BioCon, Tata Consultancy Services, Zydus Cadila, Anil Group of Companies, Meghmani Chemicals and Finar Chemicals. As many as 163 students are appearing for the placement process that will be on till all the students are placed.
BioCon, which is looking for medical representatives, offered a salary of Rs 2.16 lakh to Rs 2.4 lakh per annum. Tata Consultancy Services shortlisted students for networking and hardware department and made an offer of Rs 1.83 lakh per annum. The company’s learning programme – Ignite – facilitates a successful transition for science graduates to the software industry through learning and transformation.
Another company, Dhanush Agrotech, had called students for interviews at their headquarters and shortlisted 12 candidates. After the students agree to the job offer they will be given appointment letters.
Meghmani Chemicals selected candidates for their quality control department. During the first six months of probation, the students will be paid Rs 5,700 per month. They will also have access to medical assistance and free transportation service.
Pharma giant Zydus Cadila, which is looking for apprentices, selected several students from the college. If their performance is found to be satisfactory, the students will be taken on the company’s payroll.
Placement officer Jigar Shah said, “We are doing our best to ensure BSc students get access to good job opportunities. In the past, we have had IBM, Infosys and Torrent Pharmaceuticals visiting our campus. We have conducted several training programmes in personality development, group discussion and spoken English for the students. Before the placements began, we also conducted mock interview sessions for them.”
Principal Anita Gharekhan said, “Students think that there aren’t many job opportunities after graduation. “But several companies require staff for data entry work and research analysis. They hire fresh graduates for good salaries and train them accordingly.”

Early exam or failures in 1 subject

2011-04-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

GSHSEB is planning to hold supplementary exam for HSC science students in a month after results are announced so they can take part in admission process for engg, pharmacy courses

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, April 21, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/2/2011042120110421033543134c191584/Early-exam-or-failures-in-1-subject.html)
The state government is trying to engineer a sweet deal for students who fail in one subject in Class 12 Science. Supplementary exams for them are likely to be held within a month so that these students, too, can be included in the merit list for engineering and pharmacy. The decision will be announced on May 12.
Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) along with the Joint Admission Committee for Professional Courses (JAC-PC) are mulling over this issue to ensure that such students do not lose an academic year.
Results for Class 12 Science will be out on May 12. Said a reliable senior GSHSEB official, “Many students are good at studies but fail in one subject due to some reason or another. Usually, the March exam result is declared in June every year while the supplementary exam is conducted in October. This means students are unable to apply for professional courses, losing an academic year. To rectify this, we are thinking of holding supplementary examinations within a month. The results will be declared in a week so that students can participate in admission process for professional courses.”
The official added, “As many as 3,586 science students failed in one subject in 2009 while 4,522 students failed in 2010. If even 80 per cent of these students pass and get 50 per cent marks required for admission to professional courses, then our purpose will be served.”
Confirming the news, JACP-PC member secretary M N Patel said, “Re-exams will be held earlier than usual and results will be announced in time for admission. Generally, when a student, who has not passed the first time, applies for professional courses, we cut a certain percentage before considering him/her for admission. From this year on, this will not happen.”
He added, “Following Gujarat high court order last year, we were forced to admit students who had passed re-examinations. If the supplementary exam is held earlier, the students need not take legal recourse. They can be included in the admission process right at the beginning.”
This decision will benefit engineering and pharmacy colleges greatly as most of them are facing a problem of plenty. Mirror’s report ‘Sale — up to 50 % off’ published on August 19, 2010 stated how colleges that once charged not less than Rs 2 lakh for a management quota seat, are now offering hefty discounts in a desperate race for survival.
Last year, 2,827 seats for degree courses and 3,216 seats for diploma courses in pharmacy were vacant. A pharmacy college in Saurashtra offered the highest discount of 50 per cent to attract students. Some even allowed students to pay in instalments.
Rupesh Vasani, principal of SAL Engineering College, said, “There are 1,500 to 2,000 seats lying vacant in self-financed engineering colleges. Six new engineering colleges are coming up at Siddhpur, Botad, Wadhwan, Kapadvanj, Ankleshwar and Khedbrahma this year. The decision to raise the cut-off percentage for engineering admissions from 35 to 50 means another 8,000 to 10,000 seats would remain unfilled.”
N V Vasani, Director General of Nirma University, said: “The government has also proposed to include five per cent of students from other states to fill up vacant seats. When they are favouring students from other states, how can they ignore kids studying here?”
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) already follows the practice of giving a compartment (C) remark to students failing in one subject. Such students are allowed to appear in an exam for the same subject and on the same hall-ticket, within a month of the declaration of the CBSE results, to ensure that they do not waste a precious year.

