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A Trunk Full of Fun

By
Tania Saili
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0
Having fun

Dateline Haridwar: Elephants are modest. They always bathe with their trunks! At least Johnny, Sultan and Rani do and who could possibly ask for a healthier start to an otherwise mundane day when they have a rigorous fitness regime at their personal open-air gymnasium, shared with three other adults. This ensures they remain fit and fine.

These gentle giants are no ordinary five to six year olds, but simply adorable safari elephants living at the Chila Range of the Rajaji National Park.

Talking to Newspost, Anil Painuly, Range Officer, Chila Range, adds: “Our six elephants go from a six-year-old to thirty and all of them are like our own children. They depend solely upon us for everything and we too try to make sure that we pamper them in every which way.”

Fit and Fab

While in the wild, elephants walk close to eighteen hours a day foraging for fodder and water. Here, in the range these six elephants are used for patrolling, carrying fodder back to their enclosure when they are not taking tourists out on a jungle safari. The last task, sadly, has come to a grinding halt due to the present contagion.

To ensure that these elephants do not face boredom, and remain healthy and happy, the Forest Department of the Rajaji National Park took fitness tracking to a whole other mammoth level: “we came up with a unique open-air gymnasium consisting of a mud bath, dangling objects like footballs or discarded tyres; tangled nets with holes or empty barrels. The incentives – fruits and hay – are tucked away, hidden from the view inside these props. They are exercised and entertained.’ explains Anil Painuly.

Less than a month old, the gym has become a favourite haunt of these mammoth mammals. The young ones mimic the elderly captive elephants but always under the watchful eye of their mahawats or minders as the pachyderms sweat it out every day. Believe you me! It keeps them physically fit, mentally agile as they strive to stay ahead of never forgetting anything.

The Many Melodies of Uttarakhand

By
Tania Saili
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0

Dateline Dehradun: Where would one begin to search about the upcoming music scene in Uttarakhand? Rappers to Hip-Hop artists are now just a click away. A ninety minute conversation with over thirty musical talents, which took over four hundred days of research, travel and work, is now available on YouTube.

Famous YouTuber, Hip Hop Journalist & Former Radio Jockey, Raaj Jones put his talent to look for scattered artists across the State in order to record their musical journey for posterity.

The first episode of the documentary features thirty-seven rappers, and has been appreciated by the likes of Raftaar, Raghav Juyal, Ikka, Ishq Bector, Haji Springer, Phenom who have shared it on their Instagram account.

An Uttarakhandi by birth, Raaj was born and brought up in Bhowali, Nainital. For eight years he worked in the Radio Industry but kept an eye out for budding talent in various fields. Raaj explains: “There are generally five elements i.e. Dancing, Rapping, Graffiti, Djying, Beat Boxing but in my home-state of Uttarakhand there is a sixth element which is Extreme Sports. We have covered all these interesting fields. The first episode is dedicated to home-grown, talented thirty-seven Rappers including two female artists.”

About the Rap  scene in Uttarakhand, he confesses: “There is a lot of talent here. The lyrics, music, video production, flow and rhythm are at par with anyone else in those fields, but unfortunately their talent goes unsung. He adds: “But what moves me the most, is the unity amongst the artists, who encourage and motivate each other all the time.”

Raaj Jones feels his documentation would have been incomplete without the help of Team Evolution, Nashua Films Studio and Khanna Saab Productions. They helped him in this search for talent that cut across all genres and has brought their inspirational stories on to a common platform for all to see.

Watch the episode here:

https://youtu.be/jK6tMjX1DdE

CLARION CALL: UTTARAKHAND CALLING

By
Tania Saili
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0

Dateline Pauri: 1:30 min song. Half a crore views with many asking for a longer version. With migrants returning to their home in the hills, some inspired Uttarakhand’s iconic singer Narendra Singh Negi to compose his latest song, “Lagi Baduli,’ a part of the ‘Geet bhi aur Geet ki baat bhi,’ web-series on folk songs.

The original 1:30 second song, composed in early 2019 was the theme for Baduli, an annual event put together by the Uttarakhand Association of New Zealand. Speaking to us, Narendra Singh Negi remembers, “I was requested by the organizers to compose a song that would bring together Uttarakhandi’s scattered all over New Zealand for the event.”

A year later, sitting in his home in Pauri, Narendra Singh Negi reminisces that while going through the comments section of his video, he came across many a fan asking for an extended version of the Lagi Baduli song in particular. It seemed that the song was a tad too short, something more was needed to round it off. That single thought spark set the proverbial ball rolling.

