Gujarati News: October 2005

'Gujarat Samachar' Press catches fire
Monday, October 31, 2005 | AY

'Gujarat Samachar' Press in the Khanpur locality caught fire this afternoon which caused extensive damage to the printing machines and the building. About 120 firemen doused the fire after nearly three hours with the help of two emergency tenders and 18 water tankers. It would take at least another 8-10 hours to completely extinguish the embers. It apparently spread from the basement, where the inflammable newsprint rolls and highly explosive printing ink were stored. 'Gujarat Samachar' is one of the largest vernacular dailies published from Ahmedabad and other centres.

Surat and Saurashtra under close watch
Sunday, October 30, 2005 | AY

Surat and Saurashtra are under focus by Vigilance department of the Gujarat Urja Vikas Limited GUVNL), to curb theft that occurs here. These two regions are one of the worst when it comes to illegally tapping into electricity or tampering with the meter and other malpractices. Last week the officials had targeted and detected a number of theft cases worth Rs 47 lakh. Officials found four cases theft, 19 cases of malpractice and 16 cases where the meter had been tampered with to slow it down. The officials added that they have so far found the maximum number of theft cases in places like Puna Kumbhariya, Bamroli, Dindoli and Limbayat.

BJP sweeps panchayat elections
Saturday, October 29, 2005 | AY

Gujarat's ruling BJP on Friday registered a major victory over Congress in district, Taluka Panchayats and Nagarpalika elections held on October 25. In elections for 49 Nagarpalikas across the state having a total of 1,737 seats, BJP won 977 seats while Congress managed only 410 seats. Independent candidates won on 319, other parties bagged 18 seats while results for 16 seats are yet to be declared. The result of Valsad district Panchayat is tied with both BJP and Congress winning 14 seats each. In elections held for 209 Taluka Panchayats, BJP has won 136 while Congress won 70 Panchayats. Janata Dal (U) won two of the Panchayats while result for one Taluka Panchayat is yet to be declared. The victories are a boost for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who was facing a rebellion within his own party.

Smriti escapes from a car fire
Friday, October 28, 2005 | AY

Well-known television artiste and aspirant politician, Smriti Irani, escaped unhurt when a car in which she was travelling in accidentally caught fire on the Nadiad-Vadodara express highway yesterday. Smriti, famous for her role in the popular soap `Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, was returning from Nadiad after visiting the Santram Temple there when the mishap occurred. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Haren Pathak from Ahmedabad was also accompanying Irani. All the persons travelling in the car escaped unhurt, police added.

IIM-A has new course to offer
Friday, October 28, 2005 | AY

A new one-year post graduate programme for management executives (PGPX) at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, for which 94 per cent of the candidates were sent the admission offers, accepted it. The PGPX course is designed to train a candidate in management and leadership qualities in the global arena. A programme of this kind has been launched after a gap of 25 years at IIM-A. The fees for the course has been fixed at Rs 8 lakh for this year.Out of the 71 admission offers sent to the candidates, 67 of them showed their willingness to join the course.

Ban on slaughtering cows upheld by SC
Thursday, October 27, 2005 | AY

The Supreme Court today upheld a 1994 ban on cow slaughter imposed by the then Congress government in Gujarat. The High Court had held that the government order imposed unreasonable restrictions on the fundamental rights of some petitioners who were involved in the trade. Modi said that, our Constitution provides for cow protection. Mahatma Gandhi also used to advocate it. But unfortunately it (ban on cow slaughter) was not done due to vote bank politics. The Gujarat Government had banned it and they are victorious today. He said the verdict was "very significant" for those who love the cow and believe in non-violence and "it would have a major impact on our national life." He demanded that the Centre and state Governments immediately ban cow slaughter "as provided in the Constitution and as desired by the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi."

