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Spurious Pesticides Trade Ruining Agriculture, Need Strong & Determined Action To Curb It

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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It needs more than a serious effort by enforcement agencies at the centre and in the states to make a dent in the widespread spurious pesticides trade which has wrecked havoc in the heavily stressed farm sector in the country. If India is to really achieve the national goal of doubling farm incomes by 2022, which is quite possible, then strong and determined steps to eradicate this trade, along with efforts towards rapid adoption of modern farm practices and technology and judicious utilisation of fertilisers and irrigation water have to take the centre stage in the country on a mission mode. These are some of the issues which will come under sharp focus in the one-day Seminar on ‘Role of Agrochemicals For Sustainable Agriculture’ with the theme ‘Enhancing Farmers’ Productivity Sustainably’ to be held at Hotel Mountview in Chandigarh on Friday. Jointly organised by the Indian Chemical Council (ICC) with the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals and National Committee On Plasticulture Applications in Horticulture (NCPAH) in the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, and various farmers’ and industry bodies, the seminar is aimed at empowering farmers with knowledge of latest and best in science on safe and judicious usage of various agrochemical inputs for sustainable agriculture while at the same time creating opportunities for the Indian agrochemicals industry.

Interacting with media persons on the eve of the seminar RG Agarwal, Group Chairman, agrochemicals major Dhanuka Agritech Limited, said though various programmes and policies have been implemented to increase farm incomes, the spread of awareness among the farmers to convince them to adopt modern ways of agriculture and allied activities, has been slow considering the enormity of exercise involving 12 crore farmers in 6.5 lakh villages. The problem with Indian farming is that because of small land holdings the number of farmers is astronomical and to reach out to each of them in every nook and corner of the country is a herculean task, he added.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

He said government needs to move quickly to strengthen the farmers by giving them freedom to sell their agriculture or horticulture produce wherever they want and whenever they want to get a good price without taking recourse to middlemen. For this amendments need to be made in the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act and a wide network of storage facilities established. The increasing dependence of the country on foreign agricultural inputs and technologies is another cause of concern, and so is the lack of creditable farm extension services. India needs to focus on these two aspects as well if we are to come anywhere near achieving the 2022 target, he added.

Haryana Krishi Ayog member Dr Shyam Bhaskar felt that modern thought and practices were making significant progress in states like Haryana. Besides making a major dent in curbing stubble in the state this year, it was also adopting micro irrigation schemes in a big way. Quoting latest NCPAH figures of area under micro irrigation as against net sown area, he said, Haryana was placed only second to Andhra Pradesh by a razor thin margin in this regard. The northern state has 5,92,705 hectares under micro irrigation, which is 16.83 % of the net sown area of 35,21,751 hectares, while the southern state boasts of 10,54,381 hectares under micro irrigation, which is 16.91 % of the net sown area of 62,36,050 hectares, he added.

Brij Uberoi, CEO, CropLife India, a not for profit industry organisation focussed on promoting safe, responsible and judicious use of crop protection solutions, informed that his organisation had rolled out an extensive awareness drive in three states – Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra – for farmers on the importance and use of inexpensive Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) like eyewear, hand gloves and face masks while administering pesticides on their farms and responsible use of crop protection products. 

In Punjab, the project had been initiated in five districts – Bathinda, Sangrur, Muktsar, Fazilka and Mansa. In each of these districts, the project implementation is being supported by local government bodies, farmers’ associations and kisan unions and locally operational NGOs, he added.

US Affordable Brand Hotel 6 Throws Open 1st Property In Zirakpur-Chandigarh

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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It all began with two American real estate commercial contractors from Southern California realising during a cross-country road trip with their families the limited choice of consistent, affordable lodging available to an average leisure traveller. It triggered William Becker and Paul Greene to design and develop a lodging concept ‘Motel 6’– offering a clean, comfortable, consistently-executed motel experience at a reasonable price – which was to revolutionise the lodging business in America and become an iconic brand through the 1970s and early 1980s. With the brand changing hands a couple of times, an extended stay brand ‘Studio 6’ was launched and the owners ventured into franchising. G6 Hospitality, which manages and operates the brands and today has a portfolio of 1600-odd hotels across USA, Canada and Mexico, on Friday announced its first footprint in Zirakpur, near Chandigarh, in the form of its latest offering ‘Hotel 6’in association with its India partners Auromatrix Holdings. The ‘Hotel 6’ brand, which has been launched for international markets and is under development in Latin America and has reached Indian shores, plans a nationwide footprint in five years with the roll out of 40 such affordable hotels, which have been positioned between a budget and a business hotel after extensive market research.

