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Gujarati News: September 2005
Groundnut yield at 28 lakh mt
Wednesday, September 28, 2005 | AY
The groundnut yield in Gujarat, the country’s largest groundnut-growing State, in the current year is likely to touch 28,11,000 million tonne (MT). Based on the figures received from representatives of various belts where groundnut crop is cultivated and harvested, it is concluded that 28,11,600 MT of yield is expected in the 18,00,000 hectares cultivation in the current year.
However, there were differences of opinions among members, as a few of them were in favour of not going by cultivation figures on government books. They insisted that projection be done based on actual yield and how much oil would be nipped once the crop was harvested. Gujarat, hailed as the ‘groundnut bowl of the nation’ is mainly divided into two zones - Saurashtra and the rest of the state. In the Saurashtra zone, cultivation is done in Rajkot, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Amreli, Porbandar and Bhavnagar districts. In the north zone, cultivation takes place in Kutch-Bhuj, Surendranagar and north Gujarat districts.
Mixing merry with a cause
Wednesday, September 28, 2005 | AY
A group called Thanganaat in Porbandar is offering free season passes to their nine-day garba event, to anyone who donates a bottle of blood. More than 125 donors, mostly youngsters, donated blood on Monday. Their intention, however, was definitely not to avail free passes. Said Hiten Dholakia, the organiser of the event: "We have conducted this camp to help thalassemia patients and make people more aware about the disease. Since our group regularly organises garba, we thought of offering a free pass for the event to each blood donor as a gift." The Navratri festival will begin on October 3.
BoB merges three RRBs to create Baroda Gujarat Gramin bank
Tuesday, September 27, 2005 | AY
The Bank of Baroda has merged its three sponsored regional rural banks in Gujarat into one single RRB, 'Baroda Gujarat Gramin Bank'to be headed by new Chairman D Rajagopalan. The banks, which have been merged were Panchmahal Vadodara Gramin Bank, Valsad Dangs Gramin Bank and Surat Bharuch Gramin Bank. With the bigger size and expanded coverage the amalgamated RRB will have the benefit of economies of scale to serve its customers in a cost effective manner with optimum utilisation of financial & non financial resources through diversified business portfolio and increased mobility of staff. The new entity would have a total of 128 branches and will be operating in nine districts of Gujarat -- Panchmahal, Dahod, Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch, Narmada, Valsad, Navsari and Dangs with Head Office at Bharuch.
Licences of 8,000 lawyers suspended
Tuesday, September 27, 2005 | AY
Bar Council of Gujarat (BCG) today suspended the licences of over 8,000 lawyers across the State following their failure to deposit the statutory 'welfare fee'. The Council is sending the list of suspended lawyers to Supreme Court, High Court, District and Lower Courts as well as to the Bar Associations. With the BCG's new rule coming into force since August 1, 2001, the welfare fee was made compulsory for enrollment and the amount was raised from Rs 300 to Rs 600. On scrutiny, it was found that 14,763 lawyers did not send their requisite fees till August 8, 2005. They were given 30 days to pay with late fee of Rs 30. While about 6,000 of them paid up, over 8,000 did not. In case of 2,000, the notices bounced from incorrect addresses. There was no reply from the remaining 6,000. The Council decided to suspend the licences of over 8,000 lawyers presuming that they were not interested in practice.
Solar eclipse on October 3
Monday, September 26, 2005 | AY
The moon will come in between the sun and earth on October 3, for an annular (ring-shaped) solar eclipse. However, this will not be a total eclipse as the darkest part of the moon's shadow called the umbra would not touch the surface of the earth. A fine ring of light will be visible around the edge of the moon. Manoj Pai, general secretary, Confederation of Indian Amateur Astronomers, Ahmedabad, says that, visibility from India will be around 15 per cent. The phenomenon will be visible to us as a partial overlapping of the sun by the moon. In Ahmedabad, the eclipse will begin at 16.10 hours and end at 17.48 hours. In Vadodara, it will begin at 16.11 hours and end at 17.51 hours. This year there is a combination of four lunar and solar eclipses. Of these, the annular solar eclipse of October 3 will be the most spectacular.
ONGC inks MoU with NLC
Monday, September 26, 2005 | AY
State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp on Saturday signed an MoU with Neyveli Lignite Corporation for initiating Underground Coal Gasification project in lignite. The agreement is part of the company's plans to tap deep-seated energy resources by establishing two pilot projects for Underground Coal Gasification - one in coal and another in lignite. Four sites have been short-listed for the first pilot - three of them in Tamil Nadu and the fourth in Rajasthan. To implement such projects, ONGC is tying up with local firms. An MoU was signed with Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation at Ahmedabad on September 19. More MoUs are lined up with Coal India, Gujarat Industries Power Corporation Limited and Singareni Coal Company Ltd. UCG is a new method to develop coal deposits by directly converting coal to gas underground. Though UCG, as an environment-friendly technology, was initially conceived for deeper coal seams, the pilots worldwide have demonstrated it to be the appropriate technology even for shallower coal seams, and also for abandoned ones with residual coal pillars.
MMI events to hold ‘Music Festival 2005’
Sunday, September 25, 2005 | AY
Music lovers in Dubai are in for a treat as MMI Events presents the ‘MMI Music Festival 2005’. The upcoming concert is the first overseas appearance by the Indian Idol finalists. To add flavour to the evening are leading folk artists from India, who will cover popular folk music from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Dandiya enthusiasts will have the opportunity to listen to some of the finest Garba raas from Gujarat, and with the organiser’s accent on ensuring that the event is one that families can enjoy together. The musical fiesta, held on September 22nd at Dubai’s Wonderland, will feature the leading lights of Bollywood’s playback industry including Shaan, Shreya Ghoshal.
Suranjay Singh declared as best boxer
Sunday, September 25, 2005 | AY
Suranjay Singh of Services, the winner of the Fly Weight title, was adjudged as the best boxer in the country based on his performance in the 52nd Senior Men Boxing championship which ended at Kalpakkam. Suranjay took the sheen out of the favourite and Pusan Asian Games quarterfinalist, Mhd.Ali Qamar of Indian Railways. Gujarat's Vikas Malik, who showed great promise including his upset win over Asian Junior Champion, K.Thoi Thoi Singh in the semi finals yesterday, highlighted the day's proceedings in winning Light Weight title beating Deepak Kumar of Delhi when the referee stopped the contest in the second round.
New strategies in educating children
Saturday, September 24, 2005 | AY
New-age schools in city are finally waking up to theatre as a powerful teaching tool. It’s a way to learn content and experience shows that it definitely increases a student’s retention capacity. Realising the value of theatre in education, the Ahmedabad-based Anand Niketan school too has started theatre workshops for teachers, parents and students. Though right now, it has started as a weekend activity, soon it will become a permanent feature. Currently as part of a tie-up with Theatre-In-Education-India Trust, 35 teachers from different schools in the city are undergoing this training. Theatre is about understanding one’s inner and outer self. It will improve inter-personal skills, team building and creativity. It teaches one to develop transversion skills, which can’t be quantified but are powerful in the process of evolving as an individual.
Biosphere reserve in Kutch
Saturday, September 24, 2005 | AY
The proposal of the State forest department to declare the Great and the Little Rann of Kutch as a biosphere reserve has been accepted by the Centre. The State government has already begun chalking out plans to maintain, what is being touted as the State’s first biosphere reserve. The proposal was a topic of discussion in last month’s seminar which had five states from the west and the south strongly recommending it. The Great Rann of Kutch in the north and the Little Rann in the east, both constitute a unique eco-system. While the Great Rann, once known as the Kutch Desert sanctuary boasted of flamingoes, the Little Rann was a wildlife sanctuary and the only habitat of the wild ass. One needs to preserve the natural habitat just the way it is. At the same time, the needs of the people who depend on their biosphere should be taken into consideration. And they are the ones who’ll participate in finding out means to curb conflict between conservation and development.
State set for Navratri celebrations
Saturday, September 24, 2005 | AY
The Gujarat government has lined up mega events for forthcoming Navratri celebrations. The 10-day festival will start from October 3 in Gujarat. For the past two years, the state has been organising the festival under the name, ''Vibrant Gujarat''. The celebrations involve a gala inaugural, exhibition and seminars on various themes of tourism at Ahmedabad and tourist circuits covering major tourist attractions of Gujarat. It will culminate in a desert festival on Sharad Poornima in the deserts of Kutch during October 16-18, 2005. Gujarat has taken a lead to promote event-based tourism, starting with Navratri and Uttarayan, the kite festival. The state has tried to popularise Navratri at an international level after which, the festival has become popular in many countries.
Four more nuclear power plants to generate 6, 800 MW
Saturday, September 24, 2005 | AY
Indian cabinet in view of an agreement with the US for nuclear technology transfer for civilian purposes, has decided to set up four nuclear power plants that will generate 6,800 MWs. One of these will be a pressurized heavy water reactor plant of two units at Kakrapar in Gujarat where India’s rail head for Pakistan is to be opened by January. The Kakrapar plant will be designed to produce 1400 MW of nuclear power and meet the growing power demand in the industrial belt o Gujarat and Rajasthan. Rajasthan too will get a pressurized heavy water reactor to produce another 1400MWs. The other nuclear power plants, for which the Indian cabinet has given in principle approval will be located at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu and Jaitapur in Maharashtra. With the setting up of these four plants, the total nuclear power capacity in the northern, western and southern regions of the country will go up considerably.
NLC may set up a power project in the state
Saturday, September 24, 2005 | AY
Gujarat has become the latest addition to the list of States that have invited NLC(Neyveli Lignite Corporation) to put up a 1,000-MW lignite-based plant in the State. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 6,000 crore, and NLC intends to implement it by itself, rather than promote a new company for it. There is, however, a slight re-think on the configuration of the project. Earlier, NLC wanted to put up two units of 500 MW first and then go for the next 1,000 MW. But now, with the advent of the energy efficient supercritical boilers, NLC is mulling three units of 660 MW each or two units of 800 MW. Meanwhile, NLC has finalised the equipment supplier for its ongoing 2x250 MW power project in Neyveli.
Gujarat on alert after heavy rains
Saturday, September 24, 2005 | AY
An alert has been sounded in Gujarat after heavy rains across the state led to the deaths of 15 people on Friday. Twenty-two of the 25 districts of the state were lashed by heavy rain yesterday. People from many villages in Vadodra, Surat, Panchmahal, Bhavnagar and Bharuch have been evacuated. The flood relief department says most deaths were reported from Surat and Navsari. Traffic had to be stopped as trees have fallen on some roads and many trains going to Mumbai were halted. The Met department says heavy rains will continue over the next few days, especially in Saurashtra and Kutch.
