Home Blog Page 47

To Tackle Distress, Ensure Farmers Get Access To Easy Finance For Increased Mechanisation

Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0
To Tackle Distress, Ensure Farmers Get Access To Easy Finance For Increased Mechanisation

The Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (AMMA-India) is pursing with the central government to ensure availability of easy finance to farmers so that more opportunities open up for increased mechanisation of farming in India. It is hopeful that something concrete will emerge from the forthcoming budget to address the burning issue of farm distress.

In an exclusive interaction with LifeInChandigarh.com on the sidelines of a three-day India Agri Progress Expo, which concluded in Mohali on Saturday, a team of senior leaders of the national body of agricultural machinery manufacturers, including its Chairman Raju SV, informed that with scarcity of farm labour, need for cutting costs and increase productivity, the demand for mechanisation is increasing.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

In such a scenario access to easy finance options is critical for farmers striving to acquire necessary farm machinery for their survival. Cost cutting on manpower and inputs like seeds, fertilisers and pesticides due to mechanisation of operations will also be a major step towards achieving the government target of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022, AMMA-India Technical Advisor Dr Surendra Singh and immediate past President and current Chairman of the association’s international activities DS Balachandra Babu added.

At the same time AMMA-India has also sought increase in the government subsidies to individual farmers for purchase of new hi-tech machinery from the present 40-50% to 70-75% because these technologies are very expensive. Currently 70 odd farm implements and machines qualify for government subsidies.

The association claims to be making efforts on its own, and also pushing the government to set up more custom hiring centres (CHCs) to allow farmers who cannot afford to individually buy farm machinery to take them on lease as per their requirements. Efforts are also being made to persuade farmers to set up more farm producers’ organisations (FPOs), which can pool resources, and are also eligible for greater government subsidy on farm machinery than individual farmers.  

The association leaders informed that in recent years, the government testing centres for farm machinery had shown a massive increase from just four earlier (Hisar, Bhopal, Anantpur & Assam) to 37 as on date.

Regarding the present status and future prospects of the agri machinery business in the country, Raju, who is Director, Varsha Associates, a one stop centre for agri equipments, and Balachandra Babu, Managing Director, Farm Implements (India) Pvt Ltd, said the current annual business of the industry stands at approximately Rs 50,000 crore (roughly US$ 7 Bn) with the country having achieved only 50-55% farm mechanisation.

AMMA-India is hopeful that the country will be able to increase mechanisation to 75% of farm activities by 2030, by when the industry is expected to have doubled its business to Rs 1,00,000 crores. Currently the industry is growing on an average 5% annually.

The farm implements and machinery manufactured in the country matches up to world standards, as is evident from Indian companies exporting to 75-80 countries worldwide, the association leaders asserted.

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

Think Beyond Your Cos, Start Mentoring Startups: Kris Gopalakrishnan To Industry Leaders

Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0
Think Beyond Your Cos, Start Mentoring Startups: Kris Gopalakrishnan To Industry Leaders

Infosys Co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan has a vision to accelerate the growth of startups, and he shared it at depth while participating in the CII Northern Region Startup Conclave in Chandigarh recently. He was of the view that if all industry leaders, those who have successful, sustainable businesses, can devote 3-4 hours every weekend to mentor and guide startups and work with the government to create a fair, equitable ecosystem for startups, India can do wonders.

This appeal by a doyen of the industry, and a renewed call to startups by the Indian Army to help arm it with hi-tech indigenous and disruptive technologies to win future wars, were the high points of the well attended conclave held at the Northern Region headquarters of CII on Thursday.  

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Looking relaxed and very attentive towards the proceedings, Gopalakrishnan, who is also Chairman, CII National Committee on Entrepreneurship, and Chairman, Axilor Ventures, in his keynote address at the inaugural session of the conclave said today technology is disrupting almost everything in the world, including warfare, and India had a great opportunity to take a global leadership role in this.

“Talent, wherewithal and demand are all there. And, the youth in India believe in themselves that they can conquer the world. Nothing can stop India from assuming a leadership role,” he added.

He said it is the responsibility of the government to assist, and the industry to create jobs for the aspiring youth, and therefore building a robust ecosystem for startups to succeed and thrive becomes important to generate greater employment opportunities. “The industry leaders – all those who have successful, sustainable businesses – need to adopt an attitude whereby they start thinking beyond their companies. If these leaders can devote 3-4 hours on weekends to mentor and guide startups, and work with the government to create a fair, equitable ecosystem for statups, India can do wonders,” he shared.

Giving the example of Kerala and Gujarat where entrepreneurship development programs have been started in schools, colleges, science and technology institutions and management institutes, he said these needed to be emulated by the rest of the country to give a big push to the startup culture in the country. He particularly singled out for praise the work done in this direction by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) in Ahmedabad and the Kerala Startup Mission.

Gopalakrishnan said students enrolled in these entrepreneurship programs need to be given credits on the lines of activities undertaken under NCC and NSS programs. The best way to learn business, he felt, is to run business and not just by getting an MBA degree.

He also gave example of the ‘Elevate 100’ initiative of the Karnataka government. Under this program 100 innovative startups are being provided government support to scale up their product or solution and to elevate to the next level. In 12 months, government funding to the tune of Rs 72 crore was provided to them, he said, adding that in a cascading effect another Rs 400 crore worth of funding came their way from “outside sources”.

He suggested that a group of universities in particular regions could collaborate to set up research facilities or centres of excellence with the help of industry, as was happening in Karnataka. Another successful initiative of the state government is the ‘Grand Challenge Karnataka’ aimed at channelizing innovations for social impact, where the state government throws up developmental challenges before startups and the selected awardees are funded in stages by the state government to find solutions.

