November, 2001

30-11-01

Designer Collections: 1st to 8th December. At Bodhi, Abhishek, Old Padra Road. KIT Collection of Juhi Rekhi (elegant winter Wear in pure wool and wool and silk blends) and Sonal Motla of OSMOSIS (contemporary art objects for everyday use). Bodhi is completing one year and therefore offering a Celebration Discount during this period on all purchases.

‘Tree of Life’ – An Exhibition: By textile artist Tansukh Mahicha. Paintings on cloth and Sufi works made in the Kalamkari style. At Nazar Art Gallery, November 28 to December 8, 12 noon to 8 p.m. Tansukh studied painting at MSU’s Faculty of Fine Arts (1964-68, under the late Prof. N.S. Bendre and Prof. K.G. Subrahmanyan) and Textile Design at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

Nazarbaug Palace Should Be The Mayor’s Bungalow: When it comes to heritage matters, Vadodara can learn a bit from innovative Ahmedabad too. Ahmedabad mayor Himmatsinh Patel has come up with a fairly innovative suggestion in the effort to conserve the heritage in what has come to be known as the walled city area. His simple message: If you want to preserve the area, you had better live there yourself. Coming down to specifics, he therefore suggested that the official residences of the Municipal Commissioner and the Mayor should be shifted to the walled city areas. He was speaking at a seminar on conservation and revitalisation of urban heritage. The mayor lamented that most ‘pol’ residents were shifting to areas to the west of the Sabarmati, thus leaving many artistic ‘pol’ houses unattended.

HIV Cases: Gujarat saw its first AIDS in 1986 and 15 years later the score is at 1,600. In 1999-2000, the number of HIV infected cases doubled from 176 to350. According to figures from the Gujarat State AIDS Control Society, a government undertaking which works on HIV and AIDS, the HIV-infected cases till September 2001 for some of the districts are: Ahmedabad (483), Surat (226), Rajkot (113), Jamnagar (96) and Vadodara (86).

29-11-01

City Bus Stand At ST Depot: Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) has set up a city bus station in the premises of the Vadodara Central ST depot in the railway station area. This will prove to be very helpful to those who come into the†city by ST buses; until now they had to walk to the bus stand near Kadak Bazar.

Award For Subrahmanyam: N. Subrahmanyam, a professor with MS University’s Chemical Engineering department, has been awarded the inaugural Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) - Charutar Vidya Mandal Award for the best engineering college teacher in Gujarat for 2001. He has been with MSU for over 20 years and has contributed significantly in teaching and research.

Information About Ex-Servicemen: Synchronising with the model district plan initiated by the Vadodara district administration, the District Sainik Welfare Board (DSWB) is creating a date bank regarding ex-servicemen and it will then put it online on a website of the board. The city will be the first in India to have such a facility. Interestingly, over 400 trades are employed in the armed forces and such information will benefit ex-servicemen and their potential employers immensely.

28-11-01

Baroda’s Cable Wars: Officially, there are over 97,000 cable connected home in Baroda, and they are not very happy with the 25 cable operators (in 5 major zones) who generally take them for a ride. The rates charged vary from Rs. 120 to Rs. 175 per month. Jagrut Grahak, a consumer forum, has taken up the issue with the officials of the Vadodara district administration and the entertainment tax department (if you wish to complain, please ring up 434302). Yet, there is no getting away from the cable operator. Well, there is a way, but it’s rather costly and tedious. Consider the direct-to-home (DTH) service rates bandied about in New Delhi: Rupert Murdoch’s Star Network prices its direct-to-home decoder at Rs. 20,000 to receive its 8 channels at an annual fee of Rs. 6,000; AOL-Time Warner costs Rs. 38,000 for Cartoon Network, HBO and CNN at a fee of Rs. 5,000; Zee’s 15 channels cost Rs. 15,000 and a fee of Rs. 6,900; Sony (Sony, Setmax, AXN and CNBC) is a cool Rs. 89,500 with a fee of Rs. 92,400; the ESPN-Star Sports’ decoder is available for Rs. 46,000. Plus, you have to buy one or two dish antennas, Rs. 8,000 apiece.

‘Export Quality’ Tribal Products: ‘Export Quality’ is some sort of status symbol in India, almost as if the locals can get by with the ‘lesser’ stuff. Keeping up with the globalisation trend, Chhota Udepur’s famous Pithora paintings and other Indian tribal products are being targeted at markets in USA, Europe and Australia with the World Bank pitching in with its funding and marketing muscle. The Bhasha Research and Publication Centre (BRPC) at Vadodara and the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India Ltd. (TRIFED) are setting up a ‘Tribal Haat’ in Vadodara along the lines of Delhi’s ‘Tribes’ Shop’.

University-Industry Interface: The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) plans to back university life sciences departments so that they are enabled to conduct university-industry interfaces. UNIDO announced at a gathering at MS University’s Department of Botany that it is planning such interfaces where researches benefiting industry will be supported. This will help industries which cannot afford their own Research & Development wings.

Jacob Martin To Lead Vadodara: Batsman Jacob Martin will lead the 14-member Vadodara cricket team against Mumbai in their second west zone Ranji Trophy match to be played at Baroda on November 29. Martin replaces Tushar Arothe, who has been rested because of injury during the side’s earlier match against Gujarat. The Mumbai team skippered by Samir Dighe arrived here on 27th morning. The Vadodara team: Jacob Martin (captain), Satyajit Parab, Nayan Mongia (wicket-keeper), Atul Bedade, Ajit Bhoite, Valmick Buch, Rakesh Patel, Rohan Salvi, Himanshu Jadav, Umang Patel, Sekhar Joshi, Irfan Pathan (Sr.), Milap Mewada and Hrishikesh Parab.

Wildlife Division: The Gujarat Forest Department is expanding the jurisdiction of Vadodara Wildlife Division to include the Jambughoda and Ratanmahal forest sanctuaries which are currently under the Godhra and Baria divisions respectively. The Jambughoda sanctuary, with its dry teak and dry mix deciduous forest, is home to a variety of wild animals including leopards, reptiles and birds, while Ratanmahal is know for sloth bears. Both the sanctuaries have rich vegetation as well.

Yoga Workshop: A ‘Yogic Shibir’ has been organised at GEB School Hall between December 3 and 23. Registration forms are available from the GEB Temple on Saturdays and Sundays between 6.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m.

Medicinal Plants: A six-day intensive course on the laboratory analysis of medicinal plants has begun at the Department of Botany, MSU. Titled ‘Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry of Medicinal Plants’, the workshop is being sponsored by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

26-11-01

Baroda Lose To Gujarat: On Sunday, 25th November, Gujarat defeated champions Baroda in a closely fought cricket thriller by nine runs in the first West Zone Ranji Trophy league match at the GSFC ground at Vadodara. Baroda defeated Railways in the Ranji finals earlier this year. Scores: Gujarat (212 all out and 211 all out), Baroda (187 all out 227 all out).

Go-Karting Championship: December 2 will see sports enthusiasts crowding the Awesome Speedway at Sindhrot near Baroda for the JK Tyres National Go-Karting Championship, Vadodara region. The event is being held in the city for the second year in a row. The top three regional winners will get a chance to participate in the nationals at New Delhi on December 23.

24-11-01

Mayor To Attend Seminar In Germany: After Vadodara was identified as one among the five Indian cities where the pollution level can be reduced by the International Council For Environmental Incentive, Mayor Bharti Vyas will leave for Germany on December 9 to attend a conference organised by the council.

Archaeology Exhibition: At the department of Archaeology and Ancient History of MS University. The exhibition – on the subject ‘Technology and Crafts of the Indus Valley Civilisation (2600 BC to1900 BC)’ – will be on for one year.

Do You Want A Piece Of IPCL? The Indian government has invited Expressions of Interest (EoL) from entities interested in acquiring 26 % stake in Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd. (IPCL). Companies or consortiums interested in participating in the bidding are required to have combined net worth in excess of Rs. 2500 million and a satisfactory business and management track record.

23-11-01

Yoga Camp: The Ambalal Sarabhai Foundation will organise a 21-day ‘Yoga Shibir’ from December 7. The camp will be conducted by Bhanubhai Purohit at the foundation premises on the first floor of Bombay Shopping Centre on Race Course between 4.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m. Interested persons may contact the foundation office on 314381.

150,000 Visit Jalaram Temple: The Jalaram Temple in Karelibaug celebrated the 202nd birth anniversary of Jalarambapa on 22nd November. Bahucharaji Road was closed to all vehicular traffic and over 150,000 people from the city and surrounding areas visited the temple.