Liver cancer can be treated without surgery
Wednesday, September 21, 2005 | AY
With the new technology, Radio Frequency Ablation (RFA), cancer patients can be treated without any surgery or adverse effect on other body organs. Dr Irving Taylor, Professor of Surgery, was delivering the NC Mishra lecture on the occasion of the Foundation Day celebration of the Department of Surgical Oncology, KGMU today. He was speaking on ‘Management of Liver Metastatic Disease’. He emphasised on the fact that with the help of the Radio Frequency Ablation technique, the cancer nodule in the liver can be reduced to a considerable level. In the technique, the high speed radio waves are transmitted in the body at the specific location, which reduces the cancer nodules in the liver. After that, PET Scan can be utilised to detect and locate the cancerous cells in particular, which can be later destroyed with the help of Chemotherapy. Professor D Patel, Former Director Gujarat University, spoke about breast cancer problem in country.
Air cargo facility in Gujarat
Wednesday, September 21, 2005 | AY
The central government has finally accepted Gujarat's long-standing demand for an air cargo facility at the airport here. The proposed facility will boost Gujarat's exports of agricultural produce, especially mangoes, vegetables and processed foods to the US, Europe and the Middle East. The civi aviation ministry will allocate a plot of land near the Sardar Vallabhbhai Airport here for the purpose.
Dhaad
Tuesday, September 20, 2005 | AY
Dhaad, the first film shot in Gujarati and Kutchi, which was delayed following the earthquake and then the riots in Gujarat, is ready and is being sent to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for clearance. It had recently been reported that the Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation (GMDC), which was providing financial aid for the film, had held up the second instalment of Rs 15 lakh at the behest of the Chief Minister. This allegedly was because Nandita Das had spoken out against Modi after the post-Godhra riots. Kirti Khatri, the producer of the film, is the son of Jayant Khatri, on whose short story Dhaad the film is based. He said the two-and-a-half-hour film was shot in natural locales in remote areas of Mandvi, Abadasa and Lakapat in a record time of 30 days. He said the film’s screenplay had been written by Vinesh Antani, its music had been scored by Vanraj Bhatia and all the eight songs sung by local singers, Dhanbhai Gadhavi, Ismail Para, Ismail Meer and Amina Meer. Dhaad is a story about dreaded dacoit Ghela, played by Kay K ay Menon, who believes that power comes from a gun and you need this strength to survive in this unkind world. But his daredevil robbery ultimately misfires when he himself is struck by nature when he all of sudden gets paralytic attack in the midst of a robbery in a wealthy man’s house.
KGMU adds palliative care unit
Tuesday, September 20, 2005 | AY
After becoming the only medical university in the country to have an MCh programme in surgical oncology, the King George Medical University is set to add another feather to its cap. The department of surgical oncology will be the third centre in the country to have a palliative care unit. The two-year project has been started with an objective of introducing palliative care in cancer treatment. The unit is expected to open at the new building under construction in the year 2006-07. Head of Department, Surgical Oncology, I D Sharma claimed that the department at KGMU is the only department apart from three other medical institutes to an MCh course in the country. For the record, the other three institutes are at Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Chennai.
Ramilaben Desai suspended
Monday, September 19, 2005 | AY
Giving clear indication that it would not tolerate any dissident activities, Gujarat BJP suspended rebel MLA Ramilaben Desai, who had dashed off a letter to party President L K Advani alleging Chief Minister Narendra Modi was conspiring against her life. Desai has been suspended on a charge of "anti-party activity" including sending the letter to the party president where she made the threat allegation, Gujarat BJP General Secretary Pursottam Rupala said. Desai has been given time for seven days to reply to the party about her action and regarding the letter, Rupala said.
Cong chief Gadhvi passes away
Monday, September 19, 2005 | AY
Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) President B K Gadhvi, died here this morning following a prolonged illness. Gadhvi breathed his last at a private hospital where he was admitted around 10 days ago following several complications. The senior Congress leader's body would be taken to his hometown at Sabarda in Banaskanth district of north Gujarat later today. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has condoled the death of B K Gadhvi. She prayed for peace to the soul of the departed leader, who was also Minister of State for Power at the Centre.
Meera Syal bags leadership and diversity hammer award
Sunday, September 18, 2005 | AY
Noted NRI actor, TV personality Meera Syal has been declared winner of this year's Leadership and Diversity Hammer award instituted by leading bilingual publication Garavi Gujarat, popularly known as GG2. More than 1,200 dignitaries from different walks of life attended the awards ceremony organised by the Asian Media and Marketing Group (AMG), at the prestigious Grosvenor Hotel. The awards celebrate ethnic achievement in diverse fields. Prominent among those present included Barry Gardiner, Parliamentary Under Secretary of state for competitiveness at the Department of Trade and Industry, High Commissioner of India Kamalesh Sharma and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Ian Blair. NRI Nikesh Arora was chosen for the Man of the Year award for the way he led Google in Europe and Nina Ahmad won the Woman of the Year award for becoming the first Asian woman to edit a mainstream women's magazine.
