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TOI : PUNE: The monsoon made its presence felt throughout immersion day on Thursday with heavy showers intermittently lashing the Ganapati processions.

The city continued to see light rain throughout Friday as well.

The city began witnessing a drizzle from the morning of the immersion day on Thursday. A number of heavy showers were later seen throughout the day.

Though the rainfall hardly had any effect on the overall enthusiasm of the people, the showers disrupted the advance of the processions a couple of times. Owing to the continuous drizzle and heavy showers, the city registered 10 mm rainfall from 8.30 am on Thursday to 8.30 am on Friday.

Throughout Friday, the city continued to see a light drizzle with a few showers in between.

According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) daily weather report, a well-marked low pressure area over north-western Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast helped cause the rainfall in the state.

Apart from that, an off-shore trough at sea level stretches along the western coast from Maharashtra to Kerala. Besides, a cyclonic circulation persists over central parts of the state.

“Due to these weather conditions, an increase in rainfall is expected. Though this would be seen in the whole of Maharashtra, the increase would be considerable in the coastal and central regions of the state,” Medha Khole, director (weather forecasting), IMD, said.

The southwest monsoon has been vigorous in the Konkan, Goa and coastal Karnataka and active in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, eastern Rajasthan, western Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and central Maharashtra. But it has been subdued over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar.

More Stories from this section Don’t panic, H1N1 flu akin to seasonal flu: NIV PMC to appeal in SC against HC order on tree cutting Over 1,600 tonnes red gram needed, just 17 tonnes received Restrict number of teachers on…More

TOI : PUNE: The monsoon made its presence felt throughout immersion day on Thursday with heavy showers intermittently lashing the Ganapati processions.

The city continued to see light rain throughout Friday as well.

The city began witnessing a drizzle from the morning of the immersion day on Thursday. A number of heavy showers were later seen throughout the day.

Though the rainfall hardly had any effect on the overall enthusiasm of the people, the showers disrupted the advance of the processions a couple of times. Owing to the continuous drizzle and heavy showers, the city registered 10 mm rainfall from 8.30 am on Thursday to 8.30 am on Friday.

Throughout Friday, the city continued to see a light drizzle with a few showers in between.

According to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) daily weather report, a well-marked low pressure area over north-western Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast helped cause the rainfall in the state.

Apart from that, an off-shore trough at sea level stretches along the western coast from Maharashtra to Kerala. Besides, a cyclonic circulation persists over central parts of the state.

“Due to these weather conditions, an increase in rainfall is expected. Though this would be seen in the whole of Maharashtra, the increase would be considerable in the coastal and central regions of the state,” Medha Khole, director (weather forecasting), IMD, said.

The southwest monsoon has been vigorous in the Konkan, Goa and coastal Karnataka and active in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, eastern Rajasthan, western Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and central Maharashtra. But it has been subdued over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar.

More Stories from this section Don’t panic, H1N1 flu akin to seasonal flu: NIV PMC to appeal in SC against HC order on tree cutting Over 1,600 tonnes red gram needed, just 17 tonnes received Restrict number of teachers on…More

TOI : PUNE: The state government’s decision to distribute the Rs 12.6 crore financial aid by the Planning Commission, among the Nashik and Pune centres of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), has started a row amongst health university authorities.

The aid, routed through the state department for medical education and drugs, is the first time MUHS will receive grants from any central agency on such a huge scale. On August 29, the department issued an order listing the allocation break-up as: Rs 5 cr for MUHS, Nashik headquarters; Rs 3 cr for the Pune regional centre; Rs 1 cr each for video conferencing; library and books and a consortium of journals; and Rs 1.6 cr for contingency and other equipment.

Officials at the MUHS Pune regional centre have cried foul over the allocatioin as they said that the financial aid forms part of the Rs 18.5 cr proposal moved by the university in December 2008 with a specific purpose’ of setting up a medical teachers’ training institute (TTI) under the department of medical education and technology (DMET) established in 2007 at one of the floors hired by MUHS at the ESIS hospital building at Aundh here. The aid was meant for DMET expansion plans, they said.

P M Shere, chief officer, Pune regional centre, has stated in a letter (dated September 1) to the MUHS vice-chancellor that the financial aid cannot be used for purposes other than development of the medical TTI. “Of all MUHS centres, only the Pune unit has been mandated for teachers’ training activity,” he stated. Shere told TOI, “There will be problems when the utilisation of the aid will be up for an audit review.”

According to MUHS management council (MC) member Gajanan Ekbote, “The fund distribution is reflective of the varsity higher-ups and the government striking a middle path to keep everybody content. We are taking up this issue at…More

TOI : PUNE: The state government’s decision to distribute the Rs 12.6 crore financial aid by the Planning Commission, among the Nashik and Pune centres of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), has started a row amongst health university authorities.