IT market in low profile this month
Tuesday, October 25, 2005 | AY

Surat IT markets is experiencing a fall in sales this month. The dealers are generally attributing it to lack of money in circulation due to the recent boom in the stock market. Even though it is festive time with Diwali and Eid round the corner, sales have failed to pick up. Overstocking as well as investments in stocks has resulted in reduced money circulation. Apart from the stock market, another factor impacting the sales is the city's textile industry, which is in a poor shape. The sluggish market has already started affecting the prices. Prices of HDDs and RAM have come down by up to 5 percent to 10 percent in the last 20 days. Though prices of most of the other products are more or less stable, the dealers are complaining of low margins.

Dish Tv planning new strategies
Tuesday, October 25, 2005 | AY

Dish TV, a venture from the Essel Group, which also owns Zee Telefilms, plans to venture to the next level and introduce two new concepts – ‘Movies on Demand’ and ‘Digital Video Recording’. It is based on a pay-per-view basis. Viewers can book their choice of movie via SMS or a phone call and the movie will get activated in their set-top box for 24 hours. This concept is remarkably unique because on any satellite channel, movie timings usually stretch to more than fours hours due to advertising. However, in the pay-per-view model, the timings will be limited to the exact length of the feature film as there will be no ad breaks. Moreover, since it is digital, the quality of the transmission will be far superior. The movies will cost the viewers Rs 40 per view. Dish TV also has separate annual subscription tariff plans, one at Rs 3,990 for 75 channels and the other at Rs 4,990 for 130 channels. Currently, Dish TV has more than five lakh subscribers, of which 25 per cent is based in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Apart from these two ventures, Dish TV will also foray into gaming and interactive television in the next six months.

End of campaign for panchayats, local bodies' poll
Monday, October 24, 2005 | AY

Campaigning ended for the state-wide panchayat and municipality elections scheduled to be held on October 25. Elections will be held for 723 seats in 23 district panchayats, 3,735 seats in 209 taluka panchayats and 1,737 seats in 49 municipalities. There are 25 district panchayats, 225 taluka panchayats and 170 municipalities. The election is not being held in two district panchayats (Banaskanatha and Kheda), 16 taluka panchayats and 121 municipalites as their terms have not yet expired. In the outgoing local bodies, the Congress is in power in 18 out of the 23 district panchayats and 168 out of 209 taluka panchayats. On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident of repeating its performance in the just-concluded election to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), which it wrested from the Congress on October 15 last. Elections to five more municipal corporations, namely Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar, are scheduled to be held in mid-December, 2005.

New technology adopted by Gujarat for manufacturing tiles
Monday, October 24, 2005 | AY

A leading Chinese firm, Keda Industrial Company Ltd, has entered into an agreement with the city-based Specific Ceramics Ltd to provide latest technology and expand its business in Gujarat. Keda is the world's biggest company for producing polishing line tiles and also sets up complete ceramic plant. It recently opened its liaisoning office in Mumbai to offer better services in India. New technologies from China are not only user-friendly but also cost-effective. Gujarat is the biggest ceramics producing State in India and it was now adopting the Chinese technology for manufacturing tiles in a big way.

Satellite images reveal a channel through Gulf of Cambay
Wednesday, October 19, 2005 | AY

The study of satellite images post 2001’s Bhuj earthquake reveal a paleo channel in the Gulf of Cambay ending with obscure features resembling human settlements. The existence of a paleo channel, which hints at an ancient river course extending upto 250 km in the Gulf of Cambay with its mouth veered towards Saurashtra, hints at new possibilities. However, researchers are hesistant to link it with the mythical river Sarswati right now. But it does indicate the likelihood of a river course which could have supported a human settlement in the region. Traditionally, it is believed that the river Saraswati drained into the Arabian Sea its course ran via the Rann of Kachchh. Researchers explain the presence of a likely river which could have existed when the sea withdrew by 50 metres from an additional western shelf around the Gujarat coast. For about a period of 18,000 years ago to 4,500 years before the present time, the sea level decreased, wherein a civilisation could have evolved socially and intellectually. Two other finds that support the likelihood of a settlement are a distinct paleo channel with fortified settlement within the Rann of Kachchh and numerous channels that have appeared immediately after the Bhuj earthquake. Also, the discovery hinted by findings of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) off the Gulf of Cambay in the year 2003 also pointed to a likely township in the area.

