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The Doyen Of Neurology Inspired Generations Of Doctors

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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He was a stalwart in the field of neurology – a highly respected doctor and teacher, and a stickler for discipline and punctuality. Padma Bhushan Prof (Dr) Jagjit Singh Chopra, founder father of the Department of Neurology at PGI Chandigarh and founder-principal of the Government Medical College Hospital in Sector 32, passed away on Friday evening after remaining admitted in the trauma ICU of PGI Chandigarh for a month.

The who’s who of the medical fraternity and his admirers from all walks of life were in attendance at his funeral on Saturday.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Earlier in the day, a condolence meeting was held at the PGI with present and former directors, heads of various departments, senior professors, PGI faculty members, administrative officials and resident doctors paying their respects to the doyen of the medical field.

Prof JS Chopra (84), who had suffered a stroke in 2016, had lost his speech but he made a remarkable recovery with his knowledge, expertise and perseverance. He leaves behind a son and a daughter.

In October 2017, the celebrated neurologist, who had a couple of hundred scientific papers and dozens of national and international awards to his credit, was conferred with the Life-time Achievement Award by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) at its XXIII World Congress at Kyoto, Japan. Being indisposed he himself could not travel to Japan and the award was received on his behalf. Later it was presented to him at a function organised by the PGI Neurological Society on the occasion of World Stroke Day.

Former PGI head of department of Neurology Prof (Dr) VK Kak and current head of the department Prof (Dr) Vivek Lal described Dr Chopra as a father figure who had inspired generations of young and upcoming neurologists.

Born in Lahore, and having completed his initial medical studies at Government Medical College, Patiala, Dr Chopra pursued his post graduation and Ph.D. in UK. He was the youngest Indian FRCP (Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians) in 1969. After working in various hospitals in UK, he joined the PGI as assistant professor and established the department of neurology in November 1968. He was gradually elevated to the post of professor and head of the department, which he held till his retirement in June 1995.

Dr Chopra was given the onerous responsibility of establishing another prestigious hospital in Chandigarh, GMCH-32, as its director-principal with additional responsibility of Secretary, Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh Administration, on deputation from PGI from 1991 to 1995. He did full justice to his assignment, and today his baby is ranked among the top 10 medical colleges in the country.

The noted neurologist trained many super specialists in neurology, most of whom are heading department of neurology at various establishments in India and abroad. He also trained many specialists in neurology for the armed forces. After his retirement, he remained Professor Emeritus at PGI and at the National Academy of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. He conducted cutting edge research in diseases of muscles, peripheral nerves, stroke and infections of the nervous system in UK and India.

Dr Chopra was founder president of Indian Academy of Neurology and past president of Neurological Society of India. He was the first Indian neurologist to be selected Secretary General of a world congress of neurology at its XIV edition held in New Delhi in 1989.

He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 2008.

Fertility Programme Added To Mother-Child Success Story

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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Cloudnine Group of women, childcare and fertility hospitals marked the first anniversary of its Chandigarh centre with a gala ‘Pregnancy Feista’, claiming to have become, within a year of its existence, the private hospital hosting the highest number of would-be-mothers every month in the region. “We are currently hosting 60-plus mothers-to-be in the hospital every month and our success rate in handling deliveries and neonatal complications has been near 100%,” Dr Pawan Kumar, Regional Director (North) of the group, told media persons during a select interaction.

“Recently we also launched an in-house fertility programme in the Chandigarh hospital, and our fertility lab here has been recognised by visiting renowned fertility experts as the best among all hospitals in Chandigarh and Punjab,” Dr Kumar said, adding that the success of the fertility programme across the group hospitals has been 50%, which matches the international benchmark of success for this programme.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

The Bengaluru headquartered hospital chain already has 22 centres across seven cities – Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, Gurgaon, Noida and Chandigarh. Looking at the huge potential of women, childcare and fertility centres in the country, especially in the North, the group is planning to add 3-4 more centres in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR). “We are also looking at opening one in Ludhiana, which does not have a single organised setup in this category in the private sector,” Dr Kumar shared.

Founded by then Australia-based neonatologist Dr R Kishore Kumar in 2007 with three other co-founders, the Cloudnine Group of Hospitals is backed by marquee investors Matrix Partners, Sequoia India and India value fund advisors (TrueNorth).

Responding to the ongoing controversy over allegations of private hospitals seeking to mint money by recommending cesarean section over normal delivery, both Dr Kumar and Dr. Mahesh Hiranandani, Head of Pediatrics Department of the hospital in Chandigarh, maintained that though cesarean section procedure had become extremely safe, still the group had a clearly defined policy to encourage normal deliveries. Every caesarean section goes through an audit and doctors are rewarded for maintaining a high track record of normal deliveries. Going a step further, the group hospitals have the same charges for both normal and caesarean deliveries (around Rs 70,000 with a Delux Private Room) to remove the possibility of wrong doing in a doctor recommending a particular delivery method, going strictly by the best option in the case presented before him, they asserted.