Mechanical engg back in fashion, say academicians

2011-04-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

They predict it will be the most popular choice of engineering aspirants during the admissions this year. Reason: Gujarat’s burgeoning industrial sector

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, April 21, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201104212011042103201442b2eb8790/Mechanical-engg-back-in-fashion-say-academicians.html)
Mechanical engineering (ME) will be the most sought after branch this year, predict academicians ahead of the class XII science results that will be declared on May 12. The reason being the burgeoning industrial sector in Gujarat that will require manpower on a large scale. The number two and three spots will be occupied by civil and electrical engineering disciplines, they say.
Member secretary of Joint Admission Committee for Professional Courses M N Patel said: “Till two years ago, electronics and communication was the most preferred discipline. But the scenario has changed now. With new industries being set up in an investor-friendly state like ours, the demand for mechanical, electrical and civil engineers is going to be huge.”
All these years, electronics and communication (EC) was the hot choice for students, particularly because it has great scope in foreign countries. “Many of the colleges that have newly come up offer the EC course but not ME, because they need to invest less in setting up EC labs as compared to the ME labs. However, there is not much demand for EC these days. In fact in the past two years, ME has been finding favour with hundreds of meritorious students.
“The trend will only pick up further pace. Mechanical, civil and electrical engineering will be the hot favourites. Only after these will computer, EC, automobile, IT, and information communication branches be preferred in that order,” Patel said.

THE SCOPE
Prashant Panchal, class XII student from Nava Vadaj, said: “I prefer mechanical engineering because it has more scope with the number of industries coming up in Gujarat. ME finds applications in all fields of technology. I should get a job easily by the time I complete the course. Also, I can even think of setting up my own company since there are many mechanical engineers in my family.”
The ME students master key aspects of chemical, civil and electrical engineering besides physics and advanced mathematics, particularly calculus.
Traditionally, many mechanical engineers opt for automotive and aerospace industries, but energy, robotics, and bioengineering are the growth areas. Even nanotechnology, which is about manipulation of particles at nano-level to build microsize machines, is a growing field.
Patel says that environmental engineering is also an emerging field, however not many students opt for it because the job opportunities are limited. “Colleges in Surat and Bhuj offer courses in environment, marine and plastic engineering, but they have very few takers,” Patel says.

‘Top it with MBA’
Nirma University director general N V Vasani said: “The core branches of engineering namely mechanical, civil and electrical have always withstood the vagaries of time. I too believe that ME is back in fashion. I only advise students to pursue bachelors in ME in good colleges. These days an undergraduate degree is not enough, one needs to do postgraduation too. Top it with an MBA to get easy access to the best jobs in the industry.”
Bipin Sharma, a student of class XII of Raghunath School in Bapunagar, said: “Everyone gives a different opinion about which discipline to choose. But of what I can make out from the newspapers, I am keen on pursuing civil engineering. However, I would like to meet some experts before I decide.”

New system to increase capacity of goods trains

2011-04-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

The locotrol system will save railways time and ensure speedy delivery of goods

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, April 16, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011041620110416022108848a831938c/New-system-to-increase--capacity-of-goods-trains.html)
To further boost their freight business by delivering maximum goods in minimum time, the railways has come up with a brand new idea. In July, the Ahmedabad Railway Division (ARD) will introduce a locotrol system that will
involve three locomotives running a fully-loaded goods train.
The train, with a capacity to carry 1 lakh tonne of goods, will thus be able to carry more number of wagons as the pulling power will be distributed throughout the length of the train.
The locotrol system will also allow the train to disjoin enroute — this means one train could be made into three or four trains.
For example, instead of three trains carrying goods from Ahmedabad station to Mumbai, Kochi and Kolkata stations, the ARD will now run one long train. The difference being, the train will be pulled by three locomotives.
At a specific location, the train will disjoin to form three separate trains, with one heading to Mumbai, the other to Kochi and the third to Kolkata.
In a locotrol system, the communication between the lead and remote locomotive/s is achieved via radio wireless communication link. There will be an assistant pilot in each locomotive.
The system will also help the railways cope better with staff shortage.
A senior railway official said: “The locotrol system will allow us to deliver goods at a faster pace, thus saving us a lot of time. It will also ensure optimal utilisation of tracks and boost our earnings remarkably.”

Industries to help upgrade GTU’s diploma engg course

2011-04-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

Current syllabus is nearly 15 yrs old. GTU will conduct survey among industry honchos, alumni to update syllabus and train students better

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, April 14, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011041420110414025002221b065e7e/Industries-to-help-upgrade-GTU%E2%80%99s-diploma-engg-course-.html)
Taking a serious note of the fact that the current syllabus of diploma engineering is not in tune with the requirements of the industry, Gujarat Technological University (GTU) is conducting a survey to upgrade the curriculum.
GTU will be spending Rs 21 lakh for the survey aimed at assessing industry requirements and desired proficiency of the students. This will help them update the syllabus and supply quality manpower in sync with the current requirements of the industries.
The survey is likely to be completed by December and the syllabus upgraded by next academic year. Nearly 40,000 students clear the diploma courses offered in 27 branches of engineering every year.
The questionnaire will be sent to the heads of 10,000 industrial units across the state as well as the alumni employed there.

syllabus not updated
The last survey was held in 1995-96 by the Technical Examination Board with monetary help from the World Bank. The syllabus was last updated nearly 15 years ago based on the inputs given by the industries and alumni. Nearly 14 teams were formed to collect the responses from industry heads.
The questionnaire prepared by GTU will have questions regarding the usefulness of the current chapters, what new topics need to be added, modified or deleted.
It will also allow the industrial units to rate the diploma students they have hired besides coming up with suggestions and innovative ideas.
A senior GTU official said: “We were receiving feedback that the syllabus is not in tune with the growing demands of the industry.
The units were not apparently satisfied with the knowledge-level and technology-awareness of diploma students. That is the reason we decided to conduct a survey.”