Dukhiya Na Beli Bapa Sitaram
Wednesday, October 19, 2005 | AY

After over 10 weeks of shows with packed audiences, the blockbuster Gujarati film Dukhiya Na Beli Bapa Sitaram ( Bapa Sitaram: Savior of the Suffering ) will be coming to theatres outside India starting in December. Dukhiya Na Beli Bapa Sitaram is based on the life of the famous Hindu saint Bajrangdas Bapa ( Bapa Sitaram ) of Bagdana village in Gujarat. The miracles of Bapa Sitaram are very much known to the people of Gujarat. After not singing in a Gujarati film for over 25 years, esteemed Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar was convinced by award-winning music director Pankaj Bhatt to perform a bhajan for the film. Music lovers have been moved by the emotional bhajans, 'duas', vibrating garbas and Gujarati folk songs featured throughout the film. Roaring demand has caused stampedes at box offices throughout Gujarat, and has given rise to a black market for theatre tickets, a phenomenon never before experienced by the small Gujarati film industry. Dukhiya Na Beli Bapa Sitaram is produced by Bhupat Bodar and Nitin Topiya, and directed by K.Amar Solanki ( Danny ). The film stars veteran actor Shrikant Soni as Bapa Sitaram. The cast also includes actors Ragini, Deepak Gheevala, Devendra Pandit and Bhavini Jani.

Nutrition candy for children
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY

Millions of school children from poor families who get fed in schools by the government will get a nutritional candy that will help make up for their iron and vitamin deficiencies. Under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), the government has been providing since last year a lemon flavour candy with seven milligram of iron to about five million children in Bihar, West Bengal, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. Ideal for children over six years of age, this will be given to 14 million poor children. Micronutrient Initiative, a non-profit organisation, promotes food fortification through government programmes in countries in Asia, Africa and South America, where micronutrient malnutrition is most prevalent. An efficacy study done by the (New Delhi-based) All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has revealed that the candy reduces iron deficiency-induced anaemia substantially. Though the body needs only small quantities of nutrients like iron, folic acid and vitamins, they are essential for the proper development of the body, brain and the immune system. Anaemia in children below two years of age affects the brain development irreversibly. Lack of Vitamin A on the other hand not only leads to blindness in severe cases but also impairs the immune system.

Gujarat team for U-19 Vinoo Mankad Trophy
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY

Joint Honorary Secretary of Gujarat Cricket Association Hitesh Patel today announced a 15-member under-19 team for one-day Vinoo Mankad Trophy Tournament to be played at Mumbai from October 20 to 26. Gujarat will play their first match against Baroda on October 20. Following is the team: Jay Desai (captain), Sunny Patel, Kuldeep Gadhvi, Sankata Prasad, Rajdeep Darbar (wicket-keeper), Deep Patel, Rohit Dhaiya, Tatsat Brahmbhatt, Sahil Patel, Mohnish Parmar, Ishwar Chaudhary, Deepesh Bhandari, Vishal Mehta, Jatin Patel and Mandeep Makwana. They will clash against Saurashtra on October 21 and will play against Mumbai on October 24. Last match against Maharashtra would be played on October 26.

Ahmedabad Congress chief resigns
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY

The Ahmedabad city district Congress president, Rajkumar Gupta, submitted his resignation from the post on Sunday accepting moral responsibility for the party's debacle in the municipal corporation elections. The Congress, which was in control of the 129-member city civic body, was routed by the BJP securing only 32 seats. The remaining 96 seats went to the BJP and one to an independent. The resignation of Mr. Gupta, who was the city district unit president for more than two terms, would be considered later, the "acting" State unit president of the party, Arjun Modhvadia, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly, said.

