Monthly Archives: March 2015

Allahabad:New technique to consume less wood for cremation

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment
Allahabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) plans to cut down the use of wood for the last rites for making the cremation ghats eco-friendly.
Allahabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) plans to cut down the use of wood for the last rites for making the cremation ghats eco-friendly.

Allahabad :

Allahabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) plans to cut down the use of wood for the last rites for making the cremation ghats eco-friendly.

For this, AMC has hired a New Delhi based agency. Giving details about the plan, environmental engineer, AMC, Sanjeev Pradhan, said, “We have made a plan for the modernization of the cremation ghats at Phaphamau, Daraganj and Rasoolabad. The new technique, developed by the agency, utilizes only 40 per cent of the woods used for performing last rites. The less consumption of the wood will also help in reducing the air pollution.”

He further added that for performing last rites, a platform will be constructed at the cremation ghats of Phaphamau, Daraganj and Rasoolabad. The bodies will be kept on these constructed platforms and then wood will be used in accordance with the technique.

A DPR (detailed project report) has been prepared and an estimate of about Rs 5.25 crore has also been made for the modernization of the cremation ghats. The modernization of cremation ghats has also received a shot in the arm as the State government has released an amount of Rs 1860.82 lakh for the development of cremation ghats in the entire state and AMC is also expected to be given some amount out of this fund.

The above amount is the first installment of the total amount of about Rs 3,721.65 lakh that has been sanctioned by the state government for the modernization of the cremation ghats.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Allahabad / by Ashraf Jamal, TNN / March 20th, 2015

Tunes unheard…

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders
Sarod Maestro Pandit Rasik Behari Lal (October 12, 1929 – December 4, 1960)
Sarod Maestro Pandit Rasik Behari Lal (October 12, 1929 – December 4, 1960)

Pandit Mukesh Sharma talks to Anjana Rajan about the special music of his father sarod exponent, Pandit Rasik Behari Lal.

The absence of any chronological predictability shrouds the undeniable fact of our mortality in a haze of mystery. No matter the technical strides made by human beings, the tragedy of an untimely demise is no less today than, say, two centuries ago. The difference, though, is that now we have the means to keep recordings and photographs of those who leave this world. In the case of sarod maestro Mukesh Sharma, it is technology that helped him gain the benefit of the unique musicality of his father, Pandit Rasik Behari Lal, even though death took him away just months before the birth of his son.

Pandit Rasik Behari was employed at All India Radio, Lucknow, and was renowned for his brilliant playing. “His versatile and aesthetic perception of the sarod enabled him to touch most profound depths of this instrument,” says Sharma.

Along with soulful rendering of the raga, purity of style, imagination and a technique that blended the elements of the gayaki ang (a style approximating to vocal rendering) and layakari (instrumental rhythmic patterns), he pioneered a difficult technique of playing two octaves together, says Sharma, who is in possession of a number of concert recordings of his father. “During the 1940s and ’50s, he played in a manner no one else was playing,” he notes. “His recordings are still regularly broadcast over the radio.”

In the coming week, Sharma, a well travelled instrumentalist himself, is presenting a musical evening under the aegis of his organisation, the CommuneGlobus Art Foundation, in memory of his father. Named “Parampara”, the event features a duet by Shubhendra Rao (sitar) and Saskia Rao De Haas (cello) and a sarod recital by Pandit Brij Narayan. Tabla accompaniment will be by Shailendra Mishra and Gyan Singh. To be inaugurated by eminent vocalist Pandit Tejpal Singh, the event also includes an art exhibition by Bhaswati Boruah, Turaeva Shahlohon Tina, Renu Gupta and Mukesh Jwala.

Sharma himself will not be performing. Trained under his grandfather Pandit Ram Gopal, and later under Pandit Suprabhat Paul and Dr. Ramaballabh Mishra, he is best known as a disciple of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, with whom he studied in the guru-shishya tradition for 12 years, as well as of Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj. As Sharma describes the atmosphere in which his father was nurtured, one gets a sense of the great artistic crucible that was the Lucknow of those days and of the weighty lineage he has inherited through history and his genes.

