Sahil used to get furious whenever he met a stranger. Sometimes, he would look at his parents but behave like he did not recognise them. Vansh does not talk to anyone. Sakshi has difficulty in speaking. Many times, she has tried to explain something in broken words, but would suddenly fall silent.
All these kids are autism patients. But when Vipin Agnihotri from Lucknow interacts with them they laugh and talk with him.
A resident of Udayganj, Vipin has been taking care of autistic children for last 5 years. 32-year-old Vipin is associated with film television production. After doing MCA, MSC and Mass Comm, he has dedicated his life to these children.
“Autism is a mental disorder. Children who suffer from autism are not ‘normal’. So I try to treat them with love,” Vipin said.
Elaborating on his “treatment”, Vipin said he counsels and takes care of about 50 childen from the city through his organisation Escort Social Collective Action for Research and Development.
“We counsel them, conduct workshops and arrange entertaining games for them, and try to co-ordinate with their parents,” he added.
Vipin said he does not take financial help from anyone for his initiative. Some psychiatrists, students of psychology and others help Vipin by giving their time to these special children.
Dr Manish from BRD Mahanagar Hospital, Lucknow said that a child wants love and attention from his parents and other family members. In this way, he or she feels safe and gains self-confidence.
Autism is a mental disorder and its symptoms begin to appear in childhood. Autism prevents the child’s mental development and they grow slowly. Autistic children often suffer from social anxiety and are unable to interact with others like their normal peers. Most scientists do not label autism as a disease. Not taking proper diet during pregnancy can increase chances of Autism occurring in the child.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Lucknow News / by Navbharat Times / April 02nd, 2018
The speakers who addressed the audience during the TedX event in the city on Sunday
Lucknow :
For over last five years, academician Vijay Sahi had been a regular viewer of TED talks, but he could only watch them online. Sahi like many others in the city had been wondering when Lucknow would see a live TED event.
Their wait finally got over on Sunday when Lucknow’s first independent TED event – TEDx Indiranagar – was held.
Eleven speakers, from Lucknow’s youngest disc jockey (DJ) to perform at Asia’s biggest music festival, Sunburn, to German woman Ulrike Reinhard, the founder of Janwaar castle in Madhya Pradesh, spoke at the event.
Others included fashion designer Ken Ferns, co-founder of Sarthak Foundation, Shubendra Pandey working for slum children, founder of Alexis group Aditya Singh, GST expert and mentor Rajeev Kumar Gupta, founder of Project Impact Saurabh Pratap, Venture Catalysts Uttar Pradesh co-founder Vinayak Nath, ICICI vice-president and regional head Najaf Rizvi and social media activist Vikas Pandey.
“It was long due that Lucknow had a TEDx event and it was even more heartening to see youngsters organise it and be part of it as speakers,” said Sahi.
Another attendee, Deepak Mishra, said, “We all are glad that somebody thought of bringing TEDx to Lucknow. The speakers and their stories were extremely motivating.”
Curators of the event Ashish Mishra and Megha Khosla said, “The process to get the event’s license was long and stressful but the entire team is glad to have hosted the first TEDx event in Lucknow finally.”
source:http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / TNN / March 19th, 2018
In 1989, a village pradhan walked into every household in Rampur village of Uttar Pradesh with a single motive. In every conversation with the villagers, he emphasised the need for education. A village that up till then did not have a school nor see the need for one, dismissed his idea. But this lack of interest did not deter Keshav Saran, who went on to make his dream of educating children come true.
Source: Kenfolios and Nek In India
Today, along with his son and daughter-in-law, he runs a school in Rampur with 1,320 students, of which 670 are girls. For someone who held classes in his own house, Keshav had to give up his four-acre agriculture land to build a school in the village. In 1988, when he was elected as the pradhan, he had greater plans for the village, which also included the school.
He started teaching the older community in the evenings, which was a good precedent to inspire the younger lot to follow his footsteps, says Kenfolios. Through the process, he also came to understand the apprehensions the villagers had in sending their children to schools beyond their own village. He says,
I used to earn Rs 200 every month and that was enough to sustain my family. Since we lived a simple lifestyle, I could save up to build the school in 1989.
When the student population increased, his house couldn’t accommodate the crowd, so moving into a nearby chaupal was the only option. Soon, this caught the attention of the government and the school was given the tag of ‘junior high school’ which is today famous as the ‘Keshav Inter College’.
Source: Kenfolios
Inspired by his father’s mission to educate the villagers, Keshav’s son, Krishna, joined him. Today, Krishna and his wife, along with 21 other teachers, manage the school, says a report by Nek in India.
In 2017, 450 students from Class X and Class XII gave their board exams. Most of these students are either pursuing their higher studies or have landed themselves a decent job.
source: http://www.yourstory.com / YourStory / Home> Social Story / Think Change India / March 29th, 2018
CM with awardees at a function in Lucknow on Thursday
Lucknow :
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath gave away the prestigious Rani Laxmi Bai Veerta awards in Lucknow on Thursday. As many as 129 women and girls were awarded. The CM said his government was committed towards the security and welfare of women and all necessary steps have been taken in this regard.
Among the awardees was Pallavi Fauzdar Mishra, a solo lady biker, who is also fashion and jewellery designer. Pallavi made four back-to back world records by covering 3,500 km ride, more than 5,000 metre above sea level, from Delhi to Ladakh.
Speaking to TOI, 38-year old Pallavi, a resident of Lucknow now living in Delhi, who started riding a bike when she was nine, said, “Ek zindagi kam pad jaati hai bahut kuchh karne ko.”
With just a pack of inhaler, drinking water and some clothes, Pallavi started her journey in July 2015 from Delhi to Leh, Ladakh. It took her over seven days to cross eight high passes 5,000 metre above sea level and braved seven avalanches.
In September 2015, Pallavi drove up to 54 km ahead of Badrinath, Uttarakhand, crossing passes at 18,774 feet near Indo-Tibetan border, her world record.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Urooj Khan / TNN / March 30th, 2018
Women bravehearts who saved their loved ones in tiger and leopard attacks in Katarniya Ghat forest reserve were honoured with Rani Laxmi Bai Bravery Award by state government on Thursday.
“The area is infamous for big cat attacks. In last eight months, big cats killed 10 humans and injured 30,” said district forest officer GP Singh.
Tara (40): A resident of Mukeriya village in Ramgaon police station area of Bahraich was working in fields on March 6, 2018 when a tiger attacked her 6-year-old daughter. Tara fought with the till people working nearby rushed in.
Pushpa ( 40): The unarmed woman from Chandpaiya village of Mahsi tehsil, Bahraich, district fought with a leopard that had attacked her daughter (4) on March 7, 2018. Pushpa picked up a stick and rained blows on the leopard while raising alarm. The leopard fled as villagers rushed in.
Sindhu (30): The mother from Rampurva Bankati village of Sujauli block, Bahraich, freed her daughter Khushbu (10) from a leopard’s jaws on February 28, 2018. The leopard fled as people gathered.
Sunita (35): The mother from Rajaram Tanda village, Nishangara, Bahraich, was serving dinner on October 16, 2011 when a leopard pounced on her daughter Laxmi (10) who had gone to fetch water from hand pump. Sunita jumped on the leopard. Her husband and neighbours rushed on hearing noise. Both were seriously injured.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Arshad Afzal Khan / TNN / March 30th, 2018
Shikanto Mandal, 15, from Mathura, who had developed a unique machine to collect garbage, was invited by the President for dinner on Tuesday. However, it was cancelled at the last moment and the dinner was hosted by science and technology minister Dr Harsh Vardhan at the CSIR centre at Lodhi Gardens in New Delhi.
Mandal, who hails from West Bengal, had showcased his innovative machine at the Festival of Innovation being held in Delhi from March 19 to 23. Earlier speaking with TOI while on his way to New Delhi, Mandal said he had dined with then President Pranab Mukherjee during the Festival of Innovation.
The young inventor said hopes to become a successful engineer one day and fulfil all wishes of his parents and give them every comfort of life. Mandal’s parents are daily wagers. Talking with TOI, Mandal’s teacher Manoj Kumar, who helped him in his project and under whose guidance he built the machine, said he had developed the manual waste lifting and dumping machine when he was in Class IX at Jai Gurudev Balya Balak Vidyadan Higher Secondary School in 2016. He is presently studying in Class XI at KR Inter College, Mathura.
Mandal’s invention, inspired by Swacch Bharat Mission, was chosen for display at the district-level exhibition organized by the department of science and technology in 2016. His machine’s model was then showcased at a state-level exhibition held in Lucknow and later, at the national level.
His model has been patented by a Gujarat-based company, where he holds a 50% stake of the market share.
In January, Mandal was invited by film star Akshay Kumar his movie, “Padman”, screened at the Innovation conclave in which 16 innovators from across the country participated and received Rs 5 lakh each for their innovation.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Agra News / TNN / March 21st, 2018
At reservation counters, too, it was women on duty for the day
Lucknow :
Women piloted express trains in Lucknow division of both Northern Railway and North Eastern Railway on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Thursday.
At reservation counters, too, it was women on duty for the day. The all-women staff on Lucknow-Prayag Intercity Express included one assistant loco pilot, five travel ticket examiners (TTEs) and sanitation staff.
The train was flagged off by divisional railway manager (DRM) Northern Railway Satish Kumar from Charbagh station around 7.30am. At NER station, Gorakhpur-Nautanwa Express was driven by a woman assistant loco pilot. With four women TTEs, the train departed from Gorakhpur around 11.30am.
