Cool Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad BRTS for mapping on Google Map

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 07:29:53 PST

"We are in talks with public transport systems including Ahmedabad BRTS for content acquisition for Google Maps. The maps section already features DMRC routes and schedules and we intend to tap other public transports across the country," said Jagjit Chawla, product manager, Google India.

Currently, Google's Internet Bus is touring in and around Ahmedabad wherein internet content in both English and Gujarati languages will be showcased. "The Internet is a strong medium of knowledge. Our attempt through the Internet Bus is to spread the awareness of this medium and its relevance in our daily life. Google aspires to improve livelihoods, lifestyle and productivity for Indian users by generating and preserving income, leading to improved livelihoods and better lifestyles, by overcoming language and literacy barriers," said Chawla.

The Google Internet Bus attempts to educate people about what the Internet is, and how it may be beneficial to their lives, by taking the Internet experience to them through a customized Internet-enabled bus, which will travel to several towns and cities across India. In Gujarat, Google intends to take the bus to at least 15 tier-II and tier-III cities.

In addition, Google has organised a school outreach program where a team of two people with laptops will branch out from the bus and visit schools that the bus will not been able to reach in order to teach children the benefits of the internet.

Young Politicians In The Making

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 07:30:08 PST

Shrushti Pandya, a student at an Ahmedabad college is standing for elections for a post in her college students’ union this year. “Being a part of a students’ body not only develops our skills, but gives us a first-hand experience of team work. I plan on being a part of the student body so that I can interact more with the students,” she says.

While some are new to the leadership scene, many students have prior experience in holding such posts from their school days. Shaira Paul, union member of a college in Chennai says, “Being the school captain gave me a sense of responsibility in my early years. I was inspired by my seniors in college to stand for the council elections.”

The election process to a student body is no easy task and a range of screening processes are held before the team is finally elected. “We are interviewed by previous council members, the college faculty, after which we have to present our agenda to the Principal,” explains Shaira.

S.Esaivanan, the General Secretary of a students’ union in Mumbai, explains, “We follow the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations and it is a weeklong process. We have to follow a code of conduct and have a systematic way of campaigning. Students are required to present plans they wish to initiate and they can campaign in the college.”

These student bodies are great ways of interacting with the students. “Being a student leader has given me the chance to interact with students from diverse backgrounds. It has been an enriching experience and it has honed my skills,” adds Esaivanan.

New cancer care centre & medical college in Ahmedabad soon

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 07:30:22 PST

Gujarat will gift a new state-of-the-art super specialty cancer hospital to the world, very soon. The Gujarat Cancer Society will extend its operations to the New Swadeshi mill campus near Chamunda bridge on Naroda Road, beginning from November 11, the auspicious Labh Pancham day.

This new hospital will not be limited to cancer care alone. It will also serve as a multi-specialty hospital. A medical college will also be included as part of the campus.

Speaking about the development plan for the hospital and the medical college, state health minister Jaynarayan Vyas said, "While the general OPD will start from November 11 at the new campus, the hospital will formally commence on January 1, 2011.
The new medical college, named GCS Medical College, will start operations from the academic session in 2011." Vyas was speaking to the media on Tuesday at the site of the upcoming hospital and college, whose buildings are under construction.
Pankaj Patel, chairman and managing director of Zydus Cadila as also the chairman of the Gujarat Cancer Society, was present at the occasion, as were Dr Pankaj Shah, director of the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute and Dr Shilin Shukla.

"The hospital will have 350 beds in the first phase, and more than 650 will be added in the second. Hence, once the new hospital is completed, it will have a collective capacity of 1,000 beds," said Vyas, adding that the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute already has a capacity of 650 beds. "Hence, by the time the new hospital is ready, the institutions run by the Gujarat Cancer Society will have a total capacity of 1,700 beds," he said.

It seems the state government has learnt a lesson from its recent hiccups, those experienced in getting MCI's approval for the medical colleges at Sola and Vadodara, due to non-compliance of the norms regarding necessary staff and infrastructure.