Tourism coorporation calls for devpt of resorts
Sunday, September 18, 2005 | AY
Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) has called for Expression of Interest from private entrepreneurs for development of several resorts in the state. The total estimated cost of these projects is about Rs 170 crore. The corporation proposes to develop a 5-star luxury resort in Sasan Gir with an investment of Rs 20 crore. Other beach resorts proposed in the state will be developed at Somnath, Kalai, Dandi, and Kuda. A beach resort and convention centre is proposed at Dumas while a beach resort and theme park is planned at Umbergaon, Kachchh, Ahmedpur, and Mandvi. A modern economy four or three star hotel at Dwarka, a motel at Bhachau, a beach resort & convention centre at Mandvi and a beach resort at Tithal are also being proposed. The Government of Gujarat has also proposed to reintroduce the Royal Orient Train for the Gujarat circuit. The proposed investment for the project is Rs 14 crore.
CAG criticises State Government
Saturday, September 17, 2005 | AY
The Controller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed the Commissoner of Entertainments Tax, Gujarat State, for granting excess tax exemption to the tune of Rs 22.69 crore to the owners of six multiplex cinemas across the State. The CAG has taken a serious note of the fact that the government failed to act despite this was brought to its notice last year. It blamed the government for its failure to enforce the relevant conditions of its existing policy, and also the lack of proper monitoring that had resulted in granting the multiplexes’ owners the excess exemption from payment of entertainment tax. The CAG has also criticised the government for its failure to enforce the relevant provisions of Gujarat Entertainments Tax Act, resulting in non-levy of tax of Rs 2.12 crore, including interest, on as many as 59 cinema houses and 35 video parlours across the State. The CAG report says that the government also failed to recover luxury tax and interest on it amounting to Rs 1.04 crore from the owners of 26 hotels during 2001-03.
Volvo eyes Gujarat bus market
Saturday, September 17, 2005 | AY
Volvo, the public transport vehicle multinational, is targeting corporate players in India for their tailormade requirement and is also eyeing city bus transport segment in Gujarat and other states. Gujarat is the second biggest market for the company in passenger bus segment after southern states. It was also in negotiation with the state transport authorities in Gujarat as it planned to enter the city bus segment too in cities like Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat and Rajkot. Volvo has been operating for four years in the country from its headquarters in Bangalore. It is upbeat about the business potential in Gujarat. The Rajkot-Ahmedabad Highway had emerged as the busiest track for Volvo after Mumbai-Pune express highway as far as passenger commuting was concerned.
A medical certificate permits to consume liquor
Saturday, September 17, 2005 | AY
In Ahmedabad, 5,127 have permits to consume liquor on health grounds. Recent Prohibition Department records show an all-time high in permits sanctioned on health grounds not only to tourists but also to local residents. The criterion for obtaining a permit on health grounds is simple: get a medical certificate from a designated civil surgeon, who prescribes a dose of liquor necessary for curing an ailment. Between 2003-2005, 28,432 permits were issued by the State Prohibition Department with the highest being issued in Ahmedabad followed by Vadodara. In its recent report on improving infrastructure, Crisil, credit rating and information services agency, suggested the Government to relax prohibition which has been in place for 44 years and stated that the State could attract an investment of about Rs 3,000 crore in tourism sector by making good food and drink available.
Cambridge to train Gujarat teachers in ICT
Saturday, September 17, 2005 | AY
Five experts from Cambridge University are to train teachers of the Gujarat Education Board in the application of information and communication technology (ICT) in classrooms. Under a memorandum signed between the two institutions, the university will conduct courses for one-and-a-half years beginning Saturday to train 250 master trainers. The training is the first of its kind that Cambridge University is conducting with an education board in India. The diploma that the university is to confer has a high value. Fifty schools of the state will be directly connected to the university for their academic upgradation in the Rs.75 million project.
Seatbelts compulsory during driving
Saturday, September 17, 2005 | AY
Barely has the complaints over the helmet enforcement subsided, than the Gujarat High Court on Friday made seat belts compulsory for car drivers and those sitting beside them. More importantly, it banned autorickshaws, cars and other vehicles from carrying schoolchildren beyond their capacity. The court asked government officials to be present and apprise it of the steps taken to make seat belts compulsory. During the hearing, government pleader Arun Oza told the court that a notification about enforcing seat belts for drivers and those sitting beside them had already been issued and now adequate publicity would be given to sensitise the public about the directions.
Modi threatened me - BJP MLA
Saturday, September 17, 2005 | AY
BJP legislator in Gujarat has accused Chief Minister Narendra Modi of threatening her. In a letter to party president L.K. Advani, Ramila Ben said that she received a threat from the Chief Minister. She said Modi personally called her to convey the threat. Ben is considered a supporter of Modi's rival, former BJP Chief Minister of Gujarat, Keshubhai Patel. MLA Ramilaben Desai wrote off a letter to party president L K Advani saying that she would not hesitate to immolate herself rather than be 'slaughtered' at the hands of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and two of his cabinet colleagues.