Another ISD Crime In Baroda: The ‘Sanskari Nagari’ is fond of ISD (International Subscriber Dialling) scandals. Close on the heels of the recent shenanigans at the Makarpura telephone area another group of persons are set to prove that Alkapuri too has what it takes! Operating from Siddharth Complex on R.C. Dutt Road and nearby locations, some Barodians – and their ‘associates’ abroad – have merrily hoodwinked Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL) to the tune of Rs. 400 million. Now the Vadodara police department seems to have successfully pulled the rug from beneath their feet. Three persons – a private exchange owner and two of his operators – were arrested on charges of committing fraud, cheating and violating the Telegraphic Act. Here’s what the crime was: VSNL’s satellite was bypassed (and thus VSNL lost royalty) by ISD calls which were received on a dish antenna in Baroda from a private exchange owner in New York and diverted to telephone numbers in the city through a network of 46 mobile telephones which were charged only at local call rates. While VSNL charges Rs. 80 per call per minute for calls to India from USA, the local Barodian ‘company’ charged Re. 1. Some NRIs and others in the USA were attracted to the service because of the very reduced charges. The company has been functioning for about 16 months and its ‘revenues’ were over Rs. 2 million a month. The sophisticated communications equipment and technology were made possible by inputs from the company’s ‘partners in crime’ in Australia, Israel and USA. The city police are scrutinising the printed mobile phone bill records of calls made from US to verify whether antinationals or other criminals based outside India had used this illegal communication network. While the sophisticated ‘IT entrepreneurs’ are cooling their heels in police custody, shouldn’t their thousands of clients also expect a ‘ringing summons’ from the Baroda police? After all, those customers knew fully well that they were being illegally undercharged.

21-11-01

VSE Elections: On Tuesday Madanlal Gupta was unanimously elected president of the Vadodara Stock Exchange (VSE) for 2001-2002. Jagdish Thakkar was elected vice-president and Pankaj Bhargava treasurer.

Pick A Number, Pay A Price: The registration number of a vehicle is no longer just a legal formality for some. Many persons are quite choosy about their numbers, for a variety of reasons – to make the vehicle stand out, superstition, numerology considerations, status symbol, etc. Not above making a quick bit of revenue, the RTO (Regional Transport Office) has decided to charge Rs. 500 for ‘choice’ numbers and it rakes in a cool Rs. 175,000 a month through this ‘scheme’. If two persons chase the same number, the highest bidder wins; someone actually offered about Rs. 16,000 to get his choice recently.

Silence – An Exhibition: Works of Art by Kenji Harai (Japan) and Ganesh Gohain at Artcore Art Gallery, R.C. Dutt Road. November 23-25. 11.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.

20-11-01

Polluted Baroda Has 600,000 Vehicles: Barodians violate vehicle pollution norms quite brazenly. In 1999 the traffic police booked 14,754 cases, in 2000 it registered 26,602 cases, while till date in 2001 the tally already stands at 27,066. It seems that the city’s residents have little regard for the environment. The cultural capital of Gujarat could well become the pollution capital too. The city needs to improve its public transport system so that less private vehicles are used, more trees need to be planted, policing must be of a higher standard and the pollution control norms must be ruthlessly enforced. Adulterated fuel is also a major factor contributing to the pollution: 50 % of the four-wheelers and auto rickshaws use adulterated fuel. As on October 31, 2001, the city had 630,623 vehicles. In 1996, there were about 195,000 motorcycles, while in 2001 this number jumped to 297,000. In 1996 there were about 94,050 mopeds and 17,982 autorickshaws, while in 2001about 195,000 mopeds and 26,494 autorickshaws. In 1996 there were about 31,346 cars in the city, while in 2001 the number of cars stood at 55,636.

Complaints Against Adulterated Fuel: The district supplies office and the city traffic police are empowered to act against those found violating pollution norms. Citizens who want to complain against a public transport vehicle like an autorickshaw or a state transport bus or even against a petrol pump can write to these departments. People can also complain against a vehicle that they suspect is using adulterated fuel that leads to emission of more smoke and results in burning of eyes. Complaints should be addressed to DSO, Collector Office, Kothi Building, Vadodara. Calls can be made on 433201 or 416190. Complaints against autorickshaws can be sent to Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic), at Police Bhavan, Narmada Bhavan Campus, Kothi, Vadodara. Complaints to traffic police can also be given on telephone no. 423505.

Conference of Archaeologists: The Department of Archaeology and Ancient History of MS University is hosting the annual conference of Indian Archaeological Society (IAS), Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies (ISPQS) and Indian History and Culture Society (IHCS) from November 22 to November 24.The conference is being hosted at Vadodara for the first time in 25 years.

19-11-01

Baroda Football Club Forms Company: A Baroda based football team – the Providence Club – has formed Providence, a manufacturing and trading company with the objective of providing employment to footballers and using profits to fund football. The company has entered the field of detergents, with the brand name ‘Team’. Providence has featured in the national league and wants to compete in the Federation Cup. For the Team detergent Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd. is providing crucial inputs like LAB (Linear Alkyl Benzene). The club is also approaching 25 more corporates for tie-ups. Providence Club has over 60 players, many of them national and state level footballers, and most are working for the company.