Emphasising that a neonatal ICU (NICU) had become a near necessity in reducing infant mortality at childbirth, Dr Hiranandani said most deaths of newborns with complications or premature babies were caused by lack of adequate support and infrastructure with attending doctors. Referring of such cases quickly to NICU-equipped hospitals thus becomes critical for survival of the newborns, he added.

Giving examples of half a dozen premature babies with weights ranging from as low as 600 grams to 1.2 kg currently admitted to NICU in Cloudnine Chandigarh, Dr Hiranandani said the success rate in the 300-odd such cases admitted in their hospital so far, involving 1500 hours of NICU admission, has been 99.3%, which speaks for itself about the world class infrastructure at the hospital. “We have an ambulance, which is a mini NICU in itself, equipped with Rs 60 lakh worth of equipment, for transporting such extreme cases to our hospital,” he emphasised.

Referring to the fertility programme, Dr Pawan Kumar stressed that in most cases resolution of a couple’s distress over not being able to have a child starts with consultation from a good expert. IVF comes as a last resort, as most of the couples get relief with other modes of treatment. In case IVF is found to be the only option, a woman can conceive in three months’ time. The international benchmark success rate for IVF is 50%, and so it is at Cloudnine group hospitals, he remarked.

For assistance & appointment : 1860 500 9999

 www.cloudninecare.com

Focus On Artificial Intelligence, 3D Printing At Radiology Meet

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools are today providing radiologists a more insightful interpretation, adding value to medical reports that can have positive impact on patient outcomes. Hence the need for radiologists to embrace and master these new technologies for enhanced patient experiences through minimal interventions. Imaging analytics are allowing imaging studies to be screened for conditions like osteoporosis, coronary artery disease and abnormal fat deposition in the liver, which do not show any apparent symptoms.

These and many other issues and latest developments in the field of radiology are going to be discussed in an impressive gathering of specialists and super specialists from across the country and abroad during a four-day 72nd Annual Conference of Indian Radiological & Imaging Association (IRIA) being hosted by the Chandigarh chapter of the association and the Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging of PGI Chandigarh from Thursday.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Sharing the information with media persons here on Wednesday, Prof (Dr) MS Sandhu, Head of Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, PGI Chandigarh, and Prof (Dr) Paramjeet Singh, one of the two organising chairmen of the conference, said the conference will also have a deep focus on 3D printing.

Besides well known radiologists from across the country, the line-up of international radiologists expected to participate include more than half a dozen alumni of PGI Chandigarh who are currently working with some of the most renowned hospitals of the world.

Among the star international radiologists expected are Dr Taylor Chung, a renowned pediatric radiologist and current President of the Society of Pediatric Radiologists, Dr Sanjay Gupta from world’s No. 1 cancer hospital MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, Dr Ajay Kumar Singh from another renowned hospital Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, and Dr Rajeev Suri, renowned vascular interventional radiologist from the University of Texas.

The organisers said participants will get an opportunity to interact with experts and learn the art of performing specialised ultrasounds as well as image-guided interventions from them.

Sharing latest advances in the Department of Radiodiagnosis & Imaging at PGI Chandigarh, Prof Paramjeet Singh said the institute authorities have been generous in allowing the department to acquire the latest machines which have kept it in step with the technological advancements in the world. The recent addition of the cryoablation machine has made PGI Chandigarh the only hospital in the country to have the facility of this most modern machine.

Cryoablation uses image guidance to insert a needle-like applicator, called a cryoprobe, and liquid nitrogen or argon gas to create intense cold (nearly minus-150 degrees Celsius) to freeze and destroy diseased tissue, including cancer cells. It is generally used to treat a variety of skin conditions as well as tumours within the liver, kidneys, bones, lungs and breasts.

Scale Up Training Of Anganwadi Workers,Women Sarpanches To Speed Up Change: Maneka

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi on Monday formally inaugurated a 5th Regional Office of the central research, training, development and resource centre, NIPCCD (National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development) at Mohali with an impassioned call to scientifically scale up the training of anganwadi workers and women sarpanches to act as catalysts for accelerated development of women and children.

“Let the training of anganwadi workers be of a level that they are able to provide the same standard of pre-schooling as in any reputed private pre-school, and not remain confined to providing nutrition, as they have been all these 40 years of their existence,” she stressed, adding “so much so that people at all levels, who at present prefer to send their children to private pre-schools, incurring a heavy expenditure, are inspired to enrol them in anganwadis.”

