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AAP MLAs Vent Ire At Party High Command, Call Volunteers’ Convention On Aug 2

Sanjeev Kochhar
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AAP MLAs Vent Ire At Party High Command, Call Volunteers’ Convention On Aug 2

The crisis in the Punjab unit of the Aam Aadmi Party over the sudden replacement of the party’s firebrand Leader of the Opposition (LOP) Sukhpal Singh Khaira by the party high command has deepened with half the 20 party MLAs in the state raising a banner of revolt, demanding a review of the “undemocratic” decision. At a press conference here on Friday, these MLAs, including Khaira, also announced their decision to take the issue to the people’s court by organising a volunteers’ convention at Bathinda on August 2.

One of the MLAs and state party spokesman Kanwar Sandhu told media persons that a letter signed by eight MLAs has been sent to party convenor Arvind Kejriwal demanding a review of the “undemocratic” decision of the party high command, made without consulting the state MLAs of the party, and intervene to resolve the crisis. The party high command had failed to issue a prior show cause notice, neither did it ascribe any reason for the sudden decision, he added.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Declining to share copies of the letter or its contents with the media, claiming that it was an internal matter of the party, he said even calling the press conference was not a pleasant decision to make but was necessitated to communicate with the grassroots volunteers their feelings over the latest development. He said they remained loyal to the party and would not indulge in any activity which will weaken it.

MLA from Mansa, Nazar Singh Manshahia said it was unfortunate that such an undemocratic decision had been taken so close to the panchayat elections to be held in the state.

Jagdev Singh, MLA from Maur, said due process of consulting MLAs was followed in all previous cases of appointment of LOP and state party president, but unfortunately this time it was bypassed. Maintaining that the party high command should have consulted the MLAs before taking a decision, even if it was to go against the wishes of the party legislators, he said the pride of the MLAs had been hurt.

Khaira said he was not saddened by his replacement as LOP, but he was concerned that the party command, in taking the decision had played into the hands of the Badal family and Capt. Amarinder Singh lobbies which had been conspiring against him by trying to implicate him in false cases because of his virulent campaign against mafias being supported by them.

Refuting an observation, he said the August 2 convention did not amount to anti-party activity. In fact, it will help strengthen the party at the grassroots level as in a democracy, the ultimate verdict lies with the masses, he asserted.

Now Buy Quality & Affordable LED Appliances At Your Nearest Post Office

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Now Buy Quality & Affordable LED Appliances At Your Nearest Post Office

With 31 crore highly energy efficient LED bulbs already sold across the country at half the price of the prevailing market rate, leading to more than 8,000 MW reduction in peak demand for power, the UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) programme, launched by the country in 2015, is shifting into top gear to meet its target of distributing 77 crore LEDs by March 2019, in pursuit of its quest to become the largest LED distribution programme in the world. Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of all public sector undertakings under the Ministry of Power, which is executing the programme, has tied up with India Post to sell its 9w LED bulbs, 20w LED tube lights and BEE 5 star rated 48 inch wing span LED fans through its vast network of post offices in urban and rural areas to increase its penetration into every nook and corner. On Wednesday, Punjab and Chandigarh became the fourth circle of India Post after Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to join the movement.

Anil Kumar, Chief Postmaster General (Punjab & Chandigarh), India Post, formally launched the sale of the LED appliances from the Grand Post Office (GPO) in Sector 17, in the presence of P.M. Lal, Postmaster General, and Nitin Bhatt, Regional Manager, EESL.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Interacting with media persons, Anil Kumar said that the sale and replacement of EESL appliances will be rolled out in phases to cover all the 770 post offices under the circle, a plan for which is being worked out. While India Post will be getting a reasonable commission from EESL, it is also fulfilling a social responsibility by carrying a message to the masses of saving power, generation of which costs the government a huge investment, apart from contributing to the carbon footprint, he added.

Bhatt said buying EESL’s LED appliances makes sense for all categories of consumers as they match up to the highest quality standards, come with an assured replacement guarantee within the prescribed period and cost less than half of the prevailing market rates. A 9w EESL LED bulb costs a standard Rs 70, a 20w LED tube light Rs 220 and a BEE 5-star rated ceiling fan of 50w and a wing span of 48 inches costs Rs 1110 across the country, he added.

Asked why EESL was offering only a fixed wattage LED bulb, tube light and ceiling fan, Bhatt said they were a replacement for the most commonly used conventional appliances – 100w incandescent bulb, 40w tube light and 80w ceiling fan. Under the first phase of the programme the focus is on these, but later more variety will be introduced and new appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners will be added as and when LED technology becomes available in these.

He said EESL through its fleet of mobile vans can reach out to communities at short notice on special request for awareness and sale of its energy efficient LED appliances and appealed to all groupings of people to avail of the facility.