Interacting with media persons at the newly launched Hotel 6 Zirakpur-Chandigarh (after refurbishing and rebranded Hotel Medallion), Auromatrix Holding Chairman Kumar Sitaraman and G6 Hospitality LLC CEO Rob Palleschi expressed confidence that Hotel 6 brand will do well in India as it had been positioned correctly, targeting the growing segment of middle class travellers by providing high and consistent quality at an affordable price.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

“We will apply for a four-star status for Hotel 6 Zirakpur-Chandigarh. Besides all the standard mode facilities and amenities associated with a four-star property, the hotel will offer the exclusive advantages of large-sized rooms, a swimming pool and a gym. The hotel is geared to cater to all categories of visitors with 175 rooms, a large banquet and two conference rooms, which are interconnected,” Sitaraman said.

Palleschi intervened to inform that “It took us two years to study the requirements of emerging Indian hospitality market, design a product suited to local markets and to engage the right partners. We have decided not to try and Americanise or Westernise the Hotel 6 chain in India. In fact, we would like to compliment the local markets adaptations with the use of technology to achieve customer delight, which is the hotel’s USP.

“Every hotel will use a special and state-of-the-art exclusive to Hotel 6 cloud-based software ‘Hotel Key’. Guests will be able to use I-pads for check-in and check-out, ordering food in the restaurant, etc. The brand will be well supported by a global marketing network and regional sales teams at various locations in India,” he added.

“We promise to surprise our guests with our package by going beyond their expectations at the given price,” said Palleschi, adding that they were keen on bringing the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands also to India but they would leave a decision in this regard to their Indian partners.

UK Offers Millions To Undergraduate, Postgraduate Scholars

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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Recognising that women are underrepresented in the field of science, including engineering and scientific academia, The British Council which is celebrating 70 years of its presence in India this year has awarded fully-funded scholarships to 100 Indian women, 25 of them from the North, to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects at United Kingdom’s premier institutions of higher learning. Sharing this information with students at the English Auditorium of Panjab University campus on Monday, British Deputy High Commissioner in Chandigarh Andrew Ayre and other senior officials said giving top priority to granting scholarships to Indian students to pursue higher education in UK universities, a hefty sum of Rs 117 crore was spent last year, making possible for 500 students to avail of scholarships.

Speaking on the topic ‘Education As A Key Link For Strengthening UK-India Ties’ as part of a ‘Gateway to Global Opportunity’ programme, Ayre said the UK institutions of higher learning were consistently ranked among the best in the world and they offered flexible courses to suit individual requirements, which is a big advantage.

British Deputy High Commissioner in Chandigarh Andrew Ayre
Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Giving details of the anniversary scholarships for women, Tom Birtwistle, Director, North India, British Council, said the 100 women scholars will be attending 44 British universities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for their Master’s courses during the 2018-19 academic year. The scholarships will offer the women a chance to work in world-class research environments and collaborate in international research teams. Selected from across India from Tier I, II and III cities and towns, the scholars were also provided training by the British Council to enable them to create an impact of their work in STEM subjects through effective use of social media and science communication.

Indian women recipients of British Council special anniversary scholarships from North

Among the scholarships listed out by Birtwistle (details available on the website of British Council Chandigarh) were :

GREAT Scholarships : 67 full tuition scholarships with a value of 1 million British pounds for prospective full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolling in a broad range of subjects.

Commonwealth Scholarship & Fellowship : Aimed at students of Commonwealth countries who can make a significant contribution to their home country after completion of their higher education programme in the UK. The courses covered are one-year Taught Master’s courses or equivalent and doctoral degree of up to three/four years’ duration.

