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TOI : PUNE: Following an alert by central intelligence agencies that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is planning to attack Jewish religious places in Pune, the police have made tight security arrangements at the Ohel David Synagogue (Lal Deval) at Ambedkar road in Pune Camp and Chabad House at Koregaon Park.

Acting on the information, city police commissioner Satya Pal Singh ordered elaborate security arrangements at the two places five days ago. “There are reasons for providing security,” Singh said, while declining to elaborate on the subject.

According to police sources, intelligence agencies have alerted the governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi and West Bengal about possible terror attacks on Jewish targets.

Assistant commissioner of police (cantonment division) Ashok Gaikwad said the Jewish community did not demand any security. Topics: Jewish Satya Pal Singh More Stories from this section Maximum 15 pc surplus revenue in unaided schools, says panel State govt okays inclusion of Yerawada plot in residential zone Shot in the arm for innovators Nerve disorder makes for painful existence Media seminar to fo…More

TOI : PUNE: In a bid to learn more about the damage caused to the Gangotri glaciers in the Himalayan ranges, three alumni of the Nowrosjee Wadia College scaled the Matri peak in the Garhwal region of the Himalayan ranges in September.

Rajiv Baheti, Sanjay Jandial and Abhijit Ubhe successfully scaled the peak and even planted a banner of the college on the peak. “Our aim was to find the damage caused to the glacier and also scale the peak. It is disturbing to say that the damage is huge. While Sanjay and Abhijit scaled the peak that stands at about 19,200 feet, I set camp at around 16,500 feet up the peak in order to make sure that we would be able to get rescue if needed,” says Baheti.

Baheti says the expedition proved to be all the more challenging because no one had scaled the peak since 1997. “Even the sherpas we met there had little idea of the peak and we finally found only one who had scaled the peak earlier. We had about seven days of training though before we set off,” says Baheti. The trio was accompanied by four sherpas in all, two of whom accompanied Ubhe and Jandial to the top. They were guided in the endeavour by Santosh Dastane of the Neville Wadia Institute of Management and M A Koregave, head of the Geology department of the Nowrosjee Wadia College.

“We have been going for such expeditions for the past 30 years or so but this experience stood out because of the risk involved,” said Baheti. Topics: college Wadia More Stories from this section Maximum 15 pc surplus revenue in unaided schools, says panel State govt okays inclusion of Yerawada plot in residential zone Shot in the arm for innovators Nerve disorder makes for painful existence Media seminar to fo…More

TOI : SATARA: Seeing the rush of tourists at Mahableshwar and Panchgani, two of the most popular hill stations for people from Pune and Mumbai, it is hard to believe that these were the two places that cried for visitors when the deadly swine flu pandemic was dominant here.

The twin hill stations could not have found a more opportune time then Diwali weekend, as tourists thronged the places. It was a motorist’s nightmare though as traffic jams were witnessed at the main market areas of Mahableshwar.

Businessmen here recall the month of August this year as the worst for the tourism industry as residential schools, one after another, reported cases of swine flu. The hysteria had a direct impact on tourist inflow as most preferred not to visit the popular destinations fearing infection. However, the mood changed completely this Diwali weekend as people stopped flicking the worry bead and rushed to the hill stations resulting in record hotel bookings.

Sanjay Dasture, a hotelier in Mahableshwar said, “We received bookings from the start of the last week and the weekend was booked to capacity. Some have chosen to extend their stay even till Tuesday with most of the tourists coming from Mumbai and Pune.”

The retailers in the main market of Mahableshwar also got their smiles back as they welcomed tourists with new vigour.

Kisan Shinde, president of the Mahableshwar Municipal Corporation said, “We make sure that every hotel is taking steps to maintain cleanliness in the wake of recent swine flu outbreak. All hotels have been ordered to keep a regular check on hygiene. The Diwali season has seen heavy inflow of tourists for the past one week in both Mahableshwar and Panchgani.”

Another hotelier, D M Bavlekar said, “the flow of tourists will not be steady till the end of this year. Our hotels are already booked to capacity till the end of…More

TOI : SATARA: Vanita Shinde, chief executive officer and Chetna Sinha, chairman of Satara’s Mann Deshi Mahila, an organisation for women’s empowerment, had recent opportunity to guide students of Harvard University. Shinde and Sinha were invited by the university to speak on the various programmes and schemes run by the organisation as part of the University’s Business Management and Development plan for students.

The Mann Deshi Mahila umbrella of operations encompasses three organisations the Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank, Mann Vikas Samajik Sanstha and Mann Deshi Mahila Bachat Gat Federation. Together these organisations aim to enhance the achievement of their social goals empowerment, asset creation, leadership development, capacity building, and property rights for women through projects in the areas of economic well-being, education and health.

