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Grace & Style Rule The Ramp For Budding Student Designers

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Grace & Style Rule The Ramp For Budding Student Designers

It was a glittering evening, with three power-packed back to back fashion shows, elegantly and professionally crafted to enhance the creativity, beauty and vibrancy of varied collections by passing out young talent. The ‘INIFD Fashion Day Out’ at The Lalit on Sunday was a slick and chic affair with professional models, showcasing the creations of student designers, hi-tech audio visual effects and a highly appreciative audience, comprising mostly parents of students, adding to the glamour and entertainment quotient. Well known presenter, game show host and actor Aman Verma, branded the ‘Krishna’ of the evening because of his magnetic presence, electrified the audience by invoking the Punjabi spirit.

The smartly crafted ramp, varying patterns of entry of models, and the high decibel music and triple LED displays in perfect sync with the themes of the awe-inspiring collections left the audience spell-bound right through the more than an hour-and-a-half long shows.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

The batch of 49 passing out INIFD budding designers presented 29 design collections at Fashion Day Out ranging from Ethnic to Western to Indo Western, Street Look, Funky to very wearable garments. The collections were variously titled as Reminiscence, Bridal Brigade, The Heritage Legacy, Majestic Mithila, The City Beautiful, The Coronation, Magic of Dandelion, Dastaan-E-Noor, etc. Their themes among other things were inspired by Kalidasa’s story ‘Meghdoot’, Persian art, marvel of inlay work at The Taj, traditional art of ‘Madhubani Paintings’, drama of playing cards and elegance of British Royalty of Tudor Dynasty. 

Some of the student designers

The passing out INIFD student designers created silhouettes in impressive fabrics and exciting colours with exquisite embroidery details and different painting techniques by giving their flight of imagination a distinct vision.

Among the collections showcased were those by INIFD Chandigarh passing out student designers Sonam Aggarwal, Shobhnas Bajaj and Pooja Vikram Singh which also adorned the ramp at London recently.

Official Show Director and Fashion Choreographer of Lakme Fashion Week Vahbiz Mehta was the choreographer for the show. Her entire Lakme Fashion Week team travelled with her from Mumbai.

Top international and national fashion week models, including Anjali Lama, Shruti Chauhan, Roma, Rewati Chetri, Printi Jana, Akanksha Maurya, Meher Chahal, Amardeep Kaur Syan, Satvika Goyal, Preet Singh, Kimmi Kukreti, Kaanan Kumar walked the ramp to showcase the creativity of INIFD students.

To Commemorate INIFD’s participation in London Fashion Week and upcoming New York Fashion Week, the first edition of the magazine INIFD Verve was unveiled on the occasion.

The fashion week was produced by JLPL Real Estate Developers, pioneers in setting up and promoting world class infrastructure in the region.

IMA Prepares For Long Struggle Ahead; To Intensify Agitation

Sanjeev Kochhar
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IMA Prepares For Long Struggle Ahead; To Intensify Agitation

M for Media and M for Medical, both equally important for safeguarding the health of the nation, albeit in different ways, and both target of central government attempts to regulate them. While a united Media has so far been able to thwart all attempts to impose government regulations on it, the latest effort to penalise it for “fake news” resulting in the ouster of then Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, the not-so-united medical fraternity appears to have a grim battle on its hands to ward off attempts to snatch its autonomy of regulation. The central government is making a second attempt next week to bulldoze though Parliament the National Medical Commission Bill, aimed at replacing the self regulating Medical Council of India Act, accepting just a few of the many amendments suggested by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health, to which the Bill had been referred following protests.

For the second time this year private doctors and hospitals across the country protested against the Bill by not running non-emergency services, including outpatient departments (OPDs), for a day on Saturday and threatened to intensify their campaign should the government not relent and push ahead with the Bill.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Senior functionaries of the Chandigarh branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) told media persons, after a meeting of 40-odd doctors deliberated on the issues at the IMA House, that passage of the Bill in its present form will not only spell disaster for medical education but also ruin the already stressed healthcare delivery system in the country.