Still another successful Karnataka initiative, which he thought was worth replicating by the other states, is a single minister overseeing all line departments associated with creation of a startup ecosystem like IT, biotechnology, science & technology, etc. for better cohesion of action and optimum results.

For the agriculture sector, Gopalakrishnan recommended the Amul cooperative model since scale and size of business is essential for scaling up operations. The export potential of all agriculture based products should be explored. He cited the example of tribals in Araku Valley of Andhra Pradesh whose organised cooperative operations have resulted in their unique coffee brand ‘Araku Coffee’ becoming world famous, fetching Rs 8,000 per kg in France which is 10 times of its market value in India.

In the ultimate analysis, he firmly believed that it is the execution of an idea, and not the idea itself, which is more important in the success of any startup.

 

Brigadier P P Singh, VSM, Vice Chairman – Make Indian Army initiative, reiterated the Indian Army’s invitation to the statups to play a big role in the military ecosystem, and said the country is keen on self reliance and using latest indigenous technology to win future wars since technology had a disruptive influence on outcomes in a war or conflict scenario.

He informed that the processes for a close engagement between the Army and the startup ecosystem has been simplified and now startups, which are “agile, resilient and up to the challenge”, can send a simple two-page proposal to the Army Design Bureau if they have a hi-tech idea or product with military use.

Eleven such proposals from startups have already been selected and being funded by the Army. The field operations, firing and test ranges of the Army are being thrown open to such startups to get a fair idea of the military requirements in specific areas which can help them in designing equipments and solutions. Co-production option is also available to them, Brig PP Singh added.

Chief guest for the conclave, Punjab Governor and Administrator UT Chandigarh VP Singh Badnore was of the view that startups have to be spurred in rural areas as well if the gains of progress are to percolate down to the grassroots level. Without ensuring the prosperity of rural India, the country cannot hope to achieve its cherished target of becoming a $ 5 Tn economy by 2024-25, he affirmed.

Observing that North India has been left behind in the race for initiating a conducive startup ecosystem, he said given the dozens of research and higher education institutions of national importance in and around Chandigarh, it can become a great startup hug of the region.

He informed the gathering that he has moved a proposal for the Chandigarh Innovation Circle (CIC), a not-for-profit organization tasked with connecting the academic institutions, industries and the administration on a platform to boost economic and technological growth in the region, all the way up the Prime Minister, who has taken note of it. He was hopeful something will come out of it in the coming budget.

Later dwelling on the proposal in a plenary session on ‘Government Initiatives, International Outreach and Role of Incubators & Accelerators’, keynote speaker and Principal Secretary to the Governor JM Balamurugan said CIC, once it comes through, will have a few independent verticals like agriculture and food technology, pharma and information technology with a CEO heading each of them. It will be initially funded largely by the Chandigarh Administration, with the industry and academia as major collaborators. The Indian diaspora abroad can also invest in this venture, he added.

Balamurugan shared that the aim is to bring all stakeholders on a single platform to drive innovation and startup activities aimed at creating marketable products, services and solutions for the benefit of society at large.

Dr Dinesh Dua, Chairman, CII NR Committee on Entrepreneurship & Startups and CEO, Nectar Lifesciences, in his theme address at the inaugural expressed confidence that the momentum will return to the Indian economy in the next three years and then it is expected to grow from the current projection of 4.6% to somewhere between 7.5-8%. He however, opined that for this, the next wave of startups has to happen in the mofussil towns if India’s growth story is to be sustained.

He pointed out that though there is worldwide pessimism regarding prospects of India’s growth rate, the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) figures, which talk about 26 startups being added every single day in the country, clearly show that there is no deceleration in the startup space at least. He was hopeful that the forthcoming Budget will further spur this momentum.

Noting that women startups were also performing well in various fields, including fashion and food, he said increased focus on them will reap rich dividends for the country.

Harish Agarwal, Chairman, CII Himachal Pradesh & Managing Director, Asian Concretes and Cements Pvt. Ltd, himself a startup who began his journey from scratch and now does Rs 1400 crores worth of business with an employee strength of 2,000, said the basic requirement for any startup is not money alone, but bigger than that is the idea he or she is propounding and the passion with which it is being taken forward. There is no link to gender, he added.

Giving his own example, he said he had executed 100 projects so far, each with a new idea behind it. He advised young startups not to depend on bank loans to start their ventures because banks most certainly will not support young entrepreneurs.

In his welcome remarks, Sarvjeet Singh, Chairman, CII Chandigarh UT and Managing Director, Finvasia, said while the government can be a facilitator, the onus is on the industry and the startups themselves to ensure that the startup culture thrives in this country. Not all startups can be unicorns (doing business above $ 1 Bn), but each one of them can be a fruitful contributor to the country’s economy and to employment generation.  

The session on ‘Government Initiatives, International Outreach and Role of Incubators & Accelerators’, moderated by Sumeer Walia, Director, Centre for Entrepreneurship & Education Development, Chitkara University, had as its other panellists Kris Gopalakrishnan; Mrigank Singh, CEO, Atal Incubation Centre, Mohali campus of Indian School of Business; Ajay Prasad Shrivastava, Addl. Director, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), Mohali; Prof Arun Kumar Grover, former VC, Panjab University, Chandigarh; Taranjeet Singh Bhamra, CEO, AgNext Technologies and Jitin Talwar, Founder, XLPAT, a patent search and review platform for collaboratively managing and monitoring patents, developed by TT Consultants and XLPAT Labs.

