Category Archives: Inspiration / Positive News and Features

MSc students adopt village, give it a lesson in development

Amazing Feats, Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features
Allahabad University (File Photo)
Allahabad University (File Photo)

Allahabad :

It started as another MSc course in September last year at the botany department of Allahabad University but has grown into something bigger. Since 14 students of this innocuous PG course in rural technology and development adopted it, Ramapura village of Bahadurpur block hasn’t looked back.

The course, a brainchild of head of the department Prof Anupam Dikshit, includes adoption of a village to give practical experience to the students. When Ramapura was picked, the idea was to develop it along the lines of of Punsiyari village, the state-of-the-art village in Gujarat’s Samarkata district.

“Our students visit this village at least twice a month and their efforts in making the lives of the villagers easier are showing results,” said Dikshit. For one, the students, alongwith active participation of village folks and Sri Satya Sai Seva organization, UP, are ensuring cleanliness and better roads in the village.

With their work, the village which had just two toilets has been sanctioned funds for 50 more. It has also been given 10 solar lights.

“We plan to design a mobile lab for soil, water and pathological tests,” Dikshit added.

“Our aim is to use this course to develop villages of Allahabad using latest technology and techniques. The course will help in promoting rural entrepreneurship which would, in turn, check migration of rural populace to urban areas,” he said.

Village head Ram Murti Yadav is all praises for the team. “Students’ efforts are commendable as they haven’t only helped us with basic amenities but are also educating our women and children on several issues that would go a long way in developing the village further,” he said.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / by Rajeev Mani / TNN / April 28th, 2016

From NIFT to village panchayat, Priyanka Yadav knits with ease

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features

Lucknow :

For Priyanka Yadav, the 7th National Panchayati Raj Day celebrations held at Indira Gandhi Pratisthan would certainly be a special one, as the 24-year-old village pradhan from Etawah’s Sarsai Nawar (village panchayat) and a pass out of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Bengaluru was felicitated by the State Election Commission.

Priayanka who seeks inspiration from Chhavi Rajawat, the woman sarpanch from Rajasthan’s Soda village (60 kilometres from Jaipur), says, “I first came to know about Chhavi Rajawat from my elder sister, who reposed faith in me that I have the attributes of leading a village.” She further stated that initially, she was apprehensive of stepping into politics, but after persuasion from her father (Jairaj Singh alias Pappu Yadav), who is also the kshetra panchayat chairman from Takha.

Elaborating her plan of action to empower the villagers, Priyanka, who is currently pursuing master in fashion business from NIFT, said, “I obtained knowledge in knitwear designing from NIFT-Bengaluru, while studying there from 2010 to 2014, and I want to empower the people of village by giving them the latest innovations in knitting techniques and designing, so that they can prosper, while staying in the village itself.” She further stated that gradually, women could start their own business and support their families.

When asked whether she would move ahead electorally, Priyanka said that if the women voters of my village start showing signs of self-reliance and self-confidence, “then I will move on, else, I would continue to work at the village panchayat level.”

Smriti Singh (23), who has done post-graduation in management (HR), and won the polls from Ratsarkala in Ballia wanted to have a word with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, and said, “I wanted CM sir to make the entire village like me.” Singh who was attached to KGMU for two-and-half years as a research associate said that she did not want to join the politics, but it was only after her siblings convinced her that she eventually decided to contest the panchayat polls.

Similarly, a couple of other elected village pradhans also wanted to use the opportunity to narrate their woes to the chief minister, but could not do so, as CM did not turn up in the event. Woman entrepreneur Pooja Kumari, who won from Majra Jatpatiyaali in Kasganj district was so overwhelmed by the award that she was unable to speak out of excitement.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / Arunav Sinha / TNN / April 25th, 2016

Conquering male bastion: City girls man petrol pump

Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features

Allahabad:

Fairer sex in Sangam city are now taking up jobs in areas once considered a man’s domain. Defying standard gender stereotypes, for the first time in Allahabad, a petrol pump boasts of as many as three girls working as attendants.

The girls, Meghna Srivastava (B.Com), Poonam Kumari (class X ) and Sarita Tyagi (BA), believe it’s only hard work that counts.

Working at a city-based petrol pump, they say they’ve never had second thoughts about their choice of profession. Working the 10 am-5 pm shift, Meghna also looks after the account work.

“I have been working here for past year and a half and I’ve never faced any gender discrimination,” she said.

On being asked whether they have ever been teased or stalked, the girls say they’ve always conducted themselves with dignity and have never faced any such problems. The number of women customers has also increased, they said.