Ahmedabad airport gets a new terminal

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 07:13:59 PST

Built at a cost of Rs.300 crore and modelled on the lines of Singapore's Changi airport, the terminal will be functional from next month.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, who inaugurated the terminal in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and three members of the union cabinet from Gujarat, said the government had embarked on an ambitious programme to overhaul air passenger movement facilities in the country.
A new swanky, world-class terminal was opened on Saturday at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi.

The inauguration of the terminal marked the completion of the second phase of the eighth busiest airport in the country spread over 41,000 square metres of floor space and equipped to handle 100 domestic flights a day and more than 20 international ones.
A 410-metre-long travelator will connect the new to the existing terminal for passengers. A travelator is quite similar to an escalator, except it runs parallel to the ground.
With 32 check-in centres, 12 bays/aprons (aircraft parking space), and 4 aerobridges, the airport is equipped to handle 80 lakh passengers per annum against a current annual traffic of 27 lakh.
The upgradation of the airport is, however, not without costs for the passengers. The domestic air traveller will have to fork out Rs.110 as airport development charges and the international traveller Rs.415 per ticket.
Patel also said he would consider the demand raised by Modi and other central ministers from Gujarat to restart a flight to London from Ahmedabad which was stopped some time back for lack of traffic.
He also agreed to consider the demand for the installing of a statue of Sardar Patel at the airport.

Answer sheets get wet at Gujarat

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:13:59 PDT

In a gross negligence on part of Gujarat University authorities, scores of answer sheets of second year BCom students got soaked in water after officials at School of Language forgot to turn off a tap in bathroom of the room where answer sheets were kept on Friday.

Ironically, GU authorities are yet to learn about the incident as the erring officials have not approached them, fearing disciplinary action.

"The officials are still foxed over the fate of drenched answer sheets. The confusion is further compounded by the theory of sabotage as whether the water seeped into the room accidentally or was done on purpose by some miscreants," said a source.

The School of Language serves as the main evaluation centre for GU exams. The answer sheets were so wet that the examiners had to lay them in open for drying before evaluation. However, fate of several students hangs in balance as it is yet to be clear whether wet answer sheets are readable after drying.

Senior CEPT professor passes away

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:12:11 PDT

The honorary director of School for Building Science and Technology (SBST) at Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University and city's renowned civil engineer, professor Govind Narayan Tambe, passed away on Friday. The institute will be organising a condolence meeting at Piraji Sagra Studio in CEPT on Tuesday.

He was instrumental in setting up of the department of building science and technology at the institute. His noteworthy contribution, include design of a flexible scaffolding system for cooling towers and design of a unique construction system for low cost housing reducing not only the cost but also the time of construction.

He also established a geo-technical and material testing laboratory. Professor Tambe was active in various organisations like Ahmedabad Study Action Group (ASAG) of which he was the founding trustee.

ASAG has been involved with rural development and has constructed nearly thirty thousand houses. He was also a technical director of the Sabarmati River Front Development Corporation Limited which has undertaken the Rs 2,000 crore ambitious project of developing banks of Sabarmati.

For his contribution to construction technology education at CEPT the board of management of CEPT University awarded him with 'Distinguished professorship in the Faculty of Technology of CEPT University' recently.

Daring shootout at Naranpura

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:10:26 PDT

A bustling part of the city off Ring Road witnessed a shootout around 11 am on Friday. Vitthal Bharwad, brother of ex-MLA Bhavan Bharwad from Dholka, was shot at from close range by a man later identified as Naresh Soni. Both got bullet wounds but were said to be out of danger.

Bharwad told the police that he was sitting with friends at a tea stall off Ring Road near Shreenath crossroads at Naranpura when Soni, armed with guns in both hands, came on a motorbike and opened fire at him. "One of the bullets hit him on his upper arm breaking a bone," said a Naranpura police station official. Later, Soni tried to escape but fell down and was beaten up by passers-by.

The biker who brought him escaped. Soni was rushed to VS Hospital where doctors took out a bullet from his abdomen, which indicated that Bharwad may have opened fire too.

"We have found two firearms from the spot. One is a good quality country-made revolver and another a country-made single-shot gun popularly known as 'katta'. However, we have not found any bullet from the spot. Bharwad has no bullets in his body, it may have fallen on way to hospital," said the official.

