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Thursday, September 16, 2010

13 Years of Non-Planned Existence

• Development marred by indecision and inaction


• 9,785 sq. mtrs of land under question

• Half of planned period is over yet no sign of implementation

Intro

Five successive government in state and three in civic body could not bring about a planned development in the merged villages. Even as Baner-Pashan flourish with posh localities, the infrastructure suffers because of vested interests.





The infrastructure in the city is backbone for the any new growth for the city. Therefore it is one area where any local administration or government is supposed to fix its eye on. However, the city of Pune has another fate. On the one hand it was thrust on the super-speeding highway of developments in the field of information technology and bio-technology as well as other burgeoning industry sectors.

Leading To Success Through Innovation

The Pune police department is fortunate to have many officers who have contributed immensely in bringing honours. This Independence Day saw two officers being honoured with the president’s medal. Incidentally, one of those two officers featured in this section of City Blog just a week ago. Another one is Sanjeev Kumar Singhal, Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration), Pune.




Ranked at par with Deputy Inspector General of Police, Singhal is an officer of 1992 batch of Indian Police Service. Having qualified as Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics and Telecommunication) through University of Roorkee with distinction, he completed his M. Tech. through IIT, New Delhi in May 1990. He completed his Master degree in Police Management through Osmania University. Hyderabad in Police Management.

Whose House is this anyway?

Who is the owner of the Pune Municipal Corporