Laser Diode Developed At Techo: MS University's Applied Physics Department in the Faculty of Technology & Engineering has developed a high-powered laser diode. The device can play a crucial role in high-speed optical fibre data transfer processes and communications. It can also help in surgery and in technologies used to initiate fission reactions in nuclear reactors. Made at a cost of Rs. 4.6 million, the laser diode project was sponsored by the Board of Research in Nuclear Science (BRNS), India's Department of Atomic Energy and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). Also known as an injection laser or a diode laser, the semiconductor device produces coherent radiation generally within the visible or infrared spectrum when a specific amount of current is passed through it. It measures less than a micrometer to a millimetre and weighs just a fraction of a gram. It works on high power, a few kilowatts, and has 70 per cent more efficiency in terms of light amplification. Such diodes are presently imported from USA and European countries. The one developed at MSU will be substantially cheaper and give 70 per cent more output than the normal laser diodes.

MSU Tries To Make Seamless Garments: Imagine a perfectly fitting garment without any seams. How can it be made? Well, the body can be laser-scanned, the measurements fed to a computer-aided design unit, which in turn feeds data to a power loom, which then creates the seamless garment. This idea is being worked upon at MS University, where researchers are working on a special 3D weaving loom that will lead the way to such a technology. The technique, being studied at the university's Department of Textiles, is still at a very early stage. The Rs. 750,000 project is being funded by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The application of this technology is important to the defence industry to make body armour such as bulletproof vests and helmets and fabric reinforced components. Though technologies are available for 3-D knitting, no one in India has tried to devise a 3-D shape weaving technology. A woven cloth is structurally superior to a knitted fabric in many ways. Weaving ensures a uniform firmness throughout the fabric.

Gujarati Spellchecker: Pune's Modular Infotech, a provider of Indian language software solutions, has designed a 'Spellchecker' that can help with spelling and typographical errors in eight languages – Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali and Oriya. It will be supplied along with Shree Lipi, the software sold by Modular for running language applications on the Windows platform. It runs on the same principles as the Thesaurus in Microsoft Word.

Dharmaj's UK Connection: Dharmaj, a village 40 kms from Baroda, has a population of only 10,000 but it attracts a lot of help from its non-resident Indian (NRI) benefactors. Until recently, the villagers had a small government-run community health centre with modest facilities. Now the NRI help has made possible a modern Rs. 13-million multipurpose medical complex that serves Dharmaj and 20 villages in the vicinity. A water purification plant is also being set up. The major support has come from the Dharmaj Society of London, and one of the more active society members is its president Bhupendra Patel who migrated from the village in 1959.

Home Designs: Delhi-based Lexquiste will exhibit a wide range of saris, salwar kameez, kurtis, evening bags with matching stoles, baby dresses, elaborate cushions, curtains, bedcovers, quilts, guest towels, table cloths, table lamps, photo frames, etc., at Trisha Gallery. February 27-28. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

18-02-04

Expressway Nears Completion: The Ahmedabad-to-Vadodara road trip may take just about an hour by April-end when the Rs. 1.9-billion, 93-km expressway will be ready. Only 20 per cent of the work on the road, being built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), remains unfinished. The 43-km Ahmedabad-Nadiad stretch was inaugurated about a year ago. About 5,000 vehicles are using the expressway per day in one direction. Toll collection is now about Rs. 140,000 per day. Toll plazas have been set up at Ahmedabad, Nadiad, Anand and Vadodara. Even on the NH-8 between Ahmedabad and Vadodara, the toll presently adds up to about Rs. 40, which makes the expressway a better proposition as it cuts down on fuel costs and travel time. The system installed at Nadiad has a sensor fitted at the plaza that picks up signals from a transponder attached to the dashboard of your car, scanning information about the validity of your pass. The gate then opens automatically. The transponder costs Rs. 800. A regular user can buy a Smart Card and swipe it at the gate every time he uses the expressway; the card can be updated once the paid amount is over.

