Monthly Archives: February 2017

Lucknow boy wins Golden Beaver Award for documentary on psychopaths

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All
A 17-year-old boy from Lucknow has won the Golden Beaver Award for his documentary on psychopaths at the recently concluded 7th National Science Film Festival that was held in Kolkata.(Handout image)

A 17-year-old boy from Lucknow has won the Golden Beaver Award for his documentary on psychopaths at the recently concluded 7th National Science Film Festival that was held in Kolkata.

Last year, Aditya won the same award for his documentary ‘Ants: A Tiny Creature’.

“It is a thrilling experience to win an award for two years in a row,” Aditya, a class 12 student of Manipal Public School, said.

He received Rs 50,000 as prize money as part of the award in category D for films made by school students.

Brain’s Fault from Aditya Rahul on Vimeo.

“The documentary titled Brains Fault explains how the physical and biological condition of the brain makes a person criminal before his birth. These people are called psychopaths in medical science,” Aditya said.

“My documentary is an attempt to explain the reason behind psychopaths,” he said.

He added that the rising rate of crime in the country was a triggering point that motivated him to make this movie.

The 7 minutes 47 seconds documentary was produced, directed and shot by Aditya with an SLR camera. While Aditya also handled the cinematography and editing, he said his friends stepped in to lend their support in making this documentary.

“My friend Tanmeet Singh and Dhananjay Singh Chauhan helped me a lot. The narration was done by Tanmeet Singh. Actors in this movie were again my friends – Lokendra Tiwari, Pratimesh, Shubham Singh, Harshit Pandey, Prashant Srivastav, Abhishek Singh and other friends,” he said.

Organised by Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous institution under the department of science and technology, the film festival was held at Birla Industrial and Technological Museums between February 14 and 18.

The entries were selected by a jury of eminent filmmakers, professors, scientists, media professionals such as former chairman of Satyajit Ray Film and TV Institute, Kolkata (chairman national jury) Partha S Ghose, eminent filmmaker Reena Mohan, award-winning filmmaker Arun Chadha and others.

The award was presented by Bollywood film director Madhur Bhandarkar.

However, Aditya could not attend the prize ceremony event because his CBSE Class 12 examination is scheduled to begin next month. The young boy is looking up for more projects in future.

“Aditya has made us proud by winning this coveted award. He does amazing work each time and is very talented, enthusiastic and dedicated about his work. We wish him all the best for his future endeavours,” his principal Anupama Shukla said.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Education / by Rajeev Mullick, Hindustant Times,Lucknow / February 28th, 2017

At flower show, Singh family springs 22-award surprise

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, Travel

Lucknow:

Family of city based government employee Prashant Singh couldn’t have asked for more when they won 22 awards under various categories at the annual flower show organized at the Raj Bhavan.

The awardees included his two daughters, eight-year-old Prashasti and four-year-old Prashansa. Prashant, his wife Swati, mother Uma Singh and daughters bagged eight first prizes, three second and 11 third prizes. The daughters won eight awards for flowers decoration, dry flower decoration, petal rangoli, bouquet arrangement and plant photography.

Along with the award for best lawn, kitchen garden and window decoration, the family bagged first prize for flower rangoli, flower arrangement (imagination), bouquet decoration, dry flower arrangement and plant photography.

“We decorated the garden and developed four corners showcasing different seasons. For winters we used blue and white streamers, carved figures of children from potted plants and placed them on a swing made up of plants too. For window decoration, our theme was ‘Open window to nature’ and we used a variety of plants and flowers,” said Swati.

Talking about their love for gardening and nature, Swati said the hobby was passed on from her mother-in-law to her and now to the third generation. The family has been participating in the annual show for the past 12 years. Along with them, 902 others participated in total 45 categories and displayed their love for nature during the event.

Hundreds of citizens visited with family and friends, clicked selfies with beautiful flowers and also learned about plants that devour toxins and leave the environment cleaner to breathe.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / TNN / February 27th, 2017

This village may hold key to a bygone civilisation

About Uttar Pradesh, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel
Excavation work underway in Sakatpur village ofSaharanpur district .(HT Photo)

A chance discovery of six copper axes and some pieces of pottery has spurred the Archaeological Survey of India into excavating a site in Sakatpur village of Rampur Maniharan area in Saharanpur district, in the hope of recovering more remains of an old civilization that once flourished in the doab (plains) of Ganga and Yamuna rivers.