When the Muses returned, the lyrics were written and the result is the new song in its longer version of five minutes. It has found release on YouTube.

“Lagi Baduli’ is a song that talks to the soul of those who are far away from their home-state. It exhorts them; pleads with them to return to their childhood haunts, where everyone including the gods and goddesses miss them. It is oozes love and nostalgia for what was good in the past,” Narendra Singh Negi signs off!

One of the six songs that is part of his latest release “Geet bhi and Geet ki baat bhi,” explains the story or the idea behind each song sung by Narendra Singh Negi. It has left his followers breathless as they gasp for more.

To watch the video, click here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDzplL53toQ&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3f7IWuOfLlgyM078UrTME9jX30yXfJ3868mLqY9JSbeSRt6zrmf9gpS2k

Half a Crore year old elephant fossil found in the Siwalik Ranges

By
Tania Saili
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0
Pic Courtesy: Sanjay Kumar

Dateline Saharanpur: 1830’s Mussoorie. Two unlikely neighbours, Dr Hugh Falconer, a botanist setting up the the famous Saharanpur Botanical Garden Royal (he was here to start Mussoorie’s Company Bagh. Two of his Ginseng trees burst out in blossom to this day) and the other an engineer, Proby Cautley of the Ganga Canal fame who built the Ganga Canal which turned the Doab from a famine prone region to a Garden of Plenty. This tale is about their singular hobby that saw them excavate fossils along the length and breadth of the ancient Siwalik Ranges. You will find the results of their stellar efforts on display in the Calcutta Museum.

Retracing their footsteps, while carrying out special survey during a Wildlife census, team lead by V. K. Jain, Chief Conservator of Forest, Saharanpur Circle and Dr. I. P. Bopanna, landscape co-ordinator, WWF, India, accompanied by Devvrat Panwar, Senior Programme Officer and others, chanced upon a fossil of jaws of a young Elephant calf discovered in Badshahibagh area of Siwalik.

The present fossil specimen is from the DhokPathan formation of the Siwalik of the extinct Stegodon Elephant species. The sandstone embedded on the fossil is medium grained, salt and pepper in nature and clearly shows nine well developed ridges on its surface view, with the length of the molar being nearly 24 cms. The enamel of the molar is very thick.

The sample was shown to Dr. R. K. Sehgal Scientist at Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun while taking the expert opinion of Dr. A. C. Nanda. Experts confirm that the specimen is at least 50 lakh years ( 5-10 million years old). This fossil belongs to Miocene era when Elephants had tusks that were more than 10 feet long.

Sharing the images of this precious find is avid photographer and wildlife specialist Sanjay Kumar IAS, Commissioner Saharanpur, who congratulated the team stating: ‘A huge congratulations to Conservator Forest, Saharanpur V.K. Jain and P. Bopanna from World Wildlife India.’

Unravelling these finds confirms the belief that half a crore years ago the Doon valley was a forty five miles long and fifteen miles wide fresh-water lake, where alongside in the Siwaliks, roamed pre-historic life forms— dinosaurs, the woolly mammoth; saber-tooth tigers and three-toed ancestors of the horse.

Tying the Knot in the Times of Contagion

By
Tania Saili
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0
Representational image

Dateline Dehradun: Three months into this lockdown has seen authorities busy sorting through hundreds of applications of wanna-be-brides and grooms asking for permission so that their wedding bells can start chiming.

Post April the 20th 2020, the City Magistrate’s Office in Dehradun has received close to eleven hundred applications requesting permission for weddings to be held within the city’s limit alone.

Adding to this SDM Gopal Chandar, Dehradun Sadar, tells us: “We give hand-to-hand permission for weddings with mandatory rules and regulations highlighted.”

All set to tie the knot in early May, local entrepreneur Viplav Goel, says: “This lockdown has stalled plans. Venues aren’t available, temples were closed, large gatherings are banned. Mine is an inter-state wedding which requires travel permits. All in all it has thrown a massive damper over all plans.”

Even the pandits are predicting an auspicious constellation of stars in June and early July that in the past were no-go months for tying-the-knot.

Anukriti of Plan-Your-Memories, an event and wedding management firm in Dehradun, is trying to convert regrets into a great experience. They say: “In a few days from now, we shall be showcasing our first marriage after the present lockdown. A decent wedding package for 70-100 people would be around 6-7 lakhs pre-covid days, but now with only fifty persons allowed in one wedding, the cost cutting will lead to a drastic fall in pricing. We will be looking at around one and a half lakhs or so. It attracts more clients for sure.”

