With a lot many films being shot in the city over the past few years, it has surely become a favourite destination of Bollywood filmmakers. Now, it’s the turn of debutant director and Lucknowite Durgesh Pathak who will be shooting his film in his hometown. Starring Ashutosh Rana, Aman Verma, Jaideep Ahlawat and Rituparna Sengupta, the untitled film will be shot entirely in Lucknow in December this year.
Jaideep Ahlawat (BCCL)
The film, which also stars several actors from the city including Tia Bajpai of ‘Haunted’ fame, Nandini Singh who was seen in ‘Ek Aur Ek Gyarah’, ‘Saharsh Kumar Shukla’ whose was seen in ‘Rangoon’ and Neetu Pandey of ‘Shorgul’ fame, has been written by Lucknowite Dilip Shukla, acclaimed writer of films ‘Dabangg’,’Ghayal’ and ‘Damini’, to name a few. Though the story was conceived by Pathak himself, it is being written by Shukla. The film deals with women-centric issues and will have local artists as well as a local production team.
Durgesh, who is making his debut as a director has also done cinematography for various commercials and other short films in the past. Talking about the storyline of the film, Durgesh shares, “The film deals with women issues like marital rape and how women deal with such issues in real life. It highlights not only the problems women face when they go out of their homes but also what happens with them behind closed doors.”
“We are planning to go on floors from mid-December, the dates along with the title of the film will be finalised soon. The shooting is expected to go on till January 25. It was a herculean task for me to make this dream come true as I have been planning this film for years. Finally, the dream is coming true and with so many big names being associated with the film, I am hopeful that it will create a lot of buzz,” says Durgesh.
By Abhishek.Shukla2@timesgroup.com
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News / TNN / November 05th, 2017
Freedom fighter Jyoti Pershad, who had taken an active part in the Quit India movement in 1942 and served jail sentences, died at his native Badkali village in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district on Wednesday.
Pershad was 95. According to his family members, his mortal remains were consigned to the flames today in the presence of a large number of social activists and eminent citizens.
Prasad is survived by his three sons and two daughters.
source: http://www.echoofindia.com / The Echo of India / Home / Muzaffarnagar – November 09th, 2017
Thirty years after it undertook its last journey, and has been since stationed under a shed, a British-era train would start chugging soon once again. Only this time, its run would be curtailed from earlier 22.4km to 10km and it would ferry eco-tourists and won’t be laden with wooden logs.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is keen to re-start the vintage train to give eco-tourism a boost in eastern UP. Railways has already completed the survey of the track and has found it fit for operation.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is keen to re-start the vintage train to give eco-tourism a boost in eastern UP
The train would run through the thick foliage of the lush green Sal trees in Laxmipur range of Maharajganj forest division which is famous for the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary having huge population of antelopes besides rare and endangered birds and wildlife.
This British-era train used to run on the 22.4km long track between Ikma and Chauraha that was laid in 1922 and got commissioned in 1924. It was the first track in the country which was laid in a forest only for transportation of timber. A raised platform and a beautiful yard still exist at Ikma.
“The track is still there though now most of it is covered with vegetation,” said Kuruvila Thomas, a forest official in Gonda.
Four engines and compartments of the train had been lying in Ikma since the train stopped operation in 1986. One of the engines, however, was brought to Lucknow Zoo in 2008.
The vintage train that used to run on a narrow gauge track of .625 metre had 56 bogies and four engines. Moreover, the train also had a saloon.
While the train earlier used to run on steam engine, it will now be driven by a diesel one.
The track that runs along Taungya villages has a parallel road alongside on which there is heavy movement of people all day through.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Lucknow News> Politics / TNN / November 08th, 2017
Manu Kumar Jain on a visit to his school. (Image: Facebook/ManuKumarJain)
It is said going back to one’s roots is like looking in the mirror- you see a version of yourself that others have seen. Xiaomi India’s Manu Kumar Jain recently took a look in that mirror when he visited his old school in Meerut, UP. Documenting the trip to his alma mater were photos, nearly 15 of them, from Kumar’s classrooms, canteen and school ground.
Manu Kumar Jain with his teachers from school. (Image: Facebook/ManuKumarJain)
“I did my entire schooling from DMA (Dayawati Modi Academy) – from Nursery to class 12th. It was an amazing experience to go back to this wonderful institution after almost 20 years,” he wrote in a Twitter post.
And it wasn’t just the brick and mortar that pulled Kumar into nostalgia, but also his teachers and heartwarmingly, his school bus driver.
“Met Principal Mrs Ritu Dewan, our Hindi teacher Mrs Amita Tyagi, chemistry teacher Dr Lal and the entire staff. Even got a chance to hug our bus driver (Sharma Ji), who drove me to school for 14 long years,” Jain added.
source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / ET Home> Magazines> Panache / ET Bureau / November 06th, 2017
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee have come up with a new method for production of biodiesel from microalgae (‘kai’ in indi), which they claim is low-cost and more effective.
Elaborating on the research, professor BR Gurjar, head of centre for transportation systems of the institute said, “Microalgae are considered to be one of the superior resources for production of biodiesel due to the species’ ability to produce higher biomass and accumulate more lipids, which are the target material for biodiesel production. To increase the rate of production and to make it cost-effective, we used heterotrophic cultivation of microalgae using low-cost organic carbon-based feedstock such as agro waste, molasses, municipal and industrial wastes. This resulted in an automotive quality in biodiesel production.”
The cost of feedstock and expense of operation are two crucial cost components in biodiesel production. The cost of feedstock alone accounts for about 60–70% of the total cost while the cost of the substrate is also a huge factor. The method employed by IIT Roorkee considerably reduces the cost of the substrate.
IIT Roorkee researchers used the algal-based crude glycerol in the production, which is a low-cost organic carbon source and the main byproduct of the biodiesel production process. Crude glycerol works as a media feedstock for cultivation of microalgae, thereby reducing the cost of the substrate to a negligible point.
Research showed that the use of crude glycerol enhanced the accumulation of the total lipid in the algal cells. Various analyses after the production of the fuel proved it was better in terms of quality and quantity. The fuel was also comparable to the existing vehicular fuel standards.
“The method used by the team is beneficial to the environment as there is no biodiversity loss attached to it. Moreover, it minimizes waste production by using materials like agro-waste and is able to produce an enhanced quantity and quality of biodiesel,” said Richa Katiyar, an associate in the research project.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Bareilly News / by Tapan Susheel / TNN / November 03rd, 2017
It is indeed curious how some remarkably important historic events can vanish from the collec tive memory of people. Not many remember that exactly 50 years ago, the daughter of the most powerful communist dictator of USSR, Joseph Stalin, had landed in a small village of India at the height of USSR’s global dominance and the Cold War.
Svetlana Alliluyeva spent three months in Kalakankar, a sleepy village right on the banks of river Ganga in Pratapgarh district.
However, hardly anybody in India knows accurately the events surrounding the remarkable journey of Svetlana, who gave up on the famous surname of her father.
It was during a boating expedition organised by UP Police down the Ganga till Kalakankar that somebody mentioned to me about the extraordinary real life story of Stalin’s daughter having come and lived there. Even after living for so many years in the state, I had never read or heard of those extraordinary events.
As I explored later, I found that Svetlana had carefully and beautifully written about her stay on the banks of the Ganga in her memoirs, originally in Russian, and later translated into English as `Only One Year.’ In the mid 1960s, years after Stalin was dead and even after Khruschev was `dethroned’, that this remarkable lady, who by that time had two grownup children from her previous marriages, came in contact with an old, idealist, romantic Indian communist called Brajesh Singh, in Moscow. Brajesh belonged to the rich landlord family of Kalakankar and happened to be an uncle of the then-foreign minister of India.
Under extraordinary circumstances, they fell in love and despite protestations and forebodings, were `married’, though the marriage was never registered under Soviet law.