Poonam and Sarita, who started working here two months ago say they have their family support which makes work a lot easy.

Manager of the petrol pump, Prakash Chandra, says, “Lucknow was the first city where a petrol pump had girls as attendants. But the exercise could not go on for long. Later, another petrol pump in Allahabad also tried but failed.”

However, he says, people have appreciated their effort to promote women.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Allahabad / TNN / April 25th, 2016

Kashi lad to represent UP in Japan-Asia youth exchange prog

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, World Opinion

Varanasi:

A class X student of Bangali Tola intermediate college of the city, Gaurav Patel is among the students selected for ‘Inspire’ award scheme (under the department of science and technology) who will represent UP in the Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Program in Science (SAKURA Exchange Program in Science) in Japan from April 17 to 23. He is the only student from the state to have been selected for the scheme.

Gaurav secured sixth position at the national level on the basis of his science model aimed at conservation of energy by incorporating optical fibre. He was among the 60 students selected for the award scheme held at IIT-Delhi last year aimed at promoting scientific talent among children. The district inspector of schools (DIOS) Awadh Kishore Singh had recently informed the principal of Bangali Tola intermediate college about Gaurav’s selection for the programme along with a letter from ministry of science and technology, GOI on April 2.

Gaurav had participated in the science exhibition organized as a part of ‘Inspire’ award scheme last year. His model on ‘energy conservation by optical fibre’ ranked first in district and he finally bagged sixth rank at national level thus making his place among top 10. “We are all happy and proud of him,” said principal of BTIC, Jai Prakash Pandey.

When TOI contacted Gaurav, who will leave for Japan from Delhi on Saturday night, said, “I am looking forward to this visit as it will not only introduce me to some of the brilliant young minds but also expose me to the eminent people associated with field of science.”

Talking about his model, he said, “Energy conservation is one of the concerns of our government much is being done to reduce the energy consumption. I had been reading about renewable energy and upon realizing its importance, decided to prepare a model on the same by incorporating optical fibre, which consumes far less energy.”

“He is a very hardworking and it was because of his interest in science that his model has been selected. The teachers of his college have also been very supportive and I hope he gets to learn more about his subject from his abroad visit and make our country proud”, his father, Munna Lal Patel,said who works as a textile designer with a private firm.

Notably, Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) is an innovative programme sponsored and managed by the department of science and technology. The basic objective is to communicate to the youth of the country the creative pursuit of science, attract talent to the study of science at an early age and thus build the required human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the science and technology system.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Varanasi / Punkhuri Kapoor / TNN / April 17th, 2016

‘Green Girl’ to attend signing of Paris pact

Amazing Feats, Education, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, World Opinion

Lucknow:

India’s ‘Green Girl’ Yugratna Srivastava (19), a second year engineering student, will represent youth at the Paris convention on global warming. She is among the six participants selected by the UN for the April 22 ceremony – on World Mother Earth Day – where 150 countries would sign the Paris agreement in climate change.

Elated to be part of the event, Yugratna said, “COP21 (Conference of Parties) at Paris was close to my heart. When the Paris agreement was finalized after two hectic weeks in December, there was a sense of achievement worldwide. But more than that, there was an air of uncertainty. The dream is now turning into reality.”

She added, “I am happy that I will be representing youth and civil society at the ceremony. It is empowering to know that our voices are valued. Despite all differences, we all need to stand together more than ever to make this a reality.”

As to how she was selected, United Nations has rolled out a form for civil society participation wherein about 300 individuals from various organisations applied. Out of those, a selection committee formed by the UN picked six participants.

About 100 world leaders and 150 nations are expected to participate in the ceremony.

Last year, on the opening day at COP21, Yugratna had made a presentation to world leaders, including PM Narendra Modi and US president Barack Obama.

Prior to that, she had attended the conference of youths, held from November 26 to 28. There, she had to prepare youths from 66 countries to talk about climate change before world leaders at COP21.

“Youths participating in the conference made presentations on ‘climate crisis’ and concerns about environment conservation,” said Yugratna.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / April 21st, 2016

103-year-old kin of WWI soldier wins pension fight

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

Lucknow :

After a nine-year legal battle, the 103-year-old daughter of a First World War soldier has won back the right to her late father’s pension.

Giving the verdict in favour of Siri Kumari Gurung, the Lucknow bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal ruled that her pension was arbitrarily stopped by the Principal Controller of Defence Account (Pension), Allahabad. Passing the order, a bench of Justice DP Singh, member (Judicial) and Air Marshal Anil Chopra, member termed PCDA decision as “ex-parte and against the canon of just ice”.

