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Women’s Health In Focus As Part Of 2023 Theme #EmbraceEquity

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

While worldwide various activities will be organised in connection with International Women’s Day falling on March 8, revolving around the 2023 theme #EmbraceEquity (or embracing a truly inclusive world), Chandigarh campus of the noted Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) will organise a series of runs on March 5, focusing on the most neglected area, of women’s health.

Releasing a T-shirt for the event at a media meet on its sprawling campus located in EduCity, Sarangpur, Campus Director Prof. (Dr.) Jaskiran Kaur lead the faculty and students council in announcing that the run will be professionally organized in three different categories – Half Marathon (21.1 km), Mighty (10 km) and Fun Run (5km). There is a token participation fee in all three categories and registrations are being accepted online by the event partners CityWoofer (https://www.citywoofer.com/e/narsee-monjee-half-marathon).

Photos By: NMIMS & Life In Chandigarh

There are winner cash prizes for men and women separately in all three races in the open category, while winners in various age categories within each race will be presented trophies and gift hampers. Overall Rs 1 lakh worth of cash prizes are up for grabs.

Each participant will get a half marathon t-shirt and a finisher e-certificate. Refreshments will also be served. There will be hydrations points at designated points along the routes of each race. Ambulances with attending doctors and a physio will be at hand for assistance. 

The run is supported by a couple of run groups and a cycling group, members of which will guide the runners as marshals. Ultra marathoner Amit Gulia is the Race Director.  

The minimum age for participation in the 21.1 km half marathon is 18 years, For 10 km run it is 15 years and for 5 km run 12 years.

Among others who participated in today’s half marathon T-shirt release event was sports and social activist Deep Shergill, who is also a fitness enthusiast, noted singer Naveed Akhtar and cancer survivor turned national masters athlete Opinder Kaur Sekhon.

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
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9815617676

Get Hooked On Delicious, Rich, Creamy, Real Fruit Flavours

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

From being popularly known as the ‘Ice Cream of Juhu Scheme’ (Bombay) in the late 1980s to now having 150 stand alone real fruit ice cream stores in 16 states, Naturals has come a long way, winning hearts with its impressive range of delicious artisanal (kalatmak) ice creams. Now the 100% home grown brand has arrived in our city with a sprawling sit-in ice cream parlour on Madhya Marg in Sector 7, right next to Nik Baker’s.

Just as in case of the quintessential ‘pudding’, the proof of the ice cream is in the eating. So, at the pre-launch media preview, your own news website LifeInChandigarh.com got to exclusively savour a few of the two dozen odd real fruit ice creams Naturals, one of the most popular brands, has on offer in its 2300 sq feet Chandigarh store with generous seating capacity and a slick ambience.

Photos By: Life In Chandigarh & Naturals

Though all the flavours were equally tempting, this writer eventually zeroed in on tender coconut, orange pistachio (two flavours claimed to be unique and original to the brand) and blueberry for the tasting. Must say, the craving got stronger with every lick. The rich creamy texture and the taste of real fruit were overwhelming, simply DELICIOUS! In the tender coconut ice cream scoop, one could actually feel and taste the real coconut pulp.

It was live proof of what the founder and Managing Director of Naturals Ice Creams, Raghunandan Kamath had claimed earlier in his interaction with this writer, that they use the best of ingredients – whole fat A2 buffalo milk, individual seasonal fruits sourced from areas best known for them, and pharma grade sugar. No artificial flavours are used in the ice creams “made with love”. 

Sharing the art of making the ice cream, “the way it was back then in 1984, when we started, and continues without dilution till date,” one of the directors in the company Siddhant Kamath said, “the process we follow to make our ice cream is slow and unhurried. The original, consistent and unwavering taste of our ice creams is precisely due to the small batches in which they are made and the time we allow them to be created in.

“While we continue to grow, we still make our ice creams with love and care, devoting much time for creating them. We continue to innovate and introduce new flavours, and to cater to increased demand following nationwide expansion, we have got developed special machinery while keeping the slow process of making our ice creams intact,” Siddhant added.

In the Chandigarh store, the brand will offer 20-plus different ice cream flavours at any given time with new ‘Friday Funday’ flavours being added for every weekend. Since berry season is on, a berry ice cream festival has been coincided with the launch. As part of the festival, in addition to the ‘Round The Year’ and ‘Seasonal Fruit’ offerings, the brand has introduced five berry ice cream flavours –   black currant, blueberry, gooseberry, mulberry and raspberry.