Assessing loopholes
GTU faculty members have been given the responsibility of carrying out the survey so that they can better assess the loopholes in the syllabus and understand the requirements of the industry.
Based on the findings, the syllabus will be updated by January next year. Teachers will be given the necessary training and new textbooks and study material prepared. Gradually, the syllabus of the engineering degree courses shall also be updated.
GTU Vice Chancellor Akshai Aggarwal said: “We are conducting a survey among the industries to update the diploma engineering syllabus that has not been revised in a long time now.
“We need to know their requirements so that we can train our students to serve them better. This way industries will be immensely benefited and even students can aspire for good placements and better packages.”

Right-to-recall activist spurred by Anna’s win

2011-04-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

IT professional Rahul Mehta says that a draft bill has been sent to Anna Hazare who is convinced that it will be a

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, April 11, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011041120110411031053890baa04b8d/Righttorecall-activist-spurred-by-Anna%E2%80%99s-win.html)
The success of Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement has given fresh hope to an Ahmedabad-based IT professional who has been campaigning for “right to recall” (RTR) for more than a decade.
While discussions and debates over RTR are being held nationally, 41-year-old software engineer Rahul Mehta, who has contested three elections — parliamentary, byelection to the state assembly and to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation — with the sole intention of creating awareness of the issue, told Mirror on Sunday that RTR volunteers are in touch with Hazare’s anti-corruption movement workers through mails and telephones.
“Anna Hazare just spoke one line and more than five crore people reacted to him overnight. A similar campaign is needed to get RTR legislation in place.”
“The draft of RTR bill has already been sent to Anna Hazare and he is convinced that it is a significant piece of legislation that can empower the people against corrupt representatives and public servants.”
There are about 300 volunteers creating awareness about RTR across the country. Mehta claims that he has created awareness among seven to eight lakh people in Ahmedabad through his campaign and it took him 12 years to do this.
Mehta began his campaign in 1998 when he returned from the US where citizens have a right to recall. “I saw rampant corruption, laxity in work and other problems that were impeding our system. This is when I believed that RTR should be in force in our country. I studied the provisions of RTR in other countries,” Mehta said.
“Most candidates campaign to win elections. I contest and campaign for the introduction of the right to recall legislation,” Mehta said.
He believes that an elected representative or public servant should be recalled if 51 per cent of the electorate vote against the person at any stage. Mehta firmly believes that the country will collapse if RTR is not implemented forthwith.
“In fact, the first place where RTR needs to be implemented is for the position of Lokpal. If the Lokpal is vested with all powers, it will be another centre for power and can bring in dictatorship. The people need to have a say in the kind of person that they want in such a position.”

WHAT IS RIGHT TO RECALL
The right to recall means procedures by which citizens can expel/replace prime minister, chief minister, judges, police chief, etc.
In 1946, M N Roy in his book ‘Draft Constitution of India’ had put utmost emphasis on the right to recall. Roy had said that that election alone without recall is of no use. Between 1960-77, Jayprakash Narayan demanded RTR many times. The 1977 Janata Party manifesto by which Lal Krishna Advani and Atal Behari Vajpayee became minister for the first time had promised to implement the RTR.
According to this, if a citizen registers affidavit at collector’s office, the collector shall put it on websites of PM, CM for a fee. Any citizen can register yes-no on any affidavit by paying Rs 3 fee at the talati’s office. The citizen’s option will also appear on the PM’s website with his voter-ID.

AU to establish ICT school

2011-04-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

School to redefine information and communication technology with latest programmes both for undergraduate and graduate batches

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, April 09, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201104092011040903314621055e14624/AU-to-establish-ICT-school-.html)
Ahmedabad University (AU) will be opening a school for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) by the end of July 2012. The school will offer programmes in the engineering, management and design fields.
It will offer five-year dual degree masters (M Tech) and two years of masters programme (M Tech) as well as Ph D programme.
By combining technical and industrial sectors, specialisation will be offered at graduate level in networking and security, human computer interaction, data analytic and visualisation, mobile and cloud computing, bioinformatics and so on.
Special research labs will be established, which will give students and faculty the opportunity to be at par with the latest technology curriculum.
The school seeks to redefine ICT education by introducing latest programmes in the curriculum both for undergraduate and graduate batches such as inter-disciplinary programmes, problem solving and systemic thinking, smart specialisations and high quality industry research labs.
Dr Ashis Jalote Parmar, Project Coordinator for School of Information and Communication Technology, Ahmedabad University, said, “We aim to build high quality research-driven multi-disciplinary platform for faculty and students to explore the real world problems and innovate solutions that have societal and industrial impact.
“Right from the first year, students will have the opportunity to be on the field and get the required exposure of the industry. That way, they will learn to balance between social responsibilities and their academic career.”
He further added, “Also, whatever research work students begin in the first year, the same will be carried forward in the next semester.”
Usually colleges in the state, have not achieved much in terms of scientific writing. Parmar said, “In this programme, students doing research will get to pen down their works and also get the opportunity to publish it. This will give them global exposure. It will be our constant practice to add latest concepts every year.”