The police are not buying Bharwad's version and believes it to be a clear case of cross-fire. "Forensic science experts found a revolver a few feet away. Chamber of the weapon was pulled out and pin was broken. The chamber had a fired shot only. Now we have to ascertain ownership of the gun and reconstruct the scene of crime," said a senior city police official.

Officials are also probing a possibility of one assailant grabbing both guns to shoot. Bharwad, 34, owns a finance and land dealing firm in Vyaswadi area. Officials have booked Soni for attempt to murder and are probing the motive.

GSPC IPO values Re 1 share at Rs 68

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:08:47 PDT

It is official now. The state-owned blue chip company Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) proposes to raise Rs 3,067 crore from the initial public offering (IPO).

The company has decided to offer 44.80 crore equity shares, or 16.70 % of its total equity of Re 1 each, through the IPO. This will be the largest offering by any state-owned entity so far, say sources.

As per the draft red herring prospectus filed by the company, the valuation per share stands at Rs 68.45. As on date, the company has 223.4 crore equity shares which will be increased to 268.3 crore post issue. The total valuation of GSPC stands at Rs 18,360 crore, as per these figures.

GSPC board has a mandate from Gujarat government to dilute 20% equity shares. The state PSU has already offloaded 5% equity shares through private placement earlier this year.

The company has ambitious expansion plans of investing Rs 8,000 crore, key to making Gujarat the gas capital of India.

Of the money raised, GSPC will utilise Rs 1,280 crore for developing the Deen Dayal West field in the Krishna Godavari basin. Another Rs 1,220 crore will be utilised towards pre-payment of loans and the remaining Rs 566 crore for exploration and development work in year 2011.

Narendra Modi likely to depose before SIT today

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:06:57 PDT

Chief Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be questioned by Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Saturday in the former Congress MP Ahsan Jafri murder complaint. The venue and time of the deposition, however, remained undisclosed.

Modi had written to the SIT, through lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani, that March 27 or any other date was suitable for him to depose on the complaint filed by Jafri's widow Zakia, who has blamed him and 62 others for failing to protect citizens in the post-Godhra riots of 2002.

When contacted, Jethmalani told TOI, "I have no idea if the SIT has got back to Modi after the letter to confirm the date. Modi had only said that he preferred to appear before the SIT after the Supreme Court hears the Kalu Maliwad petition on April 5".

Maliwad, a former BJP MLA from Lunawada in Panchmahal, who is one of the accused in Jafri's complaint, filed a petition urging the apex court to stop SIT from interrogating Modi and other politicians and bureaucrats on allegations made in Jafri's complaint of negligence and conspiracy in Gulbarg Society massacre.

The SIT's deadline for submitting a report on the inquiry into Jafri's complaint is April 30. R K Raghavan, SIT chief, has been incommunicado since Modi wrote an open letter addressed to "my beloved countrymen", saying how rumours were being spread about SIT issuing summons to him to present himself for questioning on March 21.

However, there is a mystery about where Modi will meet SIT officials because he has reportedly expressed security fears on coming to the SIT headquarters which is in the government office complex in Gandhinagar. The SIT officials are said to have turned down the suggestion of meeting Modi in his official residence at Gandhinagar.

So far, the SIT has recorded evidence of retired director generals of police K Chakravarthi and RB Sreekumar, additional DGPs Kuldip Sharma and Shivanand Jha, deputy inspector generals of police Rahul Sharma and Vivek Srivastava.

Online admission manuals to be distributed in schools

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:04:52 PDT

State education department has decided to distribute manuals to high schools, describing methods of online admission for class XII science students into pharmacy and engineering degree colleges.

The online admissions will start once the result of class XII science is announced on May 20. The department is planning to send manual booklets to schools on the day of the result. The manual aims to sensitise students to the process of form filling, selection of choice and overall system. To ensure smooth admission process, government has also increased the number of students’ helpline centres from earlier 65 to 150.