Of course a few would-be-couples aren’t willing to compromise and postponing their dday for better times ahead while others have now started looking for substance behind the style.

‘Ding-dong the bells are going to chime, and many will be going to the mandap in time!’

Higher Education 2.0 : Steps by Central University of Gujarat  

By
Prof. Rama Shanker Dubey
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0

Higher education since the swearing-in of the new government in 2019 has taken two major pathways: one, the strengthening and continuation of  the schemes and policies that had been introduced in 2014-19 and second, a graded and gradual introduction of new schemes and initiatives to further boost the higher education system of the country. In this regard, the government has taken manifold steps through focusing on quality improvement, enhancing learning opportunities, and providing research impetus to institutions of higher education through various schemes and support structures. The vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the efforts of the HRD Ministry in this regard are laudable. Keeping in line with these new initiatives, the Central University of Gujarat (CUG) too has been proactively involved in implementing the initiatives taken by the government.

One of the areas that higher education has made a valuable contribution  is its engagement in innovative academic and research initiatives. The IITs have seen a remarkable growth in the number of patents filed over the last 5 years. Similarly, the introduction of various research initiatives like STARS in basic sciences, IMPRESS in Social Sciences, IMPRINT in translation of innovation to technology, SPARC in promoting academic and research collaborations, and STRIDE for promoting transdisciplinary research has already seen an impressive number of about 1600 projects to the tune of approximately rupees 700 crores. These schemes as undertaken by the HRD Ministry have opened up the possibilities of carrying out research in areas that are of national relevance and are, most importantly, driven by the spirit of local needs and global concerns.

Further, knowledge generation cannot be in a vacuum. It must be ideally blended with the soil of the nation. The vision contained in the New Education Policy to deliver on principles of Access, Inclusion, Quality, Excellence and enhancing employability in Higher Education by implementing strategic interventions in the sector over the next five years (2019-2024) needs to be understood as a bold step in this direction.

Besides, the social commitment of the higher educational institutions through Honourable P.M.’s initiatives like Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Smart India Hackathon and Unnat Bharat Abhiyan provides it with the right blend of inclusiveness and greater community and stakeholder engagement.

To fulfil this vision, CUG has taken major steps towards strengthening interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations in teaching and research with major national and international institutions. The University has Central Instrumentation Facility, one of the most advanced in the country. Moving with the tune of innovation in research CUG has developed an innovative technology for quantitative elucidation of intramolecular structural changes that occur in proteins and biopolymers under various transition states. European Patent no. EP313720A2 has been recently granted to it. An instrument to simultaneously measure viscosity and surface tension of liquid, named Survismeter (Singapore patent 126089), fabricated by a senior Chemistry Professor of CUG, is a green-tech based equipment, which is booming in global market in consonance with the concept  of Hon’ble PM ‘Be vocal about local’. The students at CUG have proved themselves ably by not only attaining recognition at national and international levels but also bringing laurels to the university by achieving higher academic goals.

In order to march ahead towards building of a new India of the 21st century and making use of enormous e-resources made available recently by MHRD and UGC,  the University has implemented blended learning methods with use of more e-contents. During COVID-19 crisis academic activities of the university have been successfully completed via online learning.  Library and information science department at CUG has mapped and integrated all possible e-resources available on various platforms for the relevance of students on a single portal at university website. With the help of Information Library Network (INFLIBNET) located at Gandhinagar, a dedicated and unique Learning Management System (LMS) platform has been developed for the various courses taught at CUG  where e-resources available at various ends have been aggregated and populated at one place as ‘Moodle’. E-content delivery to the students via Moodle provides an exciting teaching learning experience.

The University is in the process of charting out a plan for  end-semester examinations based on the guidelines of UGC and MHRD. Most importantly, the teachers of the University are in regular touch with the students and are making sure that they are counselled and provided emotional support during these testing times.

The most crucial pillar of a nation is its education system. History has shown us that it is only through holistic and integrated education that a society can prosper. The initiatives taken by Hon’ble Prime Minister and the HRD Minister, I believe, have opened many possibilities towards achieving a socially equitable and inclusive education system. We, in the higher education sector, have a moral responsibility towards the society and it is through this sense of commitment that we can take our nation forward. As Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Ambedkar noted “cultivation of mind should be the ultimate aim of human existence”. We at the helm of the University systems should be able to achieve the vision of Higher Education 2.0 by cultivating young minds for a strong nation.