Bids invited for 12 radio channels in Gujarat
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY

With a view to expand the FM Radio Service through a total of 338 channels in 91 cities across the country, Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has invited fresh bids for 12 new channels in Gujarat. Pre-qualification bids from Indian private agencies should reach the ministry by November 7. The Indian companies may utilise the present infrastructural facilities of Prasar Bharati towers. For Gujarat, the ministry has invited bids for five new channels for Ahmedabad, four for Vadodara and three for Rajkot.

Bird flu alert in Gujarat
Tuesday, October 18, 2005 | AY

The Indian government has warned the Gujarat government against suspected carriers of the dreaded bird flu virus. The central government has alerted the state animal husbandry department to watch out for birds especially from Southeast Asia and China. Three main species of migratory birds, namely the Bar-headed Geese, the Large Cormorant and the Large Black-headed Gull are believed to be the main carriers of the disease. The three identified species migrate from Central Asia to Gujarat during winters. Gujarat, with 20 wetlands and big bird sanctuaries, is a preferred breeding ground for migratory birds mainly from the central Asia. More than 60 people have died due to the H5N1 strain of bird flu in the Southeast Asia since 2003.

Ahmedabad municipal poll crucial for Modi
Wednesday, October 12, 2005 | AY

The elections to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to be held on Thursday are crucial to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Modi has been campaigning in this city for his BJP candidates by addressing street meetings at day and visiting Navaratri garba venues during nights. In the last AMC elections held in 2001, the Congress secured 65 seats as well as support from five independents. The BJP got 59 seats in the 129-member house. Modi has attacked the Congress governance of Ahmedabad city by calling it a "Mughal empire", referring to Congress mayor Anisa Mirza as 'Begum' and calling upon people to renounce the "1,200-year-old slave mentality". The Congress is banking on visits by Govinda, a film star and MP, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh and Textile Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela to turn the tide. Unfortunately for the BJP, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have refused to canvass for it. The campaign has become so charged that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is calling it a "semi-assembly" election.

Gujarat Ambuja wins Asian CSR award
Tuesday, October 11, 2005 | AY

Gujarat Ambuja Cement Ltd has bagged the Asian Corporate Social Responsibility Award (Asian CSR) 2005 for an initiative for corporate sustainable development. The awards were categorised under 5 different heads namely, support and improvement of education, environmental excellence, poverty alleviation, small company CSR and best workplace practices. The Asian CSR Awards is Asia’s premier Awards program on corporate social responsibility. The program recognizes and honours the companies for implementing outstanding CSR programs and the initiatives taken by the company to demonstrate leadership, sincerity and on-going commitment in incorporating ethical values, compliance with legal requirements, respect for individuals, communities and the environment into the way they do business. Gujarat Ambuja said that, it has won this award in the ‘Environment Excellence’ category for the company’s contribution in water conservation, land conservation, maintaining eco-friendly environment, energy conservation, resource conservation, waste management, air-pollution control, etc. The company has adopted environmentally sound technologies and management practices for optimum utilization and conservation of natural resources. Gujarat Ambuja has a concern for environment and believes that “Better Environment Means Better Profit”.

22 centres for monitoring seismic activity
Monday, October 10, 2005 | AY

Gujarat government has decided to set up 22 centres in the state for monitoring seismic activities. At present 22 sophisticated seismographs and 40 strong motion acclerographs equipment from Switzerland are being tested at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee. They will be installed at these 22 centres, which are expected to be operational by the end of this year. It is the first-of-its kind integrated system being installed in the state covering Kutch, Saurashtra, East, West, North and South Gujarat. These centres will monitor seismic activities all over the state round-the-clock, which will continue to supply their data to central date system at Gandhinagar that will pass them to IMD (Indian Metrological Department) at Delhi.