The tribunal also imposed Rs 1 lakh cost on the respondents – Government of India and Army officers concerned – which would be given to the petitioner within four months. It also directed the respondents to refund the recovered amount of pension (Rs 1.17 lakh) to her along with 10% interest.

Siri Kumari’s pension was stopped in 2007 on the grounds that she was not entitled to two pensions. She was also asked to refund Rs 5 lakh received in pension. Her father, Naina Singh Gurung, served in the First World War and died in 1916 in Italy. Siri, then a 5-year-old, got family pension which was sanctioned for life with effect from March 1916. Siri now lives in Nepal.

Sire married an armyman in 1930. After her husband’s death in 1964, she became entitled to his pension. This way, Siri started getting two pensions. In 2007, the matter came to the knowledge of Principal Controller of Pension Department, Allahabad. He wrote a letter that her pension sanctioned in 1916 be stopped and since it had been paid illegally, recovery may be made.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / Arunav Sinha / TNN / April 16th, 2016

Cleansed in jail, ex-bandit cleans public places

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features
Suresh Sarvoday is now a Gandhian.
Suresh Sarvoday is now a Gandhian.

Jhansi:

There was a time when he ruled the badlands of Bundelkhand as an outlaw. Charged for over two dozen case, Suresh Sarvoday served over two decades in jail and now, at 64 has transformed completely—into a Gandhian. Originally from Mahoba, Suresh is settled in Mauranipur, a small hamlet of Jhansi. He is seen everyday at railway stations, bus stops, civil hospital and other public places, cleaning up the place voluntarily.

Born in village Supa of Mahoba in 1952, Suresh—then Soni—was highly inspired by freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azad and aspired to be the local Robinhood. As a result, after he passed XII he made a gang of over 10 ‘like-minded’ boys and for over a a decade, they executed a number of loots, dacoity and murders. What they always ensured was that no harm was done to the poor or depressed class. “My ideas were anarchist and I was of the opinion that British may have left but the upper-class people were still torturing the poor and I wanted to cut them to size,” says Suresh.

His name spelled terror in districts of Mahoba, Jalaun and Hamirpur where he was famous for extortion and hold-ups. His biggest mistake in life was when he accidentally bumped off a CBI officer who was travelling through jungles of Mahoba with his family. He had over two dozen cases against him until 1973 when he was arrested. Within a couple of years he managed to escape from the jail— for which he got the idea from a book.

He reunited his gang and resumed till he was arrested again in 1977. This time he was treated strictly and was put into a special cell in the Hamirpur district jail with iron rods in his legs so that he could not escape. It was during his second imprisonment that he was transformed after reading books by and on Gandhi and Vivekanand. “I read more than a hundred books including the Gita and Ramayan and was transformed completely. I have been doing social service since 1980 from inside the jail”, Suresh recalls.

After serving 22 years and 8 months in jail, he was released for good conduct in 1999. Right from the day he came out, he resolved to follow the Gandhian thoughts and to change the society the way Gandhi had visualised. “Today, I neither follow any religion nor believe in caste system and that is why I have adopted the name of Sarvoday”, says Suresh who calls himself a wanderer of the world, all of which is his family. One can find all kinds of cleaning materials in his khadi bag which he uses daily at public places for at least three hours. He cleans public toilets, corridors and gardens on his own. He has done it in Delhi, Kolkata, Gorakhpur, Allahabad and Varanasi and enjoys a fan following among youths who volunteer their services in his mission of cleanliness.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / Arindam Ghosh, TNN / April 14th, 2016

Kathak dancer aims to set Guinness record

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

Varanasi:

The 30-year old Kathak dancer Soni Chaurasia, who had failed to break the 124-hour Guinness world record in dance in November last year, again took to stage at a school on the outskirts of the city on Monday evening.

On Monday evening, Chaurasia took to stage again and began her dance performance with Ganesh Vandana. Her trainer and mentor Rajesh Dogra said that Soni started at 6pm on Monday and completed 24 hours on Tuesday evening. As there are requirements which need to be followed before claiming for the Guinness world record, so the district administration has made all the arrangements. Supervisors have also been assigned byDM Rajmani Yadav for various sessions to be held during the next couple of days. The dance marathon will end on April 9 at 9pm.