Two of the flavours being offered – mango and anjeer – carry only the fruits’ natural sweetness, with no added sugar.

The brand is present in 42 cities across 16 states, and currently Punjab is a major focus area. After Chandigarh, the next destinations are Panchkula and Mohali in the Chandigarh tricity, and onwards towards Ludhiana, Amritsar, etc. Expansion towards the East in Orissa and West Bengal is also on the agenda with a foray in Tamil Nadu as well.

Naturals Ice Creams was included in India’s top 10 most trusted brands by a survey conducted by global advisory services company KPMG in 2018.

The brand has a centralised 35,000 sq feet manufacturing facility in Mumbai from where ice creams are transported in strict refrigerated conditions by rail to its stores in other cities.

It follows a hybrid model of business with the Chandigarh store being the 20th company owned outlet, while the other 130 stores are run by franchisees. The company opens its own large format store in every new area it ventures into to make an initial impact and then opens up the field to franchisees.

A scoop in cup or waffle cone starts from Rs 80 (all inclusive) and a double scoop from Rs 150. Ice creams are also available in 500 grams packs and 300 grams mini packs, as also in 300 grams x 3 mini pack combos.

Timings: 10 a.m. to 12 midnight

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

Find Mode Home/Space, Under One Roof

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

The four-day Archex Interior, Exterior and Building Materials exhibition, which got underway at the Parade Ground in Sector 17 Chandigarh on Friday, is more than just glitz and glamour. Step in and you will find just about anything you would need to set up or make over a mode home, office, showroom, hospital, resort, real estate project, and more.

Your own news website LifeInChandigarh.com took a round of the sprawling exhibition hall to bring you eye-catching pictures and some detail of the hundreds of quality products on display in scores of stalls put up by manufacturers and dealers, most of them from North India and some beyond.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Among the products on display are quick-erecting prefabricated homes, home and office automation systems, sanitary and bath wares, marbles, granites and tiles, natural and cultured stone cladding products, passenger elevators and modular kitchens and wardrobes.

And, this is not all. Resin and metal furniture, wood and wooden finish designer metal doors and aluminium alloy windows, quartz kitchen sinks, interior and exterior decor items, decorative and utility LED lighting for homes, commercial and industrial use, latest multi-layered pipes and fittings, water storage and purifying solutions and rooftop solar solutions also attract visitors’ eyeballs.

Here are a few of the stalls reviewed by this writer on the opening day for the benefit of readers.

Coming to home decor first, the most striking I thought was a stall put up by Ludhiana based Teesri Dimension which has displayed a range of exquisite decorative items for homes, offices and commercial establishments. Under the Teesri Dimension brand they have art works made of fibre, while under the brand Metalicious Art they have eye-popping creations made from metal.

Chandigarh based Greenish Decor (www.greenishdecor.com) has put up a beautiful range of artificial plants and foliage to ado the corners and walls, though the company also deals in a variety of blinds and flooring, wall and ceiling products, partitions and sports complex products.

CB Electrics India based out of Panipat has brought a wide range of decorative and utility consumer and industrial LED lighting products under the brand Epsori (www.epsori.in).

There are stalls offering wooden, brass and marble art too.

In modular kitchens and wardrobes, two stalls stand out.

JLPL Mohali based Nomatic (www.nomatickitchens.com) is promising German engineering with Indian values. On display in their large stall are modular kitchen items, wardrobes, LED/TV units, bathroom vanities and bedroom solutions.

From Panchkula, Hokitch (www.hokitchhomes.com) has on display a collection of “premium and classical” modular kitchens, wardrobes and walk-in closets.

Again from Chandigarh, Quarto has displayed a range of good looking multi-layered quartz kitchen sinks, which are claimed to be noise, rust, corrosion proof and everlasting. They come in a variety of eye-catching colours. Quarto also manufactures quality composite sanitary ware and quartz slabs.

Coming to furniture, Radharaman Epoxy Studio (www.radharamanepoxystudio.com) has on display a range of shiny epoxy resin dining tables & primary tables and epoxy quartz tables. The Panchkula based company also has in its portfolio, epoxy modular cookhouse and epoxy resin headboards for beds.