Pandit Rasik Behari, born on October 12, 1929, was the son of Pandit Ram Gopal, an eminent sitar exponent of Lucknow and a professor at the famous Bhatkhande Music College. A disciple of the great sarod maestro Ustad Sakhawat Hussain Khan Saheb of the Shahjahanpur gharana, Rasik Behari had his initial training under great maestros in varied fields. These included Pandit Ratan Jayankar, renowned vocalist, Pandit Sakha Ram the famous pakhawaj exponent and Pandit Shambhu Maharaj the great Kathak maestro.

“Great artists were living in Lucknow at that time,” recounts Sharma. “My father worked with Pandit Ravi Shankar ji who was a producer at AIR and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Saheb who was a staff artist.” He adds that iconic violinist Pandit V.G. Jog, who was teaching at Bhatkhande, and Pandit Gajanan Rao Joshi from AIR were also part of his father’s circle, as were Pandit Birju Maharaj, then a young man receiving his training from his uncles, and the celebrated Begum Akhtar, ‘Malika-e-Ghazal’.

“There was also Pandit Dhruv Tara Joshi, who helped train Ustad Vilayat Khan sahib after the death of Ustad Enayat Khan when Vilayat Khan sahib was very young,” adds Sharma.

On December 4, 1960, sarod maestro Pandit Rasik Behari Lal succumbed to a heart attack at the age of 31.

(The programme takes place on March 31, LTG auditorium, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, New Delhi, 6.30 p.m.)

Great artists were living in Lucknow at that time…my father worked with Pandit Ravi Shankar ji who was a producer
at AIR and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Saheb who was a staff artist.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by Anjana Rajan / March 27th, 2015

All women bus service in Lucknow

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Travel

Lucknow :

After earning accolades for the introduction of the 1090 Women Powerline in the state, the UP Government seems to have its eyes set on making UP women-friendly . Come May and Lucknow, along with five other cities in the state, are going to see the introduction of an exclusive intra-city bus service for the fairer sex. Tentatively called Sakhi, the buses would ply on the city roads just like the regular ones, but would cater exclusively to the ladies.

“We are aware that women face a lot of hassles while commuting in the city . Keeping this in mind, we have decided to launch an intra-city bus service exclusively for women. In a month’s time, Lucknow, along with Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Meerut, Agra and Mathura would have their own bus service for the women. There are similar services running in many Indian cities including Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and other cities down South,” says Mukesh Meshram, Managing Director, Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation.

He adds, “The State Government has set up a Dedicated Urban Transportation Fund, which has a kitty of Rs 225 crore per annum. This money will be utilised for the procurement of new buses and improvement of infrastructure. The buses will be equipped with a vehicle tracking system, GPS and CCTV cameras. The conductor would also be a lady , but the driver, for the time being at least, would be a male. We were hoping to find female drivers, but we are yet to find them. The search is still on,” says Meshram.

The UPSRTC launched a similar service on February 27 called the Pink Express. However, that service is inter-city , with the all-ladies luxury bus, equipped with WiFi, CCTV cameras and GPS, plying between Lucknow and Ghaziabad.Initially started as a weekly service, the Pink Express is now set to operate daily between Lucknow and NCR from April 1.

`WON’T MIND USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT NOW’: Young female students of the city , who were till now wary of travelling in public transport in Lucknow, let alone buses, are all praises for the introduction of an allladies bus service in the city . Says Nandini Singh, a second-year English Literature student at Amity University , “I generally avoid using public transport in Lucknow. To commute to college too, I use a private van, or sometimes ask my father to drop me. Basically , I’m not very comfortable with the idea of travelling in public buses or auto rickshaws. But yes, with the introduction of such a service, I won’t mind travelling in it.”