Another plenary session on ‘Tapping Multiple Funding Sources for Your Startup: The Art & Science of Fund Raising by Startups’ was moderated by Sarvjeet Virk and had as its panellists S Rana, General Manager, SBI; Rahul Priyadarshi, GM & Regional Head, SIDBI; Munish Chawla, himself a startup and Co-founder & Chief Happiness Officer, Jeevitam, a technology platform that helps businesses which hire blue-collar workforce; and Deepak Maheshwari, Co-founder & Director on the board of Jindagi Live Consulting.

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 

Super Seeder For Stubble Management Catching Farmers Eyeballs

Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0
Super Seeder For Stubble Management Catching Farmers Eyeballs

The latest indigenous farm machinery and solutions from the manufacturing hubs of Punjab and some other parts of the country, on display in the first edition of the Indian Agri Progress Expo 2020 at the Fruit & Vegetable Market in Phase 11 (Sector 65A) Mohali, near Bestech Mall, attracted curious farmers looking to mechanise their operations in the wake of the decreasing availability of labour and to maximise productivity.

Thursday was the opening day of the three-day exhibition and series of conferences lined up by the organisers. The importance of the event, organised perhaps for the first time on such a large scale in Punjab, could be gauged from the fact that almost the entire top team of the national body of agricultural machinery manufacturers AMMA-India, which is officially supporting the event, is camping here and actively participating in the proceedings.

The expo has been organised in association with the Punjab State Agricultural Implements Manufacturers Association (PSAIMA).

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

There is an entire gamut of indigenous farm machinery on display for the discerning farmers to pick and choose, plus experts from the entire region are familiarising them with latest equipments and techniques to cut down their costs and increase productivity.

The machine catching the most eyeballs is the Super Seeder, an improvement over the Happy Seeder, which is claimed to be a perfect solution to the paddy stubble woes of farmers, and costs just around Rs 50,000 more than the Happy Seeder, which, along with other alternatives, sold in the thousands thanks to the 50% central government subsidy provided to individual farmers and 80% providing to farmers’ groups.

Most of the manufacturer-exhibitors have showcased the Super Seeder in their exhibits and are hopeful that the farmers of wheat and paddy will adopt it in a major way with the attractive government subsidies likely to continue.

Much sought after Punjab bureaucrat Kahan Singh Pannu, who is currently holding several key charges in the state government, including Secretary, Agriculture; Chairman, Punjab State Pollution Control Board, and Mission Director, Tandarust Punjab, informed a gathering at the inaugural session that Rs 500 crore worth of central subsidy had been distributed among the farmers of Punjab for purchase of 51,000 farm implements.

He hoped that the trend of stubble burning, especially paddy stubble, which was causing havoc with the environment, will gradually die down as a result of these subsidies and increased awareness among farmers, to which the state government was committed.  

A technical session was also held on the topic ‘Government Schemes, Policies & Investments For Enhancing Farm Mechanisation’ in which senior officials from agriculture departments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, besides from extension education department of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana participated.

Besides the super seeders, the other farm implements on display are a wide variety of happy seeders, tractors, multi crop combine harvesters, mini combine harvesters, maize combine harvesters, knotters and balers, rakes, straw reapers, straw mulchers, rotavators, multi crop threshers, tractor driven potato diggers, planters and harvesters, hydraulic reversible mould board ploughs, fertiliser broadcasters, precision laser levellers, rotary tillers, power weeders, tipping trailers, agricultural sprayers and various garden and other tools.

Various types of ‘gurs’ and ‘shakkars’, including a medicated variety, are also up for sale along with ‘amla’ preparations like candies and jams mixed with herbs marketed by a farmers’ interest group ‘SAAHS’. An elaborate food court is serving gastronomic delights to visitors.

Among the prominent exhibitors are Kartar Agro Industries, claimed to be India’s first combine harvester manufacturers (location Bhadson, Patiala), Dashmesh Mechanical Works (brand Landforce), which asserts itself as India’s largest agriculture implements manufacturer (location Amargarh, Sangrur), Tirath Agro Technology (brand Shaktiman), promoted as world’s largest manufacturers of rotary tiller (location Rajkot district, Rajasthan),  and Panesar Agro Tech and Panesar Agriculture Works (both located at Barnala).

There are others, including Droli Industries (Brand Basant), Moga; KS Group, Malerkotla, Sangrur; Bhagwan Engineering Works (brand Bhim), Malerkotla; KS Agricultural Industries, Malerkotla; Swan Agro, Ludhiana; KSD Agro Industries, Dhuri, Sangrur; and Jagatsukh Industries (brand Charlie), Ludhiana.

The second day of the expo on Friday will feature a technical session on the topic ‘Technological & Institutional Innovations, Lessons Learnt & Strategies For Promoting Farm Mechanisation (with special focus on CRM – Customer Relationship Management).

Exhibition timings : 10 am to 6 pm.

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 

Savour Premium Dried Wild Blueberries, Aronias, Raspberries, Blackberries, Apricots, Plums & Green Apples

Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0
Savour Premium Dried Wild Blueberries, Aronias, Raspberries, Blackberries, Apricots, Plums & Green Apples

Frequent travellers abroad who have come to savour berries often rue their near absence in the Indian market. They have to make do with below par quality dried or dehydrated cranberries, blue berries and prunes. But two young entrepreneurs based out of the tricity, Arjun Anand and Ashish Garg, who had launched the brand Frubert in the tricity a few months ago, on Wednesday announced the addition of two new berries to their existing cart of five premium and scientifically processed high quality, tasty and nutritious dry berries and fruits from Serbia.