Amco Furniture Udyog, again from Chandigarh, has on offer a collection of its attractive golden PVD coated metal furniture. The company also manufacturers SS gates, railings & furniture, wrought iron furniture, revolving chairs, restaurant furniture, computer & office furniture. It also offers customised solutions.

Panchkula based SHP Hardware Studio (www.shpindia.in) has displayed an impressive range of its mode hardware and decor products, from door handles to door locks, smart locks, safes, kitchen and wardrobe accessories, chimneys, and more. The hardware studio claims to have in its portfolio quality products from 300 brands. 

Jupiter Aqua Lines (www.jaljoy.com), another Mohali based big brand, and growing bigger by the day, also has a large stall where it has displayed a wide range of its exquisite sanitary wares, bath wares, mirrors, jacuzzi and vanity products under its brands Jal and Nobero.

Companies offering passenger lifts are also present in strength.

Here, a very big name is that of Gurugram based Easa Elevators (www.easaelevators.in), which provides standard and special purpose elevators for homes, apartments, villas, factories, showrooms, hospitals, et al. It has its manufacturing facility at Khuskhera in Rajasthan.

Mohali based IEE Lifts (www.ieelifts.com) is another player in passenger elevators, offering  quality standard and custom built passenger products for homes and villas, commercial undertakings, hospitals, hotels, etc. It also has on offer hydraulic elevators.

Coming to marbles, granites, tiles, etc, JLPL Mohali based Shyam Marbles and Granite (www.shyammarbles.com) has a dominant presence in the exhibition pavilion. It has on offer over 300 varieties of Indian and imported marbles, granites, natural stone and tiles in a wide range of colours.

Dev Stone Cladding (www.devstonecladding.com) in Zirakpur is offering computer designed art works, ‘jaali’ works, natural stone claddings, 3D/4D slabs and more.

Another Mohali based company Sham Tiles & Concrete Products, is displaying its range of Rockstone brand of cultural stone and architectural cladding in natural finish and designer exterior pavers.

In doors and windows, there are two large stalls.

Megastar Doors & Windows (www.megastardoors.com) from Panipat has on display a wide range of eye-catching designer wooden finish steel doors. The range includes single doors, double doors, window doors and mother-son doors. Standard and premium aluminium alloy frame horizontal-opening and sliding windows are also available.

German brand Alupure Aluminium Systems (www.alupure.co.in/) also has a sizable presence in the pavilion with a range of high quality, tough, weather and sound resistant doors, windows and sliding systems on display. The brand is represented at the exhibition by its Ludhiana based fabricating partner Budding Group (https://buddinggroup.com/).

A big name in smart automation, Navi Mumbai based BuildTrack (www.buildtrack.in) & (www.smarttouchswitch.com) has also put up an impressive stall. It offers solutions for safety, security, energy savings and convenience needs through internet enabled devices. Smart touch switches, home automation, enterprise solutions, hotel automation and building management system are some of its key strengths.

Little is known about prefabricated wooden and steel homes in these parts. New Delhi based Blooms has showcased a one-room wooden home under its brand Prefab Wooden Homes (www.prefabwoodenhomes.com), which its workforce erected on the spot in just 36 hours.

The company makes eco-accommodating and rich wooden house designs to suit individual needs and local climatic conditions, and claims that these can withstand the harshest of weather and seismic conditions. It offers mobile houses, log houses, wooden cottages, wooden bungalows, prefabricated houses, and more, in German pine, Canadian spruce and SPF.

The various possibilities include resorts, gazebos, pergola rooftops, bar & restaurants, tree houses, small dog/cat houses, kids’ playhouses, terrace houses and cabins.

Ek visit tto bantaa hai !

What: Archex Interior Exterior Exhibition

Where: Prarade Ground, Sector 17, Chandigarh

When: On Till Feb 13

Timing: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Entry: Free

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

Change In Attitudes Must For Gender Equality, Says Dr Ratna Ghosh

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

A 5th lecture after the pandemic in a series of regular Colloquium lectures organised by Panjab University Chandigarh was delivered on the subject ‘Gender Mainstreaming’ by an eminent international educationist Dr Ratna Ghosh, Distinguished James McGill Professor and Sir W.C. Macdonald Professor of Education, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, at the Dr. SS Bhatnagar University Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology (UICET) on Tuesday.