NGO Helps VMC School: 'Helping Hands' a Baroda based NGO has adopted a school run by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) and plans to make it a model school. Within just six month, VMC School No. 9 in Subhanpura, with over 300 students and seven teachers, has been given a face-lift in terms of discipline, learning and facilities. Classrooms will also be upgraded in stages. The NGO is also conducting arts, crafts and drawing classes in seven other VMC schools. The NGO as appointed an additional teacher at its own cost to help slow learners and conduct special classes to enable them to cope with their studies. About five NGO volunteers have adopted each class where they help to motivate children to attend school and assist teachers to perform better. Incidentally, a recent report by the Gujarat Council for Education, Research and Training (GCERT) reveals that more than 60,000 VMC schoolchildren are illiterate.

ICAI Branch Wins Award: The Vadodara branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) received the Best Branch Award for 2003. The award was given after reviewing the performance of 100 branches in the country and 12 branches overseas (including London, Nairobi, Indonesia, Dubai, Bahrain and Abu Dhabi). This is the first time that the Vadodara branch has won the award in 36 years. Infosys chairman N.R. Narayana Murthy gave away the award at a function in New Delhi recently.

MSU Gets UGC Grant: MS University's Department of Food & Nutrition has received a grant of Rs. 6.1 million from India's University Grants Commission (UGC) to develop feasible and cost-effective strategies for the prevention and control of malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies and non-communicable diseases of public health significance.

MAG Forms Heritage Panel: The city based Museum Association of Gujarat (MAG) has formed a heritage committee. The committee has identified four city gates, Mandvi and Khanderao Market building, which need urgent restoration work. The Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA) has already identified around 78 structures in the city that need similar attention. The four gates include Lehripura, Panigate, Champaner Darwaza and Gendigate, in addition to Mandvi.

Problem Of Stray Dogs: When any Barodian passes through the roads of Baroda at late night or early morning, he will definitely experience the problem of protecting himself from the wild dogs wandering on the main roads. Without any reason, the dogs in a group of three to four follow the motorcyclist or the person passing on scooter and the driver has to drive fast to save himself. Sometimes the drivers meet with accidents due to this problem on the roads. The night-shift employees, newspaper and milk vendors very often become the victims of dog bites. It is surprising that the wild dogs wandering on the roads are also observed in posh areas like Alkapuri and Fatehgunj. The Municipal Corporation of Baroda should take immediate action to catch these wild dogs. From Jagdish Vaghela <jm_vaghela@yahoo.com>

11-02-04

Productivity Fortnight: Baroda Productivity Council (BPC) will join hands with the National Productivity Council to celebrate productivity fortnight from February 12.

Lucknowi Fashion: Reshma Hazariani presents an exclusive collection of Lucknowi garments. Sienna Art Gallery, Alkapuri. February 11-13. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Exhibition: Roopmati Handloom from Madhya Pradesh brings an exhibition of chanderi, kosa, Maheshwari and tussar silk saris, salwar-kameez, fabrics and cotton bedcovers at G-33, Race Course Towers. Till February 15. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sri Lankan Folk Dance: The Navrachna Education Society and Ghargharika, dedicated to classical dance, have jointly organised a programme of Sri Lankan folk dance on February 15, 7.30 p.m. onward, at Navrachna School in Sama.

Chess Tourney: The Baroda Chess Academy will organise Open Baroda chess championship on 15th February at Don Bosco School, Makarpura.

07-02-04

3 New Flyovers: The Standing Committee of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has in principle approved the construction of three flyovers – the Chhani Overbridge, the Vadsar Bridge and the Akota-Dandia Bazar Overbridge. They will be made on a BOT (Build, Operate, Transfer) basis. Tenders for the projects will shortly be invited by VMC.

Volunteers For Museum Duty: Thanks to financial and staff constraints, Gujarat's director of museums has sought the voluntary services of senior citizens, retired teachers and experts for museum related activities. Senior citizens with a background in archaeology, fine arts and history will be requested to pitch in and do their bit. All the 16 museums in the state have been asked to identify volunteers. The idea will first be tried at the Baroda museum, and an appeal has been made to the Senior Citizen's Organisation, Baroda University Teachers' Association, the district education officer and the Lions' Club. There are only nine curators in the 16 museums in the state, and the post of assistant curator is vacant in all the museums. The Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery is even short of museum guides.