For Hitisha Goel, a student of Lucknow University , public transport wasn’t even a choice, but she feels that the allwomen bus service initiative will have more women opening up to the idea of using public transport. “I would normally not use buses or autos, but with a service like this, obviously there is a sense of security that will come in. I won’t mind sitting in a bus like this now,” says Hitisha.

`FINALLY A SAFE ALTERNATIVE’: For city women, no mode of public transport is 100 percent secure. But a service catering to just the ladies would definitely change things to a large extent. “I live in a hostel, so I have no option but to use public transport. Till now, I was using auto rickshaws because they’re relatively safer than buses. Only twice have I travelled in a bus in the city . But whether I’m in an auto or a bus, I have to cover my face with a dupatta all the time. Men just stare at you or in worse cases, even grope. So a facility like this is a blessing in disguise. I will definitely skip the autos and use this,” says Vatsala Pushpender, a thirdyear dentistry student at BBD University .

“People think that travelling on a rickshaw is safer than travelling in a bus, but I’ve experienced eve-teasing on a cycle rickshaw too. So in those terms, this bus service will definitely solve the purpose.But I just hope that they maintain a certain standard of hygiene in the buses, something which is absent in public transport,” says Anupriya Agarwal, an entrepreneur in her twenties.

`NO HAGGLING WITH THE AUTOWALLAHS’:Anurita Sinha, a third year English Honours student at Lucknow University , feels that the service will not only be safe, but also easy on the pocket. “I normally commute using auto rickshaws. This all-women’s bus service is definitely a brilliant idea. Obviously they will be much safer and cheap too, which autos in the city aren’t. The autowallahs charge an arbitrary amount and don’t go by the meter. I don’t travel by bus just coz of the safety factor, even though it’s extremely cheap. This service will really ease things out,” says Anurita.

Sadaf Zaidi, a first year student at Lucknow University, is also thrilled that there’ll be finally some respite from the autos. “So to say, the autos are private, but the drivers stuff so many people in one auto. In buses, even though there are specific seats reserved for ladies, men sit there and refuse to budge. So this will be a great relief,” says Sadaf.

`HOPE THEY MAINTAIN THE FREQUENCY’: Apurva Tewari, an engineer in her twenties, hopes that the service will have a high frequency for it be feasible. “I remember a similar service starting in Lucknow a couple of years ago, but since the frequency was very less, it was stopped.But the buses were always full. I hope this time they initiate the service with a high frequency of buses which have a fixed timetable. It’ll really reinstate my faith in public transport in Lucknow,” says Apurva, who has to turn towards auto rickshaws when using public transport. She adds, “Autos turn out to be very expensive, so it’s going to be feasible on that front too.”

“I hope these buses will ply at night also. That way , the problem of us travelling alone at night will be solved. It will instil a sense of security among girls,” shares Garima Singh, a second year Arts student at IT College.

source:http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Saloni Tandon, TNN / March 30th, 2015

IIT-K to demonstrate portable UAV today

Education, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Kanpur :

IIT-Kanpur would demonstrate its unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). It has been developed indigenously.

This portable UAV is light and does not require a runway. It can prove to be of immense help to police, army and other security agencies for patrolling in border areas. Traffic can also be monitored with its help. It can fly at a low height and help in tracking wildlife in jungles.

It can be carried in a bag. In its edition of June 8, 2014, TOI had published that IIT-K has been working on developing a UAV. It now stands developed. IIT-Kanpur director will remain present during the demonstration of UAV at the flight lab situated on the campus.

The UAV can take off by running for just 30 to 50 metres. It is capable to fly at a height of 2,000 metres and keep an eye in a radius of 150 kms.

The wings attached on both sides of UAV can be detached and kept in a bag to be transported anywhere. The UAV uses gasoline and solid fuel. It can stay in the air for 10 hours continuously. Two cameras for functioning during day and night are installed. It can carry a payload of around 12 kgs.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kanpur / by Abhinav Malhotra, TNN / March 27th, 2015

Not here to give up, says Agra’s 1st woman loco pilot

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Agra:

Hailing from Samastipur, Bihar, life for 23-year-old Sharda has been on the fast track since her completion of diploma in electrical engineering. She is the first woman assistant loco pilot (ALP) for an electric power run train in the Agra division of north central railway. There are four women ALPs in the team of 367 who ferry goods and express trains.

