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TOI : PUNE: A court here has directed police to probe a complaint in which a 34-year-old woman has accused her lesbian lover of betrayal after forcing her to undergo a sex change procedure to camouflage the relationship, converted into a man-woman marriage.

According to a petition filed by the woman at a magistrate’s court here, her partner, an ex-employee of Air India based in Mumbai, to whom she got married in 2001 after undergoing hormonal treatment and a partial sex change procedure (above waist), has served a divorce notice on her without giving a valid reason.

The magistrate in whose court the woman had filed the complaint under her changed (male) name, seeking action against her partner for offences of cheating and criminal breach of trust under sections 406,420, 379 and 469 of IPC, has directed police to investigate the case, Suhas Nadguada, PI attached to Bund Garden police station said.

The police will be probing the case under CRPC 202 following the directive of the court which has forwarded the complainant’s application to them, he said.

According to the complainant, she had met her lesbian lover in 1995 when she came to stay with her brother in Mumbai, leaving her home in Indore. She was persuaded to undergo sex change procedure by her 39-year-old lover with an assurance that they would be able to live like a heterosexual couple without social stigma.

She was, according to the complaint, put on a two year long hormonal treatment which began in 1998 to bring about “secondary male characteristics” in female and in 2001 she underwent an operation to remove her breasts, uterus, ovaries and the Fallopian tubes at a hospital in New Delhi.

In the complaint the woman also mentions that her partner had given birth to a girl child in 2004 which she had conceived through sperm donated by the complainant’s brother.

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TOI : PUNE: For the past few weeks, waste-pickers associated with the co-operative Swach have been ensuring their health’s safety while also learning alternative skills for earning their livelihood.

All waste-pickers, young and old, are being trained to produce multi-layered sanitary bags, meant to be used by women to dispose sanitary napkins. While two workshops have already been held, the third workshop will be held in the coming week.

“It was not only inconvenient, but also a health hazard for waste-pickers to handle waste like sanitary napkins,” said project manager Divya Muzumdar, who is currently training the waste-pickers.

“Although the disposal bags will be made out of newspapers, the idea is to have red coloured label on them, so that the waste-pickers are able to identify it and not touch it. What is different about these bags is that they are layered in such a way that leakage is prevented. This is not just convenient for waste-pickers, but for customers as well,” Muzumdar said.

She explained that the returns for those who are involved in producing such bags will depend on the size of orders they receive for the bags.

“Currently, we have not ventured into the market directly but are spreading the idea through different means like corporate houses. Waste-pickers who are involved in door-to-door collection will also tell women about it,” Muzumdar said.

Elaborating on their initiative to equip waste-pickers with alternative livelihood skills, Laxmi Narayan, KKPKP chairperson, said that they want to develop a whole range of products made from waste like plastics and paper.

“We want to train waste-pickers in making quality products because people will buy only those things that are of good quality. We not only want to create livelihood for waste-pickers but also send a message across to the consumers that even products made out of waste can be used,” Narayan added.

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TOI : PUNE: To tap more environment-friendly options of garbage disposal and protecting the livelihood of dependant sections of the society, a demand to form an independent committee of local stakeholders, including representatives of wastepickers and technical experts, has come to the fore.

“Zero waste initiatives can save more energy than what the proposed RDF projects can generate giving more livelihood opportunities for the urban poor. December 2008 Controller Auditor General’s Audit Report on municipal solid waste in India recommends providing legal recognition to rag pickers so that recycling work becomes more organised and ensures better working conditions for them. The RDF technology is inconsistent with the livelihood needs of the recycling workers. In fact, it destroys their livelihood and poisons the food chain, as has been witnessed in Gundhumguda, Andhra Pradesh,” said New Delhi based solid waste expert Gopal Krishna.

He added that in January 2007, a Supreme Court committee recommended biomethanation as an ideal methodology for municipal solid waste handling and management.

Civic activist Ranjit Gadgil also suggests formation of an independent panel to look into the matter. “An independent committee consisting of local stakeholders, especially representatives of wastepickers and technical experts, should be appointed. While doing a Cost-Benefit Analysis one must also consider alternate options, which usually yield a better result. In fact, investments in improving landfill conditions and future landfilling operations and promoting segregation of waste, local processing of wet waste (to the extent possible and practical) and improving the capacity of the informal sector engaged in recovery and recycling of dry waste is likely to be better.”

When question about the coordination between the municipal corporation and stakeholders, municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade said that the PMC was in consultation with the experts and NGO’s working to ensure better ways of garbage disposal. In a proposal tabled before the standing committee, Zagade has sought the standing committee’s permission for appointment of a consultant…More

TOI : “As per the Kyoto Protocol, waste incineration is a green house gas emitter. It will become a cause of public health disaster. The local body should look at biological methods like biomethanation”

Gopal Krishna | solid waste management expert

Energy expert Ashok Sreenivas had earlier highlighted the fact that energy produced from an RDF plant, even if it uses the entire 1,200 tonnes of garbage reaching the landfill every day, would meet only about 1 per cent of Pune’s demand.