Embroidered Saris Sale: Shrujan has organised an exhibition and sale of embroidered saris, dupattas, blouses, skirts, bags, purses and other handicrafts made by Kutchi ladies at Trisha Gallery. February 12-14.

05-02-04

R.C. Dutt Road 'Renovation': The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) seems to have moved forward a bit in its plan to improve R.C. Dutt Road by copying some of the features of Ahmedabad's C.G. Road. Of the five companies which had bid for the contract, VMC has shortlisted Baroda's AARBGI Group and Ahmedabad's Chitra Publicity for the consideration of its standing committee. VMC's estimate of the cost is roughly Rs. 30 million, for asphalt concrete roads (27,000 sq mt), footpaths and parking spaces, storm water drains, underground power cables, bus stops and public toilets. The BMOT (Build, Maintain, Operate, Transfer) plan may also be applied later to Old Padra Road.

Baroda's Threatened Lakes: A project at Sardar Patel University's School of Architecture in Vidyanagar has identified 100 natural and man-made water bodies in Baroda district, besides 40 reservoirs, including lakes, within the city limits which could be revived and linked by an efficient storm water grid. This could address the city's day-to-day water needs. Most of these sources are located within the old city area and villages which were brought within the city limits. Within the municipal corporation limits 40 such tanks exist, besides the Sursagar Lake. However, some of them exist as water bodies only on paper. Some are in a state of degradation. Lakes like Sarasia, Warasia, Ajab, Raje, Khanderao, Mohammad, Sidhnath, Wadi Wadi, Manjalpur, Makarpura, Nizampura, Gorwa, Gotri, Raneshwar and Sama do still exist.

UGC Upgrades MSU Department: The Department of Human Development & Family Studies (HDFS) of MS University's Home Science Faculty has been upgraded and will now become a full-fledged centre for advanced study in human development. Following the upgradation, the centre will receive a grant of Rs. 6 million from the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Intel Award For City Schools: Baroda's Tejas Vidyalaya and Navrachna School have won the prestigious Intel Awards for the best integration of technology in the curriculum. The award was for schools which take concrete steps to integrate computer technology in education to enhance student learning and productivity.

ECGCI's New Branch: The Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd. (ECGCI) has inaugurated its branch in Vadodara at 302, Concorde, R.C. Dutt Road. The branch, third in Gujarat and 36th in India, will serve Vadodara, Narmada, Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Dangs, Surat and Valsad in Gujarat and the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman.

Seminar On Holistic Health: The Retired Officers' Forum (ROF) will organise a two-day seminar on religion, spirituality and holistic health from February 12 at Taj Residency. Those interested can contact Dr. D.B. Bhandari on +91-265-2791075 for further information.

Seminar On Women Entrepreneurship: The Department of Home Science Extension and Communication, Faculty of Home Science, MS University, and the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development have jointly organised a two-day national seminar on Women Entrepreneurship from February 12.

Manju Jalota's Exhibition: Manju Jalota of Alankrit will exhibit her latest summer collection of salwar suits, saris, dupattas, blouses and fabrics in a wide range of crepes, chiffons, voiles, kotas, organzas, embroidered with zardozi, daraz, murry phanda, tapechi in Lucknowi chikan style. Trisha Gallery. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. February 6-7.

Bags & Baskets: Yamini will exhibit bags and baskets at its outlet from February 6 to 29 (11 a.m. to 8 p.m.). The range includes mobile pouches, tote bags, backpacks, evening bags, baskets, bags for beaches and swimming pools, lunch carry bags.

31-01-04

Ancient Manuscripts Digitised: The Oriental Institute of MS University has begun digitizing nearly 28,000 ancient manuscripts in its archives. The institute has digitized 300 manuscripts dating back to 800 AD. These priceless documents are on copper plates, birch and palm leaves, among them a copper plate dating back to 824 AD describing the origin of Vadodara. The creation of a digital archive will help to preserve these delicate documents.

Foggy Friday: On Friday 30th January Baroda's woke up to a fairly rare sight in Baroda, a thick fog which enveloped the whole city. Visibility was very poor and flights were delayed by an hour or two. Even road traffic was affected but there were no accidents. The fog lifted by 9.30 a.m.