According to Kumar and DRM NER Vijaylaxmi Kaushik, this was the first time in the history of NR and NER’s Lucknow divisions that maximum operational work, including piloting the train, ticket checking and reservation, was carried out by women.
For assistant loco pilot Mamta Yadav, it was the first opportunity to pilot an express train. A graduate from Gorakhpur, Mamta said, “It was a dream come true. Since childhood, I had wanted to drive a train. It felt daring to take such a responsibility.”
TTE of Lucknow-Prayag Intercity Express Vijayalaxmi said, “I have been a TTE for five years. For the first time, I have seen an all-female staff on the train.” TTE Mundri Devi said, “Incidentally today, there were around 150 female passengers on my reservation list. I felt like all women had come out to support us. I am thankful to the railways.”
Riyansha, who had come to board the train for Prayag, said, “When I woke up this morning, my husband wished me for women’s day. At the station, I saw women everywhere, even my loco pilot and TTE were females. I felt very proud.”
Gulnaaz, another passenger, said, “My friends and cousins had planned to celebrate women’s day in my hometown. On knowing that a woman will pilot my train, I immediately sent a message of thanks to railways on social media.
Rahul, who had no reservation and demanded Mundri Devi a seat, was turned by her. “I have realised that not only at home, but even outside, women uphold values of honesty and integrity. I will have to adjust in a general coach, but I also proud somewhere,” said Rahul.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / by Urooj Khan / TNN / March 09th, 2018
Hiding in a tree, she carefully took aim at the approaching British
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 against British rule saw some of the most ferocious battles fought across the nation. The soldiers were courageous and fought tooth and nail. While the revolt did not succeed, it went down in history as a righteous struggle.
Amongst all the illustrious freedom fighters, Uda Devi’s name stands out for leading one of the fiercest battles in Lucknow against the British.
Uda Devi hid in a tree, and took out more than 30 British soldiers without batting an eyelid.Representative image only. Image Courtesy:Wikimedia Commons
Born to a Dalit family in Awadh, Uttar Pradesh, Uda Devi at an early age, recognised the dissent the local people showed against the British Raj. She decided to contribute to the cause, and approached Begum Hazrat Mahal to seek help, in order to prepare for the battle against the British.
Begum Hazrat Mahal was kind and helped Uda Devi form a woman’s battalion, which the latter would lead herself. Thus, when Awadh was attacked by the British, Uda Devi and her husband became a vital part of the armed resistance.
The Battle in Sikandar Bagh
The Sikandar Bagh gate, where the battle took place.Image Courtesy: Wikipedia
In autumn 1857, north India was in a state of practical anarchy. A general revolt against the growing authority of the British East India Company consumed the cities of Delhi, Jhansi and Kanpur.
In Lucknow, a small British garrison clung stubbornly to life at the Residency (a collection of buildings) on the banks of the Gomti River.
Surrounded by rebels and bereft of adequate supplies, the small British contingent teetered on the edge of annihilation throughout the summer of 1857.
In November, General Colin Campbell broke through the enemy lines and managed to save the trapped garrison. This was the ‘Second Relief of Lucknow’, during which Campbell’s 93rd Highland Regiment advanced along the Southern bank of the Gomti, proceeding toward the Palace of Sikandar Bagh.
Here, the rebels fought desperately, after fortifying their position. A pitched battle ensued, leaving over 2000 rebels and soldiers dead, after a fierce hand-to-hand combat. It was during the battle that Uda Devi’s husband was killed. Enraged, the brave soldier decided to avenge his death.
On seeing the British army approach Sikandar Bagh, she climbed up a banyan tree, disguised as a man, and took aimed, killing 32 British soldiers.
Once the dust had settled, an officer noticed that many of the British casualties had bullet wounds that indicated a steep, downward trajectory.
The needle of suspicion naturally pointed to a sniper, who could be hidden in the nearby trees. British officers fired at a nearby pipal tree, and a rebel fell out of the tree, dead, her body riddled with bullet wounds. Upon investigation, it was found that the rebel was, in fact, Uda Devi.
The British were shocked when they realised the soldier was a woman. It is said that even British officers like Campbell bowed their heads over her dead body, in recognition of her bravery.
Uda Devi is indeed an inspiration, especially to women from non-dominant castes. Befittingly, on November 16th each year, the members of her Pasi caste gather at the site of her fall and celebrate her as a brave rebel, who defied all odds to take British lives, for a cause. It has been over a century since she was martyred, yet the memory of her sacrifice is kept alive by her community, which celebrates her unwavering and courageous spirit.
Uda Devi is also one of the inspirations behind an all-women battalion, of the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary. The government is keen on recruiting women from OBC and Dalit communities in these battalions.