The university students aim to study the operation of the Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank and chalk out a new business management and development plan. Sinha said, “Through the initiatives of the our bank and NGO, we have promoted a holistic approach to helping women in rural areas one that combines economic activity with the educational tools and health care necessary for leading a productive life. This is now a case study at Harvard university and the aim is to study more such organisations in the world, compare such organisations and prepare a business management and development plan.”

Mann Deshi Mahila has also been selected for the global entrepreneurship course of the Business School of Management at Yale University in the US. Shinde and Sinha visited Yale University and interacted with the professors and students of the university, explaining the functioning of the various initiatives.

In January, next year, students and professors of Yale University will visit Mann Deshi Mahila in Satara and later submit their study on the organisation at a conference in Ahmedabad. Topics: harvard Mann Deshi Mahila More Stories from this section Maximum 15 pc surplus revenue in unaided…More

TOI : PUNE: Two more have people succumbed to the H1N1 influenza in the city, pushing the death toll to 87. While one confirmed H1N1 patient died late on Monday evening, the throat swab report of another person who died on October 17 came in on Tuesday, testing positive for the flu.

According to Ashok Mehta, joint director of the state health services Sunita Raju Gaikwad (30), a resident of Sambhajinagar, Dhankawdi, died at 6.50 pm on October 17. “Her throat swab report declared the presence of H1N1 virus on Tuesday (October 20),” he said.

Before moving to the isolation ICU of Sassoon Hospital on October 16, Sunita was treated at a private hospital in Dhankawdi. She had a fever, rhinorrhoea (runny nose), sore throat and orthopnoea breathing difficulty experienced while lying flat. She was also suffering from obesity. Her condition was critical at the time of admission. She was put on a ventilator but her condition deteriorated on

October 17. She had developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Vijaykumar Ratanlal Gandhi (45), a resident of Anthurne village, taluka Indapur in Pune district, died at 9.40 pm on October 19. Gandhi also took treatment at private hospitals in Indapur and Baramati and was later moved to the isolation ICU of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital (DMH) on October 6. His condition was critical at the time of admission. He was put on a ventilator and had also developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Meanwhile, one person tested positive for the H1N1 influenza on Tuesday. A total of 1,674 people were screened across the district. “As many as 148 suspected patients are being administered Tamiflu tablets. Around 31,730 people have been given Tamiflu tablets so far,” Mehta said, adding that 14 patients are being treated at the ICUs of various private and government hospitals. “Four of them are on ventilators,” Mehta said. “Twelve patients were discharged on Tuesday.” Topics:…More

TOI : PUNE: The debate if astrology is a science or not remains unresolved. The challenge thrown in by the Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samittee (ANS) for the astrologers in the state to predict the poll results of the just-concluded assembly polls has gone haywire as none of the two warying groups could arrive at a consensus on rules and parameters for the contest.

The Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samittee, an organisation dedicated to eradication of superstition, had challenged the astrologers to accurately predict the outcome of the assembly polls and win a cash prize of Rs 21 lakh. The Samittee had given the challenge on September 29 and the deadline for entries was October 12. But it was later extended to October 21.

According to Narendra Dabholkar, the organiser of the contest, “Till date 42 entries have been received with participants coming from Solapur, Nashik, Pune, Sangli, Satara and Ahmednagar. But none of them could give accurate prediction and fulfil all the criteria. Only two people came close but they were not able to give the exact voting margins. Wednesday (October 21) is the last day to receive entries, but considering the response so far, we are not hopeful of any concrete claims.”

Elaborating the rules of the contest, Dabholkar said the participants were expected to make 21 predictions related to candidates and their parties. Each participant was asked to select 11 candidates and make predictions about their fortune. Besides, the participants are expected to mention the winning vote margin, he said.

“We want to prove that astrology is not a science. Any individual or organisation associated with astrology can take up this challenge. The prediction should be based on some logical formula. We will check that formula by implementing it with some other candidates,” he said.

Participants had to predict the number of seats each party will get. “Even if 80 per cent of the predictions were right,…More

TOI : PUNE: Reckless driving by most two-wheeler riders in the city is fast becoming a disturbing trend a point that has been driven home from time to time in accident statistics. It was not without reason that early this month, PMPML drivers also brought this point to the fore while participating in a session on safe driving practices.

At the session, which was organised by the traffic police department, the drivers said that haphazard riding by two-wheeler riders was a major concern. “They do not follow lane discipline, overtake vehicles from either side and suddenly swerve in front of buses,” the bus drivers said. The enormity of the problem can be realised from the fact that there are over 13 lakh two-wheelers in a city with a total of about 17 lakh vehicles.

Other than the concerns highlighted by bus drivers, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Manoj Patil lists two most common mistakes, which many a times prove to be fatal for the two-wheeler riders. The first one, he said, is that most riders do not wear helmet, and second, that they have little patience. “They like to be on the move constantly. They should learn to stop and proceed, and drive safely,” Patil said.

Traffic authorities said that the casualty rate in cases of car accidents has come down in the last seven-eight months since the use of seat belts has been made compulsory. Wearing helmets should also be made compulsory for two-wheeler riders.

