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TOI : PUNE: The unique initiative of the citizen facility centre (CFC) of the district collectorate to involve education institutions in the process of issuing caste and domicile certificates received an overwhelming response from schools and colleges.

Around 600 representative from 500 schools and colleges participated in the one-day training programme and 35,000 application forms were given for distribution to the respective institutes.

“All educational institutions responded positively. Around 500 principals and headmasters took part in the training programme at the designated centres in the city,” said Jyoti Kadam, special executive magistrate (city).

A few institutes even sent more than one representative for the programme. We are getting enquiries about the scheme from other district collectorates as well, she added.

The training will help the schools and colleges in overseeing the process of filling up the application forms and collecting essential documents from students, Kadam said, adding that the institutes must submit the duly filled applications at the CFC on or before December 31.

The CFC would then conduct the necessary scrutiny and verification. And the certificates would be handed over to schools and colleges for distribution among their students from January 1 onwards, Kadam said.

“The main objective is to hand over the caste and domicile certificates to students before their examination starts,” said Shankarrao Jadhav, sub-divisional officer and magistrate (Haveli).

The institutions that achieve 100 per cent success in distributing caste and domicile certificates would be felicitated, said Jadhav. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: The Pune CMS Vatavaran festival, to be held in the city from December 5 to 7, promises not only a plethora of films on environment and wildlife, but also other allied activities. These include a workshop on filmmaking by filmmaker and animator Harold Raichur, a seminar on climate change and a symposium on conservation and livelihood security. The city is the sixth stop for this yearly travelling film fest.

Speaking to TOI, festival manager Ashwini Sinha said, “The Pune CMS Vatavaran is an initiative of the Delhi-based research and advocacy organisation, Centre for Media Studies.” Established in 1991, the independent, not-for-profit organisation is dedicated to research-driven initiatives that enable policy-makers take informed decisions on development and social change.

The organisation is running the film festival for the last six years. This year, the event is being held by the CMS in Pune, in association with international cultural exchange, a non-profit organisation designed to encourage talented artists and technicians and the organisations, Wild Portraits and Kalpavriksh, among others.

Among the 29 films to be screened in the fest, five of them are by filmmakers from the city. “These films were chosen from entries we received from all over the world last year,” said Sinha. The event will be inaugurated by city-based Vilas Kane’s Life on the Sea Shore on December 5. Other films include Harold Raichur’s The Decision , and Kartiki Kane’s Minee: A Successful Mother .

The screenings will be held at Balgandharva Rangmandir from 10 am to 5 pm.

The filmmaking workshop by Raichur will be held on December 5 from 3 to 5 pm at the S M Joshi hall. The seminar on climatic change will be held on December 6 at the S M Joshi hall. Organised by Wild Portraits, an organisation dedicated to the conservation of wild animals, the event will see esteemed speakers across different organisations speak on…More

TOI : PUNE: With the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) deciding that the crocodile in Katraj lake could stay there, inhabitants of the area are a bit concerned about the new resident in their neighbourhood.

When TOI spoke with some of them, they expressed apprehension about the PMC’s decision. Though Katraj lake is some distance from their homes, there are a few new buildings coming up right near the lake.

Somnath Raikar, a gardener in one such building, is scared at the very idea of a crocodile in the vicinity. “It is not right to keep the crocodile in the lake,” he said. “The fishermen will face problems. Also, there are a lot of people who like to sit by the lake but will be too scared to do so now. I think the authorities should do a rethink and the crocodile should be rescued,” he added.

Laadakibai, a worker at a construction site, is petrified. “Please ask the authorities to rescue the crocodile,” she said. “Crocodiles are dangerous and we go to the lake to fish. It might even attack our children who play near the lake.”

The crocodile was first spotted in the lake on November 15. After several attempts to locate and rehabilitate it, the PMC finally decided to let it remain.

“For many locals, Katraj zoo is the only place we can visit on off days, especially on Sundays. After we heard that there was a crocodile in the lake, we have been afraid to go there. Last Sunday, we did go to the park but did not visit the lake. The fear factor is playing on the minds of visitors,” said Ambika Jadhav, a homemaker from Katraj.

It’s bad news for those who enjoyed boating on the lake too. “If the only decent place to go boating shuts down, where are people supposed to go and have fun?” said media professional…More

TOI : PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) plans to adopt a multi-pronged strategy to deal with about 1,300 metric tonne of garbage generated daily in the city, by reviving vermi-composting plants and setting up bio-methanisation and modernised composting plants.

