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Here Come Much-needed Advanced Free-Of-Cost Video Lessons For Classes 3 To 12

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Here Come Much-needed Advanced Free-Of-Cost Video Lessons For Classes 3 To 12

Online learning has become big business, with apps starting to aggressively market themselves and spend massively on advertising and other promotional activities. They are out to catch the fancy of an ever increasing community of ambitious parents prepared to go to any length to position their children in a highly competitive world. So you have corporates like Byju’s, Toppr, Meritnation, etc, largely driven by profits, vying with each other to capture a potentially huge market. But are they contributing to the country’s larger goal of education for all? What about those who cannot afford?

Here comes a potential game-changer. TeachingBharat, touted as India’s first free-of-cost YouTube-based English language education channel, has complete video lessons in difficult subjects – Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and English – for classes 3 to 12 complying to CBSE and ICSE syllabi. These have been designed and presented by highly qualified and experienced teachers in their respective subjects.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Students accessing the online platform, made possible with years of tireless efforts put in by  public-spirited young engineer-entrepreneur from a well-to-do business family Amrinder ‘Gold’ Sandhu, his wife Janam Sandhu, an equal partner in the philanthropic venture, and their team, do not even require a regular internet connection. They can just download and copy the lessons to a pen drive or a CD.

Gushing with excitement and a sense of accomplishment, Amrinder (38 years) and Janam  shared their vision and the high and lows of their five years long journey “from darkness to light” during a select media interaction at Dhaba Estd 1986 in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

The project was huge, both financially and in scope of work. It was the sense of commitment towards the national goal of ‘Education for All’, and the passionate entrepreneurs and innovators in the Sandhu couple, which saw them and their team of dedicated professionals overcoming all hurdles in the way and taking their dream to its logical conclusion. The entire project was steered by Amrinder-owned successful venture Brainmeasures, an ISO certified company.

Later the Sandhu couple told LifeInChandigrh.com that “Lots and lots of research work went into the project, current drawbacks and reach of our teaching system was studied in depth and analysed. Based on the data collected several rounds of discussions took place within our core team and a broad roadmap was chalked out to provide a highly professional and forward-looking online learning programme which should be simple and accessible to teachers and students even in the remotest corners of the country.

“We involved experienced PhD teachers in preparing and presenting these lesson-by-lesson series in different subjects and for different classes as per prescribed syllabi of CBSE and ICSE. The video lectures were again analysed from time to time and further refined from the standpoint of presentation and absorption by the target audience,” the couple added. 

Various visual aids have been used to explain concepts, wherever necessary. Experiments, especially in chemistry, have also been performed and recorded for better understanding of students and teachers alike, they explained.

The identified problem areas for students and parents:

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  1. Non existence of a platform which covers each and every topic, lesson by lesson according to prescribed syllabus of CBSE & ICSE.

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  2. Dire need for good teachers with thorough understanding of subjects and ability to explain complex concepts in a simple, easily understood manner.

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  3. Students without regular internet connection, unable to access available online portals

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  4. Non affordability of existing platforms

    5. rn

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The solutions provided on TeachingBharat YouTube channel:

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  1. Entire syllabus of Classes 3 to 12 for both CBSE & ICSE covered lesson by lesson

    2. rn

  2. Lessons prepared and presented by PhD teachers in their respective subjects

    3. rn

  3. Students can easily access lectures by downloading them and saving them on pen drives and CDs.

    4. rn

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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

South Korea, UK Offer Cities Help In Smart Infra, Electric Mobility

Sanjeev Kochhar
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South Korea, UK Offer Cities Help In Smart Infra, Electric Mobility

Key speakers at a summit on urban transformation held in Chandigarh recently emphasised on quickly finding innovative cost effective funding and other solutions indigenously to cope up with the rapidly growing pressure on cities and towns, even as South Korea and United Kingdom offered to share their knowledge and expertise with Indian cities in the field of smart urban infrastructure and electric mobility.

In his special address on the topic “International Perspective on Global Collaborations for Urban Transformation” at the summit, organised by elets Technomedia in association with Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and Chandigarh Smart City Ltd, Shin Bongkil, Ambassador of South Korea to India, said like India, Korea was also predominantly an agrarian society. But the Korean War (1950-53) led to rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, and today Korea is one of the world’s most urbanized societies, with 92 per cent of its people living in cities.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Sharing the experiences of highly advanced Korean capital city of Seoul and its smartest city Songdo, Ambassador Bongkil said Seoul, because of its technological advancements, has been enjoying the status of world’s best e-government city seven times consecutively. Moving forward, Seoul Metropolitan Government is executing an ambitious plan to turn the capital city into the most advanced city in the world through the use of Big Data, ICT, Block chain, IoT and other emerging technologies of Fourth Industrial Revolution, he added.

Songdo city, built on a 600-hectare parcel of artificial land dredged from the Yellow Sea near Seoul’s Incheon airport, has a control centre which uses an extensive network of CCTV cameras to monitor the cities’ traffic system, access control, power distribution, water supply, fire protection and dispatch emergency response based on the situation. The city collects and segregates its garbage automatically, sucked out of apartments by a vacuum chute and collected at the sorting facility. There are dedicated bike and bicycle paths, walkways, LED street-lighting and charging stations for electric vehicles across the city, the Korean Ambassador informed.

With another two smart cities in Busan and Sejong being developed as ‘Cities of Future’, to be enabled and led by the latest and most advanced technologies, Ambassador Bongkil asserted that Indian cities can gain immensely from Korea’s invaluable experience in urban infrastructure development, urban renewal, urban mobility, waste management and building futuristic smart cities.

1 Bn US$ Budget For Indian Cities

Later, talking to LifeInChandigarh.com, the Korean Envoy to India, shared that the Korean Government had set aside a budget of one Bn US $ to provide financial, technical and other required assistance to Indian cities aspiring to turn into smart cities. A redevelopment project in Mumbai was among the first to be assisted from this budget, he said.

Uk’s Zero Emission Vehicle Push

Speaking on “Urban Transformation through Global Collaboration from a British perspective”, Andrew Ayre, British Deputy High Commissioner to India in Chandigarh, informed the gathering that it was his government’s objective to put UK at the forefront of design and manufacture of zero emission vehicles, and for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040. This would mean an end to the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel vehicles. By 2050 almost every vehicle on British roads would be zero emission, he said.

In pursuit of this, UK is making grants available for plug in cars, vans, lorries, buses, taxis and motorcycles, and schemes to support charge point infrastructure at homes and workplaces and on residential streets.  “Along with the measures in our strategy, this adds up to one of the most comprehensive support packages in the world for the transition to zero emission vehicles,” Ayre added.

Claiming that in 2018 UK emerged as the second largest market for Ultra Low Emission Vehicles in the European Union (EU) and is a global leader in their development and manufacture, with 1 in 5 battery electric cars sold in Europe being made in the UK, he said there is a great scope for working closely with Indian Government and businesses, think tanks, and stakeholders from states and cities on policy, technology, forging new partnerships in charging infrastructure, battery technology development, grid management and skills, etc.