Brajesh, who was already very ill when the two met, tragically died soon after and Svetlana decided to take the ashes of her late ‘husband’ to Kalakankar. After all, Kalakankar was his home. Once in India, tasting `freedom’ for the first time, Svetlana began to toy with the idea of never returning to USSR. After a lot of prevarications, she finally picked up the courage to defect to the west–something that must have been big international news in those days of peak Cold War.
But for an Indian, the real value and beauty of Svetlana’s memoirs is the insightful observations made during her stay in Kalakankar, her meeting with then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi–she had stayed in Kalakankar during an election campaign–and her description of public figures like Ram Manohar Lohia and Dinesh Singh. She also talks of people’s growing disenchantment with politics even 50 years ago.
Her evocative descriptions of Magh Mela, travel in a crowded general category train to Lucknow, her warm appreciation of simple-minded generous villagers, her genuine respect and praise for Gandhiji and Nehru and most of all, her beautiful imagery while describing the rural Indian landscapes have both literary and historic value.
After Svetlana emigrated to the US, she sent money, a part of her royalty, to build a hospital at Kalakankar that is now a school. It was her way of paying homage to the memory of her late husband and his country.
Today, Brajesh Singh and Svetlana and their story are largely forgotten but not entirely. The memory of that kind, humane spirit and those few months, 50 years ago, still somehow lingers among the local populace at Kalakankar, where Stalin’s daughter stood, or otherwise, how would I come to know of her footsteps on the sands of time.The writer is a Lucknow enthusiast and an IAS officer. He also likes to read, is a sports enthusiast, and is also a keen nature lover.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Lucknow News / by Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma / TNN / November 05th, 2017
Cricketer Suresh Raina was made the brand ambassador of the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) at a programme here on Sunday.
“It is a matter of pride for Ghaziabad that Suresh Raina, an international star, is the brand ambassador of GMC and also the brand ambassador of Swachh Bharat Mission,” said V.K. Jindal, Joint Secretary and Director of Swachh Bharat Mission.
Ghaziabad Municipal Commissioner C.P. Singh added: “I am grateful to Raina for accepting my proposal to be the brand ambassador of our Municipal Corporation.”
Raina is a resident of Ghaziabad. It is the only city among 16 municipal corporations in Uttar Pradesh which has been declared open defecation free.
Raina said: “I will offer my best services to the municipal body. I have been emotionally attached to this city. This city gave me strength so that we could win the World Cup.”
source: http://www.cricket.yahoo.com / Yahoo Cricket / Home / by Sahir Usman / October 29th, 2017
After a gap of three years, Lucknow University has introduced two medals this year. They will be awarded during its convocation on December 9. LU has received Rs 5 lakh each for the new medals which will be conferred to the high scorers in law faculty .
“The medals will be constituted in the name of former legislator late DP Bora and Justice (retired) BK Dhawan. The amount of Rs 5 lakh for each set by the university has been given by MLA Neeraj Bora and Daya Dhawan respectively,” said LU VC SP Singh.
He added that Neeraj Bora had given Rs 11 lakh to LU for the constitution of a medal in the name of his father DP Bora. While Rs 5 lakh was for the medal, the remaining amount will be used for development work at the university.
The medal in the name of Justice Dhawan will be awarded to the high scorer of LLB (three years).
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City News> Lucknow News> Schools & Colleges / TNN / November 02nd, 2017
Raid alert: As MD of Kanpur Electric Supply Company Limited, Ritu Maheshwari conducted raids on a regular basis to curb power theft / courtesy: Uma Maheshwari
The new collector of Ghaziabad comes with the distinction of having revived a debt-ridden electric utility.
The new district magistrate of Ghaziabad — among the slew of transfers in the Uttar Pradesh government last month — is difficult to track down. The little breathing space Ritu Maheshwari gets between meetings and team briefings is devoted to her son’s preparations for school exams. That this officer’s days are long and busy is nothing new, given that in her previous stint she was feted for successfully ushering in power distribution reforms in a country weighed down by an average annual loss of $16.2 billion due to power theft.