Lifeinchandigarh.com wishes EESL-India Post tie-up all success, and urges consumers to join the UJALA movement for a better future for all.

Fitness Doesn’t Have To Come At A Heavy Price; Get Back To Basics

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Fitness Doesn’t Have To Come At A Heavy Price; Get Back To Basics

Let’s be clear in our minds — living healthy and fit does not mean completely leaving a certain group or class of foods, like fats, oils and sugar, out of our daily diets. On the contrary, we need all of them, also including fats, protein-rich foods, fruits and vegetables and cereals, rice and pastas, but in varying measures, to keep in good shape and exude vitality and vibrancy. These are words of wisdom coming from an international authority on wellness, Dr Namita Jain, who was in the city recently to promote her newest book on the shelf ‘Low Fat Low Guilt – Recipes & Lifestyle’ aimed at showing us how to enjoy our food in a healthy, sensible and practical way, without feeling a sense of guilt.

Challenging the most commonly held fitness and wellness myths that crash diets are the most effective remedy to lose weight, she told lifeinchandigarh.com in an interaction that no wonder such diets can result in massive weight loss, but it is muscle mass and water that is lost, and not excess body fat. Problems associated with crash diets are electrolyte imbalances, anaemia, and calcium and iron deficiency. “It is important to follow a sensible diet to safeguard our well-being and ensure that the lost pounds do not come back on,” she explained.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Sharing the contents of the book, Namita Jain, a leading health columnist, said “The recipes which have been featured in the book are given healthy twists, while keeping the calorific elements to a minimum. So we have low-cal recipes of delicious soups, salads, wraps, toasts, rice dishes, pastas and dips, making healthy eating a pleasurable experience.

“The recipes in the book use olive oil instead of butter, yogurt instead of mayonnaise, egg whites instead of whole eggs and whole grain instead of refined.  It highlights the cooking methods which promote healthy eating – steam, broil and lightly sauté instead of frying or over-cooking. As we flip through the pages we will also come across dietary myths which we often take as facts in our daily lives,” she added.

Sharing her thoughts about a balanced diet, she said “today, many diets eliminate certain food groups, or focus primarily on one or two food groups, which is a highly unhealthy trend. Our body needs a balanced diet with diverse nutrients to keep us fit and energised – a diet that includes fruits, vegetables,  grains, nuts, sprouts, seeds and low-fat dairy products.”

The Food Pyramid

Explaining the concept of the food pyramid to help us eat better every day, she said each of the food groups in the pyramid provides some, but not all, of the nutrients a body needs. No one food group is more important than the other – for good health we need them all. However, we need to go easy on fats, oils and sweets – the foods on top of the pyramid, which our body requires in small quantities.

The base of the pyramid is taken up by cereal, rice and pasta group. These foods contain carbohydrates, which our body needs in the greatest amount. To get adequate fibre, choose high-fibre foods such as wholegrain bread or brown rice.

The next level of the pyramid is occupied by fruits and vegetables. All carbohydrate-rich, these foods contain essential nutrients like vitamins A and C, folate, iron, magnesium and potassium.

At the third level of the pyramid are protein-rich foods. The body requires fewer servings of proteins than carbohydrates. Legumes, milk, nuts, meats provide the body with amino acids which are essential for growth and muscular repair. 

Back To Basics

Stressing on the need to de-complicate our fitness regimes, Namita Jain said “we have to go back to the basics. Fitness does not have to come at a heavy price. Beware of marketing gimmicks some of the companies indulge in to create hype over their fancy machines and foods. If we do not want to get tied down to a gym routine, it’s fine. Indulge in any form of exercise which we are comfortable with and love doing, like brisk walking, dancing, sports or yoga. Avoid excess frying and eating. Drink three litres of water every day. We have to be mindful, though, that every fitness regime demands a certain level of discipline, which we have to follow religiously.”

For Namita, “A healthy and fit person is one who is full of energy, is in control of his ailments, follows a sensible and balanced diet, maintains a regular exercise schedule, has a relaxed mind and remains positive towards life.”      

The wellness diva feels that eating out and late nights, modern day fads, should not be a barrier to fitness. “Today we have a choice of what to eat out – non-fried foods or less oil foods. We can also cut down on potions, even cut down on desserts. Once we firm up our minds, we can get around these hurdles. The need is to make wiser choices. Before stepping out we can also take salad and/or soup and indulge in frugal-eating outside.”

About Namita Jain

Namita Jain has been felicitated with a Post Graduate degree in wellness from Young Scientist University, America. Honouring her rich knowledge and expertise in the field of health and wellness, she has been certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Council of Exercise, The Aerobic and Fitness Association of America, Pilates UK Institute, Reebok and Yoga Institute.