Chemical units save 30% energy

2011-04-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

The five units in Vatva that agreed to an energy audit save 30 per cent energy compared to earlier consumption

Yogesh Avasthi

Posted On Wednesday, April 06, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/201104062011040603105845952e6468e/Chemical-units-save-30-energy.html)

Gujarat with its rapid rate of development has been attracting several entrepreneurs and industrialists. Benefits like no labour unions, good power supply and quality lifestyle prove the catalyst that makes industrialists set up their units in Gujarat. However, along with industrialisation comes the problems of pollution and high energy consumption.

Recently, Central Pollution Control Board visited Vatva GIDC, one of the largest chemical clusters in India. They found that majority of the industries were not using fuel efficiently, resulting in pollution and high consumption of energy.
The Entrepreneur Development Institute (EDI) in Bhat, Ahmedabad, conducted a study which revealed that the 700 chemical dyes units were not adopting innovative approach in their manufacturing process. After considerable research, the EDI started conducting awareness and sensitising workshop to conduct educational awareness in field of cleaner production and energy conservation process.
As part this workshop, five chemical units — Pranav Industry, Alfa Industry, Evergreen Industry, Mamta Intermediates & Dyes, Bluetron and Shri Hari Dyes and chemicals — agreed to allow the Business Development Service to conduct energy audit. All these units had a production capacity between 50 and 100 tonne and their electricity bill ranged from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh per month.
During the audit, Nikhil Shah, technical director of the audit team found that the chemical units were not designed by qualified people to optimise production.
“As part of the audit, the auditors studied the product manufacturing information, production facility. the team made a report on the energy source pattern of 24 hours for voltage, current, power, reactive energy, apparent energy, consumed energy, consumed reactive energy as well as energy consumption analysis in different time zone. They analysed the electricity bill of past 12 months for maximum demand optimisation, power factor management, electrical cost analysis, time of use analysis for concessional tariff,” Shah said. The audit team also put up posters in the factories and educated the workers on the best ways to optimise production while conserving energy.
The final report stated that if all the solutions were implemented, it would ensure energy saving by 30 per cent. “The energy auditors prepared a investment proposal of Rs 10 lakh which ensured return on investment in just one year,” added Shah.
Preet Agarwal, owner of Pranav industries said, “We have started implementing the solution given by the energy auditors. And it is showing results too. The production system that we used was pretty old. So the improvement is slow but steady.”
But, Shah also said that this is just a beginning. India has long way to go where energy conservation projects are concerned.

Students can design their course at BAOU

2011-04-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

OMKAR, an initiative of Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University, allows students to personalise courses by offering multi-varsity module options, joint programmes

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, April 05, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2011040520110405040335934982a22f3/Students-can-design-their-course-at-BAOU.html)
Keeping in pace with the era where everything is being personalised, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University has come up with a unique concept that allow a student to design his course by selecting syllabus of his subject from other open universities.
To implement the first of its kind of initiative, the open university has set up a web portal, OMKAR — Open Matrix Knowledge Advancement Resource, that offers aspirants multi-varsity module options and joint programmes. Once the other open universities will tie up with the Babasaheb university for the project, students will have more options to chose from and design their courses. However, the aspirants, who will opt for muti-varsities course programme, will get the degree or certificate from university they register themselves with.

Knowledge sharing
“Based on the concept of knowledge sharing, OMKAR is an effort to provide students an opportunity to decide their course material or syllabus by picking contents from other open varsities.
“In six to eight months, 12 universities will be connected to the portal. It will provide all info about all the universities which will have a tie up with us. Students don’t need to visit each university’s website to see its course material. Everything will be available at the portal,” said Babasaheb Open University vice-chancellor Manoj Soni.
The portal will serve as a resource centre from where students can access books, references and course material for free. “Those living in remote areas can access books through OMKAR. We are also planning to establish model centres with wi-fi connection,” Soni added.

what is OMKAR?
OMKAR is a technology-enabled domain, constituting a repository of e-resources of information and knowledge. The domain is a dynamic platform that is compatible with multi-media convergence for a two-way communication of information and knowledge.
It is a step towards making the multi-institutional real-value virtual musti-media classroom and dialogue, accessible to millions of students and aspirants across the globe.
It aims at creating the synergy of the best energies that every good institution of higher education and corporate body of enterprise desires to invest in, for offering its courses/ training or life-long learning resources to the students and aspirants in various segments and stages of their respective career.

Youth who had hurled shoe at PM detained during his visit

2011-03-30T04:55:00.000-07:00

Engg student Hitesh Chauhan was released after Singh left city on Saturday evening