At the outset, as was to be expected, Dr Ghosh, before broaching the topic of the lecture, took pains to enlighten the audience about the concept of ‘Gender’ as opposed to ‘Sex’. ‘Gender’, she emphasised, is not a biological term as in male or female, but a concept wherein socially constructed roles and responsibilities are assigned to male/female/non-conforming people by society, culture and environment where one lives. And, this discrimination begins even before birth.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

‘Gender Mainstreaming’, she explained, is a global strategy to level the playing field, an attempt to equalise opportunities irrespective of various differentiators among people, the markers of which could be gender, religion, social class, caste, sexual orientation, physical or mental challenges, language, etc. The ultimate goal of this strategy is to achieve gender equality.

While emphasising that women continue to be the worst sufferers of gender inequality, Dr Ghosh reeled out global data to buttress her point. Even after 25 years of endorsing gender mainstreaming as a critical and strategic approach for achieving gender equality commitments, women are still left far behind in many sectors.

She informed that countries with less gender equality have poor economic performance and are less developed. Societies that treat women badly are poorer and less stable. Improving gender equality is good for all because it creates fairer and more peaceful societies, she asserted.

Harping on the subject of ‘missing women’ (females that were never allowed to be born), she said though current estimates put the number of women missing globally at 130 million, the problem is most pronounced in South Asia and China because of the preference for male child.

Giving an example of status of women’s education in India, the international educationist informed that though between 2015 and 2020 the number of women enrolled in higher education increased by almost a fifth, female participation in the workforce in the country remains dismally low (only 7% of urban Indian women have paid jobs). This, she reasoned, was because in most cases the educational courses they pursue are not job-oriented.

Advocating clear cut vision, policy and goals to achieve gender balance society in light of international commitments towards ensuring equity in education by policy makers, Dr Ghosh said there is also a need to establish institutional arrangements to support gender mainstreaming such as gender units and gender focal points system.

Further, at a programme level, gender mainstreaming can be applied based on a few steps, including gender analysis, programme design, resource allocation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, she added.

Sharing Martin Luther King Jr.’s quote “Legislation cannot change the hearts of the people, but it can restrain the heartless”, Dr Gosh averred that eventually it is the attitudes – at the political, social and individual levels – that count the most towards achieving gender mainstreaming.

Other data shared by Dr Ghosh

* Women earn 23 per cent less than men
* Women’s (aged 25-54) labour force participation rate is 63 per cent compared to 94 per cent for men
* Women spend approx. 2.5 times more time on unpaid care and domestic work than men
* Only 24 per cent of all national parliamentarians were women as of February 2019, a slow increase from 11.3 per cent in 1995
* As of June 2019, only 11 women were serving as Heads of State and 12 as Heads of Government
* It is estimated that 35 per cent of women have experienced either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or sexual violence by a non-partner at some point in their lives
* 49 countries still lack laws protecting women from domestic violence
* There are 650 million women and girls in the world today who were married before the age of 18
* At least 200 million girls and women worldwide have undergone some form of female genital mutilation
* Between 1990 and 2017, women constituted only 2 per cent of mediators, 8 percent of negotiators, and 5 per cent of witnesses and signatories in all major peace processes    

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

A One-Stop Destination To Embrace A Mode Lifestyle

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

If you are planning a mode new home, business/commercial premises or project, or renovating it, then a one-stop destination ARCHEX, an expo of interiors, exteriors and construction materials, awaits you with hundreds of products and solutions from 120-plus brands at the Parade Ground in Chandigarh from February 10 to 13.

Some of these are Indian brands, internationally acclaimed and award-winning, offering solutions like quick-erecting prefab wooden homes, smart automation and building management systems, designer steel doors with wooden finish and all sorts of capsule to large vertical elevators.

The expo was announced at a news conference here on Monday by the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) Chandigarh Chapter, which is organizing it in association with Minds Media and Management Pvt. Ltd. The expo is supported by Green and Eco-Friendly Movement (GEM) of ASSOCHAM, Chandigarh Chapter and Chandigarh Chapter of Fire & Security Association of India (FSAI).

Among the segments on view would be bath and sanitary, natural stone, marble and granite, tiles and ceramics, water technologies, designer doors and windows, floorings, roofing techniques, home furnishings, home and office furniture, kitchen and bath technologies, electricals, etc.