Namita has authored more than a dozen books and is a leading health columnist in various newspapers and magazines, including Elle, GQ, The Hindu, Mumbai Mirror and Economic Times. A formidable array of celebrities, including Deepika Padukone, Saina Nehwal and Hema Malini, have endorsed her books. Currently, she is practising as a wellness specialist at Bombay Hospital and is a consultant to the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).

Her latest book is available at all leading stores pan India.

Play To Your Hearts Fill All Morning, Afternoon Or Evening

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Play To Your Hearts Fill All Morning, Afternoon Or Evening

Here comes another bar, cafe and lounge in the tricity, adding yet one more hue to the kaleidoscope of luxuriously buoyant new age hangouts wowing the party crowds converging on this melting pot of fun and ‘masti’. This one gives us the look and feel of a virtual playground with a lot of green and wood, and offering varied options to play to every taste with a restaurants-within-a-restaurant concept. Aptly called ‘Playground’, because of its young promoter Ayush Singla’s passion to provide an unmatched young, fresh and energetic vibe around the place to the guests, this place in the hospitality cluster of Sector 26, is the second playground offering to the fun-seekers by the ‘munda’ from Samana Mandi in Patiala district, after making a statement in Elante Mall.

Designed by Suvrita Bhardwaj and Nikhil Pratap Singh of city-based Loop Design Studio, who also remodelled the Elante outlet of Playground after MOCHA pulled down the curtains and was rebranded, the two entrances to the Sector 26 restaurant are unique and major focal points in terms of design.  The messages splashed across the front entrance to the hangout facing the Madhya Marg “Alchohol You Later” and “There is More Than Light At the End of the Tunnel” prepare us for what awaits inside.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Indeed a 50 feet long, three feet wide and 20 feet high tunnel like passage, lined with 2,000-odd empty liquor bottles of top brands on either side in front of illuminated mirrored shelves and roof, mesmerised us. At first glance we could not figure out the back entrance. A 90s style Music Shop stacked with empty cassette labels of music of the era, complete with music system and speakers, television set, etc hit us. Just a plate with PUSH written on it indicated a concealed door in one of the racks leading us to a vibrant expanse with discrete and tastefully decorated levels taken up by a well stocked bar, a cafe, lounge, a pizzeria with a wood-fired oven, stage, etc.

Large-sized portraits of the poster boys of world politics – Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un – ado the central wall with velvet-upholster sofas making the seating slightly more formal.

Says Ayush, a first generation restaurateur who did his schooling from Lawrence School, Sanawar and BBA from Symbiosis, Pune, “a spacious courtyard, Playground is a cafe-bar with food and ambience worth spending an entire morning, afternoon or evening. The intent behind creating Playground 26 was to break the conventional setup and outlook of a typical Sector 26 restaurant. The inside-outside concept was dropped and the restaurant has been treated as a single translucently-roofed envelope that flows from one end to the other. The expansive single surface has been divided into multiple levels and sections with their own peculiar vibe and spatial characteristics.     

“Whether you’re looking for an after work drinking place, a great sit-down dinner or that perfect date, Playground is the answer to all your plans. From a drool-worthy menu to some outrageous cocktails, great live music and live sports screening this cafe-bar has its all. The restaurant is submerged in a thick cover of ‘greens’ that have been carefully engrained as a part of the design.”

“We have tried not to go over the top as far as food and decor is concerned. We have not experimented with the food too much. We feel that the food should be simple, just as it should be – cooked in a healthy medium, tasty and served smartly and with warmth. But we have a huge variety – 200-odd items on our cuisine, the best of Indian, Chinese, Middle East, Asian, Continental and European,” asserts Ayush.

Open 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Schools Must Choose EduTech With Care To Enhance Learning Outcomes

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Schools Must Choose EduTech With Care To Enhance Learning Outcomes

Providing quality school education, importance of setting clear learning outcomes and using systematic assessments, emerging role of teachers, corporate social responsibility (CSR) in school education and support of technology innovation, sports and policy research in education were the focus areas for discussion in the path-breaking two-day CII School Summit which concluded at the CII Northern India Headquarters in Chandigarh on Wednesday. The level and intensity of participation, the diverse views expressed by top notch panellists and indulgent audiences and the conclusions drawn left one with no doubt that the summit proved to be an unqualified success, unlike many other such seminar room deliberations which are criticised as mere time-pass by the discerning public.

Apart from the issues being discussed threadbare from various angles, representatives of some of the multinational technology companies announced launch of free of cost digital platforms for students, teachers and managements of schools to enhance their experiences in the digital space and also collaborate and share their best practices with other institutions across borders.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

So, while Garima Babbar, representing Adobe Systems India Pvt, Ltd., briefly spelled out how their India specific programme ‘Adobe Digital Disha’ will enhance the digital experience of educators and students and improve their ICT (information and communication technology) skills, Vaibhav Kumar Srivastava from CISCO Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd. explained the broad contours of ‘Cisco Digital Schools Network’ aimed at providing a platform for learning without limits and borders.