Hornby Scholarships 2018 : For English language teachers from outside the UK to study for Masters degree in English Language Teaching (ELT) at the University of Warwick.

Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships : Scholarships are offered in the field of Conservation, Heritage and Culture, enabling Indians in the early to mid stages of their careers to spend time in the UK, helping them achieve artistic, academic and professional ambitions and to broaden their international contacts.

Newton Bhabha PhD Placement Programme : A partnership between The British Council and Departments of Science & Technology and Biotechnology, it provides funding support to Indians for short-term placements in UK and Indian institutions.

For details, visit https://www.britishcouncil.in/about/what/our-presence-in-india/british-council-chandigarh

Another Saas-Bahu Plot, With A Role Reversal

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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You don’t need a wise head over your shoulders to produce a typical Hindi family serial. They come a dime a dozen. Pick up any one of the clichéd hit storylines in an Indian setting, ‘saas-bahu’ being the safest, and get going. It doesn’t matter even if you don’t have a director in place, because he is going to be just a face. Zee TV announced one such serial in the ‘saas-bahu’ mould, though claimed to be with a “role reversal”, in Chandigarh on Friday. Brace yourself for an ‘exceptional’ story, at the centre of which is a family which has apparently multiplied faster than the fastest urban Indian family you would have imagined. ‘Guddan …Tumse Na Ho Payega’ is about a 40 years old man, whose three daughters-in-law conspire to marry him off to a girl younger than them for their own vested interests (the girl is 20 years old). Phew!! That’s some speed of family progression. Any guesses, what age would be the sons of the 40-year-old man!

Anchored by veteran theatre artist and actor Daljit Soundh, the by now famous ‘dadi’ of the never-ending serial ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ (1100-plus episodes and still running), a team representing Zee TV which flew down to Chandigarh on Friday to promote the upcoming serial, announced that ‘Guddan …Tumse Na Ho Payega’ will premiere on September 3 and air Monday to Friday at 8 p.m.

Theatre personality & TV actor Daljit Soundh ‘dadi’ of ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ fame 

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

Daljit, who hails from Amritsar, and is again playing ‘dadi’ (Tulsi Devi) to the 40-year-old (Akshat) in the serial, shared with media persons that ‘Guddan …Tumse Na Ho Payega’ is produced by Shoonya Square. But, wait!! Doesn’t the serial have a director!! The write-up shared with us does not make a mention of the director, though it names the producer and the actor. Daljit fumbles for an answer. “Yes, we have a director… Mr Dheeraj. Sorry, no he is the producer!” She calls out to a girl, accompanying her on the promotional tour, for assistance. The girl too appears clueless. Finally, she manages to mumble “we don’t have a director yet. The shoot begins only on August 20.” Good going!

Daljit says she has had a fairly long stint with the Zee TV family now. After doing
not-so- significant roles in several serials, the role of ‘dadi’ in the runaway hit serial ‘Kumkum Bhagya’ catapulted her to fame. “Very few people know me by my name. Everyone calls me ‘dadi’, and I am pretty happy with the love and respect which comes with that status.”

‘Guddan…Tumse Na Ho Payega’ is said to be a “light-hearted story” of a 20-year-old girl, Guddan (played by Kanika Mann), who having bumbled and fumbled through most of her life, and being told by her own family that she can barely get one thing right, finds herself becoming a very young mother-in-law to three older daughters-in-law by a quirk of circumstances.

A promo of the serial claims “For the first time on television, we will witness a role reversal of the typical ‘saas-bahu’ relationship as three daughters-in-law set out to seek a suitable bride for their 40-year-old father-in-law, Akshat (played by Nishant Singh Malkani) for their own vested interests and get him married to 20-year-old Guddan.

“Being a new ‘saas’ in the household, where the older ‘bahus’ have ruled the roost for the longest time, Guddan is the quintessential inexperienced outsider faced with resistance, challenges and is time and again stripped powerless by the phrase – ‘Tumse Na Ho Payega’. Will Guddan tide over self-doubt and brave all the daily challenges thrown her way to shut down her critics and cynics once for all by proving ‘Guddan Se Ho Payega’?”