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, March 28, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News - City&sectid=3&contentid=2011032820110328032344524dbffe635)
Hitesh Chauhan, the engineering student who hurled shoe at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to the city in 2009, had to spent a night at Bapunagar the police station after cops detained him as a preventive measure on Friday. The prime minister was on a day-long visit of the city on Saturday.
Twenty-three-year-old Chauhan is more famously known for hurling a shoe at Singh during his visit on April 26, 2009. The young student wanted to raise his voice against corruption in the government and unemployment in the country.
Chauhan was been arrested and released after the prime minister pardoned him. About seven months ago, he had written a letter to him, seeking an appointment during his next visit to Ahmedabad. He had written in the letter that he had “hurled only one shoe” at the prime minister but the latter had “hurled a lot of shoes, including inflation, corruption and steps leading to farmer’s deaths” at the people.
On Friday, the cops telephoned him at his institute hostel and asked him to come to the police station to sign documents that had to be sent to the chief minister’s office. When Chauhan reached the police station at 11.30 pm on Friday he was promptly detained and his mobile phone was switched off.
Chauhan learnt that the signing of documents was a ploy to get him to the police station. He was released at 9 pm on Saturday. “The police told me that they were detaining me on the orders of the police commissioner who had been told by the Delhi Police to detain me,” Chauhan said. An unrepentant Chauhan called his detention a “murder of democracy”.
“When I had hurled the shoe at the prime minister, I wanted to raise my voice against corruption in the government. I had sought an appointment with him during his next visit to the city and I expected him to grant it to me as a citizen of India. I intended to attend the IIM’s convocation programme to hear him, meet him if possible, and put my points across but had no intention of repeating the shoe-hurling act. I was detained by the police instead.”
Chauhan claimed that he had explained the reasons for hurling the shoe at the prime minister in his letter. “I had told him that I felt that as a citizen of India I had every right to meet him. As a responsible citizen, I have stood in long queues and voted during elections,” he claimed.
Bapunagar PI RD Lashkari admitted that Chauhan was detained for a day. “We detained him because of the past incident. We later released him.”

Uzbek, US hire home MANAGERS

2011-03-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

Trained by Nirmal Foundation, three youths have been hired to work in a pharma firm in Tashkent; one home manager has been employed as ayah by a family in California

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Tuesday, March 22, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News - Latest&sectid=2&contentid=20110322201103220211036195abbd6b6)
Foreign shores beckon home managers — a new breed of English-speaking domestic helpers trained by Nirmal Foundation. Of the 28 students in the first batch, four of them have been hired to work in Uzbekistan and the US.

The NGO, through its programme Nirmal Umeed, coaches domestic helpers to cook, clean, drop children at school, run errands, look after infants and the elderly and if required to, even type an e-mail for you. The idea is to bring servants and maids into the organised sector.

The effort bore fruit when a pharmaceutical firm hired three youths to man their office in Tashkent even as a family from California employed a home manager as an ayah to look after their six-year-old girl. The rest of the batch havebeen placed in various positions in Ahmedabad.

Huge opportunity
Shaheen Paliwal, a resident of Jamalpur, has been hired by Asha Jadeja, a former resident of Ambawadi who is now settled in San Francisco. “Asha came to know about our endeavour when she was in Ahmedabad in February. She visited us and interviewed Shaheen.
She even got Shaheen to work for her for a day and was satisfied with her performance,” said foundation director Nirmal Kumar.
Shaheen, who had studied till Class X, received training in English at the foundation. This came in handy during the interview. Said Shaheen, “When Ashaben briefed me about the work I had to do, I was excited about the huge opportunity I had received. But I have a four-year-old daughter and my husband works as a chiropractor. I did not think my in-laws would allow me to work abroad. Then Ashaben met them and convinced them to let me go.” Shaheen got her passport last week. She will fly to the US in the first week of April.

Handling office
Meanwhile, Jamalpur residents Nana Patel, Ifjurrehman Mansuri and Samir Mohammed Khatri were hired by Kaushik Shah, an Ambawadi resident who owns pharmaceutical company Sushen Medicamentos Private Limited. He hired the youths to work in his new plant he is setting up in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. “The three will manage my office there. They know English and will be incharge of handling the paperwork. Nana will leave on April 4. The others will follow by the end of April,” said Shah.
The employers will provide food and lodging to the four home managers. This is not part of their salaries
Kumar, an IIMA alumnus, said, “Others in the batch have received salaries ranging from Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000. Most of them have not studied beyond Class X. We are seeking feedback from employers as this is the first batch. We need to see what improvements need to be made in the course. If these managers prove their worth, more employers will approach us and offer better salaries.”
Explaining about the course, he said, “We teach domestic helpers how to perform various household tasks; use electric appliances such as vacuum cleaners, washing machines and microwaves; maintain personal hygiene and conduct themselves. We also teach them how to drive, speak English and use computers.” Kitchen care, pest control, proper waste disposal, sanitation and baby care are other topics that have been included.
The six-month training programme is supported by the AMC.

Students, Colleges, Universities put in one-click connect

2011-03-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

All arts, commerce, science, education and law colleges in state will be linked to Commissionerate of Higher Education to bring in accountability, transparency and a paperless administration

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Saturday, March 19, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News - Latest&sectid=2&contentid=201103192011031902091667454a6070e)
In what can be termed as its most ambitious educational project, the state government has embarked on a plan to link all its universities, colleges, students, lecturers and administrative staff through a portal. Their aim: to bring in accountability, transparency and move towards a paperless administration.
Crores of rupees spent on travel, paperwork and postage, besides time, will be saved once the systems go online — the office automation system will become operational on April 1, while the linking of colleges, universities with the portal will be completed in June.
All arts, commerce, science, education and law colleges — grant-in-aid and self-financed — will be linked to the main portal of the Commissionerate of Higher Education (CHE).
There are eight lakh students studying in 403 colleges — government and grant-in-aid — across 29 universities in the state.
As many as 250 self-financed colleges will be included in the second phase, a couple of months after the portal is launched.