Among other instant outcomes emerging out of the two-day deliberations was Vandana Rellan Juneja, on behalf of MacMillan Education, offering the company’s CSR funds on an appeal from Kulbhushan Sharma of National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) to modernise education being provided to poor children in hundreds of affordable budget private schools across the country which were charging next to nothing from students.

 Many constructive suggestions from the audiences were also taken on record, including one about creating from CSR funds pooled together an expansive common campus in each urban area equipped with all modern teaching aids like ICT labs, science labs, libraries, etc which can be accessed by teachers and students from public and lesser private schools which are unable to provide these facilities in their own campuses.

Impact Of Tech Tools

Right through the two-day deliberations, there was animated discussion on the impact of technology tools in learning outcomes, with an entire final session on the concluding day being devoted to the subject. While it was generally accepted that technology is a major force multiplier and marked a paradigm shift in school education, most participants felt that technology companies should not rush schools to blindly adopt new age technologies. It was also stressed that technologies being developed should be easy on teachers to comprehend, enjoy and use for enhancing experiences of students. Technologies should compliment and supplement the engagement of teachers with students and not be aimed at replacing them.

In fact, Vandana Rellan Juneja, Associate Director, Marketing & New Initiative, MacMillan Education, while recommending that schools exercise utmost diligence before adopting technologies to ensure that these are suited to their requirements, quoted a study by Harvard University which found that no amount of technology infusion in education had brought about any proven significant improvement in learning outcomes.

Changing Role Of Teachers

The role of teachers, in the light of the context changing around them, came up for special discussion with near unanimity around the thought that teachers need to reposition themselves from being just information sharers to become influencers and motivators. Kartik Bharat Ram, Chairman, CII Regional Committee on Education & Deputy MD, SRF Ltd., said all educators, just as doctors and other professionals, need to constantly upgrade their knowledge and skills to remain relevant. He forcefully stressed on the need to lessen the academic burden on children to leave them with enough time to enjoy their childhood.   

Assessment Methodologies

The participants in the summit emphasised that the whole paradigm of assessment needs a change. It needs to be instant so that it becomes a learning and diagnostic tool, rather than a barometer of judging a student’s knowledge. This will help identify the gaps in learning of each child there and then which can be plugged with extra efforts before proceeding further. It is here that multiple choice questions (MCQs) can be of great help.

It was felt that learning can become really meaningful if the focus shifts from an instructional approach to an experiential approach. Educators must think whether the jobs for which we are preparing the children will still exist in the next decade with the pace at which technologies like artificial intelligence and augmented reality are progressing threatening to make many activities redundant in the not so distant future. A thought was also shared that as we make our learning more experiential, we also need to break the physical barriers in school settings. The designing concepts in schools need to change from rows of rooms and a corridor  to more innovative ones which help promote openness, and thus thinking and reasoning.

Use Of Collective Intelligence

Panellists also advocated use of collective intelligence of various stake holders to make a real difference in making education qualitative. It was agreed that nobody can work in isolation. Students, parents, teachers, school managements, researchers, governments and society at large all have to work in unison to arrive at best practices which can then be propagated widely and quickly with the use of technology.

An area of concern to educators and parents alike was the all pervading fear around the misuse by students of technology tools meant for enhancement of their learning experiences. Experts agreed that it was a genuine concern but all of us need to learn to live with these for the time being. There was a likelihood that with use of these new age gadgets and technologies maturing with time, these fears may dissipate. There was a suggestion from one of the panellists that parents should convert this fear into trust by engaging with their children more closely at every step of their learning curve.

KPMG Report

A special report, ‘Learning outcomes in school education – at the core of building a knowledge economy’, compiled by professional services company KPMG, knowledge partners to the CII School Summit, was released in the inaugural session on Tuesday by Punjab Governor and UT Chandigarh Administrator V.P. Singh Badnore. The Governor emphasised on bringing greater focus on unleashing the vast pool of talent among rural children by providing them opportunities equivalent to those available to their urban counterparts. He also sought the indulgence of the education sector in deciding the medium of education to be adopted in India – whether it is to be a single language, as adopted by China (Mandarin) or dual language formula considering that the regional languages are equally important. Haryana Education & Languages Minister Ram Bilas Sharma urged the industry to focus more on education to make a big positive difference to society.

