Monthly Archives: December 2015

Lucknow girl to interview UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon at COP21

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, World Opinion

Lucknow :

Here is a proud moment, not only for the city but the entire country. Nineteen-year-old Lucknow girl, Yugratna Srivastava, has been selected to interview UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon at the ongoing climate summit Conference of Parties, COP21 in Paris. Yugratna will interview him at the `Earth to Paris’ event slated on December 7 at Petit Palais.

“I am the only youth to have got the opportunity to interview the UN secretary-general. The best part was a mail (from UN secretary-general’s office in New York) which said they can’t imagine a better person than me to do this interview,” an elated Yugratna told TOI from Paris via social media. The interview, said Yugratna, would be on the Ban’s views on climate change and about negotiations taking place at COP21 and related issues.

“I will be soon briefed on the topics which I should cover in my interview from the secretary-general’s office,”she said. On the opening day at COP21, Yugratna made a presentation to world leaders, including PM Narendra Modi and US president Barack Obama. Prior to COP21, she attended the conference of youths, held from November 26 to 28. Here, her job was to prepare youth from 66 countries to talk about climate change before the world leaders at COP21.

“Youths participating in the conference gave presentations on `climate crisis’ and concerns about environment conservation,” said Yugratna. So, how did she made it to COP21? “I have work experience at the world-level programme, ‘climate strike’. This programme is to put a check on economical and ecological destruction, and to promote green alternatives. I was one of the eight in the core team. I guess this helped me to be part of COP21,” said she. Six years ago, Yugratna became the youngest person to address as many as 100 world leaders at the 2009 United Nation summit on climate change in New York.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / by Shailvee Sharma, TNN / December 07th, 2015

Graduate Chaiwale: Three brothers sell a tea dream in Lucknow

Business & Economy, Education
(From left) Govind Tripathi, his friend Rajendra Singh and brother MadhavTripathi at the tea stall on Monday. (Ashok Dutta/HT Photo)
(From left) Govind Tripathi, his friend Rajendra Singh and brother MadhavTripathi at the tea stall on Monday. (Ashok Dutta/HT Photo)

On the road outside Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in the Uttar Pradesh capital, it’s hard to miss a tea shop. Not because the beverage it sells is out of the world, but for its signboard: Graduate Chaiwale.

Owned and managed by three graduate brothers in their 20s, the small stall is a marker of the growing enthusiasm for small-scale entrepreneurship as well as a response to years of struggle against poverty.

“Running my own business is a better idea than working for someone else. I couldn’t afford to start a big business, so I thought it would be better to start with a small one,” says 25-year-old Govind Tripathi, who started the tea stall in August.

The eldest of three brothers worked at Lucknow-based call centres after graduating in computer applications from IGNOU in 2012. But the pay wasn’t worth it, hardly enough to meet surmounting family expenses.

Father Satish Chandra Tripathi, a resident of Hardoi, is jobless and battling a legal case ever since he was suspended from the state road transport corporation in 1996. Mother Aparna, too, was denied a job in a government primary school on compensatory grounds following the untimely death of his schoolteacher-grandmother.

“The degree was not of much help. For better jobs you need to know English, which we didn’t because of our background,” Govind says.

When his brothers — 23-year-old Gopal and Madhav, 21 —graduated from ASBD Memorial College in Hardoi this year, they were sucked into a similar fate.

“They were initially reluctant after I discussed the idea of a tea stall. But I convinced them, it was not a bad idea for financial stability,” Govind says.

The shop fetches them about Rs 350-400 a day after deducting material and operational costs — much more than what Govind used to get at call centres. “I was getting about Rs 5,000 a month. The workload was unbearable and salary irregular.”

In the meantime, Govind found the job of a water plant supervisor in Takrohi — quite an achievement in India’s most populous state which, according to a National Sample Survey Organisation report, will have 10 million unemployed youth by 2017. His younger brothers are preparing for the civil services and bank recruitments exams.

The “Graduate” in the shop’s name reflects the brothers’ idea of trying to be different in a small-time business, considered a stepping stone for big things, as well as their frustration in not getting a decent job.

The siblings now take turns to run the shop. “When we have enough money, we will start a chain of tea stalls in the city,” says an optimistic Govind.

Many years ago, a young man from a humble background sold tea by a railroad in Gujarat and displayed similar optimism. Narendra Modi went on to become the Prime Minister. Time will tell where Graduate Chaiwale will go.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home / Rajeev Kumar, Hindustan Times, Lucknow / Decembr 01st, 2015

‘Makhan Shringar’ of deities in Kashi

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

MakhanShringarLUCKNOW03dec2015

Varanasi :

Shri Vyankatesh Balaji and Radha-Krishna find novel and colourful attires made of pure butter in the land of Lord Shiva. The century old temples of Balaji and Radha-Krishna situated on the bank of Ganga at Balaji Ghat and Ganga Mahal Ghat respectively witnessed Makhan Shringar (butter embellishment) of deities on the occasion of Kartik Purnima on Wednesday.