New MSU Website: The site www.msubaroda.ac.in replaces the earlier address www.msub.edu as the official website of MS University of Baroda. The fibre optic backbone for the intra-connectivity in the campus has been provided by the US based MSU alumni sponsored Technology Promotion Trust (TPT). The new website is hosted on MSU's own server, Barodanet, created by TPT which donated about $1.8 million for the project. It is accessible through mobile phones since it is WAP enabled. The website makes it possible for departments linked to the network to independently create new pages and update research works. Other facilities are online application forms, email identities, chat-rooms, bulletin and discussion boards. The 26-km optical fibre network connects 800 computers across 85 faculties.

Atul Dodiya's Painting Exhibition: The contemporary Mumbai based painter Atul Dodiya is exhibiting his paintings at MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts from January 30 to February 6. The exhibition, titled 'Antler Anthology', is a series of 12 works on paper. Dodia has extensively used poems of well-known contemporary Gujarati poets such as Suresh Joshi, Sitanshu Yashaschandra, Gulammohammad Sheikh and others in the body of his paintings.

Tantric Paintings: Barodian painter Jalendu Dave is currently displaying his works at Abhivyakti Cultural Centre. The theme for his exhibition is tantric paintings. Out of 42 paintings that are a part of the exhibition, most have been made with black ink or a mixture of black and red ink. The exhibition is on till February 4.

Jayant Parikh's Paintings: Paintings by Jayant Parikh will be exhibited at Akruti Art Gallery, Kirti Mandir Compound, from 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. February 7-12.

24-01-04

Barodians Develop CCD Camera: Mukesh Pathak and Bhargav Joshi of the Vadodara Amateur Astronomers' Association (VAAA) have developed a charged couple device (CCD) camera at a cost of just Rs. 900. The invention was prompted by their desire to hold a public viewing of the Venus transit June (when the planet will come very close to the Earth on its orbit around the Sun). A branded camera costs over Rs. 20,000 and VAAA cannot afford a videographer's charge of Rs. 5,000. The two enterprising enthusiasts have even developed couplers to link the CCD camera with different kinds of telescopes. The CCD camera will be attached to the telescope, which in turn will be attached to a computer from which images of cosmic bodies will be projected on to a LCD screen for public viewing. Besides the Venus transit observations, the important astronomical events that will be taken up by VAAA in the near future are: Observation of the death anniversary of the Columbia disaster on February 1; Messier Marathon Week (when 110 astronomical bodies can be viewed at the same time) from March 18 to 27; Total Lunar Eclipse which will be visible from India on May 4; Deep Sky Observation on May 22.

Pavagadh-Champaner Tourism: The Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) plans to make a bungee jumping pedestrian bridge on Pavagadh hill. The corporation is also planning to develop hang-gliding and para-gliding sites in the Pavagadh-Champaner stretch. With the Pavagadh-Champaner stretch being nominated for the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, TCGL wants to raise Rs. 1,200 million to make it a one-stop destination for historians, adventure seekers and heritage lovers. The region remains largely unknown to tourists except for the 11th century Kalka Mata Temple on Pavagadh hill. The area is also a treasure house of Indo-Islamic architecture and a pilgrimage centre for Jains. Among other attractions are the ancient granary domes like Nav Lakha Kotha, Makai Kotha, Tanksala, palaces like Patai Rawal and Jeveri Mahal, the fort at Atak gates and the 15th century Jami, Kewada and Nagina mosques. In 1999-2000 Pavagadh had 11.5 million domestic tourists, which increased to 22.7 million in 2002, and the number of foreign visitors increased from 56,000 to 67,000.

Breathing Techniques Workshop: Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation will organise a workshop on breathing techniques and scientific meditation on every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Yoga expert Dr. Shrinivas Solapurkar will conduct the workshop and participants will be taught about the physiology of the respiratory system.

BITA IT Show: Baroda Information Technology Association (BITA) has organised a three-day BITA IT Show from January 24 to 26 at Ajitnagar Ground in Akota.