Quota admissions in medical SFIs cancelled
Wednesday, September 14, 2005 | AY
The Gujarat High Court quashed all admissions under management quota (50 per cent of the seats) in medical colleges associated with Gujarat Self-Finance Medical and Para Medical Association, terming it "unfair, non-transparent and malafide". The decision is likely to impact at least 300 seats. Justice RJ Shah Committee was asked to set up, to monitor admissions in SFIs, should hold counselling for students who figure in the common merit list prepared on the basis of the Common Entrance Test (CET) held on August 14. The common counselling is scheduled for September 17 and 18. During the counselling, students will be permitted to indicate their preferences for any course or college depending on the number of vacancies available. The panel will conduct the admission procedure and restrict the students to be counselled depending on this data and publish notices in newspapers about the counselling. The HC also directed the colleges to refund all the money, except the CET examination fee, collected from students whose admissions are cancelled or granted admissions earlier and would stand to be invalidated under the counselling procedure.
New cross-platform HR product for K-12 and higher education markets
Wednesday, September 14, 2005 | AY
eNucleus, Inc., a computer software and services provider offering a wide range of "off the shelf" and customized process management applications, announced today that it is releasing a new HR product for the K-12 and higher education marketplaces. ProBooks(TM) HR is a specialized Human Resource (HR) Management software solution that helps school administrators manage their HR and employee relations programs, including payroll and benefits administration. With ProBooks HR, educational institutions can greatly reduce the amount of time required to manage employee information, free up HR resources to address mission critical projects and bring the challenging tasks of HR record keeping and government reporting under control. Randy Edgerton, President and CEO of eNucleus said, "ProBooks HR is a great example of how we are executing our technology acquisition strategy. We always look for a synergy with other eNucleus product solutions to create new products through integration and expand our existing markets. Through effective utilization of our technology development center in Ahmedabad, India, we were able to combine and expand our ProBooks and Benefits Accelerator modules to create a very robust Human Resource Management System.
Aims to nurture interest in nature
Tuesday, September 13, 2005 | AY
A few city-based botanists, artists and nature conservationists in Vadodara recently got together to form ‘Art and Nature Trust (ANT) for Conservation’. As part of the initiative, the art and nature enthusiasts have started an in-house museum, herbarium and a library in Dandia Bazar area. An artist and a conservationsist himself, Patil has donated his collection of insects and books on art, and other subjects. Another PhD scholar in Botany donated her samples of flora collected from all over Gujarat for a herbarium at the trust. Yet another private collector has donated his collection of 700 various types of shells, animal and bird foot prints in plaster cast, stuffed animals, skeletons and some wet conservations of fishes and aquatic animals. In museums, where it is not allowed to touch the exhibits, here that rule is broken. Especially, the blind children, who get a first hand experience of how big a vulture is or feel the shape of a crab. The ‘touch and feel’ activity helps in developing concepts about shapes in nature which gets reflected in art.
Gujarat NRE buys 5% in Aussie firm
Tuesday, September 13, 2005 | AY
Gujarat NRE Coke has declared the acquisition of 5 per cent equity in Australian coal producer Resources Pacific Holdings Ltd. The Australian company owns and operates the Newpac No 1 Colliery in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, which contains one of the largest identified semi-soft coking coal reserves. The company had invested $10 million for the stake and $16 million for the development of mines. Gujarat NRE imports coal and processes it into coke and exports it besides selling in the domestic market. Exports constitute about 20-25 per cent of its total production. The company has also bought stake in steel portal, SteelRX, which will be launching an e-trading platform for coal. Called coalrx.com, it would be available to domestic coal companies for selling coal to non-core sector consumers via e-auction. Gujarat NRE already has one operating mine in Australia owned and operated by its subsidiary Gujarat NRE Australia Pty. The company also has around 20 per cent equity in Australian company Zimico Resources which produces base metals like gold, copper, among others.
Modi supporters heckle rebel leader Rana
Monday, September 12, 2005 | AY
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's supporters booed at rebel leader Kashiram Rana at a function in his own constituency in Surat. Modi and former minister Rana shared a podium at Akhakhal, 250 km from Ahmedabad, when Modi inaugurated the construction of a 1,100 MW power project of Torrent Power Generation Ltd. Modi's supporters created an uproar when Rana began to address the gathering. It was only when Modi diverted them by shouting patriotic slogans that the crowd calmed somewhat. The crowd grew restive again when Rana mentioned the problem of power shortage in agriculture and industry. The aggression has further widened the rift between Modi and his dissidents as Rana is a leading figure among the rebel camp.
Modi supporters heckle rebel leader Rana
Monday, September 12, 2005 | AY
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's supporters booed at rebel leader Kashiram Rana at a function in his own constituency in Surat. Modi and former minister Rana shared a podium at Akhakhal, 250 km from Ahmedabad, when Modi inaugurated the construction of a 1,100 MW power project of Torrent Power Generation Ltd. Modi's supporters created an uproar when Rana began to address the gathering. It was only when Modi diverted them by shouting patriotic slogans that the crowd calmed somewhat. The crowd grew restive again when Rana mentioned the problem of power shortage in agriculture and industry. The aggression has further widened the rift between Modi and his dissidents as Rana is a leading figure among the rebel camp.
PIL against class 9 textbook dismissed
Sunday, September 11, 2005 | AY
The Gujarat high court dismissed a PIL filed by voluntary organisation seeking immediate withdrawal of class 9 social science textbooks of the Gujarat State Education Board on "technical grounds". City-based NGO Prashant Lok Samiti, Ahmedabad Women's Action Group and five other voluntary organisation had alleged factual errors in the textbook, like reference to Hitler as a "hero". The petition contended the "hidden agenda" of the textbook is apparent from the fact that freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru have not been given desirable recognition while Veer Savarkar has been glorified to a large extent. The petition had further sought that a high-level committee comprising academicians and social science experts be formed to suggest modifications in the book so as to rectify the discrepancies.