The participants in various sessions :

I. Panel discussion on Quality in School Education – Opportunities & Challenges

Moderator : Amit Kaushik,  Chairman, CII School Summit 2018 & CEO, Australian Council for Education Research (ACER)

Panellists :

1. Dheera Khandelwal, Addl. Chief Secretary, School Education, Haryana

2. Dr. Jagpreet Singh, Headmaster, Punjab Public School, Nabha

3. Sanyogita Sharma, Director, Manav Rachna International Schools

4. Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal, Springdales

5. Neeraj Manchanda, Partner, NMA Designs

6. H.S. Mamik, President, Independent Schools Association, Chandigarh & Chairman, Vivek High Schools

 

II. Panel discussion on The Importance of Setting Clear Learning Outcomes & Using Systematic Assessments

Moderator : Anustup Naik

Panellists :

1. Dr. Mee Young Han, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Council for Educational Research (India)

2. Poonam Singh Jamwal, CEO, Extramarks Foundation & Director, Extramarks Education India (P) Ltd.

3. Dr. Neeta Bali, Director Principal, GD Goenka World School

4. C.P. Vishwanath, CEO, Karadi Path Education Company Pvt. Ltd.

5. Sahil Kapoor, Vice President, Ebix Smartclass

 

III. Panel Discussion on Role of the Teacher

Moderator : Dr. Jagpreet Singh, Headmaster, PPS, Nabha

Panellists :

1. Kanak Gupta, Vice President, Seth MR Jaipuria Schools

2. Manish Kumar Jindal, CEO, National Accreditation Board for Education & Training (NABET)

3. Arunabh Singh, Director, Nehru World School

4. Charu Malhotra, Director, KPMG

5. Kavita C. Das, Principal, St. John’s High School

6. Reekrit Serai, Director, Satluj Public School

 

1V. Panel Discussion on CSR in School Education

Moderator: Vijay Chadda

Panellists :

1. Parth Shah, Founder, Centre for Civil Society

2. Monica Malhotra Kandhari, MD, MBD Group

3. Kulbhushan Sharma, President, National Independent Schools Alliance

4. Parminder Gill, Co-founder, Edusports

5. Sofi Zahoor, Chairman, CII Chandigarh Council & Senior Director India – HR & Operations, Quark Express Publishing R&D (India) Pvt. Ltd.

 

V. Panel Discussion on Education Revolution through Technology Innovation

Moderator : Nirav Khambhati, Partner, Kaizen PE

Panellists :

1. Milind Shahane, CEO, Tata Class Edge

2. Pradeep Narayanan, Head, Mind Champion Learning Systems Ltd.

3. Garima Babbar, Head Programs, South Asia – Education & Skill Development, Adobe Systems India Pvt. Ltd.

4. Vandana Rellan Juneja, Associate Director – Marketing & New Initiative, MacMillan Education

5. Vaibhav Kumar Srivastava, Head, Business Development (Education), India & SAARC DTO, CISCO Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd.

6. Robin Aggarwal, Co-founder, Learning Paths School

Project To Make Last Journey Of Departed Souls More Dignified

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Project To Make Last Journey Of Departed Souls More Dignified

It is one place where we are confronted with the ultimate reality of life, that whoever comes to this world has to leave one day without the worldly wares he has acquired during his lifetime. The cremation ground, where the ‘antim sanskar’ is performed to allow the body to mingle with the five elements which it is made up of, and where the essence and the immortal, the Soul, is liberated, thus becomes a revered place. To make this last journey more dignified for every departed soul, the Rotary Club of Chandigarh, through its four constituents, on Tuesday entered into a partnership with the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh (MCC) to upgrade facilities at the main Cremation Ground in Sector 25.

As part of this public-private partnership, funds meant for CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities from the private sector will, for the first time, flow to the MCC for executing and maintaining a public project, opening up new avenues of funds for the cash-strapped civic body. Under the MoU (memorandum of understanding) signed with the MCC, Rotary Club of Chandigarh Service Club, KDDL Ethos Foundation, TPK Welfare Trust and IPF Vikram India Ltd. will provide the entire capital expenditure of Rs. 40 lakh to be incurred on upgrading the men’s and ladies’ toilet blocks and bathing, washing and seating areas at the cremation ground and Rs 30,000 per month for their maintenance over five years.

On behalf of the MCC, the MoU was signed by Mayor Davesh Moudgil, and on behalf of the four equal partners by R.K. Saboo (former World Presdient, Rotary International for KDDL Ethos Foundation), Jagesh K. Khaitan (Chairman, Kuantum Papers Ltd. for TPK Welfare Trust), Paramjit Singh (for IPF Vikram India Ltd.) and A.P. Singh (President, Rotary Club of Chandigarh for Rotary Club of Chandigarh Service Club), all senior Rotarians.

As per the agreement, two members from the donor partners will be included in the consultative committee to be set up to monitor the progress of the project.

Speaking on the occasion, Moudgil said this was a good beginning for flow of CSR funds from corporates for developmental activities of the corporation. He appealed to others to follow suit since CSR funds spend in the municipal corporation activities will lead to better monitoring.