Though the dilapidated condition of Balaji Ghat presents an unpleasant scene, devout people visited the temple that enshrines black stone idols of Shri Vyankatesh Balaji, Mudevi and Shridevi to see the Makhan Shrinar of the deity. “About 10kg butter has been used for the embellishment,” said the priest the priest Bhalchandra Gokarn. Traditionally ‘Makhan Shringar’ symbolises the end of the auspicious month of Kartik, when the idols are embellished with butter and then distributed among devotees as ‘prasad’.

Balaji Ghat, an iconic landmark built by Balaji Peshwa in 1735 on the banks of the Ganga in Varanasi also finds a place in World Monuments Watch List 2012 for decaying heritage. Once the property of Peshwa, the Balaji Ghat came into the hands of Scindia after the war of 1857. Since then, its is looked after by the Scindia Devashtan Trust, Gwalior. The place is also associated with the legendary Shehnai maestro late Ustad Bismillah Khan, who used to do perform riyaz (practice) at the Naubatkhana of the temple that caved in a few years ago.

The Balaji Ghat complex was originally a seven-storey building of traditional architectural form with a temple of Shri Balaji, garden, well, assembly hall, living areas, and courtyards. They were all well connected with stone staircases forming a remarkable architecture ensemble. It was built in the combination of stone and wood. Use of wood and elements of decorations such as carved wooden columns, brackets, doorways and other decorative elements predominantly mark the style of Maratha and Peshwa architecture.

The 150-year-old Radha-Krishna temple, which is also the property of Scindia Devashtan Trust, too embellished the deities with butter. “We used around 5kg butter in embellishment,” said the priest Vasudev Gokarn. He said that on the occasion of Kartik Purnima the idols are embellished with colourful attires made of butter. The butter pieces are distributed among the devotees as Prasad on the next day.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Varanasi / Binay Singh, TNN / November 25th, 2015

5 Agra monuments in India’s top 10 frequented by foreigners

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, Travel

Agra:

Just the city of Agra and its close neighbour Fatehpur Sikri have five of the top 10 monuments in the country that are most visited by foreign tourists.

Replying to a query in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Union culture minister Mahesh Sharma said Taj Mahal alone has 23% share of foreign tourists travelling to India. Agra Fort got 12% in 2014. He added that foreign exchange earnings through tourism in India during 2012, 2013 and 2014 stood at Rs 94,487 crore, Rs 1,07,671 crore and Rs 1,23,320 crore respectively.

The minister dismissed claims that the tourism industry had witnessed a decline compared to the last few years. “On the contrary”, he said, “foreign tourists’ arrival growth rate in India has more than doubled between 2012 (4.3%) and 2014 (10.2%). In 2013, it was a mere 5.9%.

In terms of exact numbers, a total of 6.58 million tourists visited India in 2012, which increased to 6.97 million in 2013 and 7.68 million in 2014.

Citing Archaeological Survey of India’s data on foreign tourist arrival at centrally-protected monuments in 2014, Sharma said Taj Mahal with 6.4 lakh visitors, Agra Fort with 3.43 lakh and Qutub Minar with 2.76 lakh were the top three tourist destinations in the country.

The other three monuments of Agra which featured in the top 10 list are Fatehpur Sikri (5th position), Akbar’s tomb (8th) and Itimad-ud daula (10th).

To another query on carbon pollution around the Taj Mahal, the minister said that the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) Authority has banned entry of Euro-I model, petrol/diesel-operated auto loader vehicles from July 31 to reduce vehicular pollution in the vicinity of the Taj. He added that TTZ Authority has also decided to convert petrol/diesel-operated commercial vehicles to CNG. So far, 34,302 vehicles have been converted to CNG in Agra, he said.

However, though the Taj Mahal still remains at the top of the most-visited monuments in the country, there has been a constant fall in the number of foreign visitors to the 17th century monument in the last three years. There were 7.9 lakh visitors from abroad to the Taj in 2012. But the number came down to 7.4 lakh in 2013, further dipping to 6.4 lakh in 2014.

Prior to 2012, the average foreign tourist footfall at the world heritage building had been increasing at a rate of 10-15% per annum. In 2010, 6.1 lakh foreigners had visited the Taj. The number went up to 6.7 lakh in 2011 and further to 7.9 lakh in 2012.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Agra / Aditya Dev, TNN / December 02nd, 2015

Girls top medal tally at APJ tech varsity

Education, Records, All

Lucknow :

Girls once again rule the roost in APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University’s medal tally. Close to 80% of the medals to be awarded on the convocation ceremony scheduled on December 24 are in girls’ kitty. A total of 48 medals will be awarded in the convocation. Of these, 38 will be awarded to girls.

For the first time, graduating students of AKTU will wear a cream-coloured angvastra over their traditional dress. Boys will wear white shirts and dark trousers. Girls will wear sarees. The angvastra to be worn by the students will showcase Lucknow’s heritage and famous historical monuments of UP. In addition, it will also have sermons of former president APJ Abdul Kalam. It is also decided that the dignitaries will wear a maroon-coloured angvastra and a cream-coloured pagadi.

In each group, like engineering, management, fashion designing, computer applications and pharmacy, three medals each – gold, silver and bronze – will be awarded. On the occasion, the university will also release an annual report that will highlight the notable developments during the year.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Lucknow / TNN / December 01st, 2015