Thanks to Sania, tennis becoming favourite sport
Sunday, September 11, 2005 | AY
Sania Mirza has triggered a resurgence of tennis craze among city girls here in Ahmedabad. A Prasad director of AGETA (The Ahmedabad Goverment Employers Tennis Association) Tennis Academy says that he is confronted by parents, who want their wards to be turned into another Sania. He promises them good facilities and good exposure to the technical aspects of the game. After the recent spate of good performances by Sania, admissions in the academy, especially of girls, have gone up. Tennis is looking up in the state and we need players like Sania, who can grab attention of the youngsters,’’ adds Prasad. The girls playing in the academy went ga-ga over Sania.
Gujarat starts river linking project
Saturday, September 10, 2005 | AY
As a part of river interlinking initiative of the Gujarat government, the Narmada waters were made to flow into the mythical river Saraswati in Sidhpur town of Patan district in the presence of religious leaders by the state Chief Minister. Mr Modi, seeking blessings of all the holy men gathered, assured the people that this sangam (merger) would help boost the economy of the region. Though officially no one is claiming it, but this event is seen as a major show of strength by Mr Modi as he had invited numerous senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders, none of whom turned up for the ceremony. In order to revive the mythical Saraswati river, the state government has lifted waters from Narmada, flowing largely through Bharuch district of south Gujarat, and diverted it to the north via hundreds of kilometre-long Narmada main canal. This project is part of the river interlinking project envisoned during the National Democratic Alliance regime. The state has so far interlinked about five rivers including Sabarmati, Mahisagar, Meshwo and Khari with Narmada.
US consulate general allows CM to apply for visit visa again
Saturday, September 10, 2005 | AY
Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was denied visa in 2004 by US authorities on human rights ground due to genocide in communal riots in Gujarat in March-2002, could now visit the US. US Consulate General Michael S Owen told journalists here that the US government is not apprehensive about Modi's visit to America but they have a human rights policy for granting an US visa to any tourist. However, Modi could reapply for US visa to visit USA. He said, during his three-day visit to Gujarat, which began yesterday, he had met several NGOs and human rights groups in Gujarat to take a view about post-riots condition in Gujarat. He also clarified that the US Government, people and businessmen have no apprehension of the people of Gujarat. In fact, in America, US citizens with Indian origin are led by Gujaratis with 36 percent of them. Even among Indian tourists visiting America, either for business or for study, maximum numbers are from Gujarat.
BioSyntech announces closing of private placement
Friday, September 9, 2005 | AY
BioSyntech, Inc. (TSX VENTURE:BSY) is pleased to announce the closing of the private placement of 7,500,000 common shares at a price of $0.80 per share by Nicholas Piramal India Limited ("NPIL"). The financing with NPIL will give them sufficient funds to reach all of our fiscal year 2006 targeted clinical trials milestones for BST-CarGel(R), BST-DermOn(TM) and BST-InPod(TM). BioSyntech is a biotechnology company specializing in the discovery, development and manufacturing of innovative cost-effective and physician-friendly therapeutic thermogels for regenerative medicine and therapeutic delivery. Nicholas Piramal India Limited is one of India's largest pharmaceutical companies, with strong brand management and sales capabilities, a FDA site-approved plant for on-and-off patent APIs and Intermediates. It is a leader in arthritis therapeutic market in India. It has R&D capabilities in Basic Research, Process Innovation, Custom Chemical Synthesis, Formulations R&D, NDDS, and also has a world-class accredited Clinical Research Organisation.
Apollo Hospital ties up with US-based cancer specialist
Friday, September 9, 2005 | AY
The city-based Apollo Hospital, in a tie-up with a US-based unit, is set to launch a radiation therapy unit in six months. The Bakersfield-based Comprehensive Blood and Cancer Center (CBCC) will help the hospital to set up the Intensity Modulation Therapy Unit by bringing in new equipment from the US. By bringing in the latest equipment, the cancer unit of the hospital will be one of the first centres in the country that will have comprehensive cancer care. The pin-pointed radiation therapy will make a big difference. Side effects in chemotherapy and general radiation therapy will decrease a lot.
Khurana ready for patch-up, wishes to meet Advani
Friday, September 9, 2005 | AY
Expelled Bharatiya Janata Party leader Madan Lal Khurana has expressed a willingness to continue serving the BJP as a “pujari,” and is ready to resolve the whole issue, after meeting former Prime Minster Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence today. Khurana further showed full faith in Vajpayee and hoped things would soon get back on track with Vajpayees support. He termed Vajpayee as “Krishna” and himself as “Arjuna.” Vajpayee yesterday termed Khurana's expulsion from the BJP as “unfortunate” and said that that he should been given another opportunity for clarification. Yesterday, Khurana had accused party President Advani of showing dictatorial attitude, and had called the BJP a “private limited company.” Earlier on August 22, the BJP veteran leader was served the show-cause notice seeking his explanation for his attack on party president L.K. Advani. Khurana had written a letter to Advani demanding the removal of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. He had asked the party president to clear the taint the party had suffered due to the Gujarat riots. There is a view now that the decision taken against Khurana has been hasty, and needs to be discussed at the “appropriate party forum.”