Saboo on his part explained that the funds will not be released to the corporation at one go but in a staggered manner linked to various stages of construction of the project. The cost of maintenance will be shared between the donors and MCC in a 50:50 ratio, he added.

Saboo wanted a commitment from the MCC that the project would be delivered within the laid down time frame and that a reputed contactor would be put on the job with a commitment to maintain it for five years after completion. The commitment of funds by the donors for maintenance can be extended beyond the five-year period, he said.

The proposed upgraded toilet block will include a gents’ section and a ladies’ section. There will be two water closets in the men’s section and three in the ladies’ section, besides five bath areas for men and one for ladies, 12 urinals for men, five wash basins for men and three for ladies, one wash area and one WC each for differently-abled men and ladies, and 40 common hand wash areas. 

Among the MCC officials present were Joint Commissioner Tejdeep Singh Saini, Chief Engineer Manoj Bansal and Superintending Engineer Public Health Sanjay Arora.

Give World Wings To Your Business Model & Win Big Time

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Give World Wings To Your Business Model & Win Big Time

You are a single individual or a team of up to five members. You have fire in the belly and a business model in product and services track or social track which you feel is worth showcasing at the national and international level, then this is the right platform for you to give wings to your dreams. The Entrepreneurship Cell IIT Kharagpur has announced its annual global business model competition, Empresario, for 2019, the official qualifier for direct entry to the quarter-finals of the International Business Model Competition (IBMC), co-hosted by Stanford, Harvard and Brigham universities. (Visit www.ecell-iitkgp.org/empresario for more details).

Empresario accepts business ideas in all tracks, including Product & Service, Product Design and Social. Teams need not focus on developing a robust business plan, complete with financials and slick presentations, as in a business plan competition, but on identifying and precisely defining the assumptions of the new venture, testing these assumptions in the field and then pivoting (changing) based on the lessons learnt, marking a new paradigm in entrepreneurship.

According to information received from IIT Kharagpur’s Entrepreneurship Cell, the teams behind the shortlisted entries are provided personalised help in terms of mentorship and the winners also get a much sought after chance to pitch their ideas in front of some of India’s biggest venture capitalists and investors. Empresario participants are mentored and supported by organisations like TiE, NEN (National Entrepreneurship Network), etc. Critical startup services like legal advice, taxation, financial, technical aspects of running a startup, co-working space, HR needs, incubation opportunities, etc. are also provided.

Every business idea entry in each of the fields, including Product & Service, Product Design and Social, gets an equal opportunity to win from the prize money pool of Rs. 25 lakhs and incubation money to the tune of Rs. 2.5 crore. Intially, Empresario had been launched in association with Calcutta Angels, Villgro, Indian Angel Network and many more.

Entrepreneurship Cell, IIT Kharagpur is a student organisation established with the aim of fostering the spirit of entrepreneurship among college students in India. It carries the tag of one of the most successful entrepreneurship organisations in the country with over 60 startups incubated within 10 years of its inception.

For the first round of Empresario, participants are required to fill up a questionnaire asking in brief about their business idea and submit it. This questionnaire can be downloaded from the Entrepreneurship Cell’s website www.ecell-iitkgp.org/empresario. Participants registering now can avail of Early Bird privileges, which include extended mentoring and offline mentoring session during Entrepreneurship Awareness Drive (EAD) 2018.

Some of the past Empresario student startup winners

Swagene – Swagene is transforming healthcare by pioneering personalised medicine. If you are a doctor or patient, you stand to benefit enormously in terms of time, money and precious health !

Janch Healthcare – Janch is a mission to provide personalised, high-quality diagnosis solutions as an as-needed or preventive basis.

Gamezop – It lets you play more than 100 games by installing just one app. It also uses HTML5 to allow users to play offline. It recently raised a seed funding of $350,000.

The Entrepreneurship Cell, IIT Kharagpur conducts its annual flagship event Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), the largest collegiate summit in India, in January every year. The final rounds of Empresario 2018-19 will be held during GES’19.

Who Can Participate ?

There is no restriction on any individual to participate. Anyone, from students to working professionals across the world with an idea, a product or service or even an operating startup can participate. 

Renewed Spat Between VC & Intransigent Lobby Triggered

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Renewed Spat Between VC & Intransigent Lobby Triggered

Politics of a brand no less than seen in the country’s Parliament or State assemblies continues to pan out in the governing bodies of the premier government university, Panjab University, Chandigarh, and the Vice President of India, who happens to be Chancellor of the university, is allowing this ugly face of the dance of democracy to play out in full public glare. The cause of the latest flash point in the university Senate and Syndicate is the all important issue of governance reforms. Vice Chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover, at loggerheads with a well entrenched and dominant section within the two governing bodies right through the six-year long innings he has had at the helm of the university, is keen on pushing through the recommendations of a governance reforms committee after a quick debate before he bows out in another two weeks’ time. His staunch opponents, who are seen to be clearly the most affected by the recommendations of the committee, on the other hand are determined to frustrate his plans once again. After ensuring on Saturday that the scheduled meeting of the Syndicate did not happen, they were again successful in engineering a disruption in a valid meeting of the Senate with a complete quorum on Sunday.