Low Cost Options In Metro Projects

Speaking at the summit, Janardan Prasad, Director (Urban Transport), Union Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, said urban development being a state subject, smart solutions especially in urban mobility could prove game changers for states, and the central government was committed to provide financial support and guidance, wherever required.

Right now strengthening public transport is the top priority of the government and a large number of options are available to state governments to deploy rapid road and rail transit systems for their cities. There are also less expensive, slow speed and low capacity alternatives to the existing metro rail systems like ‘Metrolite’ and ‘MetroNeo’ (rubber tyre rail system) available which can be deployed in smaller cities and towns with lower ridership volumes, he added.

Multimodal Urban Mobility System Required

Director General of Chandigarh Police Sanjay Baniwal called for creating a seamless multimodal urban mobility system in Chandigarh, considering the safety and security of all citizens, especially women, whose travel pattern was very different from men because of the multiplicity of responsibilities from workplace to family. This was all the more important since Chandigarh had a large daily influx of floating population which comes to work from adjoining states, making crimes and criminals in many cases almost anonymous.

Claiming that the advent of the 112 integrated number for fire, ambulance and police related emergencies, digitalised patrolling system and the eSaathi app had substantially cut down on response times to emergencies and brought several services, including sharing of problems, feedback and suggestions, tenant, servant and employee verification requests, and character certificate requests, at doorstep of citizens, he said now it for the people to play their part and use these facilities without any fear or inhibitions. He also appealed to the public to demand more such smart services from the police “and keep us on our toes”.

Finances Biggest Challenge Of Municipalities

Sharing his experience of the Swachh Bharat campaign and Smart City concept during his tenure as Municipal Commissioner of Bhopal city in Madhya Pradesh from 2014 to 2016, Tejaswi Naik, current District Magistrate and Collector of Betul district, identified finances as the biggest challenge before municipalities. Since devolution of funds from the state governments to the municipalities were not guaranteed under the constitution, they had to find innovative ways of generating more funds and devising cost-effective methods of executing services and projects.

“The solutions have to be innovative and indigenous and not cut and paste from experiences elsewhere. The problems of most cities are peculiar to themselves and hence solutions also need to be suited to the local conditions,” he emphasised.

Dissecting the success story of Bhopal city in the Swachhta and smart city rankings, he said the key element was taking all stakeholders on board, including people who so far did not have much say in planning and execution. So we elicited suggestions from a cross section of society – engineering students, CII, teachers, ‘thela’ vendors, etc – and incorporated them to make our plans inclusive and participatory.

In innovation, he gave the example of rebranding the public toilets for women as ‘sheLounges’ with additional facilities of sitting space, private area, running FM radio and drinking water, which were lacking in Sulabh ‘shauchalayas’. Since 30-40% of the municipality’s funds were consumed in fuel costs to run hundreds of municipal cleanliness vehicles and other energy costs, the centralised petrol pump concept was decentralised, and wherever possible, under the prevailing circumstances, traditional energy sources were replaced with solar energy, he added.

Le Corbusier’s Vision Decoded

One of the key speakers, Kumar Saurabh, Deputy Commissioner of Faridkot, shared his insights into Le Corbusier and his philosophically-inspired planning of Chandigarh. Describing Le Corbusier as a philosopher first and architect later, the Punjab bureaucrat said the Swiss-French architect wanted Chandigarh to be a radiant city.

Kumar pointed out that the gridiron plan of the new city of Chandigarh was designed with aesthetics in mind and a maximum population of 5 lakhs. In such a plan every intersection has 16 conflict points, and with increased congestion resulting from population growing beyond 12 lakhs, the number of minor accidents being witnessed in Chandigarh is very high.

The reorganisation of Punjab in 1966, resulting in creation of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, also led to massive violations of the Chandigarh Periphery Control Act, which mandated no construction in a 16 km zone around the city, and the vision of Le Corbusier and the pristine surroundings of the city were lost. With the emergence of Mohali, Panchkula, Zirakpur and other settlements, a total of 25,000 violations have been reported in the periphery of Chandigarh, Kumar Saurabh informed.

He also highlighted that the concentration of all then existing and new government departments, corporations, commissions of both Punjab and Haryana also added to congestion on the city roads with huge rush of people trooping in from across the two states to get their government related work done.   

Kumar explained that it was not that Corbusier did not want the city to grow, but his parameters of growth were different. In due course, when the city were to reach its peak population (5 lakhs), he would have visualised creating garden cities, the brainchild of British architect Ebenezer Howard, at a distance from each other and outside the 16 km periphery of the central city. While the peripheral cities were themselves to be garden cities, the distance between them were to be maintained as countryside with only agriculture and allied activities being permitted there as in Chandigarh’s periphery, he added.

He felt that there was still time to make amends for the blatant violations happening all around Chandigarh by creating an institutional mechanism for coordinated and planned development of the Chandigarh tricity area keeping in mind the philosophy of the legendry architect.

UT Chief Engineer Calls Corbusier’s ‘Blunder’

The next speaker, UT Chief Engineer and Special Secretary Engineering Mukesh Anand,  while concurring with Kumar that Corbusier was a legend no doubt, however, at least thrice during his address called the Swiss-French architect’s decision to finish the buildings in the Capitol Complex with bare concrete as a “blunder”. It may have been suitable for moderate climates, but with Chandigarh experiencing extreme climatic conditions in summers, winters and rainy season, the concrete was bound to develop cracks and start disintegrating, he asserted.

He compared Corbusier’s concrete buildings to the ageless and timeless buildings built during the Mughal and British eras like the Taj Mahal, which was covered with white marble stone, and the Red Fort and similar other buildings covered in red sand stone.

He claimed that to restore the six to seven decades old buildings in the Capitol Complex of Chandigarh, and infuse fresh life in them, was a herculean task accomplished by his team which worked with passion. He expressed apprehensions about the future of these buildings, arguing that future engineers of UT Chandigarh may not display the same passion in maintaining them in a shape fit for the world heritage status bestowed on the Capitol Complex.

Chandigarh’s Smart City Initiatives

Earlier welcoming the delegates and participants, Chandigarh Municipal Commissioner and Chandigarh Smart City CEO Kamal Kishore Yadav spelled out Chandigarh city’s own initiatives to provide its citizens superior services like 24X7 water supply and upgradation of its existing five sewerage treatment plants to latest standards and adding another new one.

An Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) is also being set up to support all services being provided in Chandigarh by the UT Administration and the Municipal Corporation, which would include a network of surveillance cameras, advanced traffic lighting systems and  digital platforms for dealing with emergencies and redressal of citizens’ grievances. Chandigarh has tied up with Bharat Electronics Limited for the ICCC, Yadav informed.

He said a single mobile app is also being readied to bring all services being provided in Chandigarh to the doorstep of the citizens. A first batch of services will hopefully be available to the citizens on this app by coming March, he added.