(Author: Prof. Rama Shanker Dubey, Vice Chancellor, Central University of Gujarat, Gandhinagar)

IIT Roorkee secures 1st position among IITs in Citations per Faculty parameter

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newspost
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0

Dateline Roorkee: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee secured 1st position among IITs in the Citations per Faculty parameter in the QS World University Rankings 2021 published today (10th June 2020).

The Institute secured the first position among IITs in the International Students parameter also. The high score (92.7) on citations per faculty puts IIT Roorkee in the league of the top 20 universities worldwide and reflects the high impact research carried out by faculty in their respective research areas.

QS Rankings classified IIT Roorkee as a ‘Historic’ Public Institution with ‘Very High’ focus in ‘Research Intensity’ as the strongest indicator for the Institute.

Overall, IIT Roorkee has retained its national and global rank as in the previous year. It is ranked 6th among IITs and 383 globally.

Prof. Ajit Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, said, “We are glad on securing the 1st position among IITs in the citations per faculty score. It is the result of dedication and the high priority on research placed by faculty members and students of the institute.”

The QS World University Rankings has been recognized as one of the most influential rankings of the top universities around the world. It has six criteria with different weights that are summed up to get the results, viz. Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Faculty Student ratio, Citations per Faculty, International Faculty and International Students.

Landour Cantonment eyes the top slot

By
Tania Saili
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0

Dateline Mussoorie: Sixty-Three Cantonments in India, watch out! Landour Cantonment in the hill station of Mussoorie is inches away from becoming the country’s Numero Uno or Number One Cantonment very soon.

A youthful, dynamic Chief Executive Officer and his team of energetic young folks are on a roll. With a long to-do-list, they are leaving no stone unturned to accomplish what most of his predecessors tried to do but left it for him to finish.

After marathon of meetings stretching throughout the day, he made the time to talk to Newspost. Abhishekh Rathore IDES updated us: “Our priority for Landour is widening its roads, provide parking, improve water supply and add to street-lighting. Given these extraordinary circumstances, we are trying to accomplish as many of these tasks as possible.”

Courtesy: Ganesh Saili
Landour’s lure

For starters, most of the gutters outside the shops leading up the ramp to Mullingar have been repaired. Nine poles that obstructed traffic up the sharp incline were moved to make way for vehicular traffic.

Then there are new LED streetlights to light up the darkness in the entire Cantonment. Plans are underway for beautification of the lookout at the Mullingar Chowk. Chardukan too will be given an aesthetic façade including its own local-haat selling Uttarakhand handicraft and produce. This will generate employment for the young.

There are more plans including: ‘Setting up traffic lights, at every tricky stretch of the road, leading to the top of the hill. Landour Cantonment shall be hiring a few home-guards or P.R.D.s carrying walkie-talkies in peak season to manage the heavy influx of traffic on weekends.”

And if you thought that was it, you have more coming: Talks are underway for two dedicated parking lots. But till that happens, special parking zones have been identified around the Upper Chakkar where up to eighty cars can easily be parked on any given day.

“Though the present pandemic has slowed down the pace at which one would have liked all this to happen, but in the months to come, the idea is to ensure that Landour becomes a smart city by itself,” he says before signing off. If things go right, you could well see Landour residents singing: ‘Happy Days Are Here Again!’

Serving the nation through voluntary military training and service

By
Wg Cmdr Praful Bakshi (retd) Defense and Security Analyst
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0
Representational Image

New Delhi: To have a capable and strong citizenry to run the country, it would be a welcome move that every citizen must have the attributes and qualities of a soldier who guard the nation. One who is physically fit, motivated with right qualities of leadership and managerial traits knowing not only how to defend but also run his country.  This can be achieved in a unified and systematic manner if compulsory military training is imparted to the youth.

Each and every soldier contributes towards building a democratic infrastructure of the state.  Unfortunately we have conditioned our minds to think that a uniformed soldier is a complete opposite of what is required to support a democratic machine, without knowing that it is through his sacrifices of liberties and rights that the nation is safe and strengthened.

Besides the above how many in Civil and Corporate Sector realize that all the principles of management practiced by the industrial world have been taken from the armed forces, making its personnel the natural practitioner of these principles.

In the late sixties when National Cadet Corp was compulsory for school and colleges, NCC cadets contributed effectively during the 1962 and 1965 wars. Escorts to military logistic trains, convoys of civil truck carrying military equipment, escorting refugee columns as a support to local police and administration, was carried out by NCC cadets. Why this practice got diluted, makes for interesting study.

Suggestions for National and State Level Organizational Structure:

The core of this should be strengthened and up-graded version of NCC, renamed as NATIONAL MILITARY PREPARATORY CORP or NMPC.