Online complaints
A highly-placed official at CHE, who did not wished to be named for obvious reasons, told Mirror, “Students whose problems have fallen on deaf ears, lecturers who have service-related queries and colleges facing administrative issues can complain online and action will taken in a specified time limit.”
In case a college fails to take cognisance of a student’s complaint, it will be taken to task.
The student just has to go online and file a complaint, which will be registered under an ID number. CHE will act as a watchdog that will ensure timely action.
The recent cases cited below, which generated a lot of heat in the college circles, could have been nipped in the bud if timely action was taken. It is here that speedy disposal will make a difference.
Female lecturers of N C Bodiwala College had complained of harassment by male colleagues to their principal and trustees. However, when no action was forthcoming, the complaint reached the police.
At New L J College, a female student had complained against a lecturer who verbally abused her. She had to make a hue and cry before any action was taken against the lecturer.
M G Insitute of Science Principal B K Jain said, “If this project becomes operational, it will save time and money, besides addressing many issues. However, many colleges have shortage of manpower and they need to be trained to handle things online. This is an area that needs to be addressed.”

Trackers to keep tab
Under the office automation system, letters, files and employee efficiency can be tracked. CHE can find out how much time an office staffer of a college or university takes to do a particular job.
All college-related information such as fees, number of students, faculty, enrolment, courses, facilities, exam-related details and extra-curricular activities will be known at the click of a mouse.
Colleges will have to regularly update the attendance of lecturers and the lectures they take on a daily basis.
The CHE will monitor if a lecturer’s promotion is due, grant to a college is properly utilised and salaries are disbursed on time.
Circulars and notice boards will become redundant as any information relating to an event, an exam or anything particular will be put online and an alert sent to every student.
Study material of all choice-based subjects in colleges will also be uploaded. This will benefit students who can access it and download it for free. Career guidance will also be provided.

GU profs to take lectures live on DD-11

2011-03-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

Beginning April 9, the weekly phone-in programme on DD Girnar will be broadcast from 8 pm-9 pm. It will be telecast in 36 countries

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Sunday, March 13, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News - Latest&sectid=2&contentid=20110313201103130152526634b742feb)
Fed up with saas-bahu serials that dominate the prime time? Here’s some relief for those of you who are academically inclined. Gujarat University will now come up with a lecture series on a wide array of topics for DD Girnar (Gujarati) viewers in 36 countries.
The university has been granted the 8 pm to 9 pm slot for the live phone-in programme that will benefit lakhs of students. To begin on April 9, the programme will be screened every Saturday and re-telecast on Sunday morning.
Two GU professors will speak on a particular topic every week. The programme will also incorporate audiovisual clips and animated short films. To make the show interactive, viewers will be encouraged to put forth their questions to the experts through a toll-free number. GU will be allowed to scroll information and alerts during the programme.
Students will receive the programme schedule in advance through email and SMS so that they can tune into the topics of their interest. Now, with the introduction of choice-based credit system, the show will help students prepare better for their elective subjects.
“Educational programmes are never screened during the prime time. But GU has chosen the slot so that maximum number of students, particularly those sitting for external exams, can benefit. Of the 5 lakh external students in state universities, nearly 1.8 lakh belong to GU.
Since these students do not attend regular lectures, the one-hour programme will be of great help to them. Students from private universities too can gain benefit out of the programme that will be informative and entertaining,” said GU Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi.
Doordarshan Ahmedabad will charge GU a nominal fee of Rs 12,000 for every one-hour session. A Rs 40-lakh studio and a radio station to be functional by December will further boost GU’s virtual education endeavours.

Four engg students to encourage Gujarati youths to join defence

2011-03-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

As part of Balashali Project, they will visit 25 colleges on March 15-19; their mission is to form Gujarat regiment in the armed forces

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Thursday, March 10, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News - City&sectid=3&contentid=201103102011031003281949629a2c9d2)
Four students of Indus Engineering College in Ahmedabad have received the Balashali Project to encourage Gujarati students to join the defence forces. The four engineering students — Sumeet Tembe, Adi Jain, Maharshi Oza and Dhaval Joshi — claim that their mission is to have a Gujarat Regiment in the armed forces.
As part of the project, the students will visit 25 colleges across the state between March 15 and 19 and encourage students to take up defence as a career. They will be screening the film Self Defence and Terrorism and also aim to interact with as many as 20,000 students from the 25 colleges.
They will also involve students of Gujarat Technological Institute, Gujarat University and NCC cadets in the project. Various speakers from the armed forces and other similar fields will deliver talks during interactive sessions as part of the project.
These include Yashaswini Tembe, MBA, managing trustee E plus Foundation; Dr G L Tembe; Air Marshal P K Desai; B L Kulkarni, Group Captain M G Mehta, defence PRO SWAC, Air Marshal A D Joshi; Commodore Suresh Chandorkar; Colonel Vinod Falnikar and Wing Commander Vijay Karnikar.