With an aim to make the city sustainable, the network of cycle tracks was being strengthened, public bicycle sharing was being introduced, electric vehicles were being added to the bus fleet of the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking, green buildings were being constructed by the Chandigarh Housing Board and the Engineering Department of the UT Administration and all buildings of the UT Administration and Municipal Corporation were getting solar panels to maximise solar energy use, Yadav shared.

He said among other sub themes, there was an increased focus on conserving the city’s heritage, renovating, beautifying and redesigning Sector 17 City Centre and developing new commercial areas in PPP mode.

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 

 

IIT Ropar Director Causes Stir, Asserts Finding Environmental Solutions Best Be Left To Scientists

Sanjeev Kochhar
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0
IIT Ropar Director Causes Stir, Asserts Finding Environmental Solutions Best Be Left To Scientists

IIT Ropar Director Dr SK Das caused a stir with his plain speaking in the first of its kind Regional Conference on Environment in Chandigarh on Saturday in the presence of National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairman Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel by asserting that judges and bureaucrats at the helm had no great understanding of environmental issues and that scientists and researchers should be brought to the centre stage in finding solutions to the problems of air and water pollution and solid waste management.

Can anyone in the gathering (mostly comprising administrators from Punjab, Haryana & Himachal Pradesh and many judges) claim to understand the real problem of air pollution in NCR Delhi or the highly polluted Yamuna, he asked and himself answered that he was sure none. Environmental problems are scientific issues requiring scientific solutions, and better left to the scientific community to find, he asserted and observed that the game is lost if we start considering the problems of pollution in isolation because these are integrated problems requiring careful study, analysis and finding integrated solutions.

Photos By : LIfe In Chandigarh

He was the first speaker in the fourth and last session of the conference on the topic “Role of Research, Innovation & Technology in Facing Environmental Challenges” chaired by former Punjab Chief Secretary SC Aggarwal, who is member of the NGT State Monitoring Committee. In his concluding remarks Aggarwal concurred with Dr Das to the extent that he himself believed that “we often jump to solutions without understanding all aspects of a given problem.”

Other prominent panellists from reputed scientific organisations like IIT Delhi, CSIR-NEERI and NIPER Mohali in the session also underlined the scientific basis of the environmental projects they had undertaken.   

Dr Das was scheduled to speak on a Centre of Excellence on Environment and Water which has been created in IIT Ropar to address water pollution challenges in Punjab through innovative technological interventions.

There was visible consternation in the gathering when Dr Das began making his observations, but since at the outset he had sought to apologise if his plain speaking as an academician and researcher were to hurt anyone’s sentiments, the outburst was apparently taken in a positive spirit. Punjab, Principal Secretary Science, Technology and Environment RK Verma, the principal motivator of the conference, quickly intervened to check possible fallout. He informed the gathering that Punjab government was also working on scientific lines in collaboration with IIT Ropar in its recent environmental initiatives. 

“No Time Left, Act Now”

 “No Time Left, Act Now” was the theme, and the underlining message of the regional conference, organised by Punjab Directorate of Environment & Climate Change, and appreciated by all. And, the mood of the impressive gathering, comprising leadership of judiciary, government, non-government organisations and the scientific community, on issues of environmental protection and management truly mirrored that urgency for action.

Justice Goel, who sat through the conference, intently listening to personal experiences, knowledge and suggestions being shared on the platform, hailed the conference as a unique one as it involved mass participation of stake holders from the northern states of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Union Territory of Chandigarh and even Uttar Pradesh.

Punjab was obviously very heavily represented at the conference, right from the top bureaucracy, to senior officers from the implementing departments and representatives from the districts, including commissioners, deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners, SDMs, municipal commissioners, executive officers of various municipalities and block development officers.

RK Verma informed that a series of such conferences for serious deliberations have also been planned at the zonal level in Punjab.

Devise New Models: Justice Goel

Emphasising the need for brainstorming at all levels to devise new models of waste management suited to peculiar local conditions, Justice Goel in his keynote address during the plenary session on “Healthy Environment for Healthy People” said this regional conference could itself be a model for others to emulate.

He confided that his innings as chairman of the green tribunal started on a note of disappointment at the attitude of the official machinery mandated to act against environmental degradation. But his experience had shown that the main issue is that of ownership. “If the official machinery and the public take ownership, and show the will to act, there is no dearth of mass support and finances,” he asserted.

The NGT Chairman shared that there were broadly two models of waste management – the command and control model and the market driven model – and both had failed to deliver. The citizens of this country, perhaps still harbouring that spirit of non-cooperation which they displayed against the British government, continue to mistrust the government, and are unwilling to cooperate with the law. The governments of the day have also failed to fully inspire the confidence of the public. The other model, market driven, is also not working as it is proving too costly and there is a dearth of responsible service providers, he observed.

Integrated Model Required

Justice Goe propounded an integrated model, combining the strengths of all existing models,  and running a massive awareness campaign to solicit mass participation in implementation of this model.

Stressing that there is no conflict between law and industry, he explained that none of the green actions are intended to stop industrial activity. “We all want economic activity, growth and creation of more jobs. In fact greater compliance with the green laws will only lead to greater economic activity,” he maintained.

He made out a strong case for unlocking the huge parcels of prime land occupied by more than 4100 mountains of garbage in 4100 cities of the country. Apart from the fact that our cities will never get clean air till these dumping sites continued to raise poisonous gases and a big stink, it also made economic sense to unlock the land. As a proposal suggests 10% of the land thus released can be used for revenue generating economic activity and creating jobs, and the remaining 90% can be brought under forest cover for a healthy environment, he added.

Regarding sewage treatment, he said the existing facilities were highly inadequate and need to be strengthened. The huge cost involved can be collected from the public as taxes, or alternatively the burden shifted on the non compliant industries, which can then be supplied the treated water, he suggested.

Indore Experience

Sharing his experiences as a project management consultant with the Municipal Corporation of Indore, which has been getting the overall cleanest city of India award in annual Swachh Survekshan rankings in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Ajay Jain said segregation of waste at source is the key to the success of any solid waste management project as it opens the doors for a revenue generating model.

While awareness and participation of all sections of the citizens is extremely important, it can only be ensured once they are given confidence that the delivery system is in place and the authorities have the will to act decisively. The aim should always be to achieve 100% of the targets, though a beginning can be made in a small area comprising a few wards only, Jain added.

The consultant claimed that as per official records following the cleanliness campaign launched in Indore the incidence of disease in the municipal areas has been brought down to 50% of what it was three years ago.

Environmental Governance

In the second session, while state officials from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and UT Chandigarh, representing the local bodies department, pollution control board, new and renewal energy agency and soil conservation department, briefed the gathering about outcomes of state action plans, the standout speaker was former UP Chief Secretary Dr. Anup Pandey, currently member of the NGT Oversight Committee for the state.

In his engrossing address on the topic “Issues In Environmental Governance”, he said solid waste management is an integral part of urban development and cash-starved municipalities needed to be extended adequate technical and financial support by the state and central governments in discharging their responsibility of managing urban solid waste, the composition of which had changed substantially over the past few years.