Photos By : Life in Chandigarh

Taking a deep interest in the playing tools and other materials prepared by NIPCCD and on display in the Child Guidance Centre, the minister later in her address to the gathering was highly appreciative of the innovation shown by various resource persons of the institute. “Taking a round of the exhibits, I was amazed to find that at least 25% of these educational games were very new and exciting, worth patenting and distributing among the anganwadis, and selling in the open market,” she shared. She even hinted towards possibility of launching a company to sell such valuable products.

She appeared to be particularly charmed by ‘Akshar Mala’, a word building game in Hindi using blocks with alphabets written on all six sides prepared by a young female resource person Varuni Sethi under the supervision of her guide Parul Srivastav. “If fact, I would love to buy such a game for my granddaughter, too,” Maneka said.

Later talking to LifeInChandigarh.com Parul Srivastav gave full credit to the young resource persons being trained at the centre for their creativity, and said their contribution was particularly invaluable since the educational play material space was dominated by English language products, and hence of little interest to a vast majority of target audiences not familiar with the language.

The Union minister also wanted deep focus to be laid on training resource persons to enhance the abilities of children with special needs, especially in rural areas. Psychological conditioning of children who show signs of violent behaviour, isolation or other traits of concern is another area we need to concentrate on, she added.

Laying emphasis on spreading awareness among, and training women sarpanches in administrative, financial and technical matters, as also sensitising them to issues of social change, Maneka Gandhi observed that after implementation of 33% reservation for women in rural and urban local bodies (50% in some states) it had become imperative that they be geared to work independently, and not become pawns in the hands of their husbands or others, as was practically happening to a large extent.

If we are able to train them on small, simple things like money matters – how and from where funds can be sourced, how these are to be judiciously utilised, how to prioritise projects and marshal human resources, audit works and accounts, etc – we can empower them for accelerated development, she maintained.

A skit on the subject “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” amused the audience. The programme ended with an impressive ‘Swachhta Song’ sung by the young trainee resource persons of the institute. 

The Union minister also visited the “Women Of India Organic Festival 2019”, organised in Chandigarh for the first time by her ministry to encourage women in organic farming, and bought a few things for herself, including a lone remaining pack of an aromatic variety of rice from a sold out stall put up by Basundhara Susthaye Krishi Khamar, West Bengal. The well-received three-day festival concluded on Monday.

Not So Cool

Two sore points stood out during the inaugural function at the impressive campus of NIPCCD Mohali. Moving out of the building after taking a round of the facilities, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi noticed excessive use of concrete on the inner perimeter of the campus and gave a mouthful to the concerned officials. She wanted the concrete paver blocks to be removed and trees planted generously instead. “Work must be done quickly,” she ordered.

Another sore point on the campus of an institute focussed on positive change of mindsets and modern thought processes was the use of a string of vintage incandescent bulbs to decorate the entrance to its building in an age of LEDs.

All Eyes On SUV Hector, From Iconic Brand Morris Garages

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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Four gleaming and stylish passenger car models displayed in the lobby of the city’s hottest melting pot, Elante Mall, since Friday are catching eyeballs of visitors. But most wide-eyed shoppers are confused…they haven’t seen these models before. The MG badge on all of them is striking. But what is MG? Aficionados of automobiles will of course connect it to the iconic British car maker Morris Garages, which has just announced the name of its still-under-wraps first car being rolled out in the Indian market, a premium SUV christened MG Hector, slated for a pan India launch in May-June 2019.

The British marque, now owned by the largest Chinese automobile company SAIC Motor Corporation, has displayed these beauties for public viewing to showcase its fundamental strengths and let prospective customers witness its global product technology, quality and features. The experience zone will remain open for visitors till Sunday. Chandigarh is the second stop after Delhi in the company’s 10-city tour across India ahead of MG Hector’s launch.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Though the specifications of the much awaited premium SUV, which is being slotted against the likes of Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V and Jeep Compass, are not being disclosed at this juncture, fleeting glimpses of the car being tested in the harshest cold desert conditions in Leh have been shared by the company on YouTube and on its website.

In a chat with LifeInChandigarh.com on Saturday, MG Motor India Executive Director P Balendran expressed confidence that the SUV will shake up the already competitive market in the premium SUV segment. To be manufactured at the state-of-the-art Halol plant of the company in Gujarat, which it acquired from GM Motors in September 2017, the SUV, built on a global platform, has been heavily re-engineered to suit Indian preferences and conditions. It will have 75% localisation upfront.

MG Hector is expected to be generous in dimensions – spacious, a high roof and a high ground clearance. High safety standards are guaranteed as it goes through the grind of international crash tests. And with an expected competitive pricing it is sure to set a new benchmark in its segment and give its established competitors in the Indian market a run for their money.