Scientists explains the cause of an earthquake
Sunday, October 9, 2005 | AY

Earthquakes cannot be predicted but scientists say they can make educated guesses about where they may occur. Scientists also say that despite repeated warnings people continue to compromise on safety norms. Earthquakes, one of Nature's most destructive forces for human life and property, are very distinct. It is a phenomenon that occurs when the tectonic plates in the Earth's surface collide against each other. On an average, these plates move a few inches a year – either on land or under the seabed. Two different plates can hit and slide against each other sideways or they can also push against each other. When tectonic plates push against each other, one plate ends up going under the other. While this movement is gradual and may take millions of years, sometimes the built up pressure is released in the form of an earthquake. Scientists studying the tectonic plate movement and other data have divided India into four separate zones based on the likelihood and intensity of an earthquake that could hit these areas. The Northeast states, Srinagar and Bhuj are placed in Zone Five, which is prone to maximum risk and damage in an earthquake.

Tremors felt in Gujarat
Sunday, October 9, 2005 | AY

Mild tremors rattled parts of Gujarat on Saturday, though there were no reports of any damage to life or property in the 25 districts of the state. The tremors brought back images of the 2001 earthquake in Kutch and other parts of the state. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has offered help to Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, which bore the brunt of Saturday’s quake. In a letter sent to Pakistan high commission in Delhi, Modi has offered to help in conducting relief work in Pakistan from where reports of large-scale damage are coming in. Meanwhile, state revenue Minister Kaushik Patel told PTI that no damage or loss of life has been reported for any of 25 districts of the state. Patel said that control rooms in the state have been alerted.

Vadodara garba against disco-dandiya
Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY

When disco-dandiya and hindi remixes are fast gaining ground in cosmopolitan cities, India's garba capital-- Vadodara - still continues to successfully hold onto its traditional style and flavour. A couple of years ago, there was an abortive attempt by bollywood singer Bali Brahmabhatt to make an inroad into Vadodara with disco-dandiya. But the programme organised at the Akota stadium flopped following a poor turn-out. And, thereafter neither any artiste nor group ever dared to challenge Vadodara's traditionality during Navratri. Unlike in Ahmedabad and other cities of Gujarat where the revellers dance in small circles, Vadodara guys and girls dressed in traditional Chaniya-choli and other outfits, usually dance in a huge circular formation in reverence to goddess Ambaji. The basics of the dance are singing, stepping and clapping (taali) rhythmically while going round the idol of the goddess installed at the centre of large garba grounds.

Branding still preferred over medicines
Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY

In the 21st century Gujarat, which is rigorously promoting medical tourism, there still are areas like Vaghad in the eastern part of Kutch, where people still prefer branding (burning body part with red-hot iron) over quinine for treatment of malaria. Even children are not spared. Branding is common in Koli community which dominates the region. And not just malaria, branding is considered the best solution for even pneumonia and meningitis. Since decades, now people in Bhachau and Rapar have been approaching a local Bhuva, as they can afford their charges. Suffering from malaria, a child got the branding done on his abdomen. As a result, his haemoglobin level plummeted from normal 14 g/dl to 2 g/dl. They do not realise branding only worsens the condition of the patient. It forms pus and leads to infection, thus lowering the resistance capacity of the patients.

Students in a fix over SC ruling
Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY

Thousands of students are in a fix after the Supreme Court (SC) ruling which stated that all study centres affiliated to a distant university are illegal. During a recent drive of the state education department, study centres affiliated to different distant universities had escaped action by stating that they had received recognition from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and had applied for NOC from local universities. But the apex court has stated that such "arms" of the university can not function beyond the territorial jurisdiction of the parent institution. Sources in the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University in Surat admit that there are about four such centres running in the city, including one affiliated to Sikkim-Manipal University. There are about 150 students who enrol every year for different courses in Sikkim-Manipal run centre. In Ahmedabad, too, explanations are ready and varied. While the Sikkim-Manipal University says that the verdict applies only to universities in the northern states of UP and Bihar, National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD), affiliated to Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu, says they do not run professional courses.

ImaGem opens grading centre in Surat
Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY

ImaGem Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of the US-based ImaGem Inc, has opened its diamond grading centre in Surat. The fully automated centre offers integrated diamond grading services, and is the first facility of its kind in Asia. Compared to the manual grading system followed by other grading agencies, the ImaGem system was fully automated. The system offered high repeatability on all measures, including colour, clarity and light behaviour, and allowed users to track the diamonds internally and around the world, without the need for an inscription. The grading centre utilised ImaGem's patented diamond grading technology to measure a diamond's light behaviour performance in terms of brilliance, intensity and sparkle, the 4 Cs of cut, clarity, carat and colour, and offer grading reports on them.