PUNE: The PMC’s plan to opt for Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) technology for garbage processing is meeting stiff resistance from environmentalists who have warned of hazardous consequences for health and environment.

“RDF technology is obsolete and distorts waste-management beyond repair. Incineration of pellets/RDF violates several national and international laws. As per the Kyoto Protocol, waste incineration is a green house gas emitter. It will become a cause of public health disaster. The local body should look at biological methods like biomethanation for energy generation if it is indeed a driving concern along with waste-reduction,” New Delhi-based solid waste management expert and activist Gopal Krishna told TOI.

Biomethanation is a general term for all the biological methods used for the production of methane biogas

“The RDF is a co-incineration technology. It involves emission of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) like dioxins, furans and heavy metals like mercury and lead. Dioxins are cancer causing and endocrine disrupters that have intergenerational health impacts. The ash that results from burning the waste is more complex than managing municipal waste,” Krishna added.

Energy expert Ashok Sreenivas had earlier highlighted the fact that energy produced from an RDF plant, even if it uses the entire 1,200 tonnes of garbage reaching the landfill every day, would meet only about 1 per cent of Pune’s demand.

“The RDF technology goes against the principle of recycling because the incentive to segregate is…More

TOI : AURANGABAD: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is facing new problems at the Ajanta caves after beginning construction of an additional contour drain above the hill that houses the monument, designated as a Unesco world heritage site.

While carrying out excavations for the new contour drain just above the heavily painted caves no. 16 and 17, the ASI stumbled upon several cracks of varying sizes. It has covered two big cracks with tarpaulin and red soil, but smaller cracks are still visible at several places in the excavated portion.

The rock-cut-caves with ancient paintings and sculptures at Ajanta are renowned as “masterpieces of Buddhist religious art”, and are situated about 100 km from Aurangabad.

The new drain is being constructed at the foothills of the mountain situated above the hill containing the cave complex. The work was aimed at arresting rainwater and diverting it from the caves, which have been facing perennial seepage problems.

Following suggestions from the Geological Survey of India (GSI), work on the new contour drain was started about two months ago. The drain (370m long, 3m wide and 1 metre to 3m deep) was excavated with the use of hammers and chisels, cutting the green basaltic rock. Many big cracks and fissures were noticed, following the excavation.

“The finding has made ASI authorities consult a host of experts, including ASI director (Conservation) Janhwij Sharma, structural engineer from Mumbai Vijay K Patil and the Central Institute of Mines and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Nagpur,” said the superintending archaeologist K Veerbhadrarao. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: Taking note of the problems faced by foreign students when they visit India for higher studies, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a set of instructions to all universities asking them to take steps to ensure better care of the foreign students.

“Most of the UGC’s recent directives asking varsities to take better care of foreign students, such as conducting orientation programmes before the commencement of the academic session and regularly monitoring colleges affiliated to them are already in place,” said Vasudha Garde, director, International Students Centre (ISC) at the University of Pune.

In a communication dated May 18, 2009, the UGC has directed institutions under its supervision to organise familiarisation sessions for freshly enrolled students, as well as assist them with interactions with Foreign Registration Officers, put up a website that provides information relevant to foreign students and constantly monitor the colleges affiliated to them with regard to their progress.

Speaking to TOI, Garde said: “The directive is the outcome of a series of inter-ministerial meets with regard to the welfare of foreign students. It is part of the Prime Minister’s global vision to reach out to as many foreign students and provide them with a conducive atmosphere, as they serve as ambassadors for India.”

The inter-ministerial meets were based on a study conducted by an ambassador in residence P V Joshi, an Indian Foreign Services officer on the issues faced by foreign students in the country, Garde said.

She said the University of Pune, which hosts 14,000 foreign students from over 102 countries, already has a tradition of looking after foreign students. “Every year, we get about 3,000 to 4,000 foreign students. And, while the number is vast, we are pro-active about providing whatever facilities are within our reach. For instance, we have orientation programmes for students when they join, so as to apprise them of the dos and don’ts…More

TOI : PUNE: After the coaches of the Pune-Mumbai Intercity Express started carrying advertisements, two more Pune-Mumbai trains are expected to get ad wrappings soon. The trains which will have display of advertisements through graphic films fully wrapped around the coaches are the Sinhagad Express and the Pragati Express.

Speaking to TOI, senior divisional commercial manager Ashok Malhotra said that the Pune division has been the pioneer in wrapping coaches with advertisements. While the Intercity Express already has display of ads, the railways have invited commercial bids for two more trains. Both these trains run during the day.