22-01-04

MSU's Genome Research Centre Inaugurated: Professor Kevin Warwick, the world's first cyborg, and also a professor and head of the department of cybernetics at the University of Reading, UK, inaugurated the building of MS University's Centre for Genome Research in the Faculty of Science on 21st January. The centre has been built at a cost of over Rs. 10 million with grants from the Science Foundation of Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals, the Rockefeller Foundation, India's Department of Biotechnology in the Ministry of Science, the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and an Indo-Swiss Biotech collaboration. Equipped with the latest instruments for microbial research, the centre will carry out studies on genomes and bioinformatics, with particular emphasis on  applications for industry and agriculture. Professor Warwick is the head of the cybernetics department at University of Reading, UK. Prof. Warwick was in Baroda as part of the British Council's 'Ambassador of Science' programme to lecture on 'Cyborg Engineering'. He had made a major breakthrough in 1998 after he got a silicon chip transponder 'fired' into the median nerves in his left arm to become the first cyborg in the world.

Three New Water Tanks: Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) plans to construct three new water tanks at Subhanpura, Ajwa Road and Manjalpur in order to ease the water crisis in these areas. These water tanks will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 240,000. Presently, there are 18 water tanks in the city and the additional three should help to ease the water situation. Vadodara does not face a water shortage, but water distribution is a problem because of the low water pressure in some areas. The problem of low water pressure is usually solved by making overhead tanks.

Gujarat Goes Mobile: Mobiles phones are about to outnumber landline phones in the major cities of Gujarat. Mobile phones already outnumber landline phones in Vadodara and Surat. Over the last few months the number of landlines in Gujarat has come down by almost 100,000, down to 2.8 million this January compared to 2.9 million in the same period last year, while the number of mobiles has climbed by 125 percent. In January 2003, the number of cellular connections in Gujarat stood at 798,000, and as the new year began the figure rose to over 1.8 million.

21-01-04

MS University's 52nd Convocation: This year's 52nd annual convocation of MS University of Baroda (MSU) on January 17 was a first-of-its-kind in the sense that it was the first to be held at the university sports complex. One reason for this was that a record 4,500 students applied for obtaining their degrees in person, against about 2,500 in previous years. Another reason was the security concerns for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who was the chief guest at the function. The venue was equipped with eight television screens for the audience. Honorary degrees were conferred on Gujarati litterateur Rajendra Shah and social worker Nanaji Deshmukh. This year saw a new hardbound version of the degree with a cloth covering and a ribbon, at a cost of Rs. 150. The pandal was sponsored by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC)! In all, 7,344 students from 13 faculties were eligible this year to get their graduate, postgraduate and doctorate degrees. The maximum number of doctorates – 15 – was in the Science Faculty, followed by eight in the Arts Faculty. Girls dominated the medals list at the convocation. About 170 gold medals were distributed: 99 medals when to girls, and 71 to boys.

Chart India HIV Project: The Baroda Medical College has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of South Florida (USF) to partner the Baroda chapter of Chart India. Chart – Centre for Health, HIV/AIDS, Research & Training – India, a division of USF, aims at expanding excellence in public health, biomedical research and behavioural training programmes in order to enhance health promotion and disease prevention in India. The Baroda chapter of Chart India is one of 12 project sites in the country.

Seminar On Indian Science: The Baroda chapter of Vigyan Parishad in association with the Indian Science Congress Association, Vadodara chapter, will organise a national seminar on Indian Science in the era of globalisation on February 7 in the biochemistry department of MS University.

Course In Jainology: The second introductory certificate course in Jainology will be conducted by Shri Kalidas Sankalchand Doshi Jain Academy at MS University's Faculty of Arts from February 3. Those interested in the course may contact Dr. L.M. Joshi in the Faculty of Arts.

17-01-04

Hand-woven Textiles Exhibition: January 16-17. Rehwa is exhibiting a collection of unique hand-woven textiles from Maheshwar in beautiful designs and colours. The exhibition showcases a variety of sarees, dupattas and fabrics. Trisha Gallery. January 16-17. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Flower Arrangement Competition: A two-day competition of flower arrangement has been organised by SOCLEEN at EME Football Ground on January 17-18. An exhibition-cum-sale of a variety of plants, fertilisers, pesticides, tools and implements will also be held.