Current President Dr. Neeraj Kumar and past presidents Dr. RS Bedi (who also remained National vice president) and Dr. Neeraj Nagpal said the government’s avowed motive of improving primary health services in the rural areas through the National Medical Commission Bill was just a ruse and the real intention was to give unbridled powers to the private medical colleges, a majority of which were run by politicians or their cronies, to indulge in profiteering by giving 50 percent of the seats to the highest bidders. A trailer of things to come had already been witnessed in Uttarakhand and Maharashtra where managements of private medical colleges had massively hiked students’ fee for MBBS course to as high as Rs 25 lakh per annum, they added.

They felt that the marginalisation of the state governments, state medical councils, state health universities and state medical graduates under the Bill was a direct threat to the federal nature of the Constitution. With most members to be nominated by the central government, the commission was likely to function as an extended arm of the government, they said, adding that the centralised final year exit exam for MBBS students across the country, and for those with foreign qualifications to be permitted to practice in India, was also conceptually flawed and violated the Universities Act.

IMA Honorary Secretary General Dr. RN Tandon speaking in Delhi has enjoined the medical fraternity to prepare itself for a long struggle. He informed that their protests will be intensified in the next phase by actively involving all speciality organisations, resident doctors’ organisations, service doctors’ organisations and medical students in the movement.

Manufacturing Units Leapfrogging To Industry 4.0 Level Will Be Incentivised : Rakesh Verma

Sanjeev Kochhar
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Manufacturing Units Leapfrogging To Industry 4.0 Level Will Be Incentivised : Rakesh Verma

In the inaugural session of the 2nd Edition of ‘Conference On Achieving Excellence in Manufacturing – Making Industry Future Ready’ held at the CII Northern Region, Chandigarh campus on Friday, Punjab Industries & Commerce Director DPS Kharbanda, during his address, casually asked how many among the elite gathering had gone through Punjab Industrial & Business Development Policy, 2017. The response – just two, including Sachit Jain, Chairman, CII Northern Region and Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Vardhman Special Steels Limited, sitting on the dais – failed to create an expected flutter. Whether the episode was indicative of the general sense of despondency among the industrialists in the state or not, it definitely was food for thought for the state government, readying to release a final draft of a revised and futuristic policy, complete with modalities, any time next week.

State Principal Secretary, Industries, Commerce and IT Rakesh Verma, while expressing confidence that manufacturing was there to stay in Punjab, said among the most important focus areas of the revised Industrial & Business Policy will be according special treatment and providing higher incentives, like electricity duty and GST benefits, to Industry 4.0 level and hi-tech industrial units. He hoped that Punjab will lead the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies, and the new industrial units to come up in the state will leapfrog to the Industry 4.0 level for increased efficiency and profitability.

 Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

Verma said manufacturing has to be the mainstay of the economy as trade and services are dependent on it. A flourishing manufacturing sector will also provide much needed boost to gainful employment in the state, he said, adding that Industry 4.0 level and hi-tech industries are best suited to Punjab, a state heavily dependent for its workforce on migrants from other states.

The Industries Secretary said the state government has also decided to extend electricity duty and GST benefits for modernisation and expansion to existing industrial units at par with new industrial units. But the incentives will come with a rider that all beneficiary industrial units will have to take Zero Defect, Zero Effect (ZED) certification from the Government of India within three years. The ZED fee will also be fully compensated to the industrial units, with the state government undertaking to reimburse the remaining portion of the fee not covered by GOI under the scheme, he added.

Infrastructure Support

Turning to infrastructure required to support this level of manufacturing, Verma said the state government is conscious of the “pathetic condition” of various focal points and defunct R&D centres in the government sector, and hence the revised policy will spell out a roadmap for ramping up the infrastructure by involving the industry bodies like CII, private sector and institutions of higher learning. He said the state government is keen on offering the buildings of the defunct R&D centres to private players to run hi-tech labs and training centres on PPP model. Process has been started for hiring a consultant in this regard, he said.

The Industries Secretary informed that the state government is also in talks with the CII to strike a Technology & Innovation Alliance with a view to give fillip to industry ready R&D and encourage investment in the state.

Industry 4.0 level and hi-tech industries will also require a highly skilled workforce, for which the state government is focussing on encouraging advanced skilling courses to be started in government and private technical education institutions, he added.