He advocated that in extending financial assistance to municipalities a separate head should be dedicated towards solid waste management and a structured system of empanelled contractors and standardised rates for different works be created to facilitate the local bodies to award contracts expeditiously without fear of allegations of wrongdoing. Following this route in UP more than Rs 10,000 crore of smart city funds locked up in tendering processes were released within two months, he claimed.

The system of fixing responsibility for proper functioning of sewage treatment plants has also to be squarely fixed and for that ‘One City One Operator’ rule needs to be followed so that the operator cannot shift responsibility.

For the success of the solid waste management campaigns, especially segregation of waste at source, Dr. Pandey suggested massive advertising and publicity blitz by the municipalities and state and central governments on the lines of the Swachh Bharat campaign.

He sought review of the policies for establishing waste to energy plants to make their operations self sustaining, which right now are not proving to be economically viable. It should be made mandatory for bulk waste generators to set up their own STPs, he added.   

In his concluding remarks, Justice Pritam Pal, Chairman, NGT Monitoring Committee for river Ghaggar and Solid Waste Management in Haryana and Chandigarh, shared some personal experiences to highlight the general lack of sensitivity towards environmental issues among field officers tasked with checking untreated sewage waste and effluents. At the same time he also gave shining examples of local officials showing the will to act, and driving transformation, by taking the cooperation of civil society in Nawanshahr, Parwanoo and Rohtak.

Experiences of Best Practices

The third session on “Best Practices & Experience Sharing for Environmental Protection” saw panellists relate inspirational stories of transformation happening with the involvement of all stakeholders. Manish Tripathi, Executive Vice-President, Tata Projects, presented the case study of an ongoing project to rejuvenate river Dravyavati flowing through Jaipur city using complex environmental engineering.

He said the 47 kms long seasonal rivulet had been reduced to a highly polluted drain due to industrial effluents and municipal waste choking the flow of water. The toxic water was being used for irrigating vegetable crops.

The Jaipur Vikas Pradhikaran commissioned Tata Projects to execute a Rs 1600 crore plan. Drawing heavily from best global practices for river rejuvenation, all encroachments were removed and 40 kms of the course was levelled. Five large STPs were installed to take care of all the sewage and effluents flowing into the stream. More than 17,000 trees were planted and landscaped parks and cycle tracks laid. Today, the river rejuvenation is still work in progress but it had already opened up opportunities for recovering the cost of the project, Tripathi added.

The Rural Oasis

While the entire focus of the conference was on urban local bodies, Navdeep Kaur, Block Development & Panchayat Officer (BDPO), gave a presentation on how villages in Doraha block were showing the way to other rural belts on how to manage solid waste and keep the environs clean.

She said though rural areas were generally free of air pollution, their main concern was of water pollution and soil degradation. The villages were generating huge amounts of animal waste, wet waste from cooking, paper waste by students’ community and plastic waste.

“It was very difficult initially to convince villagers but we began with door to door garbage collection in village Landha on the lines of the practice in the cities and built covered pits for composting. The compost is being supplied free of cost to marginal farmers. Seeing the benefits, other villages caught on and today 13 of the 62 villages in the block have been covered. The biggest problem is of finances, but we are confident of overcoming these,” she asserted.

Navdeep Kaur claims that Doraha is set to become the first block in the state to be solid waste free.

The Nawanshahr Model

Lalit Mohan Pathak, the two time President of Municipal Council of Nawanshahr, which won the cleanest city award among cities with less than one lakh population in North India in Swachh Survekshan 2019, had the audiences in splits with his plain rustic style of presenting before the gathering the success story of the city falling in the NRI belt of Punjab.

Describing in detail how the collective spirit of the people, motivated by an idea, helped bring about a positive change in mindsets, he said the public raised Rs 50-60 lakh to begin this journey of transformation. Right from getting 32 low cost cycle driven rehris and 3 motor cycle driven rehris, designed and fabricated locally for door to door garbage collection, to converting a two-acre stinking dumping site into a park, many seemingly impossible tasks were achieved with the people’s will and participation, he informed.

Pathak shared that the support and participation of every section of society, including fruit juice sellers, social and religious organisations, schools and colleges, women, senior citizens, mohalla committees and the police, was enlisted towards creating awareness and persuading others to join the movement.

With funds contributed by the municipal council and collected through donations, three highly polluted ponds in the city were cleaned up, public toilets were built and dustbins with CCTV surveillance were placed across the city. The local railway station was also cleaned up with a single day’s voluntary effort and 10,000 cloth bags distributed among the population to check plastic bag usage, he added.

Baba Seechewal

Padma Shri awardee and spiritual guru Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, also called Eco Baba for his pioneering voluntary work in the field of environment, while giving an account of the mass movement for cleaning up the highly polluted 160 km long holy Kali Bein, requested the NGT chairman to use the power of his “injection” to spur the state government and the municipalities into mission mode to save the environment.     

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 

Sustainable Fashion Is Buzzword For Countrys Biggest Designer

Sanjeev Kochhar
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0
Sustainable Fashion Is Buzzword For Countrys Biggest Designer

We have seen the courtyard of the most happening place in Chandigarh tricity, the Elante Mall, buzzing with activity, ringed as it is on three sides by outlets of some of the most popular food and beverage brands. But it is the till now isolated far side of the courtyard which is starting to catch eyeballs. The name, Anita Dongre, in glittering gold colour displayed across a white typically Rajasthani style facade with the trademark arches reminiscent of palaces, rings an instant bell in the minds of the fashionistas. It is the stand-alone store of India’s biggest fashion designer and sustainable fashion warrior’s couture line.

The 55 years young Anita Dongre, into her fourth decade in the fashion world, today lords over an empire of 271 stand-alone stores and another 650 large format stores, across five brands she owns under the umbrella of the House of Anita Dongre. The five brands are AND (125 stores), her weste wear brand for women; Global Desi (133 stores), her boho-chic line; Grassroot, her youngest brand that focuses on sustainable luxury; and her luxury bridal and occasion wear brand, Anita Dongre (13 stores); besides flagship stores in New York and Mauritius.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Sharing her thoughts with LifeInChandigarh.com on the sidelines of a recent sneak peek of her 13th Anita Dongre store for a select media, the classy fashion designer, who has dressed the likes of Beyonce, Kim Kardashian, Sophie Turner, Hillary Clinton, Kate Middleton, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and Huma Abedin among others, says though latest trends do influence her creations, but she prefers to stick to the classic and the timeless designs and styles for her expensive line.

With her roots firmly entrenched in Jaipur, where she was brought up amid the traditional and timeless Rajasthani crafts, Anita does not hide the immense influences these have had over her designs. But she does take inspiration from just about anything she experiences in real life, from books, paintings, palaces and occasionally even women she comes across in her daily life.      

The store in Elante Mall, the first north of Delhi NCR, retails a select collection of Anita Dongre’s ready to wear men’s wear, women’s wear and silver jewellery. A separate section for men displays an impressive collection of pocket squares, kurtas, bandis and sherwanis. The rest of the spacious store, dedicated to women, has an exhaustive range of foil lehengas, printed kaftans and dresses, along with a curation of silver jewellery.

It’s also an ideal place for would be brides looking for an ensemble that is effortlessly elegant and designed for the mode woman. Anita Dogre’s garments come with pockets, for added comfort on those delightfully chilly baraat nights, and for carrying a mobile phone.   

Anita welcomes the increasing trend of brides-to-be being given ample freedom to shop for their trousseau. She feels that young girls are more tuned in to fashion and are able to make better choices, not necessarily sticking to norms, and instead experimenting with new styles and colours. “So, it need not be typically red and gold for their wedding dresses, but different shades of baby pink, yellow, or even white,” she shares.

Ask her for her opinion on what brides should keep in mind while dressing up for their memorable ceremonies, she asserts “the young girls should definitely not over accessorise. Care must be taken to ensure that the jewellery and the make-up is just right for the occasion and compliments the dress. The one mistake most brides make is wear too much and too heavy jewellery and get over make-up done. Since most brides would want to themselves indulge in dance at their ceremonies, so the dress also needs to be light, yet elegant,” she adds.

Anita Dongre has won international acclaim because of her tireless efforts focused on reviving and sustaining the crafts in remote villages of India, and creating mass livelihoods for rural women artisans, as also her worldwide advocacy of practicing sustainable fashion.

She has been working with hundreds of women artisans in different parts of the country. Particularly noteworthy is her collaboration with Ahmedabad-based Self-employed Women’s Association (SEWA), helping combine the embroidery craft of its members with mode fashion that sells. She is a firm believer that the craftswomen should be allowed to stay true to their craft. Each garment needs to be created around their unique motifs and stitches so that they take pride in a sense of shared authorship, she feels.

As a strong votary of sustainable fashion, Anita is convinced that moving forward every designer worth his or her salt has to become mindful of, and focus as much on environment and the society or community as on profits. From discussing sustainable fashion at the World Economic Forum at Davos to showcasing a spring-summer collaboration with Austrian company Lenzing (makers of sustainable fabric Tencel) at the Lakme Fashion Week coinciding with Sustainable Fashion Day, Anita has given ample proof of her commitment.

Last year, her fashion house also became a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, a global alliance for textile, apparel and footwear industries to promote sustainable production processes.

“It is a great time to be a woman in India right now,” she opines and adds that women are being given ample opportunities to explore themselves. “Now, it is for the women to shed their inhibitions, their mindsets need to change. They must start believing in themselves, in their abilities.”

So, where does she find herself in her career spanning three decades? “I am dying to do more. I am still as full of energy, excitement and passion as an 18-year-old.”

With her sisters Meena Sehra and Priyanka Hira, her brother Mukesh Sawlani, who is the MD of the company, son Yash and nephew Deepikesh, Anita has steered the House of Anita Dongre (earlier AND Designs India Ltd.) to the top of the fashion house hierarchy in the country.

What differentiates her from the rest? Fashion critics feel that Anita Dongre is not about expensive clothing alone. Her deep understanding of pricing which is justifiable, and her penchant for creating trendy, wearable clothing that perfectly fits the criteria for mass retail is the biggest differentiator. Moreover, her garments are beautiful, feminine, sustainable and mainstream, they explain.

The celebrity designer is currently working on a select collection with Kashmiri craftsmen. She is also exploring possibilities with Punjab’s own phulkari. Hand weaves with North-East clusters for making of sustainable fabric is on her agenda, too.

https://www.anitadongre.com

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.

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She Reinvented Juttis As High Fashion Wear, And Celebrities Lapped Them Up

Sanjeev Kochhar
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She Reinvented Juttis As High Fashion Wear, And Celebrities Lapped Them Up

Her looks are striking, style classy and she carries herself with supreme confidence – all the traits for a successful entry into the glamorous world of modelling or celluloid one would say. But, for the graduate in Political Science from Delhi, who did her masters in International Journalism from a UK university, her calling lay somewhere else – in the world of design and creativity.

Shirin Mann Sangha’s fixation since childhood with the traditional juttis worn by her mother, whom she adored as her role model, by some quirk of fate, was ushered into business of juttis, but with a difference. Her label Needledust, which reinvented the flats and turned it into a high fashion accessory, four years down the line is a loved brand with a worldwide following, including among several Bollywood divas like Priyanka Chopra and  Deepika Padukone, who made specially crafted juttis by Shirin a part of their trousseau for their wedding festivities.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Speaking to LifeInChandigarh.com at the launch of her first store in the city, where she did her schooling at Vivek High, and where her family and bulk of friends are, 32-year-old Shirin says this store in Elante Mall is only her third offline outlet after Saket and Asiad Village in Delhi. “It’s so nostalgic, and such a wonderful experience, to be opening my exclusive store in the city of my dreams, where I spent some of the most enjoyable years of my life,” she shares with a glitter in her eyes.

What makes the brand stand out is the sheer exquisiteness and enormous variety of the embroidery or embellishments on the uppers, the high quality of the leather and other materials used and the unmatched comfort of wearing the flats. “Highest quality calf leather is used in all out jutties, through recently we have also introduced a completely vegan (using faux leather) range of slip on mules (back open). The sole has a double foam cushion and the flats are scientifically designed so as not to cut into the skin, as is the common complaint with juttis available in the market,” she emphasises.

Recently, Shirin, who besides being the founder of Needledust is also its creative head, has also entered into an agreement with the world renowned Swarovski to offer special and bespoke customisation service to their patrons at the Chandigarh store, which has prominently displayed a new Swarovski crystal range of juttis along with an Autumn-Winter Collection. Another exclusive range has been crafted in association with the pioneering duo of Indian high fashion industry Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla (AJSK).

“We are foraying in a major way into international mules which are inspired by the fashionable traveller. As far as juttis are concerned we have contemporised these to pair nicely with even western wear. That’s a USP of my line,” she gushes.

Each element of Needledust is claimed to be carefully designed in the brand’s aesthetic with raw materials including pine wood, gold brass, Indian marble and jute. The various sections are juttis, mules, kids, celebrity and Needledust X AJSK.

Though Shirin’s admiration for juttis developed at a very young age, her first real involvement with this traditional handicraft happened when she started scouting for that perfect pair – trendy colour, exquisite design and comfortable – to go with her wedding lehenga. “I went everywhere, but to my utter disappointment found none to my liking. Some were too simple and boring, and some uncomfortable to wear. So, I decided to design by own wedding pair adorned by ghungroos and got them custom made from craftsmen,” she reminisces.

Shirin says the outcome was great and the pair was appreciated by my family and friends alike. This was when a thought emerged – why not try and fill this gap in the market by designing traditional juttis with high quality, comfort and contemporary styles in mind. Encouraged by her husband to go ahead, Shirin gave birth to the Needledust label.

Launching her juttis first on an online portal, she says she was elated when the entire stock got sold out within the first 10 days. From then on there was no looking back. Within months, the brand won the imagination of a worldwide audience. Bollywood celebrities followed, and Needledust brand became synonymous with high fashion juttis.

Besides Priyanka and Deepika, who fancied the brand for their wedding ceremonies, among the other stars known to have patronised it are Alia Bhatt, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Kareen Kapoor Khan, Kangana Ranaut, Sonam Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Kriti Sanon, Disha Patani, Sara Ali Khan and Tapsee Pannu.

Shirin firmly believes that one does not always need formal training or education in the field of creativity. She herself has none. “If you have the creative instincts, are passionate about something and willing to work hard, nothing can stand between you and success,” she shares.

After the launch of this third store of Needledust in Chandigarh, following the first two opened in Delhi, Shirin now plans to open still another one in Delhi and one in Mumbai.

The price range starts from somewhere around Rs 2700 and goes up to Rs 7200. Kids’ stuff starts from Rs 2200.

Designing juttis for men is also on Shirin’s agenda. “Hopefully it should come through next year,” she says in her parting shot.

www.needledust.com     

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.

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Punjab Shows Resolve To Tu New Leaf, Emerge As Research & Innovation Hub Of India

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Punjab Shows Resolve To Tu New Leaf, Emerge As Research & Innovation Hub Of India

The resolute intent of the state Government to make Mission Innovate Punjab a success, and position the frontier state as the research and innovation hub of the country, was quite palpable at the impressive Punjab Innovation & Technology Summit 2019, organised in Chandigarh on Tuesday and attended by leaders from government, academia, industry and innovation and research organisations from across the country and abroad.

Giving a historical perspective of the preeminent place Punjab held, first as the sword arm, and later as the food bowl of the country, the philosophical Finance Minister of the state Manpreet Singh Badal, deputising for Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh as chief guest, said it was time for the glorious state to tu another chapter and lead the nation in the field of research and innovation.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Wowing the audience with his masterful delivery of couplets and memories of interesting episodes from history books, Badal pressed home the point that ideas propel countries to progress. Coinciding with the celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of the first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev, he said after wielding the sword and the plough with elan, Punjab has now  resolved to master the field of research and innovation and make the state its hub.

“I am sure this will prove a turning point in the history of the state and change its destiny,” he asserted.

Giving an overview of the state’s economy in the inaugural session, Punjab Principal Secretary Science & Technology Rakesh Kumar Verma said from a leading state with a robust economy and the highest per capita state GDP in the country, Punjab’s growth started to slow down in the mid 1990s and today it is languishing in the bottom half of the leader board.

He informed the gathering that Punjab Innovation & Technology Summit 2019 is aimed at reversing the trend and restoring the glory of the state. It is being organised under Mission Innovate Punjab, the purpose of which is to build a robust ecosystem for research and innovation in the state by synergising relationships among the four pillars – academia, industries, government departments and funding agencies. The Mission is striving to enhance competitiveness, boost growth and create quality jobs, he added.

Three documents were released on the occasion – Framework for Mission Innovate Punjab, Draft State Action Plan for Climate Change and Concept Document of Global Innovation Hub.

A MoU was also exchanged with the recently launched promising technology university, Plaksha University in Mohali, which has become Punjab Government’s knowledge partner for the Global Innovation Hub to come up on 4 acres land in Knowledge City Mohali. The hub is expected to connect the universities and research institutions already present in the Knowledge City and encourage collaborations not only regionally, but also nationally and globally.

The gathering was also informed that the state government is in negotiations with tech giants like Accenture and IMB India to become its strategic partners in this mission. The participation in the summit of Accenture Managing Director S. Balasubramanian and IMB Managing Director for India & South Asia Karan Bajwa was proof enough of the two companies’ interest in contributing to the mission’s success.

A host of universities and research institutions from the region have been taken on board by signing MoUs with them to take the Mission Innovate Punjab forward. Among them are IIT Ropar, IMTECH Chandigarh, Public Health Foundation of India New Delhi, DAV University Jalandhar, Chitkara University Rajpura, Punjabi University Patiala, Lovely Professional University Jalandhar, Dr. BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, NIPER Mohali, Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology Patiala, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University Ludhiana and Guru Nanak Engineering College Ludhiana.

From the industry side, the associations which have joined hands with the Punjab government in the mission are All India Steel Rerollers Association Mandi Gobindgarh, United Sewing Machine & Parts Manufacturers Association Ludhiana, Mohali Hi-Tech Metal Cluster, Chamber of Industrial & Commercial Undertakings (CICU) Ludhiana and Automation Industry Association New Delhi.   

Speaking at the inaugural, Dr Abhay Jere, Chief Innovation Officer Innovation Cell of the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development, said the cell was created in the ministry 18 months ago to kick start innovation and so far 10 lakh college students and faculty members had been directly touched with its activities.

He informed that under the Smart India Hackathon, the world’s largest open competition in innovation launched recently, 50 lakh-plus college students vied for the top honours at 65-plus locations across the country. The 2020 edition of the hackathon will provide students a platform to find world class solutions to the pressing daily problems of the people involving ministries, departments, industries, PSUs and NGOs across the spectrum to inculcate in them a culture of product innovation and a mindset of problem-solving. This will also help the outstanding contestants launch startups or get an opportunity to be hired by top government and private sector industries and organisations, he added. 

Jere shared that higher education institutions and universities are also being systematically ranked under Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) basis indicators related to innovation and entrepreneurship development among students and faculties. This is aimed at inspiring Indian institutions to reorient their mind-sets and build ecosystems to encourage high quality research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Dr. MP Poonia, Vice Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), while giving figures of the state of technical education institutions in the country said only 20 lakh students are getting enrolled in these institutions which have a combined capacity of 37 lakh seats. Out of these 20 lakh only 13 lakh are passing out and only 7 lakh getting employed.

“If we are unable to guide and monitor these 6 lakh unemployed, I am afraid that these youths instead of being the country’s strength will prove to be a burden. These youth can be guided to spread out in the villages to do some innovative problem solving by establishing startups. This will not only strengthen rural economies, and achieve the target of doubling farmers’ incomes, but also provide rural employment, he shared.

Among other measures, the council has instituted the Vishwakarma Award and aligned the curriculum with Industry 4.0, he said, adding that a fund of Rs 300 crore has been created to strengthen research and development activities and lab infrastructure in technical institutions. Maximum applications for assistance from the fund are being received from the southe states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but unfortunately practically none from Punjab, he informed and appealed to heads of institutions and vice chancellors of universities to take bold initiatives in this regard to avail of the liberal funding.

Stressing on the technological advancements, and more importantly spirit of innovation in Israel, its Ambassador to India Dr Ron Malka said being one of its closest friends, India can benefit immensely from Israeli experience. He said research and innovation holds the key to the future of the world and improving the lives of the people. Israel, despite a dearth of natural resources, realised early that its greatest strength is human resource and invested heavily in that. The focus paid off and today Israel is a frontrunner in research, innovation and technology in the world, he emphasised.