Agrees Chandmal Parmar, road safety activist and chairman of the Kumari Rajashree Parmar Memorial Foundation. “Using helmet is very importance. Accidents can happen any time, the person riding the vehicle should understand that life is precious and that using a helmet is not only important for him, but also for his family,” Parmar said.

Parmar said that two-wheelers are used mostly by youths and a large number of them are…More

TOI : PUNE: The state health department has started preparing a draft plan to estimate the potential impact of the pandemic H1N1 virus during its anticipated second phase. Based on the infection patterns of the influenza virus as recorded during the Spanish flu in 1918, Asian influenza wave in 1957 and the Hong Kong flu in 1968, the draft plan is aimed at mitigating the projected threats of the virus in its second phase. As part of its preparedness planning, the department has already submitted a proposal for procuring 100 ventilators.

“Though the timing of the second phase is not certain, we need to be on our toes. We have started the preparations to mitigate the projected threat. We have already sent letters to all educational institutes and district administrations across the state to collect data which will go into preparing the action plan,” joint director Ashok Mehta told TOI on Tuesday.

A projected 30 per cent population is likely to be infected in the second wave of the novel H1N1 influenza. There is a possibility that it may disrupt schools, workplaces and hospitals, but its course is unpredictable, Mehta said.

“All reasonable actions have been or are currently being taken to prepare core services for the second wave of flu. We have started putting in place other measures to increase our capacity and the resilience of our infrastructure to prepare for the challenges posed by the anticipated next wave of flu pandemic,” said Pandit Chavan, deputy director of the state health services.

“A proposal for procuring 100 ventilators has already been submitted towards this end,” added Chavan.

“The second wave of the 1918 Spanish flu was deadlier than the first wave, with mortality rates up to 20 per cent. This increase in virulence was seen because the virus had mutated to a more severe form. Fortunately, no mutation in the current H1N1 strain has been…More

TOI : PUNE: Majority of academic professionals and students feel that the government’s decision to give weightage to class XII results apart from the score in the JEE will increase stress among students to perform well, both in board exams and in the JEE.

Though the decision has evoked a mixed reaction, there are some who feel that it is a good move and a continuos process of evaluation is important.

Durgesh Mangeshkar of IITians Prasikshan Kendra said that years ago there was a major change in the examination pattern from subjective to objective, with the idea to reduce stress, restricting the role of coaching classes and increasing the students’ attendance in class XII. But with this latest decision, the government will be able to achieve only one objective, that of making students attend classes, he added.

Mangeshwar said that other than this achievement, the move will only increase the stress among students. “The growth in the number of coaching classes will in no way will be restricted. Over the years it has been seen that coaching classes have only flourished as they also prepare students for class XII exams,” he said, adding that students from the Maharashtra Board may benefit from the decision as they get marks generously.

But M Prakash from the M Prakash Academy feels that the government’s decision to give weightage to the class XII result will not be a problem for the students. “I do not think it will be an additional burden for IIT aspirants. The students easily score more than 80 per cent.”

Neeraj Agarwal from the IIT Kanpur Alumni Association, Pune Chapter, says that looking at the increase in the number of aspiring students and the seats, overall evaluation is important. “How can one brush aside what a student has done in 12 years. Looking into this, due weightage should be given to class XII results,” he said….More

TOI : PUNE: The state public works department (PWD) has appreciated the e-tendering system of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and has opined that it can be replicated elsewhere in the state.

“The secretary and top officials of the state PWD appreciated our e-tendering work when they were briefed about the project by our city engineer,” municipal commissioner Ashish Sharma told TOI on Tuesday.

“We are receiving competitive rates from bidders for our projects from April 2009 onwards when e-tendering was implemented. This has helped PCMC save nearly Rs 100 crore,” Sharma said.

“The contractors as well as the civic officials use digital key for e-tendering work. This increases the security of the process. In the e-tendering process followed elsewhere in the state, passwords are used instead of digital keys. Passwords can be hacked. We are able to open around 300 tenders in a single day due to the e-tendering process with digital key. Earlier we needed one week to open 300 tenders,” Sharma said.

Sharma said that the PCMC will soon start accepting and repaying the earnest money deposit (EMD) to the contractors online.

Meanwhile, the civic standing committee on Tuesday debated a proposal to allot a contract, without tendering, to conduct security testing and certification of the e-tendering process to the Union government’s STQC organisation at an expenditure of Rs 2.2 lakh.

Standing committee chairman Dnyaneshwar Bhalerao said the members grilled the civic officials on the proposal, asking why the security-testing was being done seven months after the project (e-tendering) was initiated. Bhalerao expressed apprehension that the network would have been hacked forcing the administration to bring this proposal.

Reacting to the allegation of the possibility of computer network being hacked, Sharma told TOI: “We want to make the system foolproof. If you have good quality of work then you certify it. We have begun the process three months ago. There is…More