DPS Kharbanda, Director of Industries and Commerce, Punjab, in his address, urged CII to share real life success stories from across the country of industrial units reaping big time benefits from infusion of modern thought and technologies to fire up the imagination of the Punjab industry, lagging behind in the modernisation race. Informing the gathering that an exclusive ZED branch has specially been opened in the department, he called upon the industry in Punjab to lap up the ZED certification scheme of the GOI to reap handsome benefits.

Referring to another highly beneficial GOI scheme for aiding setting up of Common Facility Centres (CFCs) under Micro & Small Enterprises – Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP), he said more and more clusters of same or similar industries should resolve to grow together and avail of 90% government contribution under the scheme. Till recently only one cluster had received GOI approval in Punjab, and two more have received the nod just two days ago. “We have recommended another case of a Phagwara cluster recently and four more cases are in the process of being sent,” he added.

Sharing the nitty-gritty of best practices in manufacturing from his vast experience in the automobile industry, MM Singh, Chairman, Regional Committee on Advanced Manufacturing, & Executive Advisor, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. said for optimising growth, which meant capturing more market, and making more money, meaning increasing  profits, owners need to follow the basics of manufacturing, which currently most are not following. “We need to look at small-small things associated with our production lines to improve efficiencies – workplace comfort of workers, maintenance of machines, meticulous organisation of tool kits, etc.,” he said.

Relating a personal experience, he said by forcefully persuading his company management to increase the comfort level of a supervisor at his workplace, his productivity increased by 80 percent. Similarly, output optimisation of machines, which on an average do not perform at more than 60-70 percent efficiencies, is equally critical and regular maintenance cannot be compromised at any cost.

Assuring that such measures can reduce manufacturing costs by 20-30 percent, he said mindsets need to change on such issues, which we tend to ignore. Giving example of his own organisation Maruti Suzuki, he said why the company is going from strength to strength is because it has the correct mindset towards manufacturing.

Coming to quality issues, Singh said 90% of the times the fault is detected at the level of a machine operator. Most times standards are either not properly understood or they are not properly enforced. To remove this anomaly, simple and accurate communication needs to percolate down to the workforce level, he added.

He said, a continuous process of upgradation of the skills of workforce is also critical to optimum results and automation, which is critical to all processes and quality issues, needs to be introduced wherever necessary to support the workforce after critically analysing every tiny issue.

Viren Popli, Conference Chairman & Chief Operating Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (Swaraj Division), in his opening remarks urged the manufacturing units to keep an open mind towards infusion of digitalisation, automation and robotics in their processes. Conceding that there are several challenges before the industry, including enhanced customer expectations regarding quality and competitive pricing, he said the decision on modernisation and the costs involved, in the ultimate analysis makes or mars the prospects of an industrial unit. Referring to modernisation of the banking industry as a perfect example of this double-minded thought process being resolved in a yes for computerisation, Popli said today we say “thank God it happened” because of the phenomenal incremental gain achieved in terms of ease of doing business for banks and their customers alike.

Explaining the purpose of the conference, he said it was aimed at introducing local manufacturing SMEs to concepts and conversations that are happening in this space to enable them to make appropriate choices. “This is important because the growth of the manufacturing sector is key to the growth of the Indian economy, and thus to growth of employment opportunities.”

In his address, Sachit Jain, Chairman, CII Northern Region and Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Vardhman Special Steels Limited, felt that excellence has to flow from the mind of the owner or MD of any industrial unit or house, otherwise it does not percolate down to the workers at the grassroots level. Describing excellence as not so much about automation and robotics as of a mindset, he said another aspect of it was putting in place a systematic method of continuous improvement. He gave a personal example of achieving 80 percent reduction in breakage of yarn in his textile business by just creating charts and graphs and carefully analysing the data on the advice of their Japanese collaborators.

Observing that manufacturing in the country is currently performing well below potential, he said concerted efforts need to be made to take manufacturing sector’s contribution towards GDP to 25 percent. Then only can India become a trillion dollar economy and generate adequate employment opportunities for our youth, he added.

Jain cautioned the industrialists that trends are changing fact, especially after the trade war between US and China, and US and others, and they do not have the luxury of time. A sense of urgency has to set in fast before they face irreparable harm to their business prospects. Selective and systematic infusion of automation has become imperative to support the manpower, which itself has to be gradually reduced to bring about greater efficiency and profitability, he said.

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.

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