A team of archaeologists began the excavation on Friday under the supervision of Dr Bhuvan Vikram, supervising archaeologist, ASI Agra Circle. Vikram, who believes that the excavation may unearth many interesting facts, said, “Excavation is a very slow process and we hope to find pottery and habitat deposition in the depths of the soil.”

Dr Vikram said that a chance discovery of six copper axes attracted the attention of historians and archaeologists towards this tiny village. Some labourers of a nearby brick kiln were digging to collect soil to manufacture bricks and they found six copper axes. They reported the matter to their owner and it was eventually reported to the ASI while passing through different routes. “It sounded interesting and we decided to excavate the land to ascertain the historical and archaeological significance of the region’, said Dr Vikram, who has been camping here to supervise the excavation.

He said the use of copper axes and the type of pottery found here was quite prevalent in the Ganga valley civilisation. Locals very often came across remains of pottery and other things in their fields.

Earlier, the ASI had excavated a site at Sinauli village on Baraut-Chaprauli Road and discovered graveyards and other archaeological remains, including stone jewellery and axes. The site is still an attraction for students of history and archaeology. The then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s daughter had also visited the site and collected inputs about it.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Cities> Lucknow / by S Raju, Meerut, Hindustan Times / February 26th, 2017

Fight like a Girl: Faizabad goes Dhaakad after Dangal!

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports

The smell of the mitti and some “purje-tight-kar-degi” Phogat-vibe channelling wrestlers. Khabar Lahariya in the front row at the Gosaiganj Nagar Mahadangal.

In its supreme takeover of box office record history, the movie Dangal has been an inspiration not just to those in Haryana, but to girls interested in wrestling elsewhere as well. It’s brought in excitement and a new wave of energy amongst the girls – and we witnessed it up close in Faizabad, in the pit and off it, in our chat with local contestants Shivangi and Anjali.

It’s the annual wrestling contest, with the no-nonsense title of ‘Mahadangal’, which is organised in Gosaiganj Nagar, Faizabad usually in the months of January and February. And it’s little wonder that this time, it’s open for girls who’d like to contest. Such as Shivangi from Gorakhpur and Anjali from Lucknow. We first see them somersaulting through the air and managing seemingly impossible manoeuvres, as we catch in on the vibe around that’s buzzing on about who’s got a better chance at winning the title, who’s going to get better at her game.

Shivangi. Photo Courtesy: Khabar Lahariya.

Shivangi, a national level player from Gorakhpur, oozes confidence. A wrestling pro, she tells us that she’s got some 70-odd medals lying around her house. Very matter-of-fact. “I have never lost a state level match”, she smiles, and adds, “Every contest I take part in, I win.” Shivangi spent years practicing in her village, which has nothing in the name of a proper wrestling ground, she tells us, but “there are always mats”. She got chosen for trials and is today undergoing more formal training. Her family, not a picture-perfect postcard in terms of initial support, has today come around what with having to make space for those 70-odd medals. She also trains younger girls now and not just in wrestling. Athletics, she tells us, is her other love.

Anjali. Photo Courtesy: Khabar Lahariya.

Anjali is the big city girl, and speaks of encouragement at home in a slightly better vein, but confesses that rewards can only be appreciated when they are seen. Like Shivangi, she is extremely confident about her wrestling career and its future. “I am doing quite well now. I am positive that if I continue like this, there will be bigger and better opportunities that will come my way.”

The organisers of the Mahadangal, Hanuman Prasad Soni and Surajbhan Singh, have no doubt factored in The Aamir Khan effect with this year’s contest. We hear about lucrative ticket prices – the sound of kaching! is blissful to everyone, after all – and hear them talk about positive channelling of youthful energy. Singh speaks of social bonding that comes alive during dangal time and adds the message, “There is such rampant alcoholism amongst the youth today. We sincerely hope that this inculcates in them, a healthy outlook to life.” Soni wants to do more for the sport and looks to the people of Faizabad and beyond to “take it to greater heights”. “This is our traditional sport, and we have it in us to do more for it.” We ask Singh about women participating and he nods, “Women are representing our country internationally in sports. They are protecting the nation’s borders. So why not here? That’s why we thought we should have them participate and fight. Women, they should be everywhere.” Amen.

