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indianexpress: To discuss the influence of science and religion in the globalisation process, the Indian Institute of Science and Religion (IISR), Pune will be conducting an International symposium on “Science- Religion dialogue in a globalising world” from January 1 to 5 at the Avion Holiday resort in Lonavla, Mumbai.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Dr Job Kozhamthadam, founder-director of IISR said, “Globalisation is a revolution of revolutions that touches every aspect of our society primarily because of science — that has blurred the boundaries in the world and religion — emphasising on universal spirit.

The two cannot be separated from the process of globalisation and therefore there is a need to understand its future trajectory.”

The symposium will systematically study and discuss concepts of “De-territoriality,” “interconnectedness” in context of globalisation and find answers to minimise the ill effects of the same through a creative interaction between Science and religion.

The speakers at the five-day symposia will include Dr Bert Gordijn, Holland, Dr Emilia Guliciuc and Dr Viorel Guliciuc from Romania, Stanislaus Koppala, XLRI, Jamshedpur, Dr Arvind K Jha, IFS, commissioner, Tribal Research and Training Institute, Pune, Wilfred Lakra, IAS, Secretary, ST commissioner, New Delhi, Dr Makarand Paranjape, Jawaharlal Nehru University and M M Rajendran, former Governor of Orissa, Chennai.

indianexpress: In January, consumer clubs in schools and colleges will be a reality in the State. The Consumer Advisory Committee has decided to set up the clubs in an attempt to spread awareness about the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, among the students community and the general public

“With the help of social organisations we will undertake drives in all schools and colleges,” said chairman Kamal Farooqui who was in the city on Saturday.

Farooqui said the basic problem was poor awareness levels among the masses about the Act and the drive is aimed at informing the general public about its advantages. “From simple steps such as checking the maximum retail price, the expiry date or even checking the colour added foods, consumers can contribute a whole lot in bringing about the necessary checks on the products being sold in the market with thorough knowledge of their consumer rights,”he said.

With more than 90 percent of the rural areas in the State being unaware of the Act, there is a lot needed to be done in these areas and awareness of the Act should start right at school and college levels. “We want children and collegians to stand up and fight for justice and approach the consumer forums. My department will extend full support to the citizes,” said Farooqui who is looking for social organisations who could take up the task.

He said such organisations should visit schools regularly and hold sessions about the Act as well as help citizens adopt a simple check-list about consumer rights. “A module can be readied and they can circulate the same in all schools and colleges,” he added.

indianexpress: After Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil gave a go ahead for extending deadlines in pubs, hotels and restaurants for the New Year bash, the Pune police too have given its green signal. And expectedly the party scene in the city has begun hotting up. And the hospitality industry — the nerve centre for New Year parties — is racing against the time to wow the party-goers.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Ravindra Sengaonkar said restaraunts, hotels and clubs in the city have been granted permission to remain open till 5 am of January 1, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Ravindra Sengaonkar.

The cops have however asked party managers to get the premises licence for the party venue from the concerned zonal deputy commissioners. Party managers should provide sufficient place for parking, failing which the licence issued would be cancelled, the police said.

Loudspeakers would not be allowed after 12 in the night and the noise levels would be required to be maintained below 75 decibels.

Meanwhile, the traffic police department has appealed to the people to carry the original documents of their vehicles. Specific areas in the city would be declared as “no tolerance zones.” Besides, heavy bandobast at important spots, joint squads of traffic police, highway safety patrol and regional transport officers equipped with speed guns and breath analysers would be deployed across the city for keeping a check on over speeding and drunken driving.

indianexpress: The Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) has served legal notices to many well known hotels and pubs in the city that have not paid the requisite music license fee to play music at their New Year bashes.

In a press release, the PPL has said that action will be taken against these night spots if they fail to pay up. The defaulters list this year includes some top venues like Oakwood, Panchsheel, Zaha, 10 Downing Street, Taj Blue Diamond, Palazo and several others.

Avinash DSouza, regional head of Western Region, PPL said, “Each year, pubs and hotels earn huge incomes from New Year parties. Yet they refuse to pay the nominal tariff of Rs 40,000 onwards to PPL, thus flouting the norms and eating into the royalties of the performers and artists.”

DSouza added that playing commercial music without paying a copyright license fee was liable to contempt of court under Section 35 in the Copyright Act.

indianexpress: The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is in a fix as high land prices has stymied its plans to obtain land for a telephone exchange at Vishrantwadi. More than 2,000 people are on the BSNL waiting list in the city including a sizeable chunk from Vishrantwadi.

Vishrantwadi resident A V Mahajan applied for a BSNL connection in mid-November 2006. A year has passed and he is still waiting. “I saw an advertisement which promised BSNL landline connection in 10 days. I applied at the Yerwada exchange,” he said. Initially, Mahajan followed up with the BSNL officials every fortnight. “But all they did was ask me to wait. In the meantime, I approached a private telecom operator and got a landline phone connection within a few hours. Why does the BSNL bring out advertisements with such promises if they cannot fulfill them?” he wondered.

But BSNL authorities say they are helpless. At Vishrantwadi, despite floating three tenders last year, they are yet to find rental accommodation to set up a telephone exchange. Principal General Manager D K Maheshwari said nobody had come forward to offer space at reasonable rate. “We do not have our own land so we have to go for rented space. Without an exchange, we really cannot do much about improving connectivity in this area,” he said.

Maheshwari said that those who have come forward in response to the tenders have quoted “unreasonable rates.” “The tender regulations are already extremely relaxed. We have agreed to pay the agreement money and the property tax,” he said.

indianexpress: A Software engineer from the Infosys company at Hinjewadi IT Park was run over by a speeding truck near Bavdhan around 9.40 am of Friday. The deceased was identified as Shivshankar Prasad Singh (25), a native of Ranchi in Jharkhand.

Police said that Singh was going to his company on his motorcycle via Mumbai-Bangalore highway, when the truck hit his vehicle near Bavdhan from behind. Truck driver Raju Narayan Jadhav (35) of Hadapsar has been arrested.

Investigations officer police-sub inspector R T Pawar said that Singh was residing at Dahanukar Colony in Kothrud. His body was handed to his family members.

In another mishap, 25-year-old motorcyclist Atul Ankush Panhalkar was knocked dead by an unknown vehicle at Magarpattra chowk in Hadapsar on late Friday evening. Police said Panhalkar was a labourer at Thane railway station and had come to Pune for a family gathering.

Meanwhile, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has ordered an enquiry into the incident in which an accident victim was not provided quick ambulance service at the civic-run Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital.