Yogesh Avasthi

Udgam has 704 parents as fans; calls this an attempt to keep parents posted on latest happenings at the school By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Sunday, January 31, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2010013120100131031721247434d40a9 ) In an age of fast-changing technology, educational institutions are doing their best to match steps with the latest. After websites and blogs, community networking sites are the latest for schools to keep parents of students updated about who’s winning what and what’s happening when. Udgam School for Children’s Facebook page is a brimming example of how a school remains connected with parents in an easier, faster and interactive way. The school, which created its ID on November 18, 2009, has 704 fans (read parents). The number is steadily increasing. The school feels that being on the networking site has helped in getting quick responses from parents, and is interactive unlike normal webs...

State Election Commission wants to introduce online and SMS voting for year-end municipal corporation elections By Yogesh Avasthi, Dilip Patel Posted On Thursday, January 28, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20Latest§id=2&contentid=2010012820100128022902514349daf61 ) You book your seat in a multiplex and even order a pizza by sending an SMS. Now, loosen up your fingers to engage in a more solemn exercise: voting. The state election commission is working on a new system wherein you will be able to vote in local polls either by sending a message from your cellphone or by making a few clicks on the internet. The system, if approved by the Gujarat government, will be introduced by December when the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and civic bodies of five other cities will hold a ballot. The election panel, in fact, has asked technology companies to submit their tenders today for setting up the ‘Online Voting System’. The panel’s b...

NSUI candidate contesting in GU Senate polls from UG commerce seat distributes old question papers among voters; her ABVP By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Thursday, January 28, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=20100128201001280228394832693eb0e ) With elections for students’ representatives in the Gujarat University Senate round the corner, contestants in the fray are trying to outsmart each other in electioneering taking innovative routes. While a few are trying to woo voters online, some are showering gifts. But NSUI’s Krishna Patel stands out. Contesting for the prestigious UG Commerce seat, Patel is distributing photocopies of question papers of previous years among students to help them prepare for final exams. She thought it would be the perfect way to woo voters. Collecting the question papers of previous years of B Com, BBA and BCA from the varsity store, she photocopied them placing her visiting card on the...

CCTV cameras at all eight gates of the society will keep residents safe inside and unwanted visitors outside By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, January 25, 2010 It was named a Chhavni (encampment) and soon it will turn into one. Satyagraha Chhavni, one of the city’s oldest and poshest societies, is all set to get close-circuit TV cameras to keep residents safe in and unwanted visitors out. The society is divided into seven sectors that stretch from Satellite to Ramdevnagar. Residents have decided to get the CCTVs installed at all its eight gates. Society secretary Archana Kandarp Amin said, “We were worried about rising incidents of thefts in surrounding areas. We do have security guards manning the gates. We also shut some of the gates at 11 pm. But we felt a need to tighten security further.” For this, the residents decided to get CCTV cameras installed. “We will put at least 20 CCTV cameras. The data will be saved for 10 days. We have invited tenders from security firms, w...

70-year-old inventor waits for patent to his invention which he says is all-weather, can withstand more heat and is easily maintainable By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Monday, January 25, 2010 Pic - Jignesh Vora Necessity is the mother of invention. So when Ramanlal Tirkar’s scooter conked out on a rainy day due to a blown spark plug, he decided to invent a better one. And that he did. The gritty 70-year-old’s application for a patent is under process. Tirkar says his invention can be serviced, used in any vehicle, has a longer life and increases engine efficiency. It is also a solution for starting trouble, he says, as Tirkar explains the making of the device. The spark plug for an internal combustion engine is made from stainless steel and comprises a center electrode, plug shell, ground lectrode, a height adjusting bolt, an insulator, outer jacket, gasket, terminal nut washer and a lock nut. The speciality of this spark plug, Tirkar says, is that each part can be dismantled f...

(AM Test Drive) In 2009, only TWO cases of high decibel honking were registered by the city traffic dept. Little wonder why Amdavadis are still living with audio harassment from blaring vehicle horns By Hemington James, Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, January 22, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=20100122201001220232241716d8af079 ) Incessant, loud honking plagues Ahmedabad, like any other burgeoning metro. Why doesn’t the noise stop? Maybe, because there are laws in place which, like many laws in place, are not enforced. Here’s a (really) small piece of statistic that may tell you why in Ahmedabad loud honking is not taken as a serious issue. In 2009, only TWO cases of vehicle drivers violating prescribed decibel levels were registered by the city traffic police. The only detail AM could prise out about these cases was that while one vehicle was detained, other other case went to court. AM carried out a test-...

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan has issued a notification to Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1 in Shahibaug to merge its second shift with the first By Yogesh Avasthi Posted On Friday, January 22, 2010 ( http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article§name=News%20-%20City§id=3&contentid=2010012220100122023205437dc65aa25 ) A sense of uncertainty has gripped 550 second shift students of Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1 in Shahibaug with Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) deciding to merge it with the first from April 1 this year. In a letter issued on January 13, KVS has directed the KV No. 1 to merge its classes in the second shift with those in the first. All students of second shift would be accommodated in the first shift and a few might be sent to nearby KVs, it stated. Adjustment problems Despite the assurance, the second shift students of KV No. 1 in Shahibaug are a worried lot. They believe it would be difficult for them to adopt to new timings. They are also afraid of going to ne...