Common belief
“The common belief among Gujarati youths is that joining the defence forces means being deployed on the front and undergoing a tough regimen. This is because the media and films focus particularly on activities on the border. These challenging front posting may not be appealing to every student,” said Sumeet.
“Lack of awareness has restricted talent from getting into the defence forces. Our aim is to make them understand that defence offers a variety of career options in the field of engineering, pharmacy and other fields and the postings on the front are not the only jobs available. The salaries offered by the defence is attractive and the work too is challenging,” he added.

Needs awareness
Adi is confident that more Gujaratis will accept defence as a career if the usefulness in several fields is understood.
“It gives students an opportunity to contribute directly to the nation and also utilise their talent appropriately towards a patriotic purpose,” said Adi.
Maharshi and Dhaval said their aim is to have a sizable number of youth to form the Gujarat regiment in the armed forces.
“We aim to erase the feeling that Gujarati youths do not contribute to the nation. It is our firm belief that once they learn of the opportunities and the challenges involved, they too will go places in the defence.”

Where on earth is WDC ?

2011-03-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Mirror reporters spent two hours on Gujarat University campus, asking girl students where the Women’s Development Cell (WDC) was. But none knew what WDC was, forget where it was located. In such a situation, how does GU expect a student to lodge a harassment complaint with the cell?

Yogesh Avasthi and Dhwani Pathak Dave
Posted On Thursday, March 10, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News - City&sectid=3&contentid=2011031020110310031535698dfd7bb75)
If Gujarat University ever organised a treasure-hunt event, the Women’s Development Cell (WDC) would be an ideal place to hide the treasure. No one can easily find this place out. Not even the girl students for whose benefit it was set up.
A Mirror test drive on Wednesday found out that girls on GU campus have no clue where WDC is located. Forget the location, they don’t even know what WDC is.
But one really cannot blame them. WDC was first set up in 2005 in Bhasha Bhavan to look into complaints of harassment, including sexual harassment, in the university and colleges affiliated to it. Later, GU shifted it to a cottage near the guesthouse. Today, an almost obsolete WDC operates out of the statistics department.
In the past two years, the cell registered eight cases of harassment in which the complainants were either teachers or principals. Officials say they’ve not received a complaint from a student so far.
It is also mandatory for colleges to have their own cell, the convenors of which are associated with GU’s WDC. But even that cannot be said for sure. On Monday, a third year student of New L J College accused a lecturer of sexually harassing her. But the college, as Mirror had reported on Wednesday, does not have its own grievance redressal cell.
On Tuesday, the WDC celebrated the International Women’s Day at GU’s senate hall. Ironically, none of the girl students in WDC’s vicinity knew such a cell even existed, when reporters met them. “Is it a department? We have no clue,” said Pooja Jain, standing right outside the statistics department where WDC operates out of.
Kanchan Chawla, an MSc student, said: “I don’t know. You can enquire at the information centre.”When the cell was established, in pursuance of the directions of the Supreme Court, English professor Ranjana Harish was made the chairperson and vice chancellor A U Patel was the president.
Within a year, the WDC was shifted from Bhasha Bhavan to a cottage near the guesthouse. They even had a drop box on the premises so that women could post their grievances in a sealed envelope.

‘NEW OFFICE SOON’
However, in 2009, Prof Harish was removed from the post and Dr R G Bhatt was appointed the chairperson after differences reportedly cropped up between her and VC Parimal Trivedi. WDC office at the cottage was shut down.
Six months ago, the cottage was given to Yogic Science department. The WDC now quietly functions out of the statistics department. There is no signboard outside the department or on the campus to indicate where WDC is located. It was a male lecturer who showed these reporter the way to WDC office. But not before they had spent a good two hours on GU campus looking for it.
Chairperson Bhatt said: “Within three months, we will be shifting to our new office being constructed above the consumer store. We keep in touch with the convenors of the collegiate women’s development committee through mails. I think most people know where WDC is located.”
The change in address has, however, not been incorporated in the WDC letterhead. A letterhead, circulated a couple of days ago, still bears the old address — WDC Cottage, near GU guesthouse.

GU VC in dock over ‘tender’ anomalies

2011-03-09T05:07:00.000-08:00

Panel finds Parimal Trivedi guilty of shutting down university press and awarding printing of answer sheets worth Rs 1.5 cr to a particular firm

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Monday, March 07, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=2011030720110307020921484c38b07a)
A vigilance panel set up by the government to investigate irregularities in awarding tender for printing examination answer sheets to a private printer and shutting down of the university printing press has prima facie found the Gujarat University vice chancellor guilty of flouting the norms.
According to the panel’s findings, the ‘favoured’ printer himself had framed the terms and conditions for the bid, which were incorporated by Vice Chancellor Parimal Trivedi before the tenders were floated.
Pradeep Prajapati, former dean of arts faculty at the university, had sent letters on April 3, 2010, highlighting the irregularities to the chancellor (the governor of Gujarat); chairman, University Grants Commission; Chief Minister Narendra Modi; Gujarat Vigilance Commission and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The commissioner of higher education initiated a probe after Prajapati mentioned the misdeeds, corruption and misuse of public money by the university officials in his letter.
A two-member committee of S U Vora, principal of M P Shah Arts and Science College, Surendranagar, and Dr A S Rathod, principal of Gujarat Arts, Science College, Ahmedabad, was set up to look into the allegations.
Prajapati in his letter alleged that the vice chancellor suddenly stopped functioning of the university press without reason on March 24, 2010, to facilitate the printing at a particular printing press.
The authority to open the tender bids for printing answer sheets and khakhi stickers worth Rs 1.5 crore lay with the executive council. However, without consulting the council, the registrar opened the tenders on February 16, last year, the former dean said.
Four parties had filed tenders, of which three were present during the time of bid opening. Wilson Print City, which was later awarded the contract, was not present at the time.
Prajapati alleged that Wilson had written down the terms and conditions to be incorporated in the tender bid on the university’s letter pad to the vice chancellor. Trivedi made notings in the same letter and instructed the registrar to incorporate the same in the tender bids. The tender was awarded to Wilson even though it’s bid was not the lowest, he said.