Gujarat to celebrate 2006 as Tourism Year
Friday, September 9, 2005 | AY
Gujarat will celebrate 2006 as the Year of Tourism, aiming to generate promote the state as a premier tourist destination. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating the legendary Tarnetar fair near Thangadh town of in Surendranagar district, about 190 km from here. While flagging off the "rural Olympics" games at the fair, Modi emphasised the need to promote the Indian traditional sports on a wider scale. More than 3000 youngsters from across the state were participating in the games organised by the state's sports authorities.
GV Films lands in Gujarat
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 | AY
Chennai based GV Films Limited had staged a re-entry into the film production and distribution business with major expansion plans lined up for southern India and Gujarat. The company would invest over Rs 100 crore in entertainment sector in Ahmedabad. Chairman of GV Films said that they had initially planned to have the project in Maharashtra but then zeroed in on Gujarat as it is a developing market and that they have substantial investor base from Gujarat. Of the total 50,000 shareholders of the company around 12,000 are Gujarati. It would be raising Rs 40.42 crore though a rights issue by issuing seven shares for every ten shares held. The funds will be used for developing multiplex and for production of 3D and Imax films. GV Films started production of a 3D television serial recently, which will be telecast on ETV. GV recently acquired exclusive rights of the technology from 3D of America to produce live 3D content in India.
Gujarat express halted in Mumbai after bomb scare
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 | AY
Passengers of a Gujarat bound-train were evacuated at a Mumbai station on Tuesday morning following a bomb scare that later turned out to be a hoax. All passengers on the Gujarat Express, on its way to Ahmedabad, were evacuated from the train at Virar station in north Mumbai following a telephone call warning that explosives had been planted on the train. Two dog squads, one from the Thane rural police circle and another from the RPF were called in to check the train. However, nothing was found. The train could resume only three hours later at 10 am.
Disaster awareness campaign launched
Tuesday, September 6, 2005 | AY
As part of a statewide Disaster Awareness Campaign, Vadodara-based Gujarat Safety Council tied up with the Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health and Brahmakumari Ishwariya Vishwavidyalaya to chalk out this state campaign. The seminar was initiated in Valsad and would cover 15 other locations before culminating at Ahmedabad on September 18. 1100 persons were invited from Nandesari, Savli and neighbouring industrial associations and employees of Civil Defence Force also attended this seminar in Vadodara. They are aiming for a holistic approach towards disaster management where even the common man can be involved. This initiative will make them understand the intensity of any man made or natural disasters and then bring about behavioural changes to mitigate the disaster.
NSUI uses advanced technological methods for election
Tuesday, September 6, 2005 | AY
Members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) wing of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) will use SMS and emails to kick start their campaign for student elections which will begin from September 22. Even as elections have been banned for a year at M S University, in Vadodara, students of VNSGU are gearing up to cast their votes for class representatives (CR) and faculty general secretary (FGS). Roll number, name and college of the candidates will also be sent through SMS asking for support. NSUI has formed a committee of 20 students which will try bridge the gap between students and principals. Though elections here are not as vibrant or as wide on a scale as that in some other universities, the student unions here are doing their best to woo voters.
Pakistani fisherman found in gujarat areas
Monday, September 5, 2005 | AY
Fourteen Pakistani fishermen were arrested and two of their boats seized last evening by the Indian security officials from Sir Creek area of Gujarat. Though nothing suspicious has been recovered from their possession, investigaiton is on to find out how and why they were in Indian territorial waters without permission.
Four mega projects by AMC
Monday, September 5, 2005 | AY
In an attempt to give a major facelift to the city, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has decided to launch four new projects. The projects are:- development of Kankaria Lake, integrated street development project, an employment scheme for slum youths "Ek MoukaUdaan" and a 100 per cent door-to-door garbage collection initiative. The Kankaria lake development project, tenders for which will be out by month end, aims to make Kankaria one of the major attractions in the city. The lake will be developed at a cost of Rs 6 crores. Under the integrated street development project, the AMC plans to build 120-km of roads in the city. The roads developed under the scheme will have unique and benchmarked arrangement for parking, carriage way, utility strip, central' verge and space for tree plantation, special arrangements for bus stands and pay and use toilet facilities. The employment skill development programme, aimed at underprivileged youth between the age group of 18 and 28 years, will impart basic life skills to enhance their personal and professional development. The AMC also plans to achieve 100 per cent target for door-to-door garbage collection in the month of September.' The AMC has achieved a 67 per cent target of door-to-door garbage collection so far and has appointed 639 agencies for the purpose.
Hope kept alive by Pakistani prisoners
Sunday, September 4, 2005 | AY
For 57 Pakistani prisoners lodged in Gujarat jails, September 12 could mean 'liberation'. The thaw in Indo-Pak ties and the recent Sarabjit Singh issue is set to change their fate. India and Pakistan agreed to release all civilian prisoners and fishermen who have completed their sentence by September 12, as per a diplomatic level agreement of August 30. Of these 57 from Gujarat, six will also be taken to Jaipur, to meet Pakistan consuls before they are handed back to their country. Of them, two who are illegal immigrants booked for other crimes in Gujarat, will have to be cleared by chief minister Narendra Modi for deportation. While the state authorities are sure about the 38 Pakistani fishermen lodged at the Bhuj jail, and the 13 in Jamnagar jail, extra care is being taken for these six persons, to verify the nature of their offences and checking their credentials to probe possible links with terrorist organisations, before okaying their release.