"Last year, when the online system was introduced, students encountered a lot of confusion. Despite being user-friendly, the system did not have a desired impact. So, we decided to bring certain changes to facilitate students," said a senior education department officer.

Robbers' gang busted in Anand

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:03:09 PDT

Anand police busted a gang of burglars and robbers last week and arrested four members of the gang.

According to cops, the arrested persons have admitted the gang's involvement in more than a dozen incidents of house break-in and robbery. The police, however, have yet to arrest at least five other members of the gang.

According to Anand police officials, those arrested are Vishnu Chunara, Dolatsinh Parmar, Shakra Chunara and Vinu Chunara, all residents of Sojitra, Anand. They were arrested by police following a tip-off on March 18 night.

"The gang is involved in at least 13 incidents in Anand and Kheda districts. Some of the nine-member gang had met in Vadodara Central prison. They started targeting all types of places - houses, industrial units, temples and even stage programmes. The gang had a modus operandi of removing the window grills and making a hole in the wall," said AK Jadeja, superintendent of police, Anand.

Investigators said the district local crime branch officials have recovered some money and stolen goods. "They earn their living through burglaries. We got to know that in this close-knit community, theft and other anti-social activities are not considered bad," said an official.

Woman forgets ATM card in machine & loses Rs 20,000

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:59:02 PDT

Rs 20,000 cash was stolen from the account of Tarannum Desai, a resident of Makarba, Juhapura on Wednesday. The incident took place owing to Desai's negligence, said police officials. An application of complaint has been registered with Satellite police station.

According to police, Desai had been to HDFC Bank ATM at Fun Republic on Wednesday. After completing her transaction, she forgot to take her ATM card and left.

"After a while, she got a message on her mobile phone that Rs 20,000 was withdrawn from her account. Shocked, she realised that she had forgotten the ATM card inside the machine while finishing the transaction in a hurry," said a police official.

Investigating officials have sought CCTV footage of the ATM booth to identify the accused. "We believe it might not be a pre-planned theft. An opportunist may have used the card to withdraw money from an already-inserted card," said a senior official.

They still want to pen letters 4 you

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:56:44 PDT

Shreyas Talpade as Mahadev may have made people laugh when he played the role of a letter writer who turns author in the Bollywood flick 'Welcome to Sajjanpur' last year.

Stories of such postal letter writers (PLWs) turned real in Gujarat High Court recently when the postal department scrapped this scheme, rendering several of those who helped illiterate people write to their near and dear ones jobless. The PLW system in post offices was introduced during the British Raj.

At least 131 PLWs associated with as many post offices in Ahmedabad were issued licences as PLWs to aid postal department's customers, which were renewed in 2008 for two years. But in March last year they were communicated through a letter by deputy director general of P&T that the scheme had been discontinued and they would not be allowed to sit in post offices. One of the main reasons given was rise in literacy.

No pleas worked, so the PLWs moved Gujarat High Court and claimed in their petition that they were engaged in this profession for some 15 to 30 years, and at this stage it was not possible for them to adapt to another job.

They also contended that a large number of people who came to post offices were aged or illiterate or simply needed assistance in writing letters, filling up forms and sealing articles for parcels. "It is not unknown that thousands of letters are still reaching dead letters office because of incorrect addresses, therefore it is not proper to say that because of increase in literacy the scheme of PLW deserves to be discontinued," the petition reads.

The court was not convinced with their arguments, and Justice KA Puj dismissed the plea. However, the court too observed that literacy ratio has gone up and other modes of communication are available to people, and PLWs' assistance is no longer required. The judge noticed that PLW can render their services by remaining outside the post offices if they feel that it is in general public interest.

Report : 116 lions died in Gir forest in last three years

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:54:02 PDT

As many as 116 lions have died in the last three years in Gir forest in Gujarat, the last home of the Asiatic lion, the state government said in the Assembly here on Thursday.

This information was given by the Minister for Forests and Environment Mangubhai Patel in a written reply to a question raised by Congress leader Arjun Modhvadia.

The minister has stated that as per the last census in 2005 there were 291 lions in the Gir forest.