NMPC could be a regular source of supply of abled-youth if he/she wants to pursue the armed forces, or be a first grade citizen trained for nation building. Headed by a Lt. Gen rank Officer from the three services, and be placed under Integrated Defence Staff, the state level NMPC could be headed by a Maj. Gen or Equivalent Rank Officer controlling the district levels areas through NMPC Battalions and Squadrons, with aid and assistance from Army, Air and Naval Bases.

The three services would be allotted extra funds by increasing the annual budget to meet necessary increase in extra logistics etc. The officers could be from the three services along with BSF, ITBP on deputation or ERE.

Before we move on to the syllabus, it should be appreciated that compulsory military training would hold good if the student has a fair understanding of national security, meaning of the term, role of the armed forces, military and national industrial capability, dependence of military development on national industry, handling and management of situations of disaster study development and requirement of modern weapon system.

This special subject must be started in class 8th and carry on until college. A team of service officers, UGC and the Ministry of Education can jointly work out the syllabus. The physical military ground, sea and air training could be the responsibility of the service groups, exposing them to weaponry and technology.

Other than basic military subject, the training syllabus must include military studies, the aspects of internal security, threats, joint-operations along with Indigenization of Defence and other industries. All these subjects could start from basics pitched according to the understanding at their age and stage.

No political leanings:

No cadet of NMPC would be allowed to be part of any political activity.

Camps:

Camps could be conducted at the State level utilizing help from the service formations. But for class XII and college students the camp could be at a common place, something which will require more in depth study.

The defence budget must be suitably upgraded. The Ministry for Education, UGC and State governments must be asked to contribute monetarily, logistically and through manpower.

Induction into the Three Service: 

It is most logical to think that once a cadet has completed the training he or she would like to serve the nation as an Officer in any of the three services along with the Coast Guard. Successful cadets after clearing an interview could be granted 3 to 5 years service in the Officers Rank, as was recently suggested by the Chief of the Army staff Gen Narvane.

For other ranks, candidates who could not make it to the selection of the NMPC should be given 5-year service in the ranks  (an aspect that can be further fine tuned).

The question of absorption of these personnel into the services after 3 to 5 years will have to be worked out but one thing is certain that this vast reservoir of capable national manpower would not only become the second line of defence, but would also contribute towards nation building, proper governance, law and order, regional security and protection of vital areas, rural development programs, up gradation of environmental health and cleanliness and disaster management.

In the longer run the organisation of Civil Defence/Home guards could become a part of this process to give it added value.

India has a vast reservoir of youth eager to play their part in the upliftment of their Nation. The earlier we tap this opportunity, the better it would be for a promising future.

Poetry Film celebrates the spirit of collective change

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newspost
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0

Nestlé India in collaboration with Stree Mukti Sanghatana and RECITY have released a poetry film, ‘Let’s imagine a healed world’ as part of Project HILLDAARI this World Environment Day.

Recited by Anamika Joshi, a popular spoken word performance artist, urges people to collectively imagine a cleaner environment that helps biodiversity flourish, similar to what we are experience these days during the lockdown. Through its lyrics, the poem motivates people to recalibrate their actions to ignite hope for a newer and a healed world.

Commenting on this unique initiative, Mr. Sanjay Khajuria, Director – Corporate Affairs, Nestlé India said, ’During the pandemic, Nestlé India through its Project Hilldaari and in collaboration with local stakeholders has reached out to waste professionals in the select tourist towns of India and enabled them to face the crisis by providing essentials, creating awareness and equipping them with safety gears. On the occasion of World Environment Day, the HILLDAARI poetry film also encourages collective efforts for a better tomorrow and resonates the need for respecting the environment.’’

Adding to this, popular spoken word performance artist, Ms. Anamika Joshi, said, “Art has the power to change the world and given the current situation, the world is in dire need of a positive change. This poetry film aims to bring hope amidst the current challenging times along with a sense of reflection to pause and think for a better tomorrow. It highlights the power of imagination and empathy in changing the world.’

HILLDAARI is an initiative supported by Nestlé India to develop inclusive, contextualised and resilient models for solid and plastic waste management, in the tourist cities of the country. It is currently being implemented in Mussoorie, Nainital and Dalhousie by Stree Mukti Sanghatana, with Recity Network Private Limited as the technical partner. The initiative is progressively working towards professionalizing 220 waste collectors and informal waste pickers towards segregation of waste at source through a multi-collaborative approach with municipal councils, citizens, contractors, waste workers and influencers.

Watch and comment:

https://www.facebook.com/hilldaari/videos/564658877572542/

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