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IndianExpress: ON the eve of his 38th birthday, former India captain Dhanraj Pillay still feels he can don the Indian colours one last time. ‘‘I am not giving up hope. But then it will take time which I know,’’ says the veteran. Defining hockey as ‘‘his first love’’, Dhan — as he is popularly called — explains that, ‘‘it will only take me four days to get match-fit.’’

So, what makes him aspire? Dhan, who has over 400 caps, adds: ‘‘I am still good as the best.’’ In fact, ask Dhanraj his choice of what he like to become if he had to be born again and a spontaneous, ‘‘a hockey player’’, is the reply.

 A sentimental Dhanraj explains, ‘‘the Olympic medal will be one thing that I will miss every night I close my eyes.’’ Owing his success to the Almighty, Dhanraj sends out a strong message: ‘‘Never give up hope, as in dreams begin reality.’’

IndianExpress: IN what could go as long way in terminating the role of Mahajans — who disburse loans at exorbitant rates — preventing the farmers and rural poor to fall into the debt trap and ending their life, the formation of self-help groups (SHGs) and disbursing micro-credit to them might be the panacea in alleviating their poverty.

The largest and fastest growing micro-finance in the world — the SHG Bank Linkage programme — that started in 1992 to provide free institutional credit to the rural poor and particularly women, has silently revolutionalised the financial condition of rural households and empowered women to make rapid strides in achieving self-sufficiency.

Consider this, till 2006 a total of 22.38 lakh SHGs have been cumulatively credit-linked including 6,20,069 new groups thereby reaching about 3.3 crore rural families. Out of this, about 1.31 lakh SHGs have been credit linked in Maharashtra alone with 60,324 new SHGs receiving micro-credit during the year 2005-2006. Maharashtra witnessed a phenomenal growth in terms of credit linking SHGs with an overall rise of 85 per cent new SHGs in comparison to the previous year (2004-2005).

IndianExpress: IT is a harsh reality that has made the employees of the transport bodies to go in for a crash course in safety measures in case of a bomb scare. With ‘Terrible Tuesday’ still in their minds, the Pune police have begun imparting training to the employees of Pune Municipal Transport (PMT), Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Transport (PCMT) and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on precautionary measures.

The training began on Friday after PMT general manager Niranjan Kumar Sudhanshu wrote to police commissioner D N Jadhav underlining the need to sensitise the PMT employees about handling bomb scares. In fact, it is a long overdue programme that has at last saw a beginning

‘‘This is the initiative of the police and the mass transport bodies to ensure safety of people. We aim to sensitise maximum number of PMT, PCMT and MSRTC employees about handling bomb scares and emergencies,’’ police commissioner D N Jadhav told Pune Newsline. What Jadhav describes as ‘‘the first step towards ensuring commuters safety’’ was actually a two-hour session, a first-of-its-kind in the recent past, held at the PMT’s Swargate depot on Friday afternoon.

IndianExpress:  FROM stereochemistry to taekwando, enzyme mechanisms to traditional South Korean percussion, he’s done it all, and he’s emerged with flying colours. Pune lad Omkar Wagh bagged the silver medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad (ICO) held in South Korea between July 2 and July 11.

Wagh was the only Puneite among the four-member contingent representing India at the ICO. While Indore’s Prathamesh Prabhu bagged the gold medal at the Olympiad, Rahul Goyal of Ambala bagged the silver medal and Delhi’s Rahul Sharma the bronze. Between them, they secured an eight rank for India.

IndianExpress:  SUBSTANCE abuse and medical negligence are among the key areas to be taken up for discussion at the seminar on medical jurisprudence to be held on July 15.

“Legal and Health Care professionals need to work in close tandem with the investigating agencies to effectively tackle this medico socio legal problem,’’ says Dr Rajeev Yeravadekar, Honorary Director of Symbiosis Department of Health Sciences (SDHS).

The domain of medico legal systems hitherto pertained predominantly to medical litigation. It unequivocally emphasized the absolute necessity of both the medical and legal fraternity to understand the prevalent concepts in Medico legal issues.

With an expansion in our understanding of these concepts and given the current developments, newer issues emerge. One such contemporary issue under this subject, much highlighted in the context of recent developments is that of substance abuse, he added.

IndianExpress: RAMBHAVAN Bahau Gupta, a 21-year-old coal trader from Mumbai was attacked and robbed of Rs 25,000 and a mobile by two youths near Shivajinagar State Transport bus terminus on early Friday morning.

Within three hours after the incident, the alleged robbers — Pradip Yuvraj More (19) and Sopan Somnath Bhalekar (19) — were arrested by the police. Both are residents of Patil Estate slums. Police claimed that they have already recovered the stolen mobile and cash of Rs 24,070 from the duo.

The incident took place while Gupta had come to Pune on the way to Beed in Marathwada region where he was going to purchase coal. Police said Gupta had hitched a lift in a jeep from Mumbai to Pune and alighted near Patil Estate.

IndianExpress: THE crime branch sleuths have arrested three youths, who had floated a company in downtown Shukrawar Peth for alleged involvement in forging documents to help their ‘‘clients’’ get bank loans.

The arrested youths include Bhaveshkumar Bijaram Kumavat (28), Bharatkumar Thanaram Kumavat (30) and Yashvant Sukhdeo Sharma (30). Police said Bhaveshkumar, Bharatkumar and Yashvant are partners of Bharatiya Jeevandhara Enterprises Ltd which has its office at Balaji House building. Police said the trio would pose as financial consultants and would offer help to people wanting to take bank loans and would charge commission for the ‘‘service’’.

TechNewsWorld.com: Sony is bundling movies with some of its Memory Sticks. Entertainment Packs for the 1- and 2 GB versions will include a DVD with four films: “XXX State of the Union,” “Hitch,” “The Grudge” and “S.W.A.T.” The films can be played only on a PSP, however.

This week the company announced its Memory Stick Entertainment Packs, “designed for people who want to experience the full range of multi-functional features” on their PlayStation Portable systems.

One- or 2-gigabyte versions will cost US$60 and $100, respectively. They will be made available in August online and at Sony Style retail stores and authorized dealers in the U.S.