Incidentally, this is the second time the railways have invited bids for the Sinhagad express. All the 17 coaches of the Sinhagad Express will be wrapped with graphic film. Similarly, all the 11 coaches of the Pragati Express will display advertisements. The railways are looking at a revenue of Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh per year through by advertisement on the two trains. The graphic films would be put in such a way that information painted on the coaches is clearly visible, and the locations meant for destination boards are not covered.

The Pune division is also planning to increase the number of Janasadharan ticket booking sevaks from 6 to 40 to avoid rush of passengers at the booking windows at stations. “The convenience of getting tickets from Janasadharan kiosks has to be realised by the passengers. One can buy unreserved ticket three days in advance. Thus, passengers can avoid last minute hassles at the ticket windows at the station,” Malhotra said. There is no extra cost for tickets purchased from the Janasadharan ticket vendors.

These vendors, who get a commission of Re 1 per ticket, have been asked to display advertisements so that passengers know the locations from where they can buy the tickets. Malhotra also said passengers can also go in for internet reservations to avoid…More

TOI : PUNE: If one can look beyond the conventional family dramas and candyfloss love stories, an emerging trend in the Indian cinema, the one that deals with everyday concerns is finding a larger audience.

“There’s a new breed of filmmakers who are making films that deal with everyday concerns. For instance, films by Anurag Kashyap, Neeraj Pandey, Homi Adjania and the like, show signs of our times,” says Ranjani Mazumdar, associate professor of cinema studies at the School of Arts and Aesthetics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. She was speaking about genres in cinema at the ongoing film appreciation course at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

Be it the mythology-driven stories of the 1930s, the angry young man’ icon of the 70s or the underworld dramas of the 90s, the cinematic genres have reflected the socio-cultural-economic changes within our society. But with rapid globalisation, there has come a phase in the Indian cinema that portrays the characteristics of the 21st century India, she said. “The distraction, alienation, crisis of attention and the bombardment of information that a modern Indian is subjected to, are cases in point. Hence, the genre of noir is being dealt with by this new breed of filmmakers,” Mazumdar said. The genre noir’ refers to dark stories.

“The genre doesn’t deal much with reality, but is very expressive and edgy. This genre tells stories and crises of the contemporary times. Examples like Kashyap’s Dev D’, Adjania’s Being Cyrus’ and Pandey’s Wednesday’ explain this reality way too stylistically. And this is not the classical realism seen in Satyajit Ray’s films,” she added.

“These filmmakers are cinephiles, who are driven by their love of cinema. They have watched world cinema and are well-versed with the craft of filmmaking. That’s why they can make impactful films even with a small budget. The stories they tell are gritty, dark and not necessarily about…More

TOI : PUNE: Citizens, who’ve been waiting for more than two years for the work on Karve road (from Khandujibaba chowk to the flyover) to be completed, will have to wait for another year since the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has stated that it will be completed only by April 2010.

A report released by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission cell has declared the completion date for all road projects, most of which are December 2009 while few others are December 2010.

Interestingly, however, the Karve road work was one of the first projects taken up by the PMC. Now, it will take another year for the road work to be completed. Activists have until now held numerous agitation to push the civic body to complete the Karve road work to the earliest, since it caused inconvenience to the citizens.

Speaking to TOI, officer on special duty, JNNURM, Vinay Deshpande said the PMC is keen on doing the Karve road perfectly and at the earliest. “There were a lot of lacunae in the earlier work done, which we have had to repair. We can say that excellent work is being done on the project right now. The shifting of services, bringing all the drainage chambers at one level, having good footpaths with proper access all these works are being done,” Deshpande said.

The reasons given by the PMC in the report for the delay in all the road works are land acquisition problems from private owners, shortage of skilled labour during April-May 2008 in view of the anti-North Indians drive in the state, cutting and transplantation of trees after due permission, shifting of utilities, and so on. The report also states one of the reasons as need to rush up with finishing works on critical roads without appropriate sub-surface utility shifting prior to the commonwealth youth games held in the city in October 2008. These…More

TOI : PUNE: Promotion of cyber activism is a must while dealing with the problems related cyber crime, Vishal Kumar, senior consultant and programme coordinator, Cyber Attack-2009, said. He was speaking at a day-long national seminar organised by the Asian School of Cyber Laws on Friday. The event was aimed at knowledge sharing among cyber crime investigators, cyber security professionals and computer emergency response professionals.

The seminar saw lively interactions on subjects like cyber crime in global scenario, cyber crime investigation and cyber forensics, cyber crime and law, investigating financial crimes and forensic accounting, cyber activism and the right to information Act.

More than 100 delegates from various organisations participated in the event.

“There are acts and actions we do in our day-to-day life amounts to crime as per the IT law. But, most of us are not aware of these acts. The basic reason behind this is that we are unaware about the provisions of the act related to cyber crime,” Kumar said, “So, there is a need to create awareness about things which could prove to be criminal. For this, cyber activism should be promoted in the country.”

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