Warli Paintings: Sandhya Khode displays a collection of her Warli and Madhubani paintings. WelcomHotel Art Gallery. Till 23rd January. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Haku Shah's Paintings: An exhibition of paintings by eminent artist Haku Shah will be held from 18th to 24th January at Sarjan Art Gallery, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Graphic Prints Exhibition: An exhibition of over 100 original graphic prints by Jyoti Bhatt will be held from 18th to 31st January (except on Mondays), 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily, at Uttarayana, Bayer ABS Gallery.

10-01-04

Vadodara's 'Third Eye' Technology Centre: The Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has plans to invest Rs. 36 billion in the next five years in Gujarat towards oil exploration. One of the projects is the Rs. 350-million 'Third Eye' technology centre in Vadodara. This facility, the third in the country after Panvel and Mumbai, will create a three-dimensional virtual image of subsurface oil beds after interpreting data from ONGC's survey vessels. The centre in Vadodara will be the only one in the world to have the 'Log-In-While-Drilling' (LWD) technology which enables engineers to remotely monitor live subsurface drilling via satellite. Similar centres are planned at Dehradun and Jorhat.

SSC & HSC Exams: The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSB) will conduct the HSC and SSC examination from March 15. Over 1 million students – 650,000 SSC and 368,000 HSC – will appear in the examination. The HSC (Science) examination will be held from March 15 to 23 and the HSC (General) and the SSC examination from March 15 to 29.

Anyonya Scheme For Senior Citizens: Baroda's Anyonya Cooperative Bank has launched a deposit scheme for senior citizens with free services attached. Called 'Sanmaan' (Respect), the scheme includes extra banking services like the paying of telephone and electricity bills and house and water taxes by the bank on behalf of the depositors. The institution, which is Asia's oldest cooperative bank, aims to win back customer confidence and increase deposits following the recent problems in the field of cooperative banking. People over the age of 60 years can deposit Rs. 93,800 with the bank for a year. At the end of the year, they will receive Rs. 100,000 and the bank's staff will take care of some errands for the period that the money is with it. The bank will also collect dividend warrants, interest warrants and other cheques at regular intervals and deposit them in the customer's account. The scheme includes a personal accident insurance cover of up to Rs. 100,000 that is valid till the maturity date of the account.

Ahmedabad-Baroda Expressway: The construction of the Vadodara-Ahmedabad Express Highway is nearing completion and the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) plans to build an approach road in the city at a cost of about Rs. 29.8 million. The approach road will run from Dhumal Chowkdi via the Sama new octroi post and the Amitnagar crossroad at Karelibaug. Of the total cost, 50 per cent will be borne by the Vadodara Urban Development Authority (VUDA). The Ahmedabad-Nadiad section of the expressway has already been inaugurated. The express highway will significantly reduce the travelling time between Ahmedabad and Baroda.

Food Plazas At Railway Stations: The Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) plans to set up food plazas at the Ahmedabad, Maninagar, Baroda, Jamnagar and Rajkot railway stations in Gujarat. IRCTC has already has set up similar food plazas at Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Jaipur and Pune. It has initiated the process to select suitable caterers for the food plazas. It will provide adequate space or built-up area to the successful bidders at these railway stations, on a lease contract for a period of 10 to 12 years. IRCTC proposes to set up 126 such food plazas all over the county.

Achievements By Hearing Impaired Children: National Indian Open School acts as a National Board of Examinations in Open Schooling. It is the largest open schooling system in the world. Seven of the children from Akshar Center for Hearing Impaired Children have appeared for two of the papers. Their results for Language (Gujarati) were excellent. All the Students have passed. Though the center's earlier students have completed their M.Com, from MS University and are now working, this is the first attempt by the younger group. Another interesting activity has been the participation by the children of the center in the Karate Competition held on 28th December 2003 at Bal Bhavan, Baroda. This was a competition open to the public and under the auspices of DO ALAN THILAK SHTO-RYU, Baroda. It is, indeed, very satisfying that the students of Akshar obtained good results. More about Akshar Trust.

Hospital Administration Course: The Indian Hospital Association, Vadodara, will conduct its fourth batch of the one-year postgraduate diploma course in hospital administration from January 16 at Unity Hospital. The course is recognised by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) and the Indian Hospital Association, Delhi. Those interested to join the course may ring up 2327737 or 9824366843.