Sharda, who was on training for almost a year, now ferries passengers bound for New Delhi. On every alternate day, she assists her loco pilot for safe journey of passengers travelling in Agra-New Delhi intercity.

As an ALP, Sharda’s job is to check engine components and coordinate with control room for any emergency and technical snags.

Coming from a middle-class family of Bihar, Sharda says, “No one in my immediate family is working for railway but everyone is really supportive of me and my work.”

On her journey to the job, Sharda said, “After intermediate, I opted for electrical diploma, during my course I came across an interview of girl who hailed from Odisha and was the first ALP for her division. Since then, I had been aspiring to be one and now I am.”

“After clearing the entrance for the ALP post, my best friend Meenu Srivastava and I were trained and commissioned on the same day. At present, Meenu is an ALP at Tundla,” she said.

When questioned how does she feels for being the only woman to be ALP for electric run engine, she said, “Often, I’m been demotivated by some of my male colleagues. They say it’s a difficult job for woman, but I’m not here to give up. No job is difficult for a woman or for that matter to me.”

Like Sharda, there are three more women ALPs in Agra division. Yadav, Rinki Kumari and Pushpa Verma are working as ALPs in diesel engine trains.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Agra / by Arvind Chauhan, TNN / March 22nd, 2015

With right click, city photog clinches Rs 75L in Dubai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion

Lucknow :

A sudden splash of green amidst a riot of colours and perfect timing in taking the shot helped Lucknow Arts College passout Anurag Kumar bag a prestigious photography award that came with a cash prize of Rs 75 lakh.

“Holi celebrations at Nandgaon and Barsana (Uttar Pradesh) are attended by people from all over the world in large numbers and it is tough to get the perfect shot,” Kumar told TOI on telephone from Dubai, where he won the Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA). “I had spent a lot of time at the scene, when suddenly a man threw greenish blue colour on the riotous crowd. That is when I got my shot,” added the 29-year-old on the making of the coveted picture. Officials at his alma mater from where he passed out in 2011 are set to honour Kumar for bringing fame to the college and the country.

A native of Chauri Chaura in Gorakhpur district, Kumar pursued graduation and post graduation from Lucknow Arts College and had photographed the Nandgaon Holi scene as part of his travel photography portfolio. In the fourth edition of the Dubai competition, 60,000 photographs from 166 countries had been submitted. The award constituted by the crown prince of Dubai has brought Kumar the opportunity to prepare his photography paraphernalia and portfolio much more professionally. “After the ceremony, winning photographs were put up on display. Many Indians living in Dubai came up and told me how proud they were of me. At that moment it became not just my prize, but India’s grand prize,” he said. Learning photography under Bhupesh Little, it was the appreciation he got that motivated him to keep clicking.

“It is a proud moment for all us. Our students have received national and international accolades, but this one in photography is huge and the biggest so far,” said Arts College principal P Rajiv Nayan, adding, “Once Anurag is back, we will honour him for the achievement and organise interactive sessions with him and the current batch of students.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Yusra Husain, TNN / March 20th, 2015

Gaur Hari Singhania passes away

Business & Economy, Leaders
Singhania
Singhania

Kanpur : (PTI)

JK group chairman Gaur Hari Singhania passed away today following a heart attack.

Singhania (80) was also the president of JK Organisation and a promoter director of JK Cement Ltd since its inception in 1994.

A sports lover, he was the chief patron of Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association. He is survived by his son Yadupati Singhania.

He was cremated this afternoon at Bhagwat Das Ghat in the city.

Expressing his condolence, chairman and managing director of Jagran Prakashan Mahendra Mohan Gupta said Singhania was a true well-wisher of Kanpur city, where he was born on June 12, 1935.

“Gaur Babu not only promoted sports-related activities in Kanpur and the state but also participated in all industrial activities,” said Gupta, who is also the former president of the Merchant Chamber of Uttar Pradesh.

In the field of education, he contributed to various universities and had opened an university at Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Singhania held chairmanship in other companies, including Jaykay Enterprises, JK Cotton and JK Traders.

He served as the chairman of the Merchant Chamber of Uttar Pradesh and the Employers Association of Northern India. Apart from that, he was the founder chairman of the UP Stock Exchange and founder patron of the Associated Chamber of Commerce.

Singhania was a director in various corporations such as Pradeshiya Industrial Investment Corporation of Uttar Pradesh, UP State Industrial Development Corporation and Uttar Pradesh State Sugar Corporation.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta / Front Page> Business> Story / Thursday – February 05th, 2015

In Their Shoes: Can Agra’s leather industry regain its lost glory?

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All
A still from In Their Shoes
A still from In Their Shoes

In Their Shoes, Atul Sabharwal’s documentary on the leather industry of Agra, is making all the right noises. Atul reveals the idea which prompted him to go ahead with this documentary.

“I realised that my father was slowly nudging me out of the family business. The same was happening to my brother as well. My father is a man with a great foresight and he wasn’t happy with the current situation of the family business. He had this idea that it’s going to be a bad phase in future. When I assessed the entire situation, I came to the conclusion that there are certain issues which need the government’s attention,” says Sabharwal.

Sabharwal had already made a mega TV show Powder before directing the Arjun Kapoor-starrer Aurangzeb in 2013, but then he decided to trace his roots.

“See, Aurangzeb was the stepping stone in my career as a filmmaker. That happened and thus after it I decided to go with this documentary because it was also a quest to find answers to some personal questions.”

He further says, “I had some money saved from my fee as director from Aurangzeb. I invested that in ‘In Their Shoes’. I also did some writing assignments. The film was shot in 2013, so it kind of developed brick by brick. Also, the studio was very supportive. I made the film first. I got the first voices first and then later supported them with research during editing.”

There are hardly any filmmakers in Bollywood who go to documentaries after making a hardcore mainstream commercial film. Clearly, Sabharwal is not one of them. “The commerce of Hindi films is different, and making films just for the sake of making it was never my criteria. In my opinion, such constraints should never stop a filmmaker from doing a film of his or her choice.”

Agra is an integral part of In Their Shoes. Atul says, “Agra is very important in the film. Similarly, Mumbai was central in Powder and Delhi-NCR, in Aurangzeb. I was born and brought up in Agra, so it had to bear an impression on the film. There was a strong emotional connect as well.”

“Agra needs the government’s attention. Our shoe industry is getting killed due to the dumping of Chinese goods. It’s time to act to rebuild the age-old industry, especially when our honourable PM has announced the Make In India campaign,” adds Sabharwal.

(Interact with Rohit Vats at Twitter/@nawabjha)

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Entertainment / by Rohit Vats, Hindustan Times, New Delhi / March 16th, 2015

Lucknow University and Lucknow sub-chapter of TiE organise ‘My Story’

Business & Economy, Education, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion
(L-R) Simran Sahni, Rajesh Ramchandani and AK Mathur
(L-R) Simran Sahni, Rajesh Ramchandani and AK Mathur

The Department of Business Administration, LU, along with the Lucknow sub-chapter of TiE, an association of entrepreneurs, organised a seminar for college as well as school students, and budding entrepreneurs.

Titled, ‘My Story’, the event saw two successful entrepreneurs of the city, Rajesh Ramchandani and Pankaj Agarwal, addressing the gathering and sharing with them their journeys.

While Pankaj spoke about his experiences in the education sector, Rajesh narrated his remarkable journey from a small town boy to a globe-trotting industrialist. The speeches had their share of emotional as well as humorous moments, and were thoroughly appreciated by the audience.