Speaking to LifeInChandigarh.com at the launch of the new additions – wild blueberry and aronia – the two youngsters shared that they had been encouraged by the good offline and online response to the existing portfolio of dried raspberries, blackberries, apricots, plums and green apples.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

All these are premium products, with the highest quality berries and fruits sourced directly from Serbian producers and dried through an osmotic dehydration process, which is well developed in the European country and does not use harmful preservatives like sulphur dioxide for drying.

The process also ensures that all vital natural nutrients of the berries and fruits are retained, and so are their natural flavours and sweetness. No artificial sugar is added.

Ashish Garg claimed that the dried wild blueberries are three times more nutritious than the blueberries we are exposed to in India. He also maintained that aronias are a natural choice for controlling blood sugar.

The dried berries and fruits in varied combinations are also available in attractive gift packs, along with another unique Frubert product, extra virgin olive oil with 23 carat gold flakes, a fully imported and marketed by the company.

Besides their availability in a dozen premium stores in the tricity, including Punjab Stores in Sector 9, Jagat Singh & Sons in Sector 22, Peshawari in Sector 19 and Cook’s Corner in Elante Mall, all these products are available online on the website of the company (frubert.com) and ecommerce platforms Amazon and Flipkart.

While 100 g dried wild blueberries, blackberries and raspberries in bottle packs are each available for Rs 399, dried aronias, apricots and plums of the same quantity are priced at Rs 299 each. Each bottle of 50 g of dried slices of green apples costs Rs 165. A 100ml bottle of the exclusive extra virgin olive oil carries a price tag of Rs 2799.

The company offers same day free delivery for online requests within the tricity for orders above Rs 1,000.

 

Arjun Anand said the exposure to the wealth of quality berries and fruits, as also advanced processing facilities in Serbia came during his internship as an active member of the worldwide students’ organisation AIESEC in that country. But it took years before that exposure opened up a business opportunity, he added.

He felt that taxation on imported fruits was too high. The Indian government must consider a reduction in taxes (which can be as high as 45%), especially on imported fruits like berries which are not grown in the country and are extremely healthy, he emphasised.

Where is Serbia?

Republic of Serbia (capital Belgrade) is a small land-locked country sat the crossroads of Central Europe and Southeast Europe. With a territory spanning over 88,000 sq km and a population less than 7.2 million, the country has as its neighbours Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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

Get Motivational Insights Into Mode Farm Practices, Machinery, Services

Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0
Get Motivational Insights Into Mode Farm Practices, Machinery, Services

You are an existing farmer looking to diversify into other crops or other agriculture related activities like dairy and poultry and to use mode techniques and mechanisation to maximise profits. Or, you are an enterprising person looking for opportunities to try your hands at agriculture. Here’s a great platform coming your way – the first edition of the India Agri Progress Expo 2020 opens to the public for three days from January 23 at the Fruit & Vegetable Market in Phase XI (Sector 65) Mohali, near Bestech Mall.

Announcing the expo, largely targeted at farmers and enterprising people from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, GS Dhillon, Managing Director, Udan Media & Communication, told media persons that it will feature an exhibition by more than 100 agricultural machinery and product manufacturers and service providers from across the country aimed at diversification of crops, micro irrigation and farm mechanisation.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

The event, being organised in association with Punjab State Agricultural Implements Manufacturers Association (PSAIMA), and supported by the Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (AMMA-India), a national body of agricultural machinery manufacturers, will also have a conference spread over 10 sessions, focussing on entrepreneurship, farmer-produce organisations, dairy, poultry, digital agriculture, climate change and farm mechanisation.

The speakers will include key government functionaries connected with agriculture, farm scientists, farmers’ leaders and representatives of manufacturers and service providers.

Others who interacted with the media were Sarbjeet Singh Panesar, Secretary, AMMA-India, Baldev Singh, Chairman, PSAIMA, Dr Surinder Singh Bajwa, retired Asstt Director Horticulture cum Nodal Officer Mushroom, Punjab and Harmanjit Singh Randhawa, Director, Citrus Estate Hoshiarpur.

Dwelling on the hot topic of stubble-burning, Sarbjeet Singh Panesar and Baldev Singh said a variety of high quality machinery like happy seeders and balers, being manufactured in Punjab and rest of the country, was proving quite effective in tackling the menace. Sarbjeet Singh informed that the Punjab government provided more than 52,000 seeders to individual farmers (at 50% subsidy) and farmers cooperatives (at 80% subsidy) over the last two years and the trend of using these machines instead of burning the stubble was fast catching on. Considering that 35 million metric tonnes of paddy is traded in Punjab alone, the problem has gained enormous proportions, and hence will not vanish in a hurry, he said, adding that concerted efforts need to be made at all levels.

Dr Surinder Singh Bajwa felt that paddy stubble could be a cheap source of generating rich compost for cultivation of mushrooms, which were rich in proteins, micro nutrients and minerals. The cultivation, though required to be done in controlled laboratory like conditions, is not very difficult and gives high returns. Input cost of Rs 100,000 could give returns of Rs 200,000 in a 90 days cycle, he added.

Observing that out of the estimated 1.55 lakh metric tonnes production of mushrooms nationally, Punjab with 12,000 metric tonnes was only next to Haryana’s 20,000 metric tonnes, followed at third place by Gujarat (10,000 metric tonnes), he said this was nowhere near the huge potential of these states.

To encourage farmers to take to mushroom cultivation, he suggested that the state governments should provide electricity to them at par rate with agriculture. He also encouraged farm implement manufacturers to make galvanised crates, which were far more durable for mushroom cultivation.