In the serial, Tusli Devi is a constant pillar of strength and a guiding force to her grandson Akshat, who always looks up to his ‘dadi’ in trying times.

While Guddan is flamboyant, carefree and always ready to take risks, making her commit the silliest of mistakes, Akshat is a perfectionist with immense maturity. Set against the backdrop of the vibrant city of Indore, ‘Guddan …Tumse Na Ho Payega’ will trace the journey of two contrasting personalities, as they struggle to find common ground to lead a happy married life. “As Guddan and Akshat’s contrasting worlds collide, it leads to a lot of drama, some lighter moments and the eternal quest for Guddan to prove that she can take on any challenge and nail it, no matter what her naysayers say,” the promo reads.

Adds Daljit “The show has an intriguing storyline and delivers a very strong message about having faith in yourself and achieving the impossible.”

Among other actors who will be seen in pivotal roles in the serial are Shweta Mahadik, Sehrish Ali, Mayank Verma and Rehan Roy.

Scaling New Heights Of Indo-Thailand Ties, Thai Envoys Push

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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From the traditional Thai legal calendar, the solar calendar, counting years in Buddhist Era (B.E.), which is 543 years ahead of the Christian/Normal calendar (A.D.), to the Thai Kings being given the title of Rama (Rama I, Rama II… etc.), to the Bangkok International airport being named Suvarnabhumi International airport to the an important road in Bangkok, where the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located, being called Sri Ayutthaya (Ayodhya) Road, to the mythical bird Garuda being the symbol of Thai royalty for centuries, and later being adopted as the national emblem of the nation, Thailand is steeped in Buddhist and Hindu culture of India. No wonder the two countries have centuries old cultural, economic and political ties, which were dented somewhat (though not culturally) during the Cold War Era, when both countries found themselves on opposite sides of the great political divide. With the Cold War abating following the collapse of the Soviet Union and economies getting globalised, political-security and economic relations have improved significantly. The two sides have been cooperating closely on political and security issues, and trade has been robust, touching 10 Bn US $ annually, after a 30 % increase registered last year. Investments in one another’s countries has been tardy with Indian companies investing 500m US $ in Thailand and investments from Thailand in India reaching 250m US $.

Thai Ambassador to India Chutinto Sam Gongsakdi is not satisfied with the volume of trade and investment between the second largest economy in the 10-member Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the sixth largest economy of the world. The heavy tilt of balance of bilateral trade in favour of Thailand (which accounts for 7Bn US $ out of the total trade of 10 Bn US $) is also exercising his mind.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

“The growth in trade and investment is encouraging, but nowhere near the huge potential, considering the cultural affinity and the age old ties between Thailand and India,” Gongsakdi said while sharing his thoughts during an interaction with Lifeinchandigarh.com after formally inaugurating a five-day ‘Namaste Thailand Expo 2018’ at Himachal Bhawan, in Chandigarh, on Wednesday. “We need to rediscover and revive the age old ties and scale up political-security, economic and cultural relations to an all new level. We are making all out efforts to make this happen in the shortest possible timeframe,” he added.

Gongsakdi said Thailand laid great stress on promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which generate 99 % of employment in the country, and would like this sector from both countries to forge greater business ties for inclusive growth. Early completion of the much delayed India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) trilateral road project would make a major impact towards this end as it will facilitate greater connectivity between Asean countries and India.

Admitting that balance of trade between the two countries was currently tilted heavily in favour of his country, the Thai Ambassador felt that Thailand needed to open up more towards India, and he was making earnest efforts to make that happen. Import of military hardware from India was one of the areas being considered to bridge this gap, he added.

Coming to the presence of Thai companies in India, Gongsakdi informed that though some of the top Thai companies have been operating in India for long, they have been keeping a low profile. Recently, the CP Group of Thailand, an agribusiness and packaged food major operating in South India, announced a venture into cash and carry wholesale stores across India with an investment of Rs. 1,000 crores in the next five years.