The objective of the event was to inspire management students to take to entrepreneurship rather than pursue the time-honoured goal of getting a ‘good job’.

The event was well attended by students from LUMBA and other management institutes, as well as by members of Lucknow Management Association’s Young Managers Forum.

Sachin Sahni, member of TiE took care of the proceedings along with Khushal Bhargava. Prof Medhavi, the Head of the Department of Business Administration of Lucknow University also addressed the audience.

The event concluded with the students of a city school giving a presentation on entrepreneurship, led by their principal Dr Manjula Goswami.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Saloni Tandon, TNN / March 12th, 2015

Mourners’ merry memories of Meena Shah; Lucknow’s Padma Shri Shuttler Passes Away

Sports

Lucknow :

Her curly hair swayed and sari fluttered in the air as she rode down Hazratganj, on a bright green Vespa scooter, back in the 1960s. This is the picturesque memory of ace badminton player Meena Shah several Lucknowites shared on Tuesday, after she breathed her last, early morning following a cardiac arrest at a city hospital. She had just celebrated her 78th birthday on January 31. At a time women could not move out of the four walls of the house, Meena flicked her wrist effortlessly with a badminton racket in hand. Unmarried, the Muslim woman taught the game to three generations of her friends and their families.

An Arjuna awardee and Padma Shri recipient, Shah ruled the badminton circle for several years. Winner of the singles title in the Senior National Badminton Championships for seven years in a row (1959-1965), Meena was among the first Indian women in sports. She had also won the women’s doubles title thrice and the mixed double’s crown twice. Shah had also been conferred with the prestigious Uttar Pradesh Laxman Award.

“Meena and I have been friends since 1960 and since 1979 and I had been taking care of Baby as I used to call her fondly,” said Mauveen Shaw, who had been her support at their home in Qaiserbagh, recalling how Shah would help any stray animal. “I remember we saw an injured horse lying on the pavement around Parivartan Chowk area. Everyday both of us took grass from La Matiniere Girls College, where I taught and we fed the horse. For the next few days, every time the horse heard the scooter horn, it would neigh in response,” shared Meena’s closest friend. There were times Meena would forget to refuel the scooter and stranded till the next fueling station, they would drag the vehicle to the horse, added Shaw.

“We used to play gulli danda together at the Lalbagh grounds, even before we were coached by T N Seth for badminton around the same time,” said Shah’s childhood friend Ann Marie Kalra, adding, “With one agile movement of her wrist, she would make her opponent run across the entire court, running and gasping for breath, while she stood there smiling triumphantly.” Ann’s daughter Jaya Kalra said, “The scooter was called ‘Chhappan battees’ by everyone in the social circle, and she would always take along more than three people on it at a time. I remember the times when because of her illness in the later years, she would tie the shuttle to a thread on the clothes line and keep hitting at it. She could not walk without support at that time, but her love for the game was phenomenal. She taught everyone and children she loved most.”

Recalling the first time he saw Shah playing at the Asian Badminton Championship held in Lucknow, retired officer K K Bali said, “She was playing there with the likes of Nandu Natekar, Suresh Goel and if I remember correctly, Prakash Padukone. Her heavy frame never came in the way of her game. She had racy movement and fast reflexes.”

Mohammad Haider, head, legal and regulatory affairs in a private telecom major said, “I remember being taught by her in the badminton court outside her house. Her turns and technique were sharp.”

An admirer Rana Safvi recalled, “I had met her in school when I was in class VII. She was an icon, not just for budding badminton players, but for all women of that time.”


‘Loss for entire baddie frat’

President of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) Akhilesh Das Gupta condoled death of Padma Shri Meena Shah on March 10. Gupta said it was a loss not just for Lucknow but for the Indian badminton fraternity. General secretary Vijai Sinha informed that two minutes of silence were observed at BBD Uttar Pradesh Badminton Academy, as a tribute to the seven times senior national badminton champion.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Lucknow / by Yusra Husain, TNN / March 11th, 2015