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indianexpress: Concerned about the rapidly dwindling space for sporting activities in the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to develop 19 open grounds at various locations in the fringe areas as sports facilities with special coaching facilities for children and youth in kabaddi, kho kho, football and hockey.

Outgoing municipal commissioner Nitin Kareer said, “The issue was discussed at a recent meeting with officials of the state’s sports directorate attended by PMC’s garden superintendent Yashwant Khaire.”

The details are being worked out but a primary plan for having coaches and developing grounds at Hadapsar, Bopodi, Sahakarnagar, Ghorpadi, Wanavdi, and other fringe areas has been cleared. “These ground will be owned by the PMC and will not be leased out to any private organisations, “ said Kareer.

When his attention was drawn to the fact that certain existing sports grounds had been reserved for specific sports activities causing restricted entry, Kareer said the 19 sports facilities, though reserved for certain sports, will be kept open to all, citizens and especially children, after the prescribed hours for dedicated sports activities.

He said besides these 19 locations, the 4.5 km-long river channel too can be converted into open sports grounds with proper planning. These can be kept open to all, he said.

Meanwhile, former corporator Popat Taware has written to Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar that the issue of playgrounds in downtown Pune will have to be addressed as the PMC plans involves developing sports facilities mostly in the suburbs.

indianexpress: Raised in 1869 as the British hospital, Wanowrie and re-designated as Command hospital (Southern Command) on April 8, 1967, the hospital continues to celebrate its raising day — April 8 — every year. This year, the Command hospital, Wanavdi, authorities embarked on another phase of expansion.

A programme for intraocular lenses in cataracts at birth has been launched apart from infusing new life into the eye transplant (cornea) programme. The aesthetic surgery clinic imparting treatment such as facial rejuvenation, hair transplantation, breast surgery, botox injections and body contouring has also been introduced, an official statement issued here stated.
 
Awake craniotomy in complex tumours of the brain started this year. Here the patient who is awake, yet pain free, cooperates with the operating neurosurgeon in localising the vital areas of the brain by performing various movements as directed. This contributes to precision surgery. A sleep disorder laboratory has been commissioned in the Department of Psychiatry where all kinds of sleep disorders are diagnosed and treated. An auto-feedback laboratory has also been set up by the psychiatry wing.

The hospital has also acquired the largest experience with a new and more effective technique for bridging large gaps using PTFE conduits in injured nerves in wounded soldiers. A new modality of surgery for slip disc of the spine in which an implant (DIAM) device is placed between the vertebrae has been started.

Limb salvage by reconstructive microsurgery in which amputated and severely crushed limbs can be replanted and revascularised under the care of trained microsurgeons has been introduced and the hospital carried out its first finger replantation successfully on a serving soldier on March 6 this year. Moreover the first renal transplant of the hospital was also carried out in March this year.

indianexpress:  Feminist women in the early 19th century had the wisdom to strike a compromise with men and draw a line when it came to taking initiative in social reform, said former Vice Chancellor of the SNDT Women’s University Suma Chitnis, speaking at the release of Meera Kosambi’s book ‘Crossing Thresholds’ at Landmark Store on Saturday. The book was released by Pune University Vice Chancellor Narendra Jadhav and poet and literary critic Dilip Chitre.

Chitnis said that although women like Ramabai Ranade, Yashodabai Joshi, Kashibai Kanitkar spent time together, they never organised themselves to launch a formal unified women’s movement. “On the contrary, the reform movement was appropriated by the men at that time. This was because of the element of compromise adopted by these women, who had the wisdom to understand that it was strategically wise to stay within the laxman rekha, or to define limits for themselves,” Chitnis said.

Chitre said that women writers appeared on the horizon as early as in the 13th century, but this reduced after the 17th century. “This reduction of respect for women as writers to tamasha dancers has to do with the male aggression prevalent in the Maratha male at the peak of militarism,” said Dilip Chitre.

Kosambi’s book explores the lives of exemplary women in the early 19th century colonial India, who challenged the patriarchal boundaries placed by society, and made their mark in the male-dominated public sphere. Commenting on the sensitive manner in which the book was written, Jadhav said that the issues were relevant even today. “The book represents the dilemma faced by women, because even now, moving from one space to another is still a matter of choice,” said Jadhav.

Speaking about the genesis of her book, Kosambi said that it arose out of the need to reassess the framework of Maharashtrian history. “Feminist activists today raise the issue of the need of education, vocational training and alternate shelter for the liberation of women. These were the exact same issues raised by Pandita Ramabai 100 years ago. Thus we need to learn from our history and be enlightened by it instead of raising the same issues again,” said Kosambi.