Here, your own news website LifeInChandigarh.com, after doing background checks, highlights some of the award-winning Indian companies which will be showcasing during the expo modern, innovative and environmentally friendly products and solutions.

Delhi-based Prefab Wooden Homes (www.prefabwoodenhomes.com) are bringing to the expo their world class quick-erecting prefab wooden log homes, from small, simple ones to large luxurious ones in German pine, Canadian spruce and SPF. These are suitable for individual homes, holiday homes, farm houses and mountain houses.

Navi Mumbai-based BuildTrack (www.buildtrack.in), a leader in its category, will be offering its award-winning smart automation solutions for homes, enterprises, hotels, hospitals, senior living, energy efficiency and building management systems, which can be integrated with Google Home and Amazon Alexa voice control. The solutions have options of wired, wireless and hybrid connectivity.

The latest focus area of the company is BuildTrack smart touch switches (www.smarttouchswitch.com) that can be operated using highly visual Smart App, which provides access to the switches within a 360 degree panoramic photograph of a room. The highly visual setting enables users to easily identify and control the appliances that are linked to the switches like lighting, fans, curtains or blinds. The switch LED also reflects the status of the device even when it is operated by the App.

Combining the strength of steel and the beauty of wooden finish, Panipat-based Megastar Doors and Windows (www.megastardoors.com) will seek to impress the visitors with a range of their designer doors, which besides their aesthetics, keep your loved ones safe and secure.

Manesar, Gurgaon-based Easa Elevators (www.easaelevators.in), one of the largest manufacturers of vertical elevators in North India, will be showcasing a range of its smart city passenger elevators for homes, commercial spaces and offices. The brand has provided standard and special purpose elevators for homes, apartments, villas, factories, showrooms, hospitals, power plants, distilleries, pubs, godowns, historical buildings, museums, as well as  schools and colleges.

Where: Parade Ground, Sector 17, Chandigarh

When: Feb 10 to 13

Timing: 10 am to 7 pm

Entry: Free

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

Single Vote In Gir Forest Reserve Equally Important, says EC

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

An entire polling team catering to a lone voter deep inside Gujarat’s Gir forest reserve, home to an entire population of 600 odd Asiatic lions in the country, and another team trekking for three days each side to supervise polling in the remotest and most inaccessible corner of Himachal Pradesh, that’s how gruelling the General Elections in the world’s largest democracy are.

The gigantic exercise involves 1 crore personnel, 10 lakh polling booths and 95 crore voters, shared Dr Anup Chandra Pandey, Election Commissioner of India, while delivering the 7th annual Prof. JC Anand Memorial lecture on the subject “70 Years Journey of Elections in India: Experiences, Issues and Challenges’, organised by the Department of Political Science, Panjab University, recently.

Dr AC Pandey delivering the memorial lecture

Photos By: Life In Chandigarh & Panjab University

A highly respected and popular professor of political science in Panjab University and an authority on Punjab politics, Prof JC Anand later in life provided coaching to IAS aspirants. His three daughters – Meenakshi Anand Chaudhary, Urvashi Gulati and Keshni Anand Arora – went on to hold the post of Chief Secretary of Haryana, a singular achievement. Meenakshi was the first woman to hold the post of Chief Secretary of Haryana.

In his address, Dr Pandey recalled the immense contribution of the first Chief Election Commissioner Sukumar Sen in overseeing the successful conduct of first two general elections in 1951 and 1956, despite great difficulties of there being no election laws or rules of conduct and a very high illiteracy rate among the electors. What the elections achieved was to establish faith in a skeptical nation and the world regarding the very survival of the fledgling Indian democracy after attaining independence.

Even as Dr Pandey mentioned the name of Sukumar Sen in his lecture, another name immediately sprung to my mind for cleaning up the by then highly corrupted Indian electoral system in the 1990s, that of TN Seshan. The ‘Iron Man’ that he was, he was able to assert his authority like none other before him to reclaim the supremacy of the commission in the conduct of the electoral process.

Fearlessly, he not only rooted out many of the corrupt and unfair practices followed by political parties and powerful individual candidates during the elections despite strong resistance, but also strictly enforced the model code of conduct. Introduction of photo identity cards for voters was one of his notable contributions which went a long way in reducing the menace of bogus voting.