Says Balendran “we have already announced Rs 2200-crore initial investment in India and demonstrated our organisational strengths, and set an industry benchmark, by getting our manufacturing plant ready for production in a record 13-14 months. We think that we have got our first product, and timing of its launch, right with the premium SUV currently being the fastest growing segment in the country. An electric vehicle will follow a year from the launch of MG Hector in line with our plans to launch one new vehicle every year in the next 5 years, he adds.

The company has already selected its dealer partner for the region in Sumit Passi, a well known name in the premium automobile business. The first showrooms will open in Chandigarh (Elante Mall), Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar around the same time in May 2019. “Apart from creating a benchmark in product quality, servicing will be a major differential for the company in its quest to rapidly grow in the Indian market,” asserts Balendran.

The company has an overall plan to have 45 partner dealers operating 100-plus sales and service touch points nationally ahead of MG Hector’s launch.

Punjab, which forms nearly 2% of the country’s passenger car market, is apparently a priority market for the new entrant. “We aim to be a sizable player in the premium SUV segment, as spacious SUVs with tall stance are preferred by customers here,” adds the company Executive Director.

About The Iconic British Brand

Founded in the UK in 1924, Morris Garages was world famous for its sports cars, roadsters and cabriolet series. MG vehicles were much sought after by celebrities, including the British Prime Ministers and British Royalty for their styling, elegance and spirited performance, The MG Car Club, set up in 1930 at Abington in the UK, has more than a million loyal fans, making it one of the world’s largest clubs for a single brand. MG has evolved into a modern, futuristic and innovative brand over the last 94 years.

 

https://www.mgmotor.co.in/mghector?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=search-brand-namereveal-hector   

Riding Gen Nexts Unisex Leisure Biking Wave

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

It’s difficult to describe the inseparable bond between a Punjabi ‘munda’ and his ‘bult’ beyond saying ‘Dil Da Maamla Hai’! The classic Bullet from iconic motorcycle brand Royal Enfield (RE) has become a part of the folklore in a state considered the sword arm of India, so much so that the favourite ride of the youth has been immortalised in many a Punjabi song. The erstwhile British brand, now a division of Either Motors Ltd, is set to take this swan song to an all new level with the recent launch of 650 twins, a next big wave of motorcycles, globally made for the global markets.

Launching the Interceptor INT 650 Twin and Continental GT 650 Twin in Chandigarh, where the brand sells every third motorcycle riding on the city roads, Rudratej Singh, President, Royal Enfield, an avid motorcycle rider himself, in a chat with LifeInChandigarh.com said “Our strong bond with Punjab and Chandigarh has been an immense source of strength to the company. Valuing this love and support, here we are to launch our new offerings, which I am sure will take this romance to an all new level.”

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

At the heart of the twins is the rebirth of Royal Enfield’s legendary twin cylinder engine. The air/oil-cooled all new parallel twin 648 cc engine is claimed to be simple, easy-to-maintain and built for real world riding, with sufficient power to make light work of city traffic or cruise effortlessly on the open road.

The twin engine has been developed at the company’s state-of-the-art UK Technology Centre in Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, near a World War II air strip, which is now a 120-plus employee strong facility working on multiple projects that include development of future products and platforms, in conjunction with Royal Enfield’s UK subsidiary, the legendary  Harris Performance team.

Added Oomph!

Besides adding oomph to the bikes, the team has ensured that the frame and suspension, which has four adjustments, are among the best in the world for that breeze ride. An agile chasis and a simple but state-of-the-art air-cooled engine, producing a punchy yet user-friendly 47 HP, is a winning combination. With increase in weight of the twins being just 5-6 kgs, the company asserts that they are the most nimble and agile motorcycles globally across all segments.

The bikes having been torture tested across terrains in UK, Spain and India, both outdoors and indoors, the company feels that now it has world-beating products in its portfolio and appears confident it can roll out more in the future.

The 650 twins are touted to be by far the most important launch in the Chennai-based bike maker’s history, its first truly global line of products, which are expected to play a strategic role in ushering the next set of Royal Enfield owners across the world and powering the company’s global expansion. The company looks set to ignite the mid-weight bike segment (250 cc-750 cc) in emerging markets like India, South-East Asia and Latin America, while providing a new and disruptive option to buyers in Europe, Australia and the United States.

The company describes both new motorcycles as heritage-inspired machines built to carry Royal Enfield’s legacy and character into the 21st century. While the Continental GT 650 Twin continues the journey of evolution and is as much fun as the original British Continental GT 250, an ode to the cafe racers and cafe culture of the ‘50s and ‘60s, the Interceptor INT 650 Twin marks the retu of one of Royal Enfield’s most loved classic motorcycles.