Committee’s probe
The committee took the statements of Prajapati, university press manager Narendra Patel, in-charge registrar Minesh Shah and the vice chancellor before filing the report.
Narendra Patel states in the report, “The issue of the tender was not on the agenda of the executive council (EC) meeting on February 24. Moreover, the council does not have the powers to shut the printing press. Under the Factory Act, the university, which avails of grant from the state government, cannot shut it. This is violation of the Factory Act.”
Shah told the panel that the authority of closing down the press rests with the EC. However, it was not put before the EC. But, the VC has the powers to shut it, he added.
The panel told the in-charge registrar that he could submit any documents he wanted to furnish in the university’s defence. However, Shah did not submit any.
The vice chancellor in his defence said that the printing machinery had become outdated and expenses were building up. Besides printing bill books, it had no other utility. “If the UGC or government intends to run it, it should provide Rs 1.5 crore and we will have no problem in running it,” Trivedi said.
Regarding the Rs 90 lakh allocated in the budget for the press, Trivedi said that if the press had to be continued for any reason, then where would he get the money from. So, in foresight he had allocated the amount in the budget.
Trivedi maintained that he had the powers to close down the press.

Panel’s findings
After taking into account all the factors, the panel concluded: Prima facie there is truth in Dr Prajapati’s allegations. It is clearly found that the terms and conditions were framed by the party concerned and also incorporated in the tender. Wilson Print City knew that it will bag the tender, so it was absent when the tender bids were opened.
There has been a violation of the university ordinance. Even if the VC has the power to take a decision without putting it before the executive council, he shouldn’t have exercised it. Such a decision should be taken only in extraordinary circumstances.
The VC says that if the government provides Rs 1.5 crore to run the press, he would run it. Trivedi has till date not sent a proposal to the government in this regard. Before shutting down the press, under the Factory Act, the university should have given a notice to the employees, but it has failed to do so.
Parimal Trivedi told Mirror, “The decisions have been taken by the syndicate. The committee members have prepared a report based on half-baked information. The report is baseless and holds no value. We will take legal opinion on it.”
Prajapati told Mirror, “The report clearly shows that corruption has taken place and wrong decisions have been taken. The VC and the registrar should be suspended and an FIR filed against them.”

90% posts for instructors lie vacant at GTU

2011-03-06T00:22:00.000-08:00

VC sets up panel for selection process; directs affiliated diploma and degree engineering colleges to hire Class III employees to fill vacancies in 6 months

Yogesh Avasthi
Posted On Friday, March 04, 2011 (http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=News%20-%20Latest&sectid=2&contentid=2011030420110304031028592d2bc0489)
They are perfect in theory but when it comes to practicals, students of diploma and degree engineering colleges in the state flounder badly. This should come as no surprise as more than 90 per cent posts for instructors and lab assistants in these colleges lie empty. Taking note of this, Gujarat Technological University has directed its affiliated colleges to hire Class III employees to fill up the vacancies within six months.
“All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) only checks whether the facilities are up-to-date, not whether there are enough people to impart knowledge to students. Due to this, colleges do not bother hiring staff as it will keep their cost down. When we visited our colleges, we realised posts of instructors in more than 90 per cent colleges were vacant. This, when practicals are an important part of the curriculum,” said GTU Vice-Chancellor Akshai Aggrawal.
To push for quality education, the university has formed a three-member committee to set up rules for the selection process. These regulations will be put up on its website by next week.
“Teachers can handle theory but instructors teach students how to use machines and prove themselves through practice. When people from the industry come to hire students, they find our pupils lacking in practical knowledge. Students across the country suffer from this problem. Therefore, we have fixed a meeting with the AICTE chairman on Friday to talk about this issue,” he said.
Principal of a government degree engineering college, on conditions of anonymity, agreed that there is shortage of teachers as well as instructors. “Certain branches of engineering like mechanical engineering are more practical than theoretical. Since 1988, the government has banned appointment of lab assistants and instructors (Class III category). As per rules, the government releases grant to build and upgrade laboratories. The colleges utilise the funds by buying the latest machinery but there is no one to teach the students how to operate it,” said the principal, adding: “Recently CNC machines worth Rs 30 lakh were installed in government engineering colleges. Till date, students have no idea how to even turn on the machine.”
Meanwhile, GTU has also asked colleges to prepare study material for students so that students in MBA, MCA, engineering and pharmacy courses can concentrate on projects and practical sessions.