Harmanjit Singh Randhawa maintained that interest of farmers and non-farmers in horticulture cultivation is on the increase. But now the emphasis has shifted from quantity to quality because the customers are demanding quality. Focussing on citrus, especially kinnow cultivation, he said recent advancements in implements, including electrostatic sprayers, pruners and pneumatic drills had revolutionised the cultivation process leading to reduced costs and higher returns.

He, however, admitted that in manufacture of high technology farm implements, India had fallen way behind the world, and hence these farm aids had to be imported at a huge cost. To make them affordable farmers had to organise themselves into groups and cooperatives, which was not an easy task, given the distrust and misgivings among them, he emphasised.

Pointing out that the declining availability of farm labour, especially in agriculturally advanced states like Punjab and Haryana, had necessitated farmers to increasingly look at mechanisation as an alternative, Randhawa felt that now Indian farm machinery and implement manufacturers might wake up to the need for greater research and innovation to come out with indigenous and cheaper high technology solutions.

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

 

Open To Imaginative™ Ideas On All Issues, Says DC Mandip Brar

Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0
Open To Imaginative™ Ideas On All Issues, Says DC Mandip Brar

Announcing one lakh rupees reward for citizens providing creditable and verifiable information about plans by others to get pre natal sex determination tests conducted within the Union territory of Chandigarh or by its residents even outside it, Deputy Commissioner Mandip Singh Brar on Monday said he was open to “imaginative” ideas or suggestions from members of the general public on all issues concerning the Union territory.

Briefing media persons after presiding over an inter departmental meeting in connection with a special weeklong campaign launched from January 20-26 under the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ movement, to coincide with the January 24 National Day of the Girl Child, he said the reward had been announced to further intensify the drive against pre natal sex determination tests following unverified information that isolated cases may still be happening.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

For receiving tip offs in this regard, a nodal officer had been appointed in the Health Department who can be contacted round the clock on mobile No. 8872201555.  The identity of the informer will be kept strictly confidential and if a verification team is able to establish the veracity of the information provided, the informer will receive a reward of Rs 100,000, he added.

He shared that throughout the week, various departments of the UT administration, including Social Welfare, Education, Health and Police departments as also Legal Services Authority,   in a coordinated manner will organise different activities primarily aimed at the girl child. Among the activities are poster making, essay and slogan writing, walks, rallies, nukkad nataks, gender sensitisation programmes, pledges, signature campaigns and special campaign against eve teasing at vulnerable public places.

Besides this three auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), who helped safe deliveries in critical cases, and other achievers identified by various departments will be honoured at the state level function to mark National Day of the Girl Child at the Tagore Theatre on January 24.

Brar emphasised that the week long programme was a way of reinforcing what was a 365 days and 24×7 successful ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign. He shared figures to show that there had been a steady improvement in the skewed sex ratio as a result of various measures taken by the government over the past two decades. As per census 2001 the female sex ratio to 1,000 males in the UT was 777, which improved to 818 as per the 2011 census. Though the 2021 census is several months away, the civil registry of births and deaths, which was an indicator of the trend, showed the current sex ratio in the Union territory at 945, he added.

In inviting public suggestions on all issues concerning the Union territory of Chandigarh, Brar was responding to an observation from a section of the Media that most government campaigns were not imaginatively designed, because of which they failed to generate the desired results at the ground level.   

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 Luxe Hospitality Property With European Style Design Aspects

Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0
A Luxe Hospitality Property With European Style Design Aspects

Their names do not exactly go with their gender. Armaan (Mann) is the better half of Arzoo (Dandyan). The meaning of their names is similar – aspiration or hope for Armaan and longing or wish for Arzoo. Their parents begot them after much effort. Today the young couple has crafted a beautiful European style luxury boutique hotel – District 5 in Sector 5 Panchkula – by amalgamating the best of their experiences of newly opened boutique hotels during their frequent worldwide sojourns.

“The theme, Feel At Home, Away From Home pervades every nook and corner of the hotel, inspired by European design aspects and the minimalistic and functional approach towards all aspects of hospitality,” the lovely duo shared with LifeInChandigarh.com during a media preview on Thursday.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

“Both of us are very fond of glass. So, you will find large-sized glass panes, and exquisite chandeliers everywhere on the property. The glass panes in the gold and silver rooms, in the restaurant area and the two banquets allow guests to soak in the natural sunlight. We have used soothing colours like whites and cool blues to provide an environment of calmness, relaxation and rejuvenation. Plants, mainly palms, have been placed liberally, wherever possible, in the hotel to act as natural air purifiers,” they explained.

Two dynamic gardens, with space available at two different levels, provide an ideal venue for large parties. A spacious High Notes rooftop bar with indoor and outdoor facilities, which can also double up as a nightclub, is also coming up and is expected to be thrown open by Valentine’s. 

Interestingly, while the couple has picked up ideas from hotels across Europe, two standout hotels which inspired them the most being the newly opened boutique hotels Clark in Budapest (Hungary) and Pytloun in Prague (Czech Republic), they have designed most of the interiors on their own, except for the two banquets. Almost the entire furniture has been crafted in house, and the decor, including chandeliers, has been got custom built or sourced from within the country.  

Arzoo stressed that “District 5 thrives on creativity, genuine hospitality and individual experiences. We feel that honest pricing would bring loyal guests.”

Terra, District 5’s restaurant, stands out with a classy wooden inlay work embellishing the beautiful marble floor and tiled dining tables giving it a very different look. As far as the recipes of dishes are concerned, he revealed, “we have experimented with recipes of dishes that we enjoyed eating during our travels."