For his resolute actions in bringing order, fairness and integrity to the elections in the world’s largest democracy, he was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay award in 1996.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Pandey shared that Indian democracy and its electoral system has matured a long way since the first elections in 1951 when only 45% voters exercised their right to franchise, with women participation being abysmally low. In the last general elections in 2019, after seven decades and 17 general elections, the overall voting percentage was 67.4% with voting percentage of women for the first time outshining that of men.

There were many a shocked/amused face in the audience when he informed that in the first two general elections in 1951 and 1956, the ballot was blank and each voter dropped the ballot in the box earmarked for the candidate of his/her choice. The marking of names of candidates and poll symbols on the ballots was introduced first time in the 1961 general elections, he added.

EVM were first introduced in an election in Kerala in 1982 but it took 20 long years to create a political consensus on their use in the electoral process nationally and then to pass a legislation.

Dr Pandey said that following persistent controversies over the tampering and manipulation of EVMs, VVPATs, or paper trail of the EVMs, were introduced and the SC ordered matching of VVPAT slips with vote counts in five randomly selected EVMs per assembly constituency.

The Election Commissioner conceded that controversies over the tampering or manipulation of EVMs continue but pleas challenging their use have been set aside by the SC from time to time. The reality is that no significant mismatch has been detected between EVM counts and their paper trails despite 350 crore votes having been polled in EVMs across the country so far, he asserted.

The commission has also launched a suite of 20 user friendly mobile apps (https://eci.gov.in/divisions-of-eci/ict-apps/) with a view to making the entire electoral system, from registration to results, accessible, transparent, accountable and fair.

To further cut down on malpractices during elections, the process of deployment of polling staff and EVMs at polling stations has been randomised. So no one knows till very late which polling staff and which EVMs are being assigned to which polling station.

Dr Pandey revealed that contrary to the general belief, it is the educated urban class which is shy of voting in elections as the voting percentage of rural voters is much more than in metros. Low turnout of young votes is also a challenge, he said, adding that this is likely because of disenchantment of these categories of voters, who might feel that their vote does not count towards deciding who wins. For such voters pressing the NOTA (none of the above) button on the EVMs is an option to express their sentiments, he averred.

To further facilitate registration of newly eligible voters, the Election Commissioner informed that instead of a single qualifying date (January 1 each year) for those who turn 18, now youth who attain the age of 18 as on 1st of January, April, July and October in any year can apply online on the ‘Voter Portal’ to register as voters.

He said efforts are being made to explore the technical feasibility and generating a political consensus on making arrangements for integrating an estimated 10 crore migrant labourers and 1.5 crore NRIs in the electoral process.

Urvashi Gulati addressing the audience

Guest of honour, Prof (Emeritus) Pam Rajput, whose area of research/expertise has been women issues, Indian political system and international law, in her address gave full credit to the Election Commission of India for setting an example before the world of the humongous task of holding free and fair elections to world’s largest democracy.

At the same time while conceding that the system is by no means perfect, she said that there are issues which have been addressed by various committees and groups from time to time. Some of their recommendations have been incorporated, some have not, she observed.

Noting with satisfaction that in percentage terms women voters were outshining men in many states, she wanted more women to contest elections too. While batting for gender equality, she opposed gender stereotyping in the process, giving the example of exclusive women-only pink polling booths.

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676 

Come, Fall In Love With Amazing Small Format Art Works Of 105 Talented Artists

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

The New Year brings another quality art exhibition to the city, where art lovers who appreciate and patronise creativity are aplenty. Privately owned young art gallery 105 Arts in Sector 11 has put together a first of its kind small format but big art exhibition ‘Small Is Beautiful’ in Chandigarh, featuring 210-plus strikingly impressive works of 105 talented artists – young, budding and established – from across the country and beyond.

Your very own news website LifeInChandigarh.com got an opportunity to exclusively media preview the exhibition in a select by-invitation-only event on Friday where some of the participating artists were also in attendance.

Photos By: Life In Chandigarh

Art lovers and enthusiasts are free to immerse in the ‘one foot by one foot’ art wonders at 105 Arts from February 4 to 10 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day.

Accomplished visual artist, Hyderabad-based Bolgum Nagesh Goud, who has conceived and conceptualised this exhibition, curated by Mehak Bhan, will be at hand along with some of the other participating artists to interact with early visitors between 11 a.m. and 12 noon on the opening day.