In the year 2007, some 40 lions died, while 42 died in 2008. Thirty lions died in the year 2009, out of which one was killed by poachers. According to the minister, four lions have died in the first two months of the current year.

Out of the 116 lion deaths, 108 died due to natural causes like old age and diseases, one died after falling into an open well, while seven were killed by poachers.

The minister stated that according to 2005 census, it was estimated that 123 cubs were born in that year.

The minister, earlier this month had told the state Assembly that there were presently 68 lions, 100 lionesses and 123 cubs in the entire Gir forest which is spread over three the districts of Junagadh, Amreli and Bhavnagar.

Science city carnival Got Thousands visits

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:26:48 PDT

About 15,000 students, teachers, parents, science communicators and general visitors participated in the National Science Day (NSD) celebration in Gujarat Science City (GSC) on Sunday.

Experts talked about the importance of cultivating scientific temper among youth at the five-day-long science carnival. Director, Space Applications Centre (ISRO) RR Navalgund said, "Scientific temperament is necessary for societal development and economic upliftment in the country." Citing the example of water on the moon, he added, "Scientific temper is one of the attributes that all students need to cultivate. This involves the application of logic and reasoning and avoiding biases and pre-conceived notions which adulterate decision-making process."

Director general of Institute of Seismological Research (ISR) BK Rastogi stressed on the importance of seismological study and research in the state and country. "The newly-established ISR is the only institute in India fully dedicated to seismological research and is planned to be developed into a premier international institute within a short span of time," he said.

Former director general of National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) and presently advisor to GSC, Saroj Ghose said, "Only keen observation and logical thinking are essential for development of scientific attitude."

The National Science Day is observed every year on February 28 to mark the novel discovery of Raman Effect by distinguished Indian physicist Sir CV Raman.

Principal secretary, DST, Gujarat, Ravi Saxena, said, "We are infusing new hope into science education, entrepreneurship and careers of thousands of school and college students, inspiring them to go for their dreams."

Goa CBI arrests Rajesh Adani

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:27:16 PDT

It was a day of dramatic twists and turns for one of Gujarat’s wealthiest entrepreneurs. A CBI team from Goa arrested Rajesh Adani, youngest brother of Adani group chairman Gautam Adani, on a four-year-old charge of evasion of customs duty to the tune of Rs 1.07 crore. Within hours of his arrest, Gujarat High Court granted Adani bail and asked the CBI to release him after Adani family filed a habeas corpus petition terming the arrest as illegal.

Rajesh Adani, who is the managing director of the Rs 26,000-crore Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), was picked up by CBI sleuths from his residence in Judges Bungalows area early on Saturday morning. The anti-corruption branch of CBI Goa had registered a case against Adani and nine customs officials. The local CBI unit had no clue about the operation. Adani complained of chest pain and backache and was medically examined before he was taken to Mumbai from where the team would proceed to Goa.

“The allegations were that the customs officials in conspiracy with the private parties, dishonestly and by abuse of their official position facilitated import by undervaluing two consignments of naphta and one consignment of furnace oil. The consignments were imported by the Ahmedabad-based company and stored in a warehouse in Goa of a Mumbai-based company,” CBI said in a release.

AEL, the country’s largest export house, had imported the products on behalf of a company. When contacted, an AEL spokesperson expressed surprise at the arrest. “Rajesh Adani was not responsible for any day-to-day business operations... AEL had made arrangements to import certain petroleum products in 2005-06 and 2006-07 on behalf of licence/permission holders, who were responsible for fulfilling all formalities and payment of duties,” the company stated.

Later in the day, the Gujarat High Court justice RM Doshit granted interim bail to Adani till March 2, and kept further hearing of the matter on Tuesday before a division bench. Adani’s counsel argued that the arrest was illegal because the CBI did not follow the SC guidelines. Apart from the arguments that Adani was arrested without any show-cause notice and an arrest memo by CBI, the counsel contended that the accused was neither an absconder nor custodial interrogation of him was required in this case.

Board students to know their seats On Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:27:36 PDT

Students appearing for the SSC and HSC board exams, beginning on March 4, will be able to check out their seating arrangements on Tuesday.