The aid, routed through the state department for medical education and drugs, is the first time MUHS will receive grants from any central agency on such a huge scale. On August 29, the department issued an order listing the allocation break-up as: Rs 5 cr for MUHS, Nashik headquarters; Rs 3 cr for the Pune regional centre; Rs 1 cr each for video conferencing; library and books and a consortium of journals; and Rs 1.6 cr for contingency and other equipment.

Officials at the MUHS Pune regional centre have cried foul over the allocatioin as they said that the financial aid forms part of the Rs 18.5 cr proposal moved by the university in December 2008 with a specific purpose’ of setting up a medical teachers’ training institute (TTI) under the department of medical education and technology (DMET) established in 2007 at one of the floors hired by MUHS at the ESIS hospital building at Aundh here. The aid was meant for DMET expansion plans, they said.

P M Shere, chief officer, Pune regional centre, has stated in a letter (dated September 1) to the MUHS vice-chancellor that the financial aid cannot be used for purposes other than development of the medical TTI. “Of all MUHS centres, only the Pune unit has been mandated for teachers’ training activity,” he stated. Shere told TOI, “There will be problems when the utilisation of the aid will be up for an audit review.”

According to MUHS management council (MC) member Gajanan Ekbote, “The fund distribution is reflective of the varsity higher-ups and the government striking a middle path to keep everybody content. We are taking up this issue at…More

TOI : The MUHS proposal to the Planning Commission elaborates on the need for well-trained teachers. It says newer health sciences education methods that have proven better in other parts of the world, need to be adopted for better alignment of education with the country’s health needs.

Maharashtra has 41 medical colleges and has 4,460 students graduating each year the highest in country. The number of colleges rose from 12 in 1980 to 41 by the end of 2008. A shortage of teachers has reflected on the number of quality doctors passing out of colleges. There is a need for quality training of teachers as well as continuing medical education and continuing professional development (CME/CPD) for medical teachers. Hence, the training institute. More Stories from this section Don’t panic, H1N1 flu akin to seasonal flu: NIV PMC to appeal in SC against HC order on tree cutting Over 1,600 tonnes red gram needed, just 17 tonnes received Restrict number of teachers on poll duty My fa…More

TOI : The MUHS proposal to the Planning Commission elaborates on the need for well-trained teachers. It says newer health sciences education methods that have proven better in other parts of the world, need to be adopted for better alignment of education with the country’s health needs.

Maharashtra has 41 medical colleges and has 4,460 students graduating each year the highest in country. The number of colleges rose from 12 in 1980 to 41 by the end of 2008. A shortage of teachers has reflected on the number of quality doctors passing out of colleges. There is a need for quality training of teachers as well as continuing medical education and continuing professional development (CME/CPD) for medical teachers. Hence, the training institute. More Stories from this section Don’t panic, H1N1 flu akin to seasonal flu: NIV PMC to appeal in SC against HC order on tree cutting Over 1,600 tonnes red gram needed, just 17 tonnes received Restrict number of teachers on poll duty My fa…More

TOI : PUNE: The Pune rural police on Wednesday arrested Ganesh Gholap (22) of Gholapwadi, and claimed to have solved the case of rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Indapur taluka. However, the mystery behind the suicide of labourer working on the fields of the main suspect still remains.

Puja Jadhav of Gholapwadi, an eighth standard student, was found murdered in a field a few kilometres away from her house on August 3. The murder led to tension in the area, with political parties and social and students organisations demanding quick arrest of the culprits.

Earlier, the police had detained Gholap, who owns about 250 acres of land in the same locality, and Ganesh Nikam (27) of Pawarwadi and sent their blood samples for DNA testing, superintendent of police Pratap Dighavkar told the media.

“After questioning a few friends of the victim and the relatives of the labourer Balu Kale, who had committed suicide, and with the help of scientific and circumstantial evidence, we managed to reveal the involvement of Gholap in the crime,” Dighavkar said. He was arrested by a police team led by senior inspector Bhausaheb Andhalkar (crime branch).

Dighavkar added: “The investigations revealed that, before murdering Puja, Gholap had raped her. We have booked him under section 302 (murder) and 376 (rape).

According to Dighavkar, Gholap allegedly used to harass Puja when she passes by his poultry farm on her way home from tuition classes. On August 3, around 4.30 pm, Gholap stopped her on her way, put her on his two-wheeler and took her to an isolated spot in his field, where he allegedly raped her.

Dighavkar added that, when Puja threatened to disclose the incident to her parents, Gholap killed her by strangulating her with a wire. “Later, he also smashed her head with a stone.”

After Puja’s body was found in Gholap’s field, the police grilled…More

TOI : PUNE: The Pune rural police on Wednesday arrested Ganesh Gholap (22) of Gholapwadi, and claimed to have solved the case of rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Indapur taluka. However, the mystery behind the suicide of labourer working on the fields of the main suspect still remains.

Puja Jadhav of Gholapwadi, an eighth standard student, was found murdered in a field a few kilometres away from her house on August 3. The murder led to tension in the area, with political parties and social and students organisations demanding quick arrest of the culprits.