Bolgum Nagesh Goud

This writer was so impressed with the wide variety of artworks, in which artists have conveyed their signature styles through differing ethos, themes and mediums, that an unusually large number of the artworks have been included in this write-up for the benefit of art lovers and enthusiasts. An entire spectrum of colour and gamut of themes have been covered, from nature, mythology, religion to memories, folk art, love, life and longing.

Interacting with this writer, Bolgum Nagesh Goud shared: “We reached out to the artists, everyone came on board unconditionally. What started as an idea with works from 50 artists, quickly swelled to 75, 90 and then 100. My senior, Laxman Aelay suggested why not make it 105, fashioned after the name of the gallery. So here we are, with art works of 105 artists. Even well established artists, who do not work on such a small format, have readily contributed their works. From students, to mid career, to emerging and upcoming artists and seniors, works from all backgrounds are on display in mixed clusters.”

He clarified that the red dots seen pasted alongside many of the art works were indicative of them having been sold already. The art works carry a price tag ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1.5 lakhs.

Proceeds from the show are to be shared with Nanhi Jaan, a reputed NGO working towards medical treatment and education of underprivileged children.

Mehak Bhan

Mehak Bhan added: “This visually stimulating show has been a first on many levels, and most evidently on a structural level to exhibit a humongous number of artists and artworks under one roof in an art gallery in the best light possible. It’s a new year, and with it we bring a new perspective, a new thought, an exhibition that aspires to instill hope, resilience and a celebration of beauty and love, with a bit of magic. Each work of art gives you an opportunity to escape into a ‘one foot by one foot’ wonderland.”

When: Feb 4 to 10

Timing: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: 105 Arts, H.No. 105, Sector 11, Chandigarh

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676 

Computer, Gaming Enthusiasts Need Not Go Elsewhere

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0

Computer and gaming enthusiasts have something to cheer about in the New Year with a 4,000 square feet mall dedicated to computers, peripherals and accessories opening up in the Sector 20 computer market. ‘Computer Syndicate’ swears by an experiential approach towards customers by giving them an open box feel and live demo of a product to empower them in taking informed decisions.

In conversation with news website LifeInChandigarh.com at the opening ceremony on Monday, Ranbir Shukla and Lalit Shukla, CMD and MD respectively of Computer Syndicate shared: “90% of the sales of computers, peripherals, accessories, printers, etc are still happening in closed box mode, which at times leads customers, especially those who are not very well informed, to buy products which may not completely satisfy their specific requirements.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

“With our open box approach and live demos we’ll be able to empower customers to take informed decisions while buying products which completely meet their requirements,” they informed, adding that a customer will not need to go elsewhere with everything available under one roof.

The mall, split into two floors, has exclusive HP and Dell stores on the ground floor while the first floor is dedicated to computer peripherals, accessories, printers, etc.

Lifestyle and gaming section is the showcase of the mall, where end-to-end and top-of-the-line products, which also adequately equip a person for participation in online gaming competitions, are readily available. Among the requirements are all sorts of basic to high-end peripherals, keyboards, special gaming chairs, MSI, NVIDIA graphic cards, AMD and Intel processors, etc. Specialised RGB lights are also available for indulging in high-end gaming.

The mall proudly displays a high-end gaming simulator where prospective buyers can get a firsthand experience before buying their specific requirements.

The laptop section has all top brands, including HP, Dell, Asus, Lenovo, Acer and Apple. The extensive range of all-in-one printers has HP (US), Canon (Japan), Epson (Japan) and Kyocera (Japan) to choose from. There are also auto document feeder solutions that can copy, scan and print both A4 and A3 size sheets. You don’t need to ask for a demo, it comes embedded in the overall experience of buying at the Computer Syndicate mall.

All computer-related peripherals and accessories available in the mall are branded, from graphic card, keyboard, mouse, hard disk, pen drive, cable, connector and more.

The mall also boasts of a full-fledged in-house service centre to cater to all after sales requirements of the customers.

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

Where People Who ‘Dare’ Are ‘Superstars’! Welcome With Your ‘Tribe’!

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0

It’s not just meant to be a cool hangout for coffee lovers, but also a place where young achievers motivate others to live their dreams. On Saturday, fast growing cafe chain ‘Roadies Koffeehouz’ presented three such young achievers at the newly opened cafe in Sector 7 Chandigarh.