The women PAC battalions will help the government in crowd control, and during agitations where the participants are mostly women. The government is currently identifying land in Uttar Pradesh, where centres for training these women cops can be built.
The raising of women PAC battalions is an excellent step towards empowering the women from the weaker sections of society, and it is only fitting, that one of the units, derives its name from a ‘Dalit Veerangana’ like Uda Devi.
source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home> Inspiration> Women / by Rayomand Engineer / March 01st, 2018
IIT-K’s persons with disabilities (PwD) cell organised an event on Tuesday for people with disabilities and the challenges they have overcome.
PwD cell convenor KS Venkatesh said that the cell is developing tools and services to help students with disability on campus. These include developing special gadgets and making all areas of the campus accessible to them.
A special website dedicated to the PwD cell was also launched. The website will act as an important resources for people with disabilities on campus.Visit www.iitk.ac.in/pwd for more information.
Several organisations working with people with disabilities were invited to deliver talks. These include handicap welfare department, Uttar Pradesh, Deaf and Dumb College, Bithoor, Ambedkar Institute of Technology for Handicapped, Kanpur and others.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City News> Kanpur News / TNN / January 10th, 2018
A mobile app and new-age rail ticketing Anand Purohit earns IRs. 50,000 a month as a ticketing agent using the RailYatri app
Twenty-six-year-old Anand Purohit is not looking for a job any more. He says he has found a profitable vocation. This resident of the tiny town of Akot, in Maharashtra, was not keen on joining his father’s kirana shop and hotel business. “I wanted to break out on my own, earn for myself and do something different.”
Gunjeeta Tiwari Bhatt runs her business from home and can care for her baby too
Ditto the case with 31-year-old Gunjeeta Tiwari Bhatt, who had been working as an accountant for five years in Uttarakhand. When she married and moved to Delhi, she wanted to look after her child and also try her hand at entrepreneurship. “I manage to look after my one-year-old and run my independent business from home,” she says gleefully.
Both Purohit and Bhatt are part of a new breed of entrepreneurs created this year, thanks to the travel app RailYatrti. As ticketing agents for the app, authorised by the Railways, they earn ₹40,000-50,000 a month.
On any given day, the RailYatri mobile app has around 300 or so ticketing agents answering customers’ queries, helping them book tickets, confirm and re-book their journeys, and assisting with refunds on the massive Indian Railways network across the country.
All in one place
A third-party mobile app, RailYatri provides every kind of railway-related information, including train cancellations, route change, delayed start, important hotspots such as railway accident sites, visibility during fog and congestion on routes. But for services like ticket booking or queries on refunds, passengers are routed to the ticket agents via the app.
So, how does the app work? From the app installed on your mobile phone, you are routed to a ticket agent, who answers queries and handles the online booking. For those who find reservations tedious and complicated, the app is a convenient solution. It’s almost like how you book a cab on Uber or Ola. The difference here is that you have a human interface handling your travel requirements. Payments can be through money wallets, net banking, and debit and credit cards.
Besides handling all enquiries regarding train routes, distances, fares and refunds, the ticketing agent also suggests the best options for confirmed reservations. “We simplify train travel as much as possible,” says 42-year-old Deepak Suri from Bareilly. Known to be one of the most successful RailYatri entrepreneurs, he says he was about to close down his railway reservation agency when the mobile app appeared two years ago.
Today, he has eight employees to handle calls routed through the RailYatri app. With 100-200 phone calls for ticket bookings a day, he makes a monthly sale of ₹70-80 lakh. “Above all, the technology ensures that I get timely payment for my sales — no more do I have to work on credit.” DEEPAK SURI, RailYatri agent in Bareilly
Sitting in Bareilly, Suri serves customers all over the country. “Requests come from Kolkata, Gorakhpur, Benares, Puri, Mumbai, Nashik — you name it.” The rail reservation business he set up 10 years ago had substantial traffic until it took a massive hit with the advent of cybercafés and online booking. Now he is back in profit with RailYatri.
Customer queries
And what is the most asked question by passengers? Purohit, who has employed two people this year, says ticket confirmations seem to be their main worry. “Through the app, which uses machine learning, I am able to give them the best solution.” RailYatri uses predictive analytics to zero in on wait-listed and quota-specific tickets with the best chance of confirmation.
“Refunds is another area where customers need help,” says Bhatt, who initially trained for a few days at the RailYatri headquarters in Noida.
RailYatri was started two years ago when technology buffs got together “to remove the black box that shrouds information regarding Indian Railways”. Today, the app has grown to include food and gift delivery at stations. And with its user base growing, the field is opening up for more Purohits and Bhatts to become part of the journey.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> India Interior / by Preeti Mehra / December 29th, 2017