The diversified Siam Cement Group (SCG) is also eyeing its entry into India in a big way looking at opportunities in petro chemicals and the rapidly growing packaging industry in India. Thai companies as also participating in international consortiums to execute work on the Kolkata airport, the Mumbai Metro and Delhi Metro, he said, adding that “However, if we compare the 28 Thai companies operating in India to the 1350 Japanese and 700 Korean companies doing business in the country, the involvement of Thai businesses in India is way below the potential.”

The Thai Ambassador said among the major Indian companies invested in Thailand are Indo Rama Group, Aditya Birla Group and Tata Consultancy Services, with TCS alone providing employment to 2,000 people in Thailand.

Focusing on the burgeoning tourist traffic from India into Thailand, he informed that 14 lakh India tourists are visiting Thailand each year confining their journeys largely to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. “But Indians need to realise that there is much more to Thailand than these three cities. It’s the second largest economy in Asean and there are opportunities galore across the length and breadth of the country,” he remarked.

Gongsakdi said air connectivity between India and Asean region has recently received a further boost with the Royal Bhutanese Airlines, Drukair announcing launch of its Guwahati-Singapore-Guwahati flights and another Guwahati-Bangkok-Guwahati flight in the pipeline. Other cities in India are also likely to be covered by more direct flights to the Asean region soon, he added.

Let Thai Massage Unleash Your Blocked Energy @ 500

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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All the gents and ladies suffering from body stiffness or aches, or migraine, or feeling low on energy or spirit, get ready for a quick-fix solution at the hands of expert Thai therapists who are in town once again to give you that world famous Thai massage. You remain fully clothed while the therapist resorts to his or her typical body manipulations and stretches. With the use of hands, feet, elbows, forearms and knees, the therapist will free the blocked energy in your body to provide instant relaxation, all for Rs. 500. The Thai massage and spas and authentic Thai food and dance are the special attractions of the 5-day ‘Namaste Thailand Expo 2018’, organised by the Thai SMEs Exporter Association (TSEA) in association with The World Events, which opens at Himachal Bhawan in Sector 28 on Wednesday (Independence Day). The expo, which has attracted 45 exhibitors from Thailand, besides more than a dozen others from Netherlands, Afghanistan, Iran and India, will remain open all days from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The formal inauguration will be done by the Thai Ambassador to India, Chutintorn Gongsakdi, at 4.30 p.m.

Briefing media persons about the expo, TSEA Director Thepthai Suriyalaksh, and The World Events Director Rattandeep Singh Walia said among the Thai exhibits will be semi precious silver jewellery, western apparel, handbags and other fashion accessories, home decor, wooden and garden products, ceramics, artificial flowers, cosmetics, ayurvedic and spa products and natural latex products of Thailand. A food court will dish out an elaborate menu of authentic Thai specialities, salads and snacks.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

On the second day of the expo, the Thai Ambassador to India will himself prepare a few Thai dishes which will be served to the visitors. Traditional Thai dancers will add a touch of culture with their performances right through the day on all five days.

Suriyalaksh informed that the Royal Thai Embassy had organised the ‘Namaste Thailand 2018’ festival in New Delhi in March this year, which inspired TSEA to organise the ‘Namaste Thailand Expo 2018’ in Chandigarh and to further extend it to other parts of the country in the coming months and years.

The aim of the expo is to further increase the scope of the already flourishing trade between the two countries by involving the small and medium enterprises. Besides direct B2C (business to consumer) transactions, the Thai exhibitors will be exploring further possibilities in the B2B (business to business) marketing as well, he added.

Namaste Thailand Expo 2018 : Himachal Bhawan, Sector 28, August 15-19, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

This Ethno-Fusion Womens Hi-Fashion Wear Is Cool On Every Pocket

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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It has rapidly grown to be the country’s leading ethno-fusion brand for the women of today. In a short span of less than two years, Indya, whose USP is latest hi-fashion in a price range which is comfortable on any pocket, has made its mark with availability at 70 touch points across the country and is currently on a spree to open exclusive offline stores. The brand’s 10th exclusive offline store opened on Wednesday at the most happening place in the city, the Elante Mall, after launches in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Ludhiana, etc. With plans afoot to open 20 more exclusive stores in tier 1 and 2 cities in the next six months at a total investment of Rs 6 crore, the bullet train appears to have arrived in the country well before its scheduled roll-out.