Modi launches 'Jansampark Rathyatra'
Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY

Launching his 'Jansampark Rathyatra' to woo voters for the civic elections in the city scheduled for October 13, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today accused the Congress of "failure", both at the Centre as well as in the city municipal corporation. The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre has itself designated Gujarat as the number one state, which is an indication of the commendable work done by the state government. He added that once BJP is voted to power in the AMC, even Ahmedabad will become number one city in the country.'' Modi's yatra is part of his aggressive campaign for the Municipal elections. Even those BJP leaders who had opposed Modi in Gujarat, are campaigning for the party. Leaders like Keshubhai Patel and others have been asked by the party to help during the elections. The Municipal elections in the city will be followed by panchayat elections in the state.

Gujarat Inds plans share issue for power project
Saturday, October 8, 2005 | AY

India's state-run Gujarat Industries Power Co. Ltd. plans to raise 2.75 billion rupees through a fresh issue of shares to finance a 250-MW power project in Gujarat. The company plans to develop a captive lignite mine next to the power plant near Surat at an estimated 14.48 billion rupees. The issue opens on Oct. 13 and closes on Oct. 19. The project, part of the company's expansion programme, will be financed with a debt equity ratio of 75:25. The company operates three power plants with a total generation capacity of 555 MW in Gujarat.

Leptospirosis takes the life of 61 people
Wednesday, October 5, 2005 | AY

With 14 more deaths in just a week's time due to suspected killer disease leptospirosis, the death toll during the current season has risen to 61. During the current monsoon season 35 deaths were reported from Surat district, followed by 19 deaths from Navsari and seven from Balsar districts respectively. Leptospirosis, the water-borne disease, is contracted when some open wounds in a human body come in contact with water contaminated with the urine of stray animals such as rats, pigs, dogs and cats. Last monsoon, the killer disease had claimed 84 lives here.

VHP, RSS not to back BJP during elections
Wednesday, October 5, 2005 | AY

The BJP suffered a jolt yesterday when the VHP and the RSS decided not to campaign for the ruling party in the civic and panchayat elections being held throughout Gujarat later this month. VHP leader Dilip Trivedi told that his organisation which had a mass following in the state would support only that party which promised to turn India into a Hindu nation. He also added that, with a person like L.K. Advani at the helm, they have little hope of realising this goal. BJP emerged triumphant in the 2002 assembly polls due to an aggressive campaigning by the one million VHP and RSS volunteers who created a Hindutva wave with door-to-door canvassing and distribution of explosive publicity material.

Kutch Sharadotsav from October 16
Tuesday, October 4, 2005 | AY

With a view to boosting tourism in the state, the Gujarat Government will organise a mega show in the culturally-colourful district of Kutch this month. The three-day event, ''Kutch Sharadotsav'', will be held from October 16 to 18 to coincide with ''sharad purnima'' night on a sprawling Rs 2 crore specially set up typical Kutch village, nearly 30 kms from Bhuj in the Rann of Kutch near Loria village. The traditional mud hutments with thatched roof, locally known as ''Bhungis', have been constructed at the festival site. The different communities like ''Rabari'', ''Sodha'', ''Mutva'' and ''Jat'' will be shown performing all daily activities like milching of cows, churning of butter milk, cooking food and knitting embroidery in the especially set up village. Kutch artisans, famed for their crafts like weaving, block printing, tie and dye, pottery wood carving and different styles of embroidery and leather work, will demonstrate their art and exhibit and sell their products. The visitors will also get a glimpse of the traditional painting known as ''Kamangari'' Art, another archaeological site near Bhadreshwar temple excavated by the Japanese and a fossils collection found in the Jurassic Sandstone.