Between every eight-hour, Chaurasia is eligible for a break of 40 minutes. After getting her act of non-stop Kathak dance on roller skates for 24 hours enrolled in Limca Book of Records in 2010, Chaurasia had started a dance marathon at Arya Mahila PG College on the occasion of Children’s Day last year to break the 123 hours and 15 minutes Guinness record in Mohiniattam dance form made by Hemlata Kamandalu of Kerala in 2011. But after performing for 87 hours and 18 minutes, Chaurasia fell unconscious.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Varanasi / TNN / April 06th, 2016

Faced with drought, Banda farmer invents low-cost plough

Agriculture, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Science & Technology

Kannpur:

Faced with drought, a farmer from Chahnehra village in Banda district of Bundelkhand region has built a low-cost ploughing machine. He used an old bicycle, iron pieces for ploughing agriculture fields.

The innovative machine costs between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000, making it cheaper than traditional and mechanical ploughs. It could also perform several other functions such as weeding and sowing.

Ram Prasad, 50, who hires farm land on ‘batai’, thought of inventing a machine to solve the problems of ordinary farmers of the region who are facing nature’s fury, including recurring droughts and untimely rains.

“Adversity of nature in Bundelkhand forced my families to sell their bullocks. In fact, most of the farmers are unable to bear the maintenance cost of tractor or even bullocks due to huge losses,” said Ram Prasad.

He added that a farmer has to spend around Rs 50,000 for a pair of bullocks or Rs 5 lakhs for purchasing a tractor. On both, he will have to incur a huge sum in terms of fodder and kerosene or diesel.

“After struggling for seven-eight years and several rounds of trials and errors, I managed to design the machine from an old bicycle which was lying as crap in the backyard of my house. I have also helped many farmers by converting their old bicycles into a ploughing machine,” Ram Prasad informed TOI.

The machine has a single wheel with three diggers attached, besides a front and a rear handle and can be used for multi-purpose agriculture work such as weeding out grass, ploughing, sowing seeds and mixing soil with fertilisers as well as manure. “My ploughing machine doesn’t require kerosene or diesel. It only requires two persons,” he said with a smile on his face.

Villagers of Chahnehra, who initially used to make a mockery of Ram Prasad, now praise his invention. “Ram Prasad has proved that where there is a will, there is a way,” said Mohd Talha, his neighbour.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kanpur / by Faiz Rahman Siddiqui / TNN / April 06th, 2016

Meerut girl part of US team that cracked Zika structure

Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion
Devika Sirohi, born and brought up in Meerut, is a doctoral student at Purdue University in the US. She will submit her thesis by year end
Devika Sirohi, born and brought up in Meerut, is a doctoral student at Purdue University in the US. She will submit her thesis by year end

Meerut :

Devika Sirohi, 29, a doctoral student at Purdue University in the United States, is the youngest member of a team of seven researchers which has, for the first time, determined the structure of the Zika virus. The breakthrough is revealing insights crucial for the development of effective treatments for the deadly disease.

Sirohi, born and brought up in Meerut, spoke to TOI about the intense work that lay behind the breakthrough. “It took us four months to identify the structure of the virus. Out of the seven-member team, three were professors and four students, including me. During the period of the research, we barely slept for two to three hours a day, but our hard work finally paid off. This discovery will help doctors and researchers to find a cure for the deadly disease that has been reported in 33 countries,” she said.

Determining the structure of the virus was a major hurdle for researchers, and the team’s find, Sirohi said, would now make it possible to create effective anti-viral treatments and vaccines. The seven-member team included Sirohi, postdoctoral research associates Zhenguo Chen, Lei Sun and Thomas Klose; biological sciences professor Michael G Rossmann, Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Diseases director Richard J Kuhn, and Theodore C Pierson, chief of the viral pathogenesis section of the Laboratory of Viral Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“When I first arrived in the US, I never expected to achieve this much. It has been five years now since I started my doctoral research and I will submit my thesis by the end of this year. The entire journey of discovering the structure of Zika was full of challenges, but all is well that ends well. Now that the structure has been determined, it will be easier to research further and combat the spread of the disease,” said Sirohi, based in West Lafayette near Chicago and pursuing PhD in ‘Structure and Maturation of Flaviviruses’.

The Meerut girl completed her schooling from the city-based Dayawati Modi Academy. She went on to pursue honours in biochemistry from Delhi University and MSc from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai. Both her parents are citybased doctors; her mother, Reena, being a pediatrician. Elated by her success, her father, SS Sirohi, a pathologist who lives in Delhi’s Defence Colony, said, “It is a matter of pride not only for my family, because she is my daughter, but for the whole country that an Indian was part of the team that made this breakthrough.”

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> India / by Ishita Bhatia / TNN / April 06th, 2016