One of the three hi-fashion brands under the umbrealla of High Stree Essentials (HSE) Pvt. Ltd., the brainchild of Shivani Poddar and Tanvi Malik, Indya also has a very strong online presence of its own apart from being on the Myntra and Jabong platforms and present in Future Group’s Central Malls. For this ethno-fusion brand, prices range from Rs 1500 and Rs 4,000, which are well within reach of every Indian woman on the go.

Photos By : Life In Chandigarh

The co-founders, Shivani and Tanvi feel that the 636 sq. ft. expanse of the store allows customers to browse through an exclusive range of range of luxe fabrics, fits and silhouettes. It also houses a contemporary range of skirts, peplum tops, crop tops, tunics and palazzos. “Indya has reinvented traditional designs to make them simple, but at the time sophisticated and distinctly contemporary, thereby creating a fresh take on Indian fashion that is both indigenous and modern,” they gushed.

Besides Indya, HSE owns FabAlley, a rapid-fashion Weste wear brand comprising globally trendy apparel and accessories, and Curve, a Weste wear brand for plus-sized women.

Indya, 216, 2nd Floor, Elante Mall, Chandigarh https://www.houseofindya.com/lool-book

Addicted, And Wanting To Come Clean, Dial NA Helpline 092177-06222

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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You are an addict, a substance abuser, even an alcoholic, and are willing to give up then local helpline number 092177-06222 is just the life support you need to help you swim across the turbulent river. Narcotics Anonymous (you must have heard the name), an offshoot of the other worldwide non-profit fellowship or brotherhood, Alcoholics Anonymous, but operating independently since 1953, has announced publically that if anybody is willing, and needs their help, he or she can ring their bell.

‘Recovering Addicts’, as they call themselves even after having given up all forms of substance abuse for years, a group of them in a recent public interaction with media persons, under promise of their identities being kept anonymous because of the very principle of their fellowship, said theirs’ is a 12-step programme of spiritual self healing in the company of people whom addicts can relate with and together help each other ‘stay clean’. There are no medicines, just a process of realisation of self belief that they can stop using drugs, lose the desire to use and find a new way to live.

Photo By : Life In Chandigarh (Intentially Blurred)

Relating their personal experiences of transformation from aimless individuals lost to the world to responsible and productive members of society, the group of four, coming from varied backgrounds and places, said “Our intent is to share this message broadly so that those who might benefit from our programme of recovery can reach us. The primary purpose of NA is that no addict seeking recovery need ever suffer or die from the horrors of addiction without a chance to know that there is a way out; the NA way.”

Calling themselves by their first names, Amitabh, Gaurav, Vikas and Sushant, the NA volunteers said, “The primary service provided by NA is their group meetings. Each group runs itself based on principles common to the entire worldwide organisation, following a 12-step programme to help the addict. NA’s primary approach to recovery is its belief in the therapeutic value of one addict helping another. Anyone who wants to stop using drugs may become a member of NA.”

Elaborating the philosophy of NA further, they said “The basic premise of anonymity allows addicts to attend meetings without fear of legal or social repercussions. Anonymity also supports an atmosphere of equality in meetings. No attendance records are maintained to ensure the privacy of members. Funding is purely from voluntary contributions from members and sale of recovery literature, which is available in several languages, including Hindi and Punjabi. We also have kitty groups, where we contribute,” they informed.

Explaining why they called themselves ‘recovering addicts’, Amitabh said we firmly believe and acknowledge that addiction is a permanent disease, but can be kept under control. The treatment has to be life-long, so that there is no relapse, he added.

Sharing more insights into the functioning of NA in the states of Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh, he said NA has held dozens of meeting in various towns and cities to spread its recovery from addiction message. As a result of these interactions, they have so far been able to help 1500-odd addicts across the region.

“I know the numbers are less, but now we are gearing up to scale up our operations, one of the reasons why we are seeking the help of the mass media to spread our message. We are working closely with the STF on drugs in Punjab. We have pasted our bills at police stations and are going around jails to distribute recovery literature in local languages. We are also trying that more women addicts come to our meetings. Their participation has improved from a mere 2 % to about 6 % lately and our effort is to raise that further,” he added.