Heritage Week: The Vadodara circle of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is celebrating the ‘World Heritage Week’ at Qutubuddin Mahmad Khan’s tomb (Hazira) at Baroda, from 19th to 25th November. A photographic exhibition highlighting the monument heritage of Gujarat as well as Daman and Diu is also on at ONGC Officers’ Club (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

15-11-01

New Swaminarayan Temple: The new Swaminarayan temple (near Zadeshwar Chokdi on the National Highway No. 8 near Bharuch) is going through its final paces and should be inaugurated in December by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. He has already consecrated 385 temples all over the world, a record of sorts. The Bochasanwasi Shree Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, which has built structures like Akshardham in Gandhinagar and the London temple, started work on this project two years ago. About 300 artists from Pindwada and six other adjoining villages in Rajasthan have worked for it. A mix of Jainism and Vaishnavism, the temple complex sprawls over 18 acres. The temple is 193 feet long, 151 feet wide and 75 feet high.

Archaeology Dept. Shifts: The Surat and Dahod offices of the Gujarat Archaeological Department will now function from the circle office (5, Dhaiber Society, Near Bagikhana) of the Archaeological Director in Vadodara. The jurisdiction of Vadodara office will include 10 districts: Dahod, Godhra, Panchmahals, Surat, Narmada-Rajpipla, Navsari, Anand, Valsad, Bharuch and Dang.

Rangoli Exhibition:
The city’s Swastik Rangoli Kalakar Group has organised a Rangoli Exhibition at Kirti Mandir. It will be on till 25th November (5.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.).
Rangoli pictures on different subjects are on display, all made by well-known local artists: Fadnis Sir, Rajendra Dindorkar, Raju Chavhan, Abhay Gadkari, Arun Dindorkar, Prakash Lokhande, Sarang Fadnis, Mahendrasinh Devadhara, Devendra Patel, Amit Dindorkar, Himanshu Antapurkar, Virendrasinh Rathod, Shantanu Dindorkar and Hrishikesh Kavi.

13-11-01

Aradhana Theatre Is 30: The theatre enters its thirtieth year today. The first movie screened by this cinema hall was ‘Mere Jeevan Saathi’.

11-11-01

Sonography Clinics To Be Registered: Sonography clinics in the city and elsewhere in Vadodara district – about 200 in all – are now compulsorily required to be registered with the District Health Office (DHO). The declining sex ratio in Gujarat and the Indian Supreme Court directive have prompted the state’s Health Department to get tough with sex determination clinics. The doctor who performs the ultrasonic tests will have to take all the details of the patient (including the reason for the test).

Search Panel For MSU VC: The next meeting of the MSU vice-chancellor search committee is scheduled for November 26 in Delhi. The committee, headed by R.A. Mashelkar, chairman of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), also includes Kanu Mavani, the Saurashtra University vice-chancellor and Prof. Madangopal Gupta, retired head of MSU’s Hindi Department.

New CD-ROM: The telephone directory of the Gujarat Telecom Circle on CD-ROM has been corrected up to July 31. The CD-ROM will be available (Rs. 25) at the Customer Care centres at Karelibaug, Fatehgunj, Kothi, Makarpura and the Zilla Panchayat office.

Science Fair: The science fair for all the primary schools within the Vadodara Municipal Corporation limits will be organised on December 14 and 15 by the District Education & Training Centre. Schools intending to participate in the fair should send in their entries at the earliest.

MSU Gives NOC To Private Colleges: The affiliation committee of MS University of Baroda has granted the no-objection certificate (NOC) to Pramukhswami Institute of Information Technology to start Master of Computer Application and Bachelor of Engineering courses. NOCs were also granted to Natubhai & Mayur Patel Charitable Trust to run Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Computer Application courses and Takshshila Vidyapith Swasthan to run Bachelor of Computer Application course.

Vaidehi Dave: Vaidehi Dave of Vadodara and G.M. Nishita won the Under-13 Mini Open National Badminton Championship at Oody, Tamil Nadu. She was Runner’ Up in Singles.

08-11-01

Environment Conscious City: Vadodara is among the 400 cities worldwide, which will be developed as 'Cities for Protection of Environment (CPE)'. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation, International Council for Local Environment Initiatives (ICLEI) and the Regional Urban Development Office of USAID will sign a memorandum of understanding on the issue. The objective of the programme is to explore and find innovative and cost-effective solutions to environment and urban management problems. The programme will be conducted till September 2003. Various steps to be taken under the programme include increasing energy economy in VMC buildings, streetlights and water treatment and pumping plants. It will also work in the direction of energy efficiency in domestic buildings and reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.