Schools all over the city have been asked to keep the seating arrangement ready for the students and their parents to come and check out between 11 am to 5 pm.

Board officials said while students will not be allowed to go inside the classrooms, they will be able to see the class where they will be seated for exams.

Number of examinees in city goes down: There are a good 5,000 less students appearing for the SSC and HSC board exams this year in the city. This is in quite contrast to the fact that nearly 1.25 lakh more students will be writing their board exams in the state as compared to last year.

Officials said that while 38,935 students from Ahmedabad appeared for the board exams last year, this year the number has gone down to 37,535.

Similarly, the number of students appearing for HSC (general) stream has gone down from 29,100 last year to 28,441 this year.

The number of students appearing for class XII (science) boards has also decreased from 9,835 students to 9,094 students.

ICICI emerges biggest recruiter during 3rd cluster

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:27:47 PDT

ICICI Bank emerged as the biggest recruiter during the third cluster of cohort based final placements at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) here, by offering over 10 jobs to the students.

The interviews for the third cluster continued throughout the day yesterday. The companies from various sectors like banking services, financial advisory services and credit rating agencies took part in the placements, a member of the IIM-A placement committee said.

"ICICI Bank was the largest recruiter on campus giving a double-digit number of offers, while, regular recruiters such as ICRA, KPMG, Essar Group and Philips offered jobs to the IIM-A students in finance, consulting, sales and marketing fields," he said.
"The new process once again ensured a smooth experience for both students and recruiters. Seamlessness prevailed despite a large number of recruiters visiting the campus this weekend," the Media Coordinator for the Placement Committee, Mansi Chitalia said.

Final placements at IIM-A this year is based on cohort based system. As per this process companies offering similar roles, profiles, salaries and locations are grouped into individual cohorts who converge at campus on weekends and discuss roles on offer with students before recruiting them.

Six students awarded in national contest

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:28:08 PDT

AHMEDABAD: On Sunday, six students from the city were awarded for their performance in a national essay-writing competition, which took place earlier this year. The list of names include Aayushi Joshi, Avani Sangani, Milan Zala, Ujjwal Sinha, Shruti Agrawal and Sonam Bajaj.

Jointly organised by United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan and Shri Ram Chandra Mission, the contest was conducted in educational institutions across India.

Nearly 50,000 students participated in this event from Gujarat while 5 lakh entries were received from across the country. The United Nations had declared 2009 as the International Year of Reconciliation. Inkeeping with this theme, students had been asked to pen their views on ways and means to enable reconciliation in a world increasingly challenged by bigotry, hatred and war.

Trader shot at in Naroda

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:52:32 PST

AHMEDABAD: A shop owner in Naroda was fired at by three unidentified men riding a bike late on Saturday night. The injured trader, Prakash Rajmalani, has been admitted to the Civil Hospital for treatment and is said to be recuperating. Investigating police officials said robbery appeared to be the primary motive behind the attack.

According to Naroda police station officials, Kanaiyalal and Prakash Rajmalani, residents of Krishna Park near Priya cinema in Naroda, own a provision store near Kevdaji ni chali area.

"The two were returninig home from the shop at 11 pm on Saturday. As they were walking near Vikram Park gate, three unidentified men on a bike approached them. Before the two brothers could realise what was happening, one of the assailants took out a country-made weapon and fired at Prakash," said GH Gohil, inspector of Naroda police station.

Gohil said the bullet hit Prakash below his right armpit. The trio fled in the opposite direction as local residents rushed to the spot after hearing the gunshot.

"When we questioned the duo, we came to know that they were carrying around Rs 10,000 with them. They had got this money from the daily sales and dealings with other traders. Their store is one of the biggest in the area and attracts many customers from nearby areas. We are questioning the brothers about any personal or business rivalry," said Gohil.

He added that the robbers did not snatch the money from the two brothers. "Though we believe that robbery was the basic motive, the question is why the robbers fled from the spot without taking the money. Investigation is on," said Gohil.