The brand maintains that while both motorcycles are built around the same engine, the two couldn’t be more different – one is all about that carefree, easy-going feeling, and the other an authentic cafe racer, for the more committed ones.

Why Did Company Wait That Long?

Company President Rudratej Singh answers thus: “We were waiting to get the ecosystem right. Now that the product has been validated internationally, and the service infrastructure upgraded, we are even more confident of the products. We launched the bike first in California where the most renowned motorcycle writers either rode the bikes with our drivers or test drove the bikes themselves. The perception of the Royal Enfield brand went up several notches in their eyes, which gives us confidence of the twin bikes doing great globally.”

The 650 twins witnessed almost simultaneous launch in Milan and South-East Asia. In India, the new bikes first saw action in the Rider Mania – an annual gathering of Royal Enfield riders from all over the world at the lovely beaches of Goa, one of the many motorcycling events and rides organised and supported by the brand globally.

Available In 130 Dealerships

The 650 twins are already available for test drives in 130 RE dealerships, including 4 in Chandigarh and 7 in Punjab, and will be shipped to all 700-plus dealerships across the country by February 2019. With 11 options of colours and graphics and pricing competitive, Royal Enfield looks set to wow lovers of the brand who have been kept waiting for a new big wave of bikes from its stable for over a decade.

Pricing

The Interceptor INT 650 starts from Rs 2,50,000 and the Continental GT 650 from Rs 2.65,000 (ex-showroom Chandigarh & Punjab), being the price for standard variants. Be prepared to shell out a little more for the custom and chrome variants. The twins come with a standard 3-year warranty and Roadside Assistance Service. Customers can also choose from a collection of 40 genuine motorcycle accessories, which again come with a 2-year warranty,  and a wide collection of exciting riding gear.

Has the company ramped up?

Has the company ramped up its production line to meet the expected demand from within India and from the international market? Rudratej says: “We are still in a ramp up stage. Now that we have received a resounding thumbs-up for the twins we are going to move full steam ahead.”

Fastest Growing Automobile Brand

While the motorcycle industry has stagnated globally, Royal Enfield, the oldest bike company in the world in continuous production (for 80-plus years), is racing ahead to become the fastest growing automobile brand worldwide.

From selling 50,000 motorcycles in all of 2010, the company, which markets in 55 countries, claims to have leaped to mind-blowing sales figures of 75,000-80,000 bikes a month. Its turnover has also rallied remarkably well from Rs 3500 crore in 2014 and is close to touching the Rs 10,000-crore mark.

Says Rudratej Singh: “Royal Enfield has had a sustained track record of profitable, competitive and consistent growth, on the back of its single cylinder portfolio for many decades. We are proud to add the next chapter to what, we’re certain, will be the next wave of momentum to Royal Enfield’s growth story.”  

3.5 Mn Owners & Counting

Boasting of 3.5 million owners of its 350 and 500 cc motorcycles in India, Royal Enfield commands 95% of the middle-weight motorcycle segment in the country, though its share in the overall motorcycle market in the country is 6.5%. In Punjab, it commands a 17% share among all segments, nearly three times the national market share, and 35 percent in Chandigarh (meaning every third bike sold in city is a Royal Enfield).

With such robust customer base, Royal Enfield is aiming to expand it further by roping in first-time RE buyers. “Our aim is to attract more and more youth to explore adventure and leisure biking to build on numbers. In recent times we have seen that breaking social and cultural barriers women are increasingly taking to biking for leisure. A few women’s riding clubs have also come up, which is heartening,” shares Rudratej, adding that “moving forward, we are expecting 25% of our business coming from first-time motorcycle buyers.”

More Vintage Stores

To facilitate existing owners of RE brand to upgrade to the new motorcycles, the company plans to open more vintage stores (different from pre-owned stores) to allow seamless transition. “We have plans to raise the numbers of our vintage stores from 7 to 10. One of these will be opened in Punjab soon. The changeover is planned to be friction-free through easy financing. We plan to sell 50% of our motorcycles though financing route,” says the company President.

Online Motorcycle Booking

Royal Enfield has also begun online motorcycle booking facility with the launch of the 650 twins. Interested riders from across the world can log into www.royalenfield.com and book any motorcycle of the brand for deliveries across 750 dealerships in India, to begin with.

Want to be a part of one of the largest communities of motorcycling enthusiasts!

https://www.facebook.com/RoyalEnfield
Follow @RoyalEnfield on Twitter

World’s No. 1 PC Co. Logs In To Growing Gaming Community

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

The gaming community in India appears to be growing at a breakneck speed and personal computing businesses are logging into it to reap rich dividends. According to an estimate out of the 735 million (73.5 crore) internet users, a staggering 320 million (32 crore) are expected to be gamers by 2021. With such volumes in mind, computing biggie Lenovo has refreshed its gaming brand Legion with new devices, which, while being loaded with latest generation specifications, are aesthetically more pleasing and incredibly functional.

Launching the new devices – laptops and desktops – in the Chandigarh market on Thursday, Vipul Mathur, General Manager-North, Lenovo India, in a chat with LifeInChandigarh.com said Lenovo had emerged as the No. 1 company in the world in its core business of personal computers. In the region comprising Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir also it was commanding a leadership role with a market share of 15%, he added.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

The new thrust area for the company and its future investments are expected to be in innovative gaming devices, going by the year on year industry growth of 50% seen in this segment over the last two years. “In line with this thought process, Lenovo conducted extensive research among more than 750 participants worldwide, learning from gamers themselves about their wants and needs with the purpose of bringing them the ultimate gaming experience. And, the result is the latest Legion evolutions which showcase
game-changing designs that are distinct from their predecessors and in sync with what modern gamers today are looking for,” Mathur explained.

To further enhance the experience of customers, Lenovo India has targeted to increase its existing strength of 500-plus exclusive stores by another 100 in the coming financial year. It currently has 4 stores in Chandigarh and 28 in region comprising Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The 650 strong service centre network is also sought to be further expanded.

The company launched 2 laptops – the Ideapad 330 and Legion Y530 – and 3 Legion gaming tower PCs – the C730, T530 and T730.

Equipped with the Intel Optane technology, a smart system accelerator that improves the performance and response of PCs through adaptive machine learning, gamers can now launch their favourite titles up to 2.48x faster, load game levels up to 32% quicker than that on other PCs and rapidly save their progress with up to 2.1x better overall system performance.

The specifications

The Ideapad 330 is configured with the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8300H processor clocked at 4.00 GHz, 8 GB DDR4 RAM (upgradeable up to 16 GB), and has the Nvidia Geforce GTX 1050 graphics card with 4 GB GDDR5 memory. The laptop has a 15.6 inch Full HD TN Anti-Glare display and comes with a 1 TB 5400 rpm internal hard drive. Price: Rs 69,990 (exclusive of GST).

The Legion Y530 is also powered by the same 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8300H processor and the Nvidia GTX 1050 graphics card with 4 GB GDDR5 memory. It has 8 GB of DDR4 RAM (also upgradeable up to 16 GB), a 128 GB M.2 PCIE SSD and a 1 TB 7200 rpm internal hard drive. Price: Rs 85,585 (exclusive of GST).

Coming to the desktops, the Legion T530 comes with the 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8400 processor (upto 4.00 GHz), 8 GB DDR4 RAM (upgradeable up to 32 GB), Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti with 4 GB GDDR5 memory. It has a 128 GB SSD and a 1 TB 7200 rpm hard drive for storage. Price: Rs 86,299 (exclusive of GST).

Next up is the Legion T730, which comes with the 8th Gen Core i7-8700K processor (upto 4.70 GHz), 16 GB DDR4 RAM (upgradeable up to 32 GB), Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 with 6 GB GDDR5 memory. It comes with a 256 GB SSD and a 2 TB 7200 rpm hard drive. Price: Rs 1,34,599 (exclusive of GST).

Finally, the Legion C730 comes in a compact Cube shape with the 8th Gen Core i7-8700K processor (upto 4.70 GHz), 16 GB DDR4 RAM (upgradeable up to 32 GB), Nvidia GTX 1060 with 6 GB GDDR5 memory. It also comes with a 256 GB SSD and a 2 TB 7200rpm internal hard drive. Price: Rs 1,34,599 (exclusive of GST).

All the models come loaded with the latest 64-bit Windows 10 Home OS.

An Exclusive Foodie Paradise Aficionados Wont Dare Miss

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

one. The country’s first and only travelling food showcase – The Travelling Kitchen – after its first successful stop in Jaipur, is heading straight for the city with the theme Winter Garden. The three day fun food fiesta, with deep focus on exclusive menus churned out specially for you by the head chefs of some of the most popular and trending food and beverage brands from Tier-I cities, opens its tastes, flavours and rich ambience, with lots of complementing music, in the lawns of Chandigarh Golf Association Range & Academy (CGA Range for short) in Sector 6 from January 18.

Its founder and chief curator Bharat Atwal claims in a chat with LifeInChandigarh.com that not many would have experienced any culinary event as personalised and unique as this one. “We have taken personal care to ensure that each of the fabulous line-up of food and beverage brands participating in the event is represented by its head chef before whom it will be a challenge to chu out menus that are imaginative, new and exclusive to us. It’s a ticked event to ensure that all who visit the venue are serious foodies. But the ticket price will be more than compensated by the strictly enforced reasonable pricing of food and beverages with big portions. The idea is that when the event is all about food, then every connoisseur of food should be able to savour every preparation that catches his or her fancy.”