Help For Parsi Students: The Shri Sai Smaran Trust is giving monetary aid to Parsi students for college studies or computer education. Those interested could contact the trust at 11-12, Anand Mahal, opposite Rosary School, Pratapgunj, and submit the forms before January 20, 2002. The office is open from 8.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

Rangoli Exhibition: By Swastik Rangoli Kalakar Group. At Kirti Mandir, November 11-25, 5.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

Vipasana Course: The Vadodara Vipasana Society will conduct a 10-day residential course from November 19 to 30. The society will also hold a day-long course for old students on November 19 and another day-long course for children between 10 and 16 years on November 30. Those interested can ring up 434630 for more details.

07-11-01

Bridge To Be Repaired: Vadodara Municipal Corporation has cleared the project of repairing the old bridge on the Nagarwada-Bahucharaji Road. The work is scheduled to begin on November 25 and is expected to go on for one year. The bridge will of course remain closed and people will have to use the nearby diversion.

School Football: Don Bosco High School have defeated Tejas Vidyalaya (4-2) to win the sub-junior Subroto Mukherji Football Tournament cup.

06-11-01

A Quieter Diwali, Hopefully: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation has requested firecracker sellers to refrain from selling crackers which make too much noise. This follows an interim judgment by the Indian Supreme Court in this regard. The interim judgment also prohibits the use of crackers between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Curbing City Pollution: To curb vehicular pollution in Vadodara, the traffic police have joined hands with the regional transport office, the district supply office and the forensic science laboratory to jointly conduct surprise checks in the city.

Baroda’s Turban King: Vadodara’s ‘turban man’ A.P. Chavla is already in the Limca Book of Records for his collection of 150 turbans. He is now making a bid for the Guinness Book, this time for the world’s largest turban also – 10 feet in diameter and 10 kg in weight. Chavla is a reader with the MS University’s Faculty of Performing Arts; he teaches mime and helps the department of dramatics in costume designing.

Glass & Clay Painting Exhibition: By Shaili Suthar. November 9-11. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. At Trisha Art Gallery, Vishwas Colony.

Exhibition of Krishna-Leela Paintings: November 7-10. 8 a.m. to 12 noon. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. At Govardhannathji Ni Haveli, Urmi Society.

05-11-10

Rs. 26 Million Budget For Arts Faculty Dome: India’s second largest dome – the 120 year old dome of the MS University Arts Faculty – is scheduled for some urgently needed repairs and conservation work in December. The total cost is expected to touch a whopping Rs. 26 million and the university has allocated Rs. 7.5 million in the first phase. Eminent conservation architect Rabindra Vasavda will be in charge of the project. British architect R.F. Chisholm built the dome in 1880. The Gol Gumbaz is the largest dome in India.

Rickshaw Strike: Auto-rickshaw drivers in the city went on a flash strike on Friday night after three persons, including two police head constables, allegedly beat up a driver. Tempers cooled by Saturday evening and the drivers returned to work by 6 p.m.

03-11-10

Prasang 2001: Trade Fair & Exhibition. Parsi Agiari Ground. 10.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and 3.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m.

Indonesian Food Festival: At Terra Firma, the Asian speciality restaurant at Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Centre. November 2 –11. 7.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.

Tanker Overturns: Vehicular traffic on the road from Kala Ghoda to Fatehgunj was diverted for a few hours on Friday following a road accident in which a tanker overturned, spilling chemicals on the road. No one was injured. The tanker driver was safe.

Worried Depositors: Many clients of Baroda People’s Co-operative Bank have rushed to its various city branches to withdraw their money following reports of irregularities. Some sought premature withdrawals of their fixed deposits. The bank has over 150,000 customers. Customers continued to flock to the bank to withdraw money till late on Friday evening; about 700 customers withdrew over Rs. 70 million. On Thursday about 1,500 customers had withdrawn a similar amount. A team of Reserve Bank of India officials is visiting the city today to look into the matter.

Ice Factory Sealed: Shankar Ice Factory in the Panigate area of Baroda has been sealed by the authorities following leakage of a huge quantity of ammonia gas. The plant is 40 years old. The leaking ammonia from the factory had caused a lot of panic on Thursday evening. The incident had occurred around 9 p.m. and about 15 persons needed to be hospitalised. The same factory was involved in a similar accident over two years ago.

02-11-10

Museum Entry Costs More: Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery (BMPG) has jacked up the entry fee from Rs. 5 to Rs. 10. It expects to increase revenues to Rs. 3 million annually. BMPG is the largest (61,000 exhibits) museum in Gujarat, and now charges the most.

01-11-10