The menu is elaborate and multi cuisine. Vegetarian starters like Tandoori Stuffed Mushroom Tikka, Pineapple Tikka, Homemade Nacho, Pulled Cheese Garlic Bread etc. are scrumptious. In vegetarian main course, the menu serves gastronomically delightful pastas. The Mushroom Risotto, which has wild and cultivated exotic mushrooms in a creamy Italian rice dish, is flavoursome. To cater to the winters, there’s Winter Vegetable Medley, the all time favourite Thai Green/Red Curry with Steamed Rice is available in a new avatar.

For fitness enthusiasts, Terra offers some fresh handmade healthy salads like Caesar Salad, Broccoli & Walnut Salad, Glass Noodle Salad, Green Salad etc.

Non-vegetarian offerings include Chicken Steak and British Beer Battered Fish n Chips. A must try pasta is the Homemade Chicken Lasagna. Some Pan Asian delicacies include Chicken with Mushroom in Oyster Chilli Sauce, Singapore Chilli Bean Fish/Prawn etc.

Adding a final note on the dishes, Armaan commented, "Our signature dishes are Pickled Pear and Arugula Salad with Caramelized Walnuts, Mushroom Risotto and Handmade Pasta. We also use fresh Mozzarella and Burrata cheese in our offerings."

Meal for two in Terra : Rs 1200
Room Rent : Gold 4250 plus taxes & Platinum 5250 plus taxes

https://instagram.com/district5india?igshid=siix22x2qh8z

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

 

More Basic Dentistry Facilities Need Of Hour: Dr Gupta

Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0
More Basic Dentistry Facilities Need Of Hour: Dr Gupta

He is a Pedodontist (Pediatric) dentist and dental surgeon of three decades standing. On taking over as president of Chandigarh state branch of Indian Dental Association for a three-year tenure, Dr RP Gupta, who runs the practice Gupta’s Dental & Orthodontic Centre in Sector 22, says promoting preventive dentistry will remain his top priority

With dentistry becoming expensive by the day, Dr Gupta emphasises that the way out is to promote basic dentistry facilities in every neighbourhood on the lines of ‘mohalla clinics’ concept in Delhi.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

In an interview with LifeInChandigarh.com, Dr Gupta said the biggest challenge in his speciality of pediatric dentistry is sensitisation of pregnant women on how to feed their infants and toddlers.

“Decaying of the upper four front teeth is a very common problem among the infants with 25-30% mothers coming to us with complaints of their infants suffering acute pain, having swelling of the gums or even puss formation in that area. The most common reason for this condition is children falling asleep while being fed on milk from a bottle, resulting in the nipple remaining in the mouth of the child far longer than desirable. The milk itself being sticky, and with added sugar at times, it leads to infections,” he added.

Dr Gupta felt that awareness about this is woefully lacking and restoration in infants becomes all the more difficult for a dentist, who is left with no other option than to resort to general anaesthesia. Involving anaesthetists in more than one sitting, required in such cases, becomes a major constraint, he said, adding that even in the PGI Chandigarh has devoted a day every week when an anaesthetist is made available at dental clinics to perform such procedures.

 Teeth Start Developing In Unborn Baby

    rn

  • Teeth start developing in the unborn baby. Good nutrition from the mother during pregnancy is important in tooth development. The mother’s diet should have adequate amounts of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, and vitamin D.

    • rn

  • After the child is born, the next stage occurs when the tooth actually sticks out (protrudes) through the gum.  

    • rn

  • Even though baby teeth are eventually replaced with permanent teeth, keeping baby teeth healthy is important to a child’s overall health and well-being.

    • rn

rn

Dr Gupta felt that oral health is a neglected domain, and there is a need to continue spreading awareness in society. During his tenure, he and his team plan to organise various public awareness programs for promoting oral health, especially among government schools, blind schools, old age homes, transport workers, etc.

IDA, he asserted, is committed to continuing education for students as well as practicing dentists in Chandigarh, for which they will be rolling out extensive activitiers spread out throughout the year.

About Dr Gupta
A Pedodontist (Pediatric) dentist & dental surgeon of three decades standing, Dr Gupta is an alumnus of PGI Chandigarh. He served as a Senior Dental Surgeon in Sector 16 Government Multi Speciality Hospital, Chandigarh for 10 years. A member of American Academy of Dental Association, as also of International College of Dentists, he has been honoured with fellowship of PFA (Pierre Fauchard Academy) and ICD (International College of Dentistry). He is a life member of Indian Society Pediatric Dentistry.

Other Office Bearers

Dr Arpit Gupta, Assistant Professor, Oral Health Sciences Centre, PGI Chandigarh, has been elected Honorary Secretary for a three-year term.

Other members elected to the executive committee are : Dr K Gauba, Dr Ashima Goyal, Dr SP Singh, Dr (Lt Col) BR Pruthi, Dr Sachin Rai, Dr Ashish Gupta, Dr Sanjeev Verma, Dr Varun Bajaj, Dr Sammardeep Singh Sodhi, Dr Aman Bhatia, Dr Shipra Gupta, Dr Gursharandeep Singh, Dr Vijeta Mehta, Dr Sujata Malik, Dr Jatinder Singh Thind, Dr Jagdeep Kaur, Dr Vidya Rattan, Dr Gurvinder S Dhamija, Dr Gurvanit Kaur Lehl, Dr Devinder Kumar, Dr Aditi Kapur and Dr Gunjan Pruthi.  

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 Safe Passage For Public, And Entertainment Hub, Too!

Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0
A Safe Passage For Public, And Entertainment Hub, Too!

A live performance of age old Bollywood song tunes by a professional musical group and a karaoke performance by UT Chief Engineer cum Special Secretary Engineering Mukesh Anand set the tone for making the modern pedestrian underpass between the Sector 16 Rose Garden and Sector 17 City Centre one of the most happening places in the tricity. It was formally inaugurated in chilly conditions on Wednesday evening by Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore.

Such was the excitement at the inauguration that Bollywood actor and Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher could not hide her elation over “the most wonderful thing to happen to the city”, even as city police chief Sanjay Baniwal, seated on a sofa, was seen making a few playful synchronised body moves to the Bollywood tunes.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

The underpass includes a 62 metre long and 12 metre wide well lit tunnel with wide and comfortable approach ramps, providing for golf carts and bicycles to ply from both sides, and a 100-seat amphitheatre. It is impressively landscaped with beautiful pieces of sculpture and topiary. Planned to be a self sustaining project with provisions for hosting art exhibitions, dance and theatre performances, etc, an elaborate music system with karaoke facility is also being installed at the underpass to provide a platform for budding singers.

Chandigarh Lalit Kala Akademi put up an impression art exhibition of its collections in the tunnel on the occasion to demonstrate how it can be done. Mukesh Anand sang “Bekarar karke haemin yun na jayiye ….” to set an example for karaoke performances. The musical group also did its bit to inspire future performers.

Visibly impressed with what he saw, Badnore admitted that frankly he could not truly fathom the value of the concept when drawings and a presentation were shown to him before the start of work on the underpass two years ago. The actual outcome is way beyond my concept and the perception of it, he added.

Reiterating the administration’s commitment to restoring the old pristine glory of Sector 17 and Chandigarh as a whole, he said several recent actions like installation of musical fountains and relocation of street vendors were all steps in that direction. India International Centre is also being brought to the city to boost its tourism potential, he informed.

Referring to his recent visit to Indore to study its model of cleanliness, he said right from leaving the airport he was witness to clean roads and pavements opposite shops. The only differentiator between Chandigarh and the star city of Madhya Pradesh was the total involvement and participation of the general public in the movement. “We need to do the same in Chandigarh and make it the No. 1 city in the country again. Cooperation of the people is critical for the success of our endeavours and we will seek it in full measure,” he emphasised.

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 Education Level, Womens Aspirations Will Rise, And So Will Their Financial Empowerment

Sanjeev Kochhar
-
0
With Education Level, Womens Aspirations Will Rise, And So Will Their Financial Empowerment

Women need to get financially and economically empowered, and start believing in their abilities to become leaders, if their cherished goal of equal participation in decision making is to be achieved. This underlining refrain of panellists from a cross section of society, and a living example of women’s empowerment presented before the audience, marked a half-day seminar on ‘Women’s Participation In Decision Making’ organised by Panjab University in collaboration with the National Commission for Women (NCW) at English Auditorium of the university on Monday.

The engaging seminar was temporarily marred by an overkill attempted by a handful of students, apparently motivated by students’ politics, who raised slogans against the BJP led central government, calling it “the ‘sanghi sarkaar” and denouncing the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in the context of the recent attack on JNU’s woman president and a few teachers.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

The handful of students, suspected to be members of the Students for Society (SFS), had apparently come prepared, with a girl student, among the first to raise her voice, carrying a placard slogan written in Punjabi to catch media attention as a lot of BJP leaders were expected to participate in the inaugural and a subsequent session.

Attempts were made by teachers and others to pacify the protesting students but when they persisted with their sloganeering they were forcibly evicted from the auditorium. The ruckus was initiated by a girl student when Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker and Panchkula MLA Gian Chand Gupta was speaking in the inaugural session and enumerating steps taken by the Modi government at the centre and the Haryana government for women’s empowerment.  

Among other prominent people expected at the seminar, besides the panellists in various other sessions were Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore, Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher, Additional Solicitor General and former Chandigarh MP Satya Pal Jain, NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma and PU Vice Chairman Prof Raj Kumar.

Badnore and Kher could not make it to the seminar, necessitating the merger of the second session on “Political Participation of Women & Decision Making” into the inaugural session.

LifeInChandigarh.com found the overload of BJP leaders invited on stage for the inaugural of the seminar as extremely biased. Ms. Pam Rajput, Emeritus Professor and Coordinator of the seminar on behalf of the university, when contacted, was emphatic while claiming that their collaborator NCW primarily decided the prominent people and panellists to be invited.

Setting the tone for the session on “Role of Financial Inclusion in Enabling Decision Making By Women”, Pam Rajput pointed to the dismal ranking of India on the Global Gender Gap Index of the World Economic Forum. The country, which was placed 108th among 153 major and emerging economies in 2018, slid four positions further to 112th position on the 2019-20 index.

The index measures the extent of gender-based gaps in economic participation and opportunity, education attainment, health and survival and political empowerment.

Rajput informed that while India’s position in the first two parameters was extremely poor, it was shamefully placed fourth from the bottom among these 153 economies in health and survival. The only saving grace for the country was the 18th position in political participation, she added.

Moderating the discussion, Ms. Meenakshi Gupta, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General of India, said while governments and the society needed to groom women to take up higher leadership roles, women themselves have to change their mindsets and start believing in their abilities to become leaders.

In this context, she pointed out that experience had shown that lack of education among women puts a lot of discount on their participation in decision making. So women need to give top priority to education for their emancipation in society, she asserted.

Dr. H. Srinivas, Director General, V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, Noida, informed that the percentage of women owning businesses among all proprietary establishments in the country had increased from 9.5% in the 5th Economic Census of 2005 to 15.4% in the 6th Economic Census of 2013. 

He said with Jan Dhan accounts and increased availability of microfinance schemes, women, especially in the hinterland of the country, were poised for takeoff. Women entrepreneurs and self held groups now need to be encouraged and supported to scale up their businesses, he added.

He agreed with the observation that education paved the way for financial and economic empowerment of women, because as the education level goes up so does the aspirational levels of women. The bargaining power of women in their home as well as workplace increases with higher level of economic empowerment, he added.

The third panellist inspired by personal example. Revathi Roy, CEO, Hey Deedee, India’s first all-woman instant parcel delivery service, has come out of a personal crisis to help 2,000 girls belonging to below poverty line (BPL) families to not only stand on their own feet but also to help their families cross the line.

Relating her own story, Revathi wondered by Indian women most times wait for a crisis to stand on their own feet. She developed a passion for cars and driving ever since she was in her teens. Later after doing her Masters in Economics, she got married and had three male children. Her crisis started when her husband fell into a coma and remained in that vegetative state for two-and-a-half years.

During this period she faced a severe financial crisis with her bank accounts remaining out of bounds for her in the absence of joint signature of her husband. Mounting medical bills, household expenditure and education of her children left her in heavy debt. With her husband’s death in 2007, she had no skill other than her passion for driving with which to empower herself. So she decided to become a cab driver. From there germinated the idea of starting an instant parcel service.

She started enrolling insecure girls from BPL families most of whom did not know what to do with their lives. They were first trained to drive two wheelers on self financing basis and provided soft skills by a training company. Self financing of scooters followed and these girls started instant delivery of parcels. Initially orders were difficult to get because of inexperience of the company and the women, but later business picked up.

Four wheelers were added to the self financing fleet for warehouse-to-hub delivery and today Hey Deedee, which started operations in 2016, has operations in multiple cities.

The girls in her company are earning anything between Rs 18,000-Rs 20,000 a month on per parcel remuneration basis. All have debit cards and are encouraged to buy at least one white good for their homes on EMIs and maintain a healthy credit rating.

Taking a cue from her own life, Revathi wants all women to empower themselves with the skill they have, whatever it might be. They must also shed their inhibitions – ifs and buts –  regarding their abilities and tell themselves that they are damn good at whatever they do best.

In the session on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Decision Making: Present Policy Framework and Challenges, panellists highlighted the challenges before women as there were strong world lobbies which were opposing reproductive rights of women. They emphasised that it is a fundamental right of women to have a right over their bodies.

Ms. Nanthini Subbiah, Asst. Prof, Dept. Of Community Health and Advisory, National Institute of Health And Family Welfare (NIHFW), pointed out that though the central government was providing sufficient funding to the state governments under various schemes for maintaining sexual and reproductive health of women, the infrastructure developed at health sub centres across states had failed to address privacy issues of women.

She also highlighted that the emphasis on institutional deliveries had thrown up various challenges for women, as, on paper, these were free, but the distant health centres and other logistical and accessibility issues were hindering desirable outcomes. In most cases families ended up making half to three-fourth out-of-pocket expenses, she added.

She also expressed doubts over quality of training being imparted in private nursing and medical colleges proliferating across the country.

While expressing confidence that the conditions in various health sub centres across states would improve with all of them proposed to be converted into health and wellness centres under the Ayushman Bharat scheme of the central government,  Dr. Baljit Kaur, Asst. Director, Deptt. Of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab, felt that “abortions of the mindsets” were required in society to ensure better outcomes in sexual and reproductive well being of women. “We, all of us, have to make small beginnings in this direction. You have to be the change,” she emphasised.

Giving an example from her personal life, Dr Baljit asserted that if women want rights, they also need to be bold enough to fulfil their responsibilities. “We are two sisters. When my father died both of us inherited his property. But we also fulfilled our responsibility of performing his last rights, not leaving it to male relatives or neighbours. Many women in Amritsar later emulated this practice,” she remarked with a sense of satisfaction.

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

1...464748...102Page 47 of 102

LIfe in chandigarh

About us

Anchored by a senior journalist, LifeInChandigarh.com is a digital endeavour, a news portal with a positive and progressive outlook, to keep you up to date with the latest developments as they happen in the Chandigarh tricity area.

Latest Articles

Chandigarh Golf League’s Newest Team GB Legends Announces Major Mentorship Program

Golf 0
GB Realty, which owns the team, aims to nurture...

Hello High School Grads! HCLTech Brings TechBee Program To Chandigarh, Adjoining States – Earn While You Learn

News & Views 0
Skill, earn and pursue graduation, post-graduation for rewarding careers...

Tarlochan Singh Kohli Memorial Scholarships Awarded To 26 Students At Rotary Club Chandigarh Event

Lifestyle 0
Deserving students get Rs 10,000 annual educational scholarship each,...

Most Popular

Chandigarh Golf League’s Newest Team GB Legends Announces Major Mentorship Program

Golf 0
GB Realty, which owns the team, aims to nurture...

Hello High School Grads! HCLTech Brings TechBee Program To Chandigarh, Adjoining States – Earn While You Learn

News & Views 0
Skill, earn and pursue graduation, post-graduation for rewarding careers...

Tarlochan Singh Kohli Memorial Scholarships Awarded To 26 Students At Rotary Club Chandigarh Event

Lifestyle 0
Deserving students get Rs 10,000 annual educational scholarship each,...

Subscribe

Copyright 2023 Life In Chandigarh All Right Reserved.