Laptop majors to showcase wares at mobility 2005
Tuesday, October 4, 2005 | AY

Leading laptop manufacturers like Compaq, IBM, Toshiba, HP and Sony have confirmed their participation in Surat Information Technology Association's (SITA) Mobility 2005 exhibition, which is scheduled to be hold from October 2-4 in Surat. This year the exhibition will focus on laptops. The main objective of this show is to create awareness among the people toward the companies making laptops as well as pull and attract the resellers into selling of laptops in C class cities. The laptop market is coming up in Surat as more and more desktop users are converting to laptops. Also the entry-level laptops have become very cheap and are available at Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000.

Gandhi memorials to be made heritage centres: Reddy
Monday, October 3, 2005 | AY

Gujarat paid rich tributes to the Father of Nation on his 136th anniversary by hosting a number of functions at his birthplace at Porbandar, at Ahmedabad. In several parts of the State, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday was celebrated as ''Retia Baaras'', the twelfth lunar day in the month of Bhadar. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Jaipal Reddy flew down to Porbandar to attend an all-religion prayer meeting at Mahatma's birthplace at Kirti Mandir. Mr Reddy said the Centre planned to convert a number of memorials for the Mahatma in India and also in Pakistan, as heritage centres at a cost of Rs 25-crore. He said talks are on with his Pakistani counterpart in this regard. Three memorials are proposed to be set up in Gujarat alone, at Porbandar, Ahmedabad and Dandi. Dandi is famous for the Mahatma's salt satyagraha.

New techniques in asking for votes
Monday, October 3, 2005 | AY

With stakes high for both BJP and Congress in the forthcoming civic polls, both parties are planning a major publicity through various mediums. The plans range from sending MMSes and SMSes to voters, screening short films on party manifesto in group meetings and showing slides in multiplexes with short political messages. The MMS would have Modi's brief address to people requesting them to vote for his party. The Congress, too, is getting its act together and is getting a 10-minute short film shot, called 'Megacity Ahmedabad', which would talk about various future development projects. The party has also plans to engage an agency to send SMSes to voters in various wards. Then there are ring tones with political messages which are being recorded and will be discreetly forwarded to people free of charge.

Gandhi based painting exhibition held in Ahmedabad
Sunday, October 2, 2005 | AY

With Mahatma Gandhi's 136th birth anniversary observed today, Ahmedabad based Prem Raval has organised a painting exhibition based on Gandhi's magnum opus "Experiments with Truth". According to Raval, who is holding his 88th exhibition, the present generation of Indians really have no connection to or with Gandhi, the Father of the Nation, and therefore, he felt that an exhibition on the man, would serve as an appropriate reminder of his contribution to India's freedom struggle against British rule, as well as give an idea about the principles he (Gandhi) lived by for most of his 78 years. In this exhibition the artist has attempted to portray the life of Gandhi through effective colours. Even youngsters can get inspired by the Gandhi themed paintings.

Two leopards escaped from zoo
Sunday, October 2, 2005 | AY

Two leopards escaped from a zoo in Junagadh town of Gujarat through a breach in the enclosure where they were kept. Details regarding how the gate was damaged are yet to be investigated and the authorities suspecting a foul-play has filed a police complaint in this regard. The leopards were in their prime, about seven years old and had fled late last night.

Indian scientist not agreeing with Canadian tsunami expert
Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY

Scientists at the National Geophysical Research Institute, the nodal agency for monitoring earthquakes, discounted the warning of an India-born Canadian Tsunami expert that a possible Tsunami in the Arabia Sea this year-end may target parts of Gujarat and Mumbai on the Western coast. There is yet no technology available anywhere in the world to predict earthquakes. Tsunami occurs when the epicenter of an earthquake is beneath an ocean. Tad Murthy said that the first-known major Tsunami occurred in the Bay of Bengal in August 1883 followed by another in November 1945 in the Arabian Sea. The third Tsunami occurred in the Bay of Bengal in December 2004 and the next one is likely to occur in the Arabian Sea. After an earthquake in the Gulf region on August 26 this year, waves rose five metres consistently for a distance of six kilometers in the Gujarat coastline. So, if a Tsunami occurs, then Mumbai and Gujarat could be the targets.