This article was first published on Khabar Lahariya

source: http://www.theladiesfinger.com / The Ladies Finger / Home> Sports / by Khabar Lahariya / February 08th, 2017

UP’s longest bridge turns into a specimen of #KaamBoltaHai

Business & Economy, Records, All, Travel
Chahlari Ghat Bridge, UP’s longest over a river, has become a unlikely picnic spot, attracting families and youth to Sitapur and Bahraich, the two districts it connects

Chahlari (Sitapur / Bahraich):

For local residents, it isn’t a bridge too far.

Chahlari Ghat Bridge, UP’s longest over a river, has become an unlikely picnic spot, attracting families and youths to Sitapur and Bahraich, the two districts it connects.

The 3.26 km-long bridge is called the “mini Agra-Lucknow Expressway” by the people here. “That’s because it takes less than 10 minutes to drive over the stretch now …Earlier, someone travelling to the district (Bahraich) had to come via Mahmudabad, which took more than 90 minutes,” Vinay Mishra, the owner of a medical store, said.

“The bridge is being used by Samajwadi Party supporters to campaign for the candidate in Sevata and the word has spread,” said Akhilesh Bajpai, a businessman and social worker from Sevata.

Local candidate Shiv Kumar’s supporters started telling people to take a ride on the bridge for an Agra-Lucknow Expressway-like experience. Talking to TOI, a supporter, Ajay Singh, said, “Bridge saboot hai ki kaam hua hai … tabhi bolta hai. (The bridge is proof that work has been done, that’s why it speaks (for development).”

He said chief minister Akhilesh Yadav urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to drive down the Agra-Lucknow Expressway to see the work done by his party was the cue. In one of his speeches, the CM, in fact, had said that if the PM used the Agra-Lucknow Expressway once even he would vote for the Samajwadi Party. “If the PM can’t take the expressway, he can come here,” said another supporter, Rajesh Kumar.

Word of mouth turned the place into a picnic spot. On hearing about the place, Vimal Maurya and his friend Kishor Prajapati visited the place on Valentine’s Day. “Hum Sidhauli se aa rahe hain … check karne ki jo bola hai woh sachh hai ya nahi (We have come from Sidhauli to check if what is being said is true),” said Vimal, who was impressed.

Mohammed Kamil and his family came from Biswa for the sunset. “This is beautiful… Though not comparable with the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, the locals may surely get a feel,” he said.

Clicking selfies and taking pictures of the place, Haroon Rasheed, a marketing executive for a Bahraich-based solar panel manufacturer, even walked up to the old pontoon bridge. “Pipay ka pul toh ab itihas hai.. isliye photo kheech rahe hain,” he said, adding that he loved the bridge because it had added Sitapur market to his area.

Before the bridge was built, one had to take a boat across the Ghaghra and Sharda rivers to reach the other end.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Shailvee Sharda / TNN / February 18th, 2017

UP has 6 of India’s 13 cantonment assembly seats

Records, All

A high-pitched battle between two female gladiators has brought Lucknow Cantonment in the limelight like never before.Samajwadi chhoti bahu Aparna Yadav is challenging sitting MLA Rita Bahuguna fielded by the BJP. In 2012, Rita won the seat contesting on a Congress ticket.

Of the 13 cantonment assembly seats in the country, six are in Uttar Pradesh.Apart from capital Lucknow, Meerut, Kanpur, Agra, Bareilly and Varanasi have a cantonment seat.

Going by election results since 1991, voters in most cantonment assembly seats have shown a preference towards BJP. However, in the 2007 assembly elections, BSP won Agra Cantt and Bareilly Cantt seats while BJP was able to capture the cantonment assembly seats of Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur and Meerut.

In the 2012 assembly polls, the BJP bastion of Lucknow Cantonment fell to the Congress, with Rita Bahuguna Joshi defeating three-time winner and sitting MLA Suresh Chandra Tiwari. Agra Cantt (SC) witnessed a BSP hat-trick, while Bareilly Cantt saw the advent of BJP for the first time.

However, the BJP continued its dominance in Meerut Cantt, winning it for the sixth time. Kanpur Cantt chose the party for the fifth time while Varanasi Cantt won it for the sixth time.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Arunav Sinha / TNN / February 19th, 2017