Other than the helpline number, NA can be reached by visiting their website http://naindia.in or through email at rd@naindia.in.  

Dr Priyadarshi Ranjan In Elite Club Of 10 Transplant Surgeons Worldwide

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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He has a rich experience of performing more than 1,000 traditional organ transplants and has now joined the elite club of 10 surgeons in the world successfully performing robotic kidney transplant, which is touted to be the future of transplant surgery in the next decade. The affable Dr. Priyadarshi Ranjan, noted urologist and transplant surgeon, has already performed eight robotic kidney transplant surgeries with “excellent results” during the last six months, and the patients are up and running within no time without any post operative complications. More patients are queuing up at his doorstep encouraged by the results.

Apart from Fortis Hospital, Mohali, where Dr. Ranjan is Chairman & Executive Director of the TransCare Programme and Director of Urology, Robotics and Kidney Transplantation, only two other centres in the country – Medanta, NCR Delhi in the private sector and Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC), Asarwa, Ahmedabad in the government sector – and half a dozen others in USA and France are currently performing robotic kidney transplants. The Da Vinci robot has been in use previously for other ablative surgeries, such as kidney and prostrate cancer, but has now started being used  for kidney transplant as well.

 Photo By : Life In Chandigarh

In an interaction with Lifeinchandigarh.com Dr. Ranjan said, “robotic kidney transplant surgery requires high level of skill and precision and is Rs. 1 lakh-1.5 lakh costlier than traditional transplant surgery, which costs Rs 5-6 lakh. But its advantages over traditional transplant surgery are overwhelming. The biggest advantage is that in the robotic method, the kidney is placed in the body of the recipient through a small 5 cm incision in the belly button, without cutting any muscle, unlike in the traditional method in which the patient receives the kidney though a large muscle-cutting incision (approx. 25-30 cms).

“Therefore, in robotic surgery blood loss is significantly less, incidence of infection and other adverse medical events and complications are reduced to one-fifth to one-tenth of traditional kidney transplant, there is hardly any pain and the patient’s recovery is quick with his or her normal daily life not altered after the transplant.”

Dialysis Not Advised

Clarifying on the issue of patients of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) going for regular dialysis, Dr. Ranjan said, “Usually, more than 5 creatinine in the blood signifies setting in of ESKD in a patient. If he resorts to regular dialysis, the patient is exposing himself to greater risk of heart attack, gangrene, stroke, electrolyte abnormalities, etc. and the death rate in such cases is high.”

Explaining this further, the transplant surgeon said, “repeated dialysis triggers a process called ‘atherosclerosis’, resulting from clogging of arteries all over the body with greater deposition of calcium, phosphorus, and other salts. Hence, in case of ESRD, the best recourse is to straightaway go for kidney transplant, instead of playing a wait and watch game with dialysis and spoiling your chances of survival.”

The life of transplanted kidneys ranges from 12 years to 25 years depending on the quality of the donated kidney, patient taking regular medicines and going for follow-ups and keeping conditions like diabetes, hypertension, etc under control, Dr Ranjan said, adding that donation of a live kidney from within the family or a close relation, for instance, is far superior to that from a cadaver (brain dead) donor.

Protein Powder Ruining Youth

 Coming to the incidence of ESRD, he said though it can set in at any age, his own practice and general studies point to 50-60 % incidence among diabetics in the age group 40-60 years with another 20-30 % being patients of hypertension. There are many other causes like stones, tumours, excess use of analgesics and painkillers, high intake of protein powder by gym-goers for muscle-building, etc. “I have myself come across more than a dozen cases of handsome, muscular models in the 20-22 years age group suffering from ESRD because of excess intake of protein powder, which is alarming” he shared.

As a precaution, to avoid ESRD, people are advised to keep medical conditions they might have like diabetes and high blood pressure strictly under control, ensure a regular intake of water right through the day (not just one or two times a day) and consume less salt and non-vegetarian diet, Dr. Ranjan signed off.

 

Grace & Style Rule The Ramp For Budding Student Designers

By
Sanjeev Kochhar
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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.

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