Surat to have an air-conditioned dome for the festival
Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY

Gujarat has come up with novel ideas in the past to celebrate the nine-day -long Hindu festival of Navratri. Navratri (nine nights) festival, celebrated twice in a year, during the spring and autumn season, symbolises the triumph of good over evil. In Surat, an air-conditioned dome covering an area of 30,000 square feet is under construction for the celebration, which is just around the corner. The dome will provide an estimated 20,000 square feet for dancers to perform the Garba and Dandiya dances, which form an important part of the festivities in Gujarat. In keeping with an order of the Supreme Court banning loud speakers the dome has been made sound proof. The dome has a capacity for 7,000 dancers and 5,000 seats. Dandiya is a traditional dance of the Gujarati community performed with sticks. Besides the air-conditioned dome, the festival will also be celebrated at a fully air-conditioned indoor stadium which has a seating capacity of 7000. A budget of 12.5 million rupees ($ 284,026 ) has been fixed for the programme to be organized at the Indoor Stadium and 7.5 million rupees ( $ 170,415 ) will be used for the construction of the dome, a first of its kind in Surat.

EC declares panchayat polls
Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY

The state EC on Friday announced that the election for 49 municipalities, 27 district panchyats and 209 taluka panchyats will be held on October 25. A notification for the election will be issued on October 6, while the last date for filing of nomination forms will be October 10. The last date for withdrawal of nomination forms will be October 14. Further, even as confusion over the Vibrant Gujarat Navratri festival celebrations in Gandhinagar continues the state government has decided to go ahead with the festival in spite of model code of conduct coming into force from Friday. State election commissioner Ashok Bhatia said the EC has received complaints against the garba festival being organised by the state government at Gandhinagar.

IIM-A aiming to go global
Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY

The Board of Governors at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad held a meet to review existing plans to take the institute forward and make it globally more acceptable. Infosys Chairman N R Narayana Murthy, RIL Chairman Anil Ambani, IIM-A Director Bakul Dholkia and other members of the board met for about three hours at the campus. IIM-A Director Bakul Dholakia said, that for overseas programmes, they are concentrating on the South East Asia and Middle East countries at the moment. He added that several new programmes have also been planned including the International Management Development Center (IMDC) IMDC which will house the one-year post-graduate programme (PGP-X) for executives with substantial work experience. Another post-graduate programme in Public Management and Policy (PGP-PMP) was announced. It will be launched in April, 2007. This one-year progamme, is for bright and motivated mid-career administrators, government officers and professionals of NGOs who intend to take up top level positions in public management and policy. Murthy said that, going global is a journey. Their aspiration is to become one of the top three management schools in the world in the next ten years.

Hike in vegetable prices
Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY

Gujarat residents are facing a tough time as vegetable prices have shot up by 100-500 per cent after the second round of torrential rains in the state. The prices of most green vegetable have crossed Rs 50 per kg, while the normal rates are less than half of current prices. While spinach is now selling at Rs 50 a kg, cauliflower comes at a steep Rs 60 rupees per kg. Vegetable vendors say the hike is inevitable, as the supply of vegetables has come down by 50 per cent. The rains have either completely destroyed the crops or left very little for sale, and customers and vendors are now waiting for the government to intervene and control the situation from escalating further.

Pavilions to boost Gujarat tourism
Saturday, October 1, 2005 | AY

To attract tourists during the upcoming Navratri Festival, the Gujarat Government will set up theme pavilions showcasing the State's rich folk culture and tradition. An exhibition-cum-stall will also be erected to focus on the development of the Gujarat tourism. At theme pavilions, highlight will be on various facets of medical, heritage, eco and adventure tourism, besides focussing on Sardar Sarovar Project and State's rich tribal cultural. In all 12 theme pavilion and 250 stalls will be erected at the Government-sponsored 'Vibrant Navratri Festival' beginning at the Helipad Ground here from October 3.