The civic body has also decided to decentralise garbage collection and processing, and 14 bio-methanisation or Organic Waste Converter projects will soon be started at ward office levels.

Sanjeev Wawre, ward medical officer of Ghole road and also of solid waste management, said the ward offices have identified the spots to set up these plants.

“The city has 37 bio-methanisation plants owned mainly by hotels, where 20-25 metric tonne garbage is taken care of. Moreover, 20 units of modernised composting plants process about 12 metric tonne biodegradable waste to produce manure,” said Wawre. He added that Mailhem engineers has been assigned the task of setting up a biomethanisation plant at Mundhwa.

Pune has 1,500 vermi-composting units, of which 550 units are non-functional and around 300 units are run through voluntary participation. “Now, we plan to revive the non-functional vermi-composting plants. The civic body will also run a public campaign to spread awareness about garbage management,” said Wawre.

The city generates 1,200-1,300 metric tonne waste, of which 51-55 per cent is dry waste. The civic body plans to reduce the burden on Urali Devachi dumping ground as well as decentralise garbage collection and processing. The PMC has been dumping garbage at the Urali garbage depot since 1991.

Over the last 17 years, a massive two lakh metric tonne of rubbish has accumulated here, spread over an area of 63 acre. To shift the burden from the Urali site, the municipal corporation has been attempting to identify different locations for four garbage depots across the city. But, opposition from local residents at the prospective depot sites has marred the PMC’s efforts.

In a recent general body…More

TOI : PUNE: A massage parlour owner, identified as Naseem Aziz alias Seema Yadav (29), was found murdered in her flat at Goodwill Sanskriti in Dhanori on Monday morning.

The Vishrantwadi police arrested suspect Shabbir Pathan and booked Ganesh Pillay for their suspected connection with the case. Pathan has been remanded to police custody till December 6.

According to the police, the incident came to light when a foul smell started emanating from the body, which has been lying in the flat since November 29.

Senior inspector Anil Ghuge said that Naseem, who was running a parlour at Parihar chowk in Aundh, was staying with her two sons at Dhanori. However, for the last one week she was alone as one of her sons had gone to Hyderabad and the other had gone to Gwalior.

According to Ghuge, Naseem’s neighbours told the police that they had last seen Pillay on November 29.

Investigations revealed that there was a financial dispute between Naseem and Pathan for several months as he was demanding Rs 10 lakh and a flat from her. Pillay had also used Naseem’s credit card for buying gold ornaments and had been constantly demanding money from her.

Ghuge told TOI that the suspects picked up a quarrel with Naseem and hit her with iron rods on November 29, killing her instantly. Pathan, who is a history-sheeter, was arrested twice for allegedly running a sex racket, he added. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: The Maharashtra State Aids Control Society (MSACS) has granted approval for an integrated counselling and testing centre (ICTC) at Babasaheb Ambedkar cantonment hospital run by the Khadki Cantonment Board (KCB), which started functioning on December 1.

Speaking to TOI, Lt Col A K Khajuria, assistant health officer, KCB, said the ICTC centre at the cantonment hospital would benefit around one lakh people of the Khadki cantonment.

The Ambedkar hospital is the largest hospital within the cantonment limits. The KCB has been initiating a number of steps to improve the facilities and provide better treatment at the hospital, which caters to people from the cantonment limits as well as the surrounding areas.

Khajuria said the centre would be a boon. “Free tests to determine whether a person is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive or not will be conducted here. Moreover, free medicines will be provided to patients.”

R C Bhosale, resident medical officer (RMO) at the Ambedkar hospital, said, “KCB officials worked hard to get permission for opening the ICTC centre here. The MSACS has sent a letter saying the ICTC centre from the Sanjay Gandhi general hospital run by the Pune Municipal Corporation will be shifted to Ambedkar hospital. The centre became operational on December 1, which is also the World Aids Day.”

“The cantonment board has given a room at the hospital for the ICTC centre. The centre is being handled by a counsellor and lab technician provided by the MSACS, which has also given the furniture and equipment to store medicines. Our hospital pathologist will supervise their work.”

Earlier, for HIV-detection tests, people had to go to the Sasoon hospital or the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s Yashwantrao Chavan memorial hospital or the National Aids Research Institute which are all far off. “One test for HIV costs at least Rs 250 at private hospitals. Three blood tests for three antigens are conducted…More

TOI : PUNE: The Agharkar Research Institute’s (ARI) centre for nanobioscience has developed a nano technology-based silver nano gel’ for treating burns, wounds, diabetic ulcers, bedsores, etc.