Even before the agendas could be taken up for discussion, voices began to be raised from among the elected representatives, apparently sympathetic towards the boycotting senators, that in view of the thin attendance (only quorum-completing 16 members were present in a House of 90-plus members) the meeting may be postponed for a couple of days to allow wider and more meaningful discussion. On the other hand, some very senior nominated members, who earlier placed on record their appreciation for the courage and commitment displayed by the Vice Chancellor in steering the university towards new horizons, opposed the suggestion saying that a handful of dissatisfied members could not be allowed to violate the sanctity of the House. All dissent, they asserted, should be placed on record within the House, not outside it in public domain.

Suggestions like adjourning the House till after lunch to allow the boycotters to join the proceedings, and allowing only the most urgent agenda items to be taken up, failed to break the deadlock. At one point the Vice Chancellor, who was chairing the meeting on behalf of the Chancellor, put the issue to vote, offering to abstain himself, but the vote again threw up a fractured verdict. Finally, before concluding the meeting, and promising to report the proceedings to the Chancellor for his advice on further course of action, Prof. Grover extracted an authorisation from the House to deal with most urgent matters from among the agenda items in consultation with the Dean Students’ Welfare and convey the outcomes to all members.

Immediately after the conclusion of Sunday’s meeting, the Vice Chancellor, as announced in the House, is understood to have shot off a mail to the Vice President of India, who is the chairperson of the university Senate, seeking an urgent appointment in the context of the proceedings of the House.

Prof. Grover is clearly miffed at the public stand taken by the dominant section in the Syndicate and Senate that they will not attend any meeting held under his chairmanship. As he has showed on previous occasions, he appears to be equally determined not to allow the opposing “band of senators and syndics” to hold him to ransom with their “disruptive agenda against him”.

The ball is once again in the court of the Chancellor to take a call in the overall interests of the university. Will he be obliged to give the intransigent members of the governing bodies one more chance to discharge their responsibilities before the current Vice Chancellor demits charge, or will he choose to soft pedal the issue remains to be seen.

Knee-jerk Reactions Won’t Work, Sincerity Of Action Will

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Knee-jerk Reactions Won’t Work, Sincerity Of Action Will

The grim war against rampant drug abuse in Punjab can be equated to the one against the equally ugly phenomenon of stone-pelting in Kashmir. In both, knee-jerk reactions of the establishment have failed to deliver. The might of the state and its various agencies by itself has proved to be largely ineffective. The reasons are not far to seek. Something which has been allowed to fester for years and decades will not just go away with the use of force alone. Delving deep into the psychology of the perpetrators and the pawns alike will perhaps lead to framing of policies that are better equipped to judge where to apply the balm and where to use the surgical blade. Even brilliant and experienced medical brains have to delve deep into their study and investigations before deciding whether to treat a malignant tumour with chemotherapy or to remove it altogether.

Under intense pressure of public perception over the spate of recent drug abuse related deaths across the state, the Capt. Amarinder Singh led state cabinet on Monday may have just uncorked another knee-jerk reaction in haste. By recommending to the Centre to declare death penalty for drug peddlers and smugglers as a deterrent to the heinous crime, it is seeking to add one more crime to the long list of death penalty crimes, a recent addition to which was the central ordinance for condemning rapists of girls below 12 years to death, which has been adopted by the state government. This leads one to wonder whether capital punishment is the only answer to all heinous crimes happening with distressing frequency across the country. This way we may be headed towards a situation where death penalty will be among the most trending judgements in the country.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Punjab cabinet at ‘half-mast’

The state cabinet, before the start of its meeting on Monday, is understood to have observed silence for the drug abuse deaths, besides the killings of Indians in a suicide attack in Afghanistan and farmers’ suicides. Were members of the state cabinet hanging their heads in respect, or in shame for the failure of the state government in tackling drug abuse? Till recently the state government was patting its back for effectively tackling drug abuse by belting out figures of seizures and arrests. Now while taking a decision to recommend death penalty, the state government has resorted to the argument that drug peddling and smuggling was destroying the youth of Punjab along with many other parts of the country, a clear admission that things are not in control.

Senior Ministers Defensive

Even senior ministers in the state appear to be defensive and apologetic about the situation. It was officially admitted by the state government that outspoken Minister for Local Government Navjot Singh Sidhu “expressed concern at the public perception that the (state) government had not succeeded in eliminating the drug menace. He also lamented the reported instances of involvement of police personnel in drug menace and urged strict action against the guilty cops.”