Apart from Jere, Poonia and Malka, among the more than 50 eminent speakers who participated in eight different sessions were Prof SK Das, Director, IIT Ropar, Dr. Girish Sahni, former Director General, CSIR; Prof. Anil Wali, MD, Foundation for Innovation & Technology Transfer (FITT) at IIT Delhi; Prof Youngjin Yoo, Department of Design & Innovation, Case Weste Reserve University, USA; Ms Ratika Jain, CEO, Global Innovation & Technology Alliance (GITA), New Delhi; Prof (Dr) Henry H Chen, Director S&T Division, Taipei Economic & Cultural Centre in India, Embassy of Taiwan; Dr Vivek Dham, Advisor, Research & Innovation, Delegation of the European Union; Prof (Dr) Graham Ball, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK; Kirtiman Awathi, Senior Policy Advisor, Climate Adaptation & Climate Finance, GIZ India; Karan Bajwa, MD, IBM India & South Asia; and S Balasubramanian, MD, Accenture.

In a startup competition, Chitkara University Rajpura’s Dr Virender Kadyan walked away with the winner’s prize money of Rs 50,000 sponsored by Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology for his innovation BrilTab – Edukit #Speech Lab.  

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.

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Most Spinal Conditions Can Be Treated With Posture Correction & Other Lifestyle Changes

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Most Spinal Conditions Can Be Treated With Posture Correction & Other Lifestyle Changes

Most of the spinal problems, including the most common off and on lower back ache, which at times runs down to the legs, can be treated non-surgically with modification in lifestyle, posture correction and judicious medication. But for conditions requiring surgery also, the latest advancements in minimally invasive endoscopic techniques have made treatments much faster, safer and more comfortable for patients.

A three-day conference of minimally invasive spine surgeons from across the country, and some renowned names from across the world, beginning in Zirakpur on Friday, will dwell in depth into these latest advancements and what the future holds in store.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Sharing this information with media persons in Chandigarh on Thursday organising secretary of the conference and chairman of Trinity Hospital Zirakpur Dr Mohinder Kaushal said MISSICON 2019 is a combined 6th Annual Conference of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeons Association of Bharat (MISSAB) and meeting of the World Endoscopic Spine Society (WESS). Around 150 doctors are expected to participate.

Dr Kaushal, a well known orthopaedics, endoscopic spine & arthroscopic surgeon of the region, told LifeInChandigarh.com during an interaction that just as in the case of the knees, most of the common spinal problems like lower back and sciatica pain, etc can be linked to degeneration of the spine, which starts as early as 20-25 years of age. This natural process combined with sedentary lifestyle and nutritional deficiencies can lead to all these complications, he said.

Timely consultation with a doctor, suitable changes in posture and lifestyle, judicious medication and nutritional supplements can help stabilise the condition gradually, he said, adding however that many patients approach a doctor as a last resort, by when damage to the nerves in the affected area leaves very little scope for providing any substantial relief.

One of the international faculty at the conference, and renowned surgeon in the field of minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery, Dr Sang Kyu Son from Busan in South Korea, shared that with the latest technological advancements it has become possible to treat a majority of the spine disorders with the use of keyhole surgical techniques. He particularly mentioned the technique by which the endoscope and instruments are inserted into the body in the targetted area through two separate keyholes which has given surgeons more operative flexibility.    

Dr PC Dey from Bhubaneswar in Orissa, who is also secretary, WESS, and Dr. Srinivas Rohidas from Kohlapur in Maharashtra, informed that endoscopic spine surgery had revolutionised the treatment of spine disorders. Open spine surgery has traditionally been associated with poor results due to big cuts, lot of pain, long recovery times, longer hospital stay, more medication and greater chances of infection due to extensive dissection and healthy bone removal. With advent of endoscopic spine surgery, the outcomes and results of spine surgery have changed dramatically. Now a patient can walk out of hospital within hours of surgery, they added.      

Apart from Dr. Sang Kyu Son from South Korea, the other international faculty at the conference includes Dr. Abdul Halim Yusof from Malaysia and Dr Luthfi Gatam from Indonesia.

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.

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Misleading Consumer Ads Will Hopefully Be Checked With 2019 Act, Says NCDRC President

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Misleading Consumer Ads Will Hopefully Be Checked With 2019 Act, Says NCDRC President

False and misleading advertisements promising things like whiter teeth in two weeks or four shades fairer skin in a month may soon a thing of the past once ‘The Consumer Protection Act 2019’ comes into force, expectedly later this year or beginning of next year.

This is the level of confidence National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) President Justice RK Agrawal (retd) exuded while delivering a lecture on the topic “Advances In Consumer Law – Vision For Future” at a conference on “Consumer Is Always Right?” organised by Rotary Club Chandigarh Midtown in association with Rotary Club Chandigarh Central on Saturday.

File Photo Of Justice RK Agrawal (retd), President, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission

Justice Agrawal informed the gathering that the Act, which is awaiting government notification to become law, while clearly defining what constituted a misleading advertisement, has for the first time specified penal provisions, including fine of up to Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment of up to two years.

“It also provides for prosecution of celebrities, including imposing fines (on them) for endorsing products with misleading claims,” he said, while expressing confidence that these measures will prove to be a strong deterrence against such unethical practises.

Justice Agrawal hailed several other forward looking provisions of the Act, including introduction of the concept of mediation, as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, and establishment of a national level ‘Regulator’ called ‘Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)’ with wide ranging powers.

Enumerating some other important provisions of the Act 2019, the National Commission President said among these inclusion of offline as well as online transactions through electronic means or by teleshopping or direct selling or multi-level marketing in the ambit of the Act was quite noteworthy. He felt that raising of the pecuniary jurisdiction of district fora, state commissions and national commission to Rs 1 crore, Rs 10 crore and above Rs 10 crore, respectively was a welcome step.

“The changes that have been incorporated in the Act 2019 will most certainly ensure a safer and fairer market for consumers to interact with the providers, but to what extent, only time will tell,” he remarked.

While acknowledging that the 1986 Act, with amendments in 1991, 1993 and 2002, had benefitted lakhs of consumers, Justice Agrawal at the same time admitted to several lacunas in it, which needed to be fixed.

Huge Pendency

Sharing some facts and figures to point out that the previous Act had failed to meet the expectations of the consumers in a rapidly transforming world, he said though disposal rate of complaints in the various consumer fora had on an average been over 90%, yet there were over 4.5 lakh pending cases in all fora as on Sept 30, 2019. 

With cases dragging on for over a year on average, there was growing disillusionment and frustration among the consumers, who were hesitant in approaching the consumer fora. The reasons for the delay, he said, were many, including lack of infrastructure, appalling working conditions, non-functioning of consumer fora due to delay in appointments of presidents and members, adjournments taken by lawyers and unnecessary pleadings.

Why New Law Required

Giving justification for a new Consumer Protection Law, Justice Agrawal emphasised that with changing times, the consumer law had to grow in order to satisfy the needs of a rapidly  changing society and keep abreast with economic developments.