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

The event will have a portfolio of 13 cuisines, including Indo-Persian, Pan Asian, Japanese, Goan and Konkani, with participation from 20 restaurants and 12 retail brands. There will be a great ‘Sushi’ chef. Some others will focus exclusively on desserts, sauces or curries. The trendiest visiting restaurants and F&B retail brands will be seasoned with some of the favourites from Chandigarh, aim being to provide local talent a respectable platform.

To compliment the food, India’s celebrated tea whisperer Namika Singh will serve you a wide variety of her wonderful cupfuls from Anandini Himalaya Tea, which is a rage with international tourists. The live music in the evening will feature some top folk cultural bands, among them ‘Rajasthan Roots’, which will bring Jaisalmer alive with their fusion folk music. There will also be jazz and contemporary music, perfectly complimenting the wonderful array of lip-smacking food.

Having associated with Haryana Tourism, The Travelling Kitchen will have a stall exclusively for five of the chosen best students from as many institutes of hotel management in the state to give them an opportunity to impress the visitors with their own fancy menus.

The stalls at the fun food showcase will not be typically canopy type. Use of bamboo in a striking fashion, and small, big and huge flower decorations using recycled paper will be the hallmark of the chic decor, which will have a profusion of colours and pretty pastels.

On the opening day, the food fiesta will open to food lovers at 4 pm and go on till 10:30 p.m. On the remaining two days it will run from 11 am to 10:30 pm.

https://www.facebook.com/TheTravellingKitchenIndia/

So be there! Enjoy a FunFoodRide!

Haryana CM Claims His Govt Has Turned Around Power Utilities

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal has claimed that a carrot and stick policy adopted by his government towards realisation of long standing power bill arrears during the four years it has been in power, measures taken to substantially reduce line losses, including power theft, and prudent fiscal management and reforms have turned around the four public sector power utilities in the state from a position of perpetual losses to profits.

Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Thursday, Manohar Lal said these companies had together accumulated a debt of Rs 30,000 crore in 2013-14, which had been completely wiped out, leaving all the four utilities in profits for the first time since their inception. This despite the fact that implementation of the recommendations of the 7th pay commission in the state and extending other benefits had put an additional salaries burden of nearly 80% – from Rs 1400-Rs 1500 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 2600 crore. Power tariffs had also been reduced substantially for all categories of less power intensive domestic and MSME sector consumers, on account of which the government’s subsidy component was nearly Rs 100 crore.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

With massive upgrade of the transmission and distribution network, and stringent measures to check theft of power, line losses had also been drastically reduced from as high as 30.02% in 2014 to 20.20%. By next year, these are sought to be brought down further to 15%, he asserted.

Adopting a pragmatic approach, power bill arrears of all domestic consumers up to June 2005 had been waived off completely. Additionally, for BPL families, penalties levied on power bill arrears since 2005 had also been waived off, allowing them the liberty to pay their arrears in easy monthly instalments. In doing so the state government has incurred an expenditure of nearly Rs 2,000 crore, he added.

In Annual Integrated Rankings, recently released by the Union Power Ministry, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (UHBVNL) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (DHBVNL) have jumped from 22nd and 24th positions respectively in 2015-16 to 10th and 13th positions respectively in 2016-17.  The chief minister expressed confidence that “the way the two discoms are performing, it won’t be a surprise to find them in the top 2-3 rankings in the next one or two years.”

New Power Substations

Regarding strengthening of the power distribution network, Manohar Lal said during the last four years 140 new 33KV power substations had been added to the existing 538 (as in 2014) and the capacity of 382 existing sub stations had been enhanced. In the same period 86,485 new distribution transformers had been added to the existing 4.70 lakh-plus, and 23,615 kms of new transmission lines laid to strength the existing network of more than 2.38 lakh kms.

44,000 Tubewell Connections

As new year gift to farmers, the chief minister announced that all 44,000 applications for tube well connections pending since January 1, 2014, will be disposed of by March 31, 2019 and demand notices issued to the applicants. All these tube wells, with option to install solar powered pumps, will be given connections within the next six months of issuance of demand notice.

50,000 Solar Energy Connections

The chief minister informed that a target had been fixed to issue 50,000 new solar power connections for tube wells, which when installed are expected to reduce power consumption by 30%. Tenders had already been floated for 15,000 connections, he added. 

To encourage use of solar energy in agricultural tube wells, 468 of these falling under Vayama feeder of Karnal block and Saspur feeder of Yamunanagar block would be converted to use of solar power at no cost to the farmers. The state will incur Rs 25 crore on this scheme.