German Course: The Department of German at MS University is offering short-term courses for which the eligibility is Class-10 pass with English as a subject. For detailed information please contact the department between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. or ring up 2784371.

Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya Workshop: The Baroda Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya will conduct a workshop on 'Valmiki Ya Ramayana' from January 16 to 20 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Sculptures & Paintings: An exhibition of selected paintings and sculptures from the collection of Rakesh Aggarwal will be on display till January 12 at the Bayer ABS Gallery.

Exhibition Of Ceramics: An exhibition of wood-fired ceramics by Vinod Daroz will be on at Sarjan Art Gallery from January 11 to 17. Vinod studied at MS University's Faculty of Fine Arts.

Tanjore Paintings: An exhibition of Tanjore paintings by Mukul Varshner and a sale of Lucknowi chikankari designer ensembles by Purple Iris will be held is on at Trisha Art Gallery on January 12-13 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

03-01-04

Jaipur Sari Kendra Exhibition: Exclusive lehriyas, bandhej, block-printed saris, dress material, lehenga and salwar kurtas. Trisha Gallery, Jetalpur Road. January 7-10.

02-01-04

PM Declines MSU Honour: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has said that he will not accept the honorary D Litt degree which MS University of Baroda had proposed to confer on him during its convocation on January 17. The PM, as a matter of principle, does not accept such degrees. Noted playback singer Lata Mangeshkar and academician R.A. Mashelkar, who also figure on the list, have expressed their inability to accept the degree during its convocation. MSU officials say that a special function will be held for them later. Now, the honorary degrees will be conferred only on social worker Nanaji Deshmukh and litterateur Rajendra Shah.

Mobiles Overtake Landlines In Baroda: Baroda has beaten Ahmedabad in the cellphone race by becoming the second city in India, after Chandigarh, to have more mobile connections than landlines. Officially, there are 240,000 BSNL landline connections and about 15,000 private landline connections, which totals to about 250,000. Hutch subscribers in Baroda number 110,000, Reliance 70,000, Airtel 22,500, Tata Indicom 30,000, Idea 35,000, BSNL 35,000. The cellphone growth in the city is close to four per cent per month. In Ahmedabad, the total number of landlines is 650,000 and the number of mobile connections is 639,000.

ABB Plans Sourcing Base In City: Power and automation technologies major ABB Limited plans to set up a dedicated sourcing centre at its Vadodara facility to supply its plants in other parts of the world. The Rs. 12 billion ABB, an arm of the $23 billion Swiss ABB group, will also pump in Rs. 1 billion at Maneja in Vadodara to set up facilities for making high-tension motors for power plants and distribution transformers in addition to expanding its power transformer manufacturing capacities. ABB has decided to make the city the base for its global sourcing centre in India for castings, machine components, insulators and fabricated components. ABB presently has a 700-800 strong vendor base in and around the city. The company's Vadodara facility is already a global sourcing hub for its 66 KV circuit breakers.

Petrol & Diesel Prices Up Again: Oil Companies have increased the prices of petrol and diesel by over Re. 1 per litre with effect from December 31 midnight. The petrol price in Vadodara has gone up to Rs. 36.76 from Rs. 35.71 per litre. The price of diesel has gone up from Rs. 23.56 to Rs. 24.67 per litre.

Pay-&-Park Roads: Based on a survey carried out by the Road Projects Department of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC), 29 city roads have been identified for introduction of a pay-and-park system. The proposal forms an item for approval on the VMC standing committee agenda. Presently, the city has a formal pay-and-park system at only a few places like Station Road. The survey has identified busy city roads that have a large number of vehicles plying on them. Some roads identified for pay-and-park system are: Kalaghoda to Railway Station, Raopura Road from Padmavati Shopping Centre to the District Collectorate, a stretch of road in Ellora Park, Pratap Road and Karelibaug's VIP Road.

Gardening Workshop: The horticulture wing of SOCLEEN will hold a five-day workshop on the 'Art of Home Gardening' from January 5 at EME Auditorium. The main objective of the workshop is to create awareness and interest in home gardening among the people of Vadodara.