Earlier, the police had detained Gholap, who owns about 250 acres of land in the same locality, and Ganesh Nikam (27) of Pawarwadi and sent their blood samples for DNA testing, superintendent of police Pratap Dighavkar told the media.

“After questioning a few friends of the victim and the relatives of the labourer Balu Kale, who had committed suicide, and with the help of scientific and circumstantial evidence, we managed to reveal the involvement of Gholap in the crime,” Dighavkar said. He was arrested by a police team led by senior inspector Bhausaheb Andhalkar (crime branch).

Dighavkar added: “The investigations revealed that, before murdering Puja, Gholap had raped her. We have booked him under section 302 (murder) and 376 (rape).

According to Dighavkar, Gholap allegedly used to harass Puja when she passes by his poultry farm on her way home from tuition classes. On August 3, around 4.30 pm, Gholap stopped her on her way, put her on his two-wheeler and took her to an isolated spot in his field, where he allegedly raped her.

Dighavkar added that, when Puja threatened to disclose the incident to her parents, Gholap killed her by strangulating her with a wire. “Later, he also smashed her head with a stone.”

After Puja’s body was found in Gholap’s field, the police grilled…More

TOI : PUNE: The immersion procession on the last day of the Ganesh festival lasted for eleven-and-a-half-hours in Chinchwadgaon and nine hours in Pimpri on Thursday, with crowd picking up only late in the evening. Over a hundred Ganesh mandals took part in the much-awaited annual event. Most of the Ganesh mandals took out simple processions.

Though the municipal corporation could not erect any pandal to welcome the mandals at Karachi chowk in Pimpri and Chapekar chowk in Chinchwadgaon, as the election code of conduct is in place, the police did the needful here.

Mandals with big idols preferred to go to Moraya ghat where the depth of the water in Pavana river was more as compared to that near Thergaon bridge in Chinchwadgaon.

Speaking to TOI on Thursday, Omprakash Bahiwal, co-ordinator, disaster management centre of PCMC said that the irrigation department released water at the rate of 1,200 cusecs from Pavana dam into the river for three hours from 8 am to 11 am to facilitate immersion.

He added that 10 lifeguards were deployed at each of the main immersion ghats, while four lifeguards were deployed at each of the small ghats where families immerse their idols. Five security guards were also deployed at each ghat.

The first Ganesh mandal to reach Chapekar chowk was Nathpanthi Gosavi Mitra Mandal, Duttnagar, at 1 pm. Though only six mandals had crossed Chapekar chowk till 5 pm, the festivities picked momentum after sundown when it started to pour. People started crowding the Chapekar chowk in large numbers only after 9 pm and by 10 pm the square was packed with devotees.

Some of the most unique mandals were the Rashtratej Mitra Mandal that performed Raje Tumhi Punha Janmala Ya’; Ashtavinayak Mitra Mandal, which took out a grand procession, complete with horses and camels. Volunteers of Chhava Pratishthan, Satara performed tricks using traditional weapons like dandpatta, swords and…More

TOI : PUNE: The immersion procession on the last day of the Ganesh festival lasted for eleven-and-a-half-hours in Chinchwadgaon and nine hours in Pimpri on Thursday, with crowd picking up only late in the evening. Over a hundred Ganesh mandals took part in the much-awaited annual event. Most of the Ganesh mandals took out simple processions.

Though the municipal corporation could not erect any pandal to welcome the mandals at Karachi chowk in Pimpri and Chapekar chowk in Chinchwadgaon, as the election code of conduct is in place, the police did the needful here.

Mandals with big idols preferred to go to Moraya ghat where the depth of the water in Pavana river was more as compared to that near Thergaon bridge in Chinchwadgaon.

Speaking to TOI on Thursday, Omprakash Bahiwal, co-ordinator, disaster management centre of PCMC said that the irrigation department released water at the rate of 1,200 cusecs from Pavana dam into the river for three hours from 8 am to 11 am to facilitate immersion.

He added that 10 lifeguards were deployed at each of the main immersion ghats, while four lifeguards were deployed at each of the small ghats where families immerse their idols. Five security guards were also deployed at each ghat.

The first Ganesh mandal to reach Chapekar chowk was Nathpanthi Gosavi Mitra Mandal, Duttnagar, at 1 pm. Though only six mandals had crossed Chapekar chowk till 5 pm, the festivities picked momentum after sundown when it started to pour. People started crowding the Chapekar chowk in large numbers only after 9 pm and by 10 pm the square was packed with devotees.

Some of the most unique mandals were the Rashtratej Mitra Mandal that performed Raje Tumhi Punha Janmala Ya’; Ashtavinayak Mitra Mandal, which took out a grand procession, complete with horses and camels. Volunteers of Chhava Pratishthan, Satara performed tricks using traditional weapons like dandpatta, swords and…More