Another consideration was that consumers were now participants in a global and online market. The potential of the internet to create a virtual borderless market had made the domestic territorial-based consumer protection laws incompatible with the non-territorial or cross-border nature of e-transactions, raising issues relating to enforceability of judgements and laws, he shared.

Therefore, for a long time a need was being felt to suitably amend the existing Act to deal with these aspects of the globalised world, Justice Agrawal added.

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Microbiologist Society India Recognises PU Profs Devotion To Teaching

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Microbiologist Society India Recognises PU Profs Devotion To Teaching

He was drawn to tears as a gathering of students, researchers, teachers and academicians drawn from various scientific backgrounds gave him a standing ovation on his receiving the ‘Lifetime Devotion Award’ from the Microbiologist Society India. He is only the fourth microbiologist in the country to receive this award since its inception.

Though his individual achievements as a microbiologist place him at a high pedestal, it is Prof Sanjay Chhibber’s devotion to teaching which has won him the award. The unassuming and caring senior most professor of the reputed Microbiology Department of Panjab University Chandigarh, who has dedicated four decades of his life to teaching, resides in the hearts of his students, colleagues and all others who come in his influence, and it showed in the spontaneous response.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

The award was conferred upon him during a symposium on “Innovative Approaches In Microbial Biotechnology” organised by the department on Friday.

Unable to hold herself back while sitting in the audience, his PhD course mate of yesteryears Dr Madhu Kaul, who retired as Principal of Govt Home Science College Chandigarh, in an impromptu profusion of emotions spoke highly about Prof Chhibber’s unflinching love for teaching. He let go several opportunities of holding high administrative postings in the field of education during his illustrious career just because he wanted to remain closely connected with his students, she shared.

The current Chairperson of the department Prof Kusum Harjai also fondly remembered being Prof Chhibber’s first student in the department and how she held him in high esteem and respect.

Reading out Prof Chhibber’s citation, Dr AM Deshmukh, President, Microbiologist Society India, said he is a renowned scientist who has made immense contribution in the field of medical microbiology. His work involves understanding of host-parasite interactions in terms of bacterial virulence. Currently, his laboratory is engaged in finding alternative strategies to curb rising antimicrobial resistance in bacteria in case bacteria fails to respond to available antibiotics.

His work on bacteriophage therapy, where he uses phage as antibacterial agent with or without antibiotics, has engaged the attention of the scientific community the world over. He has published this work in national and international journals and has patents in this area, Deshmukh added.

He emphasised that such illustrious scientists, who are equally passionate about sharing their knowledge, and encouraging and guiding young scientific brains to find sustainable solutions to existing and future worldly problems, are a rare commodity.

Accepting the award in all humility, Prof Chhibber, true to his reputation dedicated the award to the training, guidance and inspiration provided to him by his teachers and senior colleagues because of which he could challenge his own limits. He gave equal credit to the research scholars working as a team with him, “just like family.”

In the symposium, Prof. RS Awasthi from Shivaji Mahavidyalaya, Renapur, Maharashtra delivered a lecture on the theme “Innovative Approaches In Microbial Science”, while Prof AM Deshmukh from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Osmanabad, Maharashtra made a presentation on “Biotechnological Solutions To e-Waste”.   

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Society Needs To Find Ways To Settle Consumer Issues Out Of Court, Let Courts Be Last Resort

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Society Needs To Find Ways To Settle Consumer Issues Out Of Court, Let Courts Be Last Resort

The society must generate greater awareness and devise ways to settle consumer issues out of court. Judicial courts or consumer disputes redressal fora should be considered as a last resort. This is the general line of thought which prevailed at the conference on “Consumer Is Always Right?” organised by Rotary Club Chandigarh Midtown in association with Rotary Club Chandigarh Central in the auditorium of Goswami Ganesh Dutta SD College in Sector 32 on Saturday.

Justice RK Agrawal (retd), President, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, the chief guest on the occasion, while speaking on the topic “Recent Advances in Consumer Law – Vision for Future” hailed the ‘The Consumer Protection Act 2019’ as a landmark legislation which is expected to bring further relief to consumers in the rapidly changing world environment. He hoped that it will come into effect soon, after the government notifies it.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Earlier giving an overview of the topic of the conference, Rtn. Salil Bali, President Rotary Club Chandigarh Midtown, shared with the audience that apart from its core areas of service to society his club was laying special focus on consumer protection, and laws associated with it. He hoped that Rotarians will play an important role in consolidating the consumer protection movement in the country.

Conference chairman and former member of the National Commission Rtn. Dr. BC Gupta, in his presentation “My Tryst With The Consumer Law”, presented half a dozen interesting examples from his five-and-a-half years experience in the commission to give the consumer movement food for thought. Situations are not always cut and dried and consumer disputes redressal agencies have to play a balancing act in such matters, he emphasised.

He also called upon the society, and organisations like Rotary clubs, to play a proactive role in generating greater consumer awareness and take steps for redressal of consumer issues out of court.

Rtn. Balram Gupta, Director Academics, Chandigarh Judicial Academy, in his topic “Rotary Connects The Consumer” said he was looking forward to the implementation of the new clause of alternative mechanism of mediation in the 2019 Consumer Act, which he thought was a laudable initiative.

Giving an international perspective to consumer law, young lawyer Sukhandeep Singh quoted profusely from the UK law to highlight the need for making the framework for consumer disputes redressal more accessible and faster.

NC Rana, President, Consumer Association Panchkula, speaking on the topic “Fate of Consumer”, felt that the structure of the consumer redressal mechanism in the country made it extremely inaccessible for a vast majority of people residing in the rural areas, where lack of awareness was also a big stumbling block.

The presidents of the state commissions of Haryana, Punjab and UT Chandigarh, Justices (retd) TPS Mann, PS Dhaliwal and RS Attri were felicitated on the occasion.

Among others present were Rtn. Raman Malik, President, Rotary Club Chandigarh Central, and past President Chandigarh Midtown Rtn. RTPS Tulsi.

Rtn. Jitendra Dhingra, District Governor, Rotary District 3080, who was to be Guest of Honour, could not make it because of unforeseen personal compulsions.

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With Ortech Textiles Unit, India’s Ortho Aids Leader Tynor Goes Completely Indigenous

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To compete globally, Mohali, Punjab based Tynor sheds dependence...

Clouds Of Doubt Wither, New Age Indian Batting Stars Shine Bright

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People Developing Type 2 Diabetes At 30 Or Below Highly Concerning: Diabetologist Dr Deepti Arora

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With Ortech Textiles Unit, India’s Ortho Aids Leader Tynor Goes Completely Indigenous

Industry 0
To compete globally, Mohali, Punjab based Tynor sheds dependence...

Clouds Of Doubt Wither, New Age Indian Batting Stars Shine Bright

Cricket 0
Shubman Gill (127*) becomes fifth Indian batsman to score...

People Developing Type 2 Diabetes At 30 Or Below Highly Concerning: Diabetologist Dr Deepti Arora

Lifestyle 0
Alarming situation needs to be addressed urgently through coordinated...

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