The brand Roadies Koffeehouz has taken upon itself to back these young achievers with big dreams – rapper and lyricist who goes by the name Super Manikk (real name Mukul Monga) of MTV Hustle 2.0 fame, dirt biker Prithvi Singh Dhillon, the youngster motocross rider in North India with the spirit of ‘I live to ride, ride to live!’, and talented amateur golfer Ananya Kapoor, who has set her sights on becoming a professional golfer on the international circuit.

Photos Courtesy: Roadies Koffeehouz

They will be promoted by the brand, featuring them prominently in its cafes and on official offline platforms so that they get the recognition they so richly deserve.

The youth icons on their part are expected to feature in various innovative activities planned by the brand to motivate the youth to believe in themselves, passionately live their dreams and become inspiring achievers for many others.

Sharing his thoughts with news website LifeInChandigarh.com on the occasion, Sahil Baweja, Founder and CEO, Leapster Restaurants Pvt Ltd, the official licensee of the brand ‘Roadies’ for running and operating Roadies Koffeehouz outlets, said, “the idea behind having these superstars is to bring their talents, skills and achievements at a very young age under the spotlight and to stress on the youth that these achievers are from amongst them. They can also ignite the spark in them, set high goals and then work hard to achieve them.”

Baweja further said this is part of Roadies Koffeehouz’ commitment to partner with various communities/tribes, including biker groups, off-roaders, rappers and entrepreneurs, to promote local achievers who have dared to make an impact.

“Since we are opening Roadies Koffeehouz cafes in every neighbourhood in Chandigarh, we want to give our customers a feel of local community connect. So, our attempt is that each of the cafes has a different set of superstars, preferably from the same neighbourhood,” he added.

The brand claims to serve the best English breakfast in town with a wide variety in its gourmet food and coffee menus. Try their sourdough toasts, vegan tacos, omelettes, strawberry blueberry pancakes, French toasts, croissants, mocha coffee and signature Roadies shakes. Savour your favourite flavour in speciality coffees or fuel your passion with one and only Yuzu Soda pop, prepared with the extracts of refreshingly mind blowing Japanese citrus fruit. Iced coffee is another option.

For a scrumptious lunch and dinner, the café offers a variety of Indian and Asian platters. The menu also offers hand-stretched fire oven pizzas and hand-made patty burgers.

If you believe in every hour being a coffee hour, Roadies Koffeehouz is an option worth considering, during traditional hours, and beyond.

So, work, chill & coffee, and break free from your routine!

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676

With Sri Lankan Descent, East-West Fusion Comes Naturally To Her

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0

This Monaco born globe-trotting French pianist, with parental roots in Sri Lanka, has been hailed as one of the greatest pianists of her generation. Shani Diluka will be performing live before music lovers at an hour long free-entry solo concert at the Tagore Theatre in Sector 18 Chandigarh today (Thursday) night starting 7 p.m.

The concert is offered by the French Embassy in India, Institut Français, Alliance Française de Chandigarh, the Chandigarh Cultural Department and Furtados.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh & Alliance Française de Chandigarh

Discovered as an exceptional musical talent at the age of 5 in a primary school level program initiated by Princess Grace of Monaco, within a year of joining the program she chose piano as her instrument of pursuit, and today she performs concerts on international stages worldwide from Rome to New Delhi, Paris to Tokyo.

Since 2020, she is also a proud WARNER Classics exclusive artist. In her debut album ‘Cosmos’ with WARNER Classics, Shani has presented a fusion between the great composer Beethoven’s western classical music (sonatas) and Indian ‘ragas’ in the accompaniment of Mehboob Nadeem (sitar) and Mitel Purohit (tablas).

In this album she was inspired by Beethoven’s interest in the Upanishads and the Indian philosophy, which reflected in his compositions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU9hmhTHtLQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDrFhr2E9xU

 

LifeInChandigarh.com  by APR Media House is an enjoyable digital reading startup, which keeps you abreast of the latest meaningful happenings of interest to large sections of folks in Chandigarh tricity, and expats from the region. It has been promoted by a public spirited senior journalist and media consultant with a view to encourage good quality and healthy journalism, a dire need of the times.

To keep in touch, drop an email or call :
kochhar.apr@gmail.com
9815617676 

 

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