Failed To Break Nexus

Despite creating a special task force (STF) under an ADGP rank officer, back from deputation with the central government, immediately on taking over power in the state in line with his election promise of wiping out substance abuse menace from the state, Capt. Amarinder Singh’s government appears to have failed to break the well entrenched nexus between drug network and black sheep among politicians of all hues, bureaucrats and the police force, which is common knowledge. The STF, which for nearly a year was functioning independently and its chief reporting directly to the Chief Minister, was later, integrated into the state police force as the top police brass squabbled over issues of chain of command within the uniformed force.

Human Factor Largely Ignored

In this cat and mouse game, focussed on cutting off supply lines of drugs, the human factor has apparently not been given the kind of deep focus and sincere action it deserves. It is only now, when the issue of government failure has again erupted and taken centre stage, elements within the government are talking about starting a mass movement by involving parents and the community at large and treating the addicts with sensitivity while protecting their dignity and identity.

Stop Bragging

The state government would be well advised to stop reeling out figures to show success and get down to creating a massive network of infrastructure and trained doctors, counsellors, volunteers and public opinion makers, including celebrities, and generating imaginative songs, skits, posters and other publicity materials through public partnership and open competitions to show its real intent to make a serious and sincere attempt to integrate the substance abuse victims into the mainstream.

Coin a new dignified term while addressing substance abuse victims. Stop calling them drug addicts ! Rename Drug De-addiction Centres.

Highlights Of Monday’s Deliberations

1. A formal recommendation for death penalty to drug peddlers and smugglers to be sent to the central government.

2. Special Working Group to be constituted under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary (Home) NS Kalsi to review and monitor, on a day-to-day basis, action being taken to check and control drug abuse. The working group will have ACS (Health) Satish Chandra, DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta, ADGP (Law & Order) Ishwar Singh and ADGP (STF) HS Sidhu as members.

3. Cabinet sub-committee formed under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, with Health & Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra and Social Security Minister Aruna Chaudhary as its members. It will meet once every week. The Special Working Group to report directly to the cabinet sub-committee.

4. State DGP Suresh Arora directed by the Chief Minister to intensify the police crackdown. No complacency to be tolerated.

5. STF chief suggests registration of cases in all recent incidents of substance abuse deaths with a view to identify and mitigate the risk factors, including possible supply of spurious drugs and mixing of drugs with other death-causing substances. Suggests intensified training of Drug Awareness Prevention Officers (DAPOs) to help substance abuse victims cope with social stigma.

6. ACS (Home) NS Kalsi calls for holistic strategy involving Enforcement Wing and Drug De-addiction & Rehabilitation Centres. Suggests state DGP take to task district SSPs found not performing up to the mark in the fight against substance abuse and pen down adverse remarks in their ACRs.

7. DGP Suresh Arora defends solid work put in by state police. Cites figures to show arrests and seizures have registered a sharp increase since the new government took charge of the state. Claims seizures of heroin have subsequently declined due to effective action of police, STF, and various central agencies and increased deployment of BSF with upgraded surveillance technology and other infrastructure on the international borders. Suggests it is possible that facing a shortage, substance abuse victims may be resorting to consumption of adulterated drugs, leading to deaths. However, admits real cause of deaths could be ascertained only after chemical analysis.   

8. Health Minister Brahm Mohindra informs meeting that 81 Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centres are currently functioning effectively in the state and so far 8,000 youth had been successfully treated in these. Affirms identities of substance abuse victims and their families have been strictly kept confidential to save them from social stigma.

9. Water Supply & Sanitation Minister Razia Sultana suggests taking parents into confidence to facilitate treatment and rehabilitation of substance abuse victims.

10. Housing & Urban Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa underlines need for motivating substance abuse victims to get treatment at drug de-addiction centres.

11. Senior Advisor to the Chief Minister Lt. Gen. (retd.) TS Shergill opines Guardians of Governance (GoG) Programme, under which an army of ex-servicemen have been deployed at the grassroots level in Punjab to monitor implementation of central and state government welfare schemes, could play a vanguard role in sensitising youth on the issue of substance abuse. Calls for generating a grassroots level movement to involve people in the fight against drugs.

12. Advocate General Atul Nanda points out NDPS Act is a very sensitive and specialised legislation, and, as a corrective measure, suggests creation of a special cadre of at least 15 well-trained prosecutors to secure convictions of drug offenders in an effective manner.

13. Secretary School Education Krishan Kumar informs meeting about special chapters being included in Physical Education text books to sensitise students from class VI onwards about drugs and their ill-effects. Further says two dedicated teachers have been deputed in each High and Senior Secondary School to create awareness about substance abuse and its adverse effects on mental and physical health.

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