Farmers are also being encouraged to adopt micro irrigation to recharge the groundwater in red zones and cut down on consumption of power.

Following detection of wrongful charging of inter-state transmission fee by Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCI) from Haryana for supplying power from the NTPC plant at Jhajjar in the state, the power utilities had saved Rs 300 crore @ Rs 30 crore monthly. Demand for refund of another Rs 1120 crore towards earlier such payments made to PGCI had also been raised.

Smart Meters

Process for installing 10 lakh smart meters by the power discoms across the state had already commenced in Panipat and Karnal and Gurugram districts will also be covered under the first phase of the programme.

Among those present at the press conference were Additional Chief Secretary (Power) TC Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary (New & Renewal Energy) PK Mahapatra and Power Discoms Chairman & MD Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor.

32Stiches, Sidhu Moose Wala, Gulabiqueen To Perform Live

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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0

This Chandigarh boy had never learnt to play an instrument during his childhood, and yet this crazy dude, who took to music as a way of expressing his feelings following a terrible heartbreak in college, is today arguably one of India’s finest electro-pop music producers. Better known in the entertainment world as ’32Stitches’ (real name Arpit Gawri) the Chandigarh ‘munda’, who has toured across Europe with well known bands, is going to perform for the first time in front of his home crowd alongside some of the best Punjabi singers and promising indigenous bands, at the Switch NYE Fest 2018, touted as North India’s biggest New Year Festival, Flemingo Resort, Zirakpur on December 31.

The festival, which starts at 3 p.m. and is expected to go on well into the New Year, has in the line-up of performers the current heart throbs of the Punjabi music industry Sidhu Moose Wala and ‘Gulabiqueen’ Jasmine Sandlas. Then we have alternative Hindi rock band Rudra, Alterantive Punjabi rock band Snorting Jatts, Argenil, Shubhank Sharma and Aditya Kulharia.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

For a New Year party high on freak-out quotient, tickets are rather reasonably priced : Rs 3500 for a couple in the general category (Rs 2500 for single). Tickets for the VIP unlimited section come at Rs 10,000 per couple (Rs 7,000 for single). The limited ultra exclusive VVIP tables come for Rs 60,000 for a group of 6 people.

The resort has a capacity for accommodating a crowd of 2,000-3,000. Organisers are assuring adequate parking and security.

Sariv and Manu from Magical Society, which has conceptualised the event, told lifeinchandigarh.com that the festival, the first of its kind New Year bash, has been inspired by the highly popular Sunbu Festival of Goa. “We have tried to bring in a breath of fresh air, bringing in some really promising bands to perform along with some of the most trending names from the Punjabi music industry. We are sure people are going to love every bit of it.”

Tracing his journey thus far in the music and entertainment industry, 32Stitches, who is the only Indian to have been signed up by Run The Trap Events, the No. 1 trap, hip-hop, bass and beats events of the Netherlands, and one of the biggest events in Europe, says “whether I am dabbling in future bass, trap/bass, progressive or electro, I am definitely not the one to confine to one single set of rules within a plethora of untapped explorations.” He has played alongside the likes of Fabian Mazur, LUUDE, Holly and Jamal on tours and also opened for San Holo and DROELOE at their debut India show.

Crossing over a million streams across platforms, reaching Beatport and iTunes charts in various countries and being picked by some of the most reputed publications and channels for features, 32Stitches has more than half a dozen hit releases to his credit. Among them are ‘Fallout’ (remixes) with remixes from Beauz, Far & Few, Zeus X Crona released via Music High Court, ‘Remember This’, Fallout (a single, dedicated to his pet dog ‘Astro’) and ‘Between Us’ via Illicit/Strange Fruits.

Having done his early schooling from St Kabir School and 12th from KBDAV School, and his college between Singapore and Dehradun, Arpit Gawri after a heart-shattering breakup of a seven years old relationship, felt the need for an avenue to express his feelings and find balance in life. So, what better than music, which he loved since his childhood. His friend Arjun, who runs a music academy by the name ‘I Love Music’, called him over to Gurugram and imparted him the first formal lessons in music.

“Following this brief stint with Arjun, I was charged up, and there was no looking back. My mother nudged me into joining a music school of my dreams in London, where I learnt sound engineering and networked with the big names in the field,” says Arpit.

32Stitches, who has had successful shows in Delhi, Bangalore and Pune, and is excited about performing before his family and friends on his home turf for the first time, feels that for creating mode day music one doesn’t necessarily need to be an instrumentalist. “I am not,” he asserts. “You can configure your music on a laptop,” he explains.

Party all night, at Switch NYE Fest 2018!

Venue : Flemingo Resort, Zirakpur
Date & Time : 31st December, 3 p.m. onwards 

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