K M Paknikar, who is heading the centre for nanobioscience, told TOI: “This is a bio-stabilised silver nano particles-based gel which can be used for treating skin problems, including burns and wounds.”

“The gel stands out for its ability to destroy bacteria. The drugs used currently lack such quality and the bacteria become drug resistant, preventing complete cure of the wound,” Paknikar said. “With the gel we have developed, drug resistance is very difficult. Moreover, it does not have any side effects. It’s ability to cure close to 30 per cent burns also helps in quick recovery,” Paknikar added.

We have sought approval from the Drugs Controller General of India for the nano gel, which is the result of five years of efforts by the scientists here, Paknikar said. “The main reason behind using silver in the drug is its characteristic to stop microbial activities. We have reduced silver to nano particles. As a result, its activity becomes high.”

A Mumbai-based company has got the licence for manufacturing the drug, which will be available in the market within three months, ARI officials said.

The ARI has got national and international recognition for their ef-forts. Moreover, the nano gel was also among the top six contenders for innovation awards at convention of pharmaceutical ingredients world-wide in Germany, recently.

NANO SILVER

* Potent anti-microbial

* Kills microbes by blocking energy production

* Use on wound will control infection

* Improves healing

* Non-toxic to human tissue Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: A gang of dacoits beat up two security guards at a godown at Ubalenagar in Wagholi and fled with a rifle and other articles worth Rs 16,120 on Wednesday morning.

According to the Lonikand police, Vilas Sham Bahadur Singh and Bipin Ravindranath Pandey were on duty at Arti warehouse when, around 1.30 am, seven or eight people armed with sticks, iron rods and other weapons attacked it. The godown houses refrigerators.

The police said the gang beat up the guards and tied up Singh with a rope when he and Pandey tried to resist. They then took Singh’s double-barrelled rifle, a torch, a purse and a mobile phone and fled after the guards raised the alarm.

Singh and Pandey are undergoing treatment at Ramkar hospital and Rakshak hospital at Wagholi. Their condition is reported to be stable.

Assistant police inspector Anil Shewale, who is investigating the case, told TOI that a sniffer dog had been pressed into service, but it failed to pick up the trail of the dacoits. No suspects have been arrested.

The police have registered a case against the dacoits under sections 395 and 397 of the Indian Penal Code. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: The Swargate police seized over 118 kg of silver bricks worth Rs 13 lakh packed in five bags from two people at the state transport bus depot at Swargate on Wednesday afternoon.

Senior inspector Rajkumar Gaikwad told TOI that a police team was checking passengers at the depot when it spotted two people carrying bags and moving around in a suspicious manner.

Gaikwad said suspects Shambu Gurudayal Singh Parmar (22) and Manoj Rama Shankar Sharma (20), both from Rajasthan, were about to board a Kolhapur-bound bus when they were intercepted by the police. “The police found silver bricks and ornaments packed in separate boxes. The suspects were taken to the police station for interrogation after they failed to give a satisfactory explanation as to how they were in possession of silver bricks, each weighing 20 kg.”

The suspects claimed that they had brought the bricks from Pune and Mumbai by evading octroi.

Gaikwad said the bricks, weighing 118.6 kg, were handed over to octroi inspectors Navalkumar Kale and Bhoja Kale of the Pune Municipal Corporation for further investigation. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: The railway police on Wednesday detained a 30-year-old student of an engineering college in the city after he was found surfing the Internet continuously for around 17 hours from Tuesday evening in a cyber cafe at the Pune railway station.

Superintendent of police Vitthal Jadhav (railway) said that the student had been sitting in the cyber cafe, located inside a restaurant on platform number one, since 4. 30 pm on Tuesday.

Sensing something suspicious about the student’s actions, the cyber cafe employees tipped off the police. The student was detained and interrogated by the police and by officials of the special branch, Pune police as it had recently received a fax threatening to blow up 40 important installations in the city.

During interrogations, however, the police learnt that the detained man had been surfing various obscene websites during his marathon surfing session.

The student, who hails from Hyderabad and is currently living in Karvenagar, also said that he has been studying in an engineering college in the city since 2003.

The student, who has failed in his engineering examainations, was reluctant to go back to Hyderabad, fearing his parents’ wrath. He spent most of his time in cyber cafes, Jadhav added.

The student was let off after the interrogation, he added. Print Emai…More