Shah-e-Alam school begins with Vande Mataram

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:24:31 PST

AHMEDABAD: Every morning when muezzin calls out for the eight o'clock prayer, a school in Shah-e-alam resounds with Vande Mataram. Gayatri
Vidyalaya established in 1961 in Shah-e-alam, a largely Muslim-dominated area, begins it's day with a prayer and the controversial national song.

Of the 1,200 students in this school 1,100 are Muslim. The school runs in two shifts 8 am to 10 am and 1 pm to 7 pm, both beginning with the Vande Mataram.

Nagma Patni, Class X student, says that she has no problem with singing the song. "I feel every Indian should sing it."

In fact, most students whom TOI spoke to said even their parents had never objected to the school making it compulsory to sing the song.

About the fatwa issued against Vande Mataram recently, by a religious body, Kausar Meman, Class IX, who lives in Shah-e-Alam says, "My parents know very well that we sing Vande Mataram in school. Not everyone takes these fatwas seriously."

School trustee, Rajnikant Bhatt says, "Till today nobody has objected to this, neither the parents nor students. In fact, during elections, it is compulsory for students to sing even Jana Gana Mana," he says.

Afzal Meman of Class X says, "The political colour given to Vande Mataram is unwarranted, Islam says you should live by the norms of the country you live in."

His classmate, Akbar Palsania says, "I have been studying here since KG and have singing Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana in morning prayers since then. I cannot understand why there is a controversy over this song now."

In 1995-96, the BJP government had issued a directive making Vande Mataram compulsory in schools and colleges. "This circular has not been withdrawn, but it is not even being implemented properly," Nalin Bhatt, who was education minister then, told TOI.

22-page form gives babus chakkar-asan!

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:23:46 PST

GANDHINAGAR: Around 3,000 babus of Gujarat are faced with a mammoth task. They have been asked to give grades on a scale of 0-10 to all children
of Std III to VII for written and oral tests in 9,000 rural primary schools. The test is to be taken in the presence of these Class I and Class II officers.

They must also fill up a 22-page form and submit it to the state government immediately after the Gunotsav, to take place from November 12-14. Gunotsav is a Narendra Modi-led campaign to improve the quality of education in the state.

Each babu has been asked to visit one primary school every day, go to every class from Std III to VII. In their presence, the teacher will give dictation to children, read aloud another text, and make them do mathematical sums. “Not just every child, each official will rate each teacher on a scale of 0-10, providing details like teacher’s caste, years in service, age, computer knowledge and educational qualification,” said an officer.

It is the 22-page form which is causing most worries. Babus will have to fill up such minute details as whether school prayer is held, whether musical instruments are played during prayers, whether yoga is performed. Going further, if yoga is performed, which of the asanas are children asked to perform — pranayam, bhujangasan, pavan muktasan, dhanurasan, tadasan, shavasan and chakrasan!

More details sought include number of children participating in the morning prayer, whether teachers skip the prayer, are thoughts-for-the-day and news reports read out, are birthdays of students announced and so on. Other details on children sought are on computers installed in schools, students’ knowledge of computers, whether they have the ability to use CD or pen-drive. One of the queries is regarding the knowledge of software, if any, among children!

Then there are queries on whether children are taken on tours to government offices such as district collectorate or district police chief’s office, railway station, bank or milk dairy. If yes, the dates on which the tours were organised.

IBM to help create 'Little Africa' in Gujarat

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:28:46 PDT

AHMEDABAD: In a bid to provide employment to youth of the African-origin Sidi community settled in Saurashtra, Gujarat government has planned to
create a ‘Little Africa’ on the fringes of Gir forest by developing a theme-based resort.

The resort to be developed on 25 acres of land would be promoted by global giant IBM. The tribal development department of the state government has entered into a tie-up with IBM India for the project.

“The Rs 10-crore project, excluding the cost of land, would be fully funded by the Gujarat government. IBM will provide expertise to select a private partner to run the resort. It will also provide consultancy to market this ‘Little Africa’ across the world to lure maximum tourists,” said Per Yorgansen, project manager, IBM Denmark, who is in Ahmedabad for IBM’s Corporate Service Corps (CSC) program.

Pallavi Shukla, senior consultant to the state government for the project, said that development work would start
by March 2010 and the resort would be functional in three years.

“Around 200 Sidi youth will get direct employment. Besides, there would be plenty of indirect employment opportunities as a ‘gram haat’ to display Sidi handicraft will be set up. Every evening there would be cultural events featuring Sidi ‘Dhamal’ dance troupe, which is very popular,” said Shukla.

The resort would be a replica of a typical Sidi village. Even interiors of all the 30 rooms would have an African touch. A museum would display various facets of Sidi life in and around Gir, especially their interface with the Asiatic Lions.

The Sidi community came to India from East Africa as slaves around 500 years ago. Their population is currently 10,000 in Gujarat, concentrated mainly on the periphery of the Gir forest in Junagadh district.

Flyovers to help smoothen Ahmedabad BRTS ride

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:28:59 PDT

AHMEDABAD: The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) has come with its advantages too. Over 90 per cent of the people who spoke during a TOI survey on
BRTS felt that the project had come as a blessing not only for those looking for an effective and fast public transport system but also for those Amdavadis who use their own vehicles.

Mushrooming flyovers along the BRTS corridors is one such example which has found favour with the denizens. The BRTS stretch has seen the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation constructing no less than 12 flyovers, including one at Shahibaugh.

Though several flyovers are yet to come up in phase I and II, daily commuters are already quite happy with the three flyovers along the 132-feet ring at Shivranjani, Helmet and AEC Crossroads near Sola.

These three overpasses are open for public while the AMC plans another nine flyovers, including the one at Shahibaugh and another at Iskcon Crossroad.

The one at Iskcon Crossroad is part of the second phase of the BRTS which would connect Shivranjani Crossroad to Bopal. This has also helped the cause of walkers. BRTS project has ensured that the pedestrians crossings get wider and safer. There are 4.8-m wide pedestrian crossings at each junction and also wider crossings to cater to bus passengers.

Officials said that the split flyovers at 132-feet ring road, running parallel to BRTS corridor, help vehicles to move uninterrupted. However, the traffic which runs below this flyover has to stop but this is also for a less than a minute.

Finding a Secure Parking

noreply@blogger.com (Ahmedabad) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:22:09 PST

The current 12.5-km stretch of the first phase of the dedicated BRTS corridor from RTO to Chandranagar has allocated parking space for 670 autorickshaws, capacity for 3,624 two-wheelers and 507 cars to park. But this is hardly enough for a city that has among the highest private vehicle populations in the country.

There is complete chaos at junctions like Shivranjani which has branded showrooms, but no place to park for shoppers. So, vehicles are forced to elbow their way alongside the flyover between crowds at a popular halwai store and SUVs parked under the flyover towards the Shyamal side, for instance.

The city traffic branch is also facing the heat. According to traffic records, the number of vehicles towed away for illegally parking along the BRTS corridor, has shot up in last three months.

Traffic branch officials said that due to newly-engineered roads, there is hardly any space for vehicles, forcing them to park right on the pavement meant for pedestrians or the road itself. Deputy commissioner of police (traffic), MM Anarwala, said, "Earlier, it was easy to cope up with the problem as there was some breathing space. However, with a separate lane for bicycle and other segments, it is not possible anymore,"

He said that most of the buildings do not have parking space of their own forcing the owners to park outside. "Despite continuous towing drive, we see that the number is not decreasing. At present, most of the commuters on BRTS are from AMTS but to attract professionals and higher-income groups on the bus, they need parking space," said Anarwala.

The original BRTS plan had parking allotted on connecting lanes of the BRTS corridor like in Delhi. However, the plan was struck down as societies and commercial complexes along the stretch did not endorse it.

Another parking issue is at Naranpura AEC bus stand, where commercial complexes set their own rules cars to be parked under the flyover while two-wheelers park on the street or footpaths. This causes jams underneath the flyover.

On parking issue, a senior Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL) official said, "We have designated parking space along the corridor but commercial complexes with not proper parking space is proving to be a major issue."

"Soon, we are coming up with revenue model for parking along the BRTS corridor. AJL authorities have also planned for incentives for those BRTS users who park their vehicles and board BRTS bus,"added the offficial.