Self financed medical colleges faces trouble
Sunday, September 4, 2005 | AY
Over a thousand students who cleared the entrance test for self-financed medical and paramedical colleges in Gujarat this year have been left in the lurch after the Justice (retd) RJ Shah committee, looking into admissions and fees of these medical colleges, held the admissions "improper, illegal and invalid." The committee has advised universities not to enroll these students and not to forward the "bogus" list to the Medical Council of India and Dental Council of India. Shocked to be confronted by the irregularities in admission procedures committed by the self-financed institutions (SFI)s, Justice R J Shah Committee told that the admission process involved intimation of students through call letters, issuance of a public notice in two newspapers and intimation to the committee who would stand witness as observers. However, none of these conditions were followed by the SFIs. Admissions under the government quota are finalised by the joint admission committee for professional courses (JAC-PC) on merit basis (marks in class 12). Admissions under the management quota are given on the basis of merit list prepared after a common entrance test conducted by the selffinanced colleges association. Member-secretary of the committee SR Rao said the merit-based seats were filled in by criteria "unknown to the committee".
Technology doing wonders
Saturday, September 3, 2005 | AY
Thanks to a tech-savvy crematorium in Ahmedabad, that is equipped with internet-linkage, modern furnace and air-conditioned halls, technology has touched even the dead. Unlike a traditional crematorium, the eye-catching structure on Sarkej-Gandhinagar highway, having a huge idol of Lord Shiva as well as well manicured gardens, is architecturally aesthetic. This place has been developed by Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) and a city-based NGO. The Internet facility is appreciated by many as the relatives residing in distant places, particularly in foreign lands, can view the last rites of their loved-ones by linking on to the official website of the crematorium.
Parzania
Saturday, September 3, 2005 | AY
Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia, had decided to make a film on the subject og Gujarat riots, and has successfully completed it now. The film titled "Parzania" stars Naseeruddin Shah, Sarika and American actor, Corin Nemec. This songless movie which is based on a real life incident is about a Parsi family who find themselves in the turmoil that the riots caused. The film will be premiered at the Pusan Film Festival in October.
Welspun India plans expansion program
Friday, September 2, 2005 | AY
Welspun India Ltd on Thursday announced the expansion programme at Anjar, Kutch, Gujarat. The post quota scenario coupled with the booming demand in the home textile sector globally and the shrinking base of US and European textile manufactures, provides, an opportunity which the Company is poised to capitalize. The expansion shall involve State of the Art machinery to ensure quality and consistency comparable to global standards. The Company said that, as it already has infrastructure in place like land etc, the proposed expansion could start contributing to top line from 2nd quarter of the financial year 2006-07, thus reducing the project completion cycle significantly. With the proposed expansion the Company expects a significant boost in its top and bottom line as well as returns to stakeholders.
Modi faces left criticism
Friday, September 2, 2005 | AY
Gujarat assumed centrestage at the National Integration Council meeting here today, with Chief Minister Narendra Modi reiterating his party’s pet themes—uniform civil code and POTA-like laws—and Left leaders sharply attacking his failure to deliver justice to post-Godhra riot victims. CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat, recently inducted into the NIC, used the occasion to attack Modi and said it was the Centre’s responsibility to ensure justice for riot victims. Unfazed by the sustained criticism, Modi maintained that Gujarat was among the most peaceful states in the country with one of the lowest incidence of crime in the world. Modi also indicated it was not communalism but ‘‘terrorism’’ which was the biggest problem in Gujarat, and criticised the Centre for delaying approval of the Gujarat Control of Organised Crime Act (GUJCOC), which was passed by the State Assembly in July 2004. Modi also urged the Centre to take steps to evolve a uniform civil code and echoed the recent the RSS-BJP criticism of religion-based reservations.
IT firms trying to attract US markets
Thursday, September 1, 2005 | AY
With a view to attracting more business from the US, Indusa Infotech Services, an offshore software development unit in Gujarat, has achieved an international quality certification. Indusa Infotech, a subsidiary of the Chicago-based Indusa Technical Corp founded by Kamlesh Shah, achieved 'level 4' on the capability maturity model (CMM) developed by Carnegie Mellon University's Software Engineering Institute. The CMM model is considered as the highest quality benchmark in the software industry worldwide. While there are 100-odd firms with CMM certification of various levels in India, Indusa is the first in Gujarat to achieve the 'level 4' certification.
Helmets compulsory while riding
Thursday, September 1, 2005 | AY
Helmets became compulsory for all two-wheeler riders in Gujarat from Thursday following a directive from the Gujarat High Court. While the rule had been in force for national highways and other highways in the state, it became valid across the state Thursday. Wearing the helmet is mandatory for all, including pillion riders, though women and children are exempted. The Sikh community, for whom wearing turbans is a religious practice, has also been exempted. The new rule has created a demand for more than 300,000 helmets in this city alone and there are just not enough readily available in the market. Though an ISI certification of quality was mandatory, many purchased inferior quality helmets to avoid a fine of Rs.50.
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