Maheshwari joined the civil services in 2003 after completing a degree in electrical engineering at Punjab Engineering College. She had her first major breakthrough in 2011, when she was posted as the managing director of Kanpur Electric Supply Company Limited (KESCO). The debt-ridden utility had run up losses of nearly 30 per cent, brought about by distribution losses, thefts, and tampering of meters. All that was about to change soon.
“I had just returned from maternity leave and had expected an easier posting, but when I got this (KESCO) instead, many of my peers advised me against taking it up. But I decided to go ahead. After I joined, I was told the company would soon be disinvested and I needn’t take on too much pressure. But I decided that it was still possible to turn this company around, and I worked on it. I wouldn’t say it was a complete makeover, but we made some headway,” Maheshwari says during a telephonic interview.
By the time she left KESCO, the losses had almost halved. During her 11-month stewardship, she replaced nearly one-third, or 1.6 lakh, of the mechanical meters with smart ones. She credits the turnover not to any big moves, but rather small actions instead. “We went on regular raids. The office staff was made to understand that it wasn’t okay to sit idle and turn a blind eye to instances of power theft.”
Nearly 8.4 million of UP’s 29 million households have non-metered power supply, while another 11.2 million have no electricity, according to a Bloomberg report. Distribution companies do not want to upgrade grids without recovering current losses. Recently, a tender was floated for the purchase of five million smart meters for UP and Haryana. The public-sector Energy Efficiency Services Ltd, which aims to halve distribution losses to 15 per cent across India by 2019, was in charge of the international bidding process. Maheshwari was heading this project until July 2017.
She believes that technology is the best defence against power theft — if the systems are seamless, and the processes automated, accountability will increase and it will become that much harder to steal. “I feel that while there were checks against power theft earlier too, the automatic meters made a world of difference by bringing in transparency,” she says.
A reduction of even one per cent in distribution loss translates into a profit of $10 billion for the company, so a difference of 15 per cent was nothing short of extraordinary. Maheshwari was also involved in the development of Urja Mitra, an app that gives real-time information on power supply across the country. After a successful trial run in Kanpur, it was rolled out countrywide in April 2017.
“After I got involved, many power companies are putting up their audited sheets on a three-month basis, where the public can find out how much power has been consumed, and the losses incurred by the companies,” she says. As the distribution losses fell, the company was able to improve supply too.
Such drastic reforms, unsurprisingly, were met with opposition initially. Consumers in Kanpur protested when forced to take up legitimate connections and fall under the revenue net. The powers-that-be weren’t pleased either. “I did face resistance from the political milieu, and had to pull up employees who had become corrupt. Some took money to tip off violators ahead of raids against power theft… they would remove the illegal power hooks before the team arrived. We countered this with surprise raids.”
In 2014, Maheshwari’s work inspired filmmakers Deepti Kakkar and Fahad Mustafa to produce a documentary titled Katiabaaz (Powerless), focusing on the power situation in Kanpur, a seat for leather industries, which require heavy-duty electricity.
After Kanpur, and stints as the district magistrate of JP Nagar, Ghazipur, Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur, Maheshwari wants to focus on fighting pollution control in her current posting at Ghaziabad.
So, how did she tackle the bullies and naysayers at work?
“My degree has stood me well all this time. There have been times where I’ve had to tackle patriarchal attitudes at work, but people realise that I have good knowledge of this [power] sector, and it isn’t easy to hoodwink me. I think, eventually, anyone trying to do some good work is given the space to do so.”
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / BLINK / Home> Cover> BLINK / by Payel Majumdar Upreti / October 06th, 2017
Ginger Hotels, the dominant budget hotel chain from the Taj Group, has opened a property in Lucknow.
“Ginger Hotel Lucknow is a 72-key property located within a short drive from the airport and railway station.
Ginger is the pioneer and the largest chain of branded budget hotels in the country,” Ginger Hotels managing director and CEO Rahul Pandit said in a statement.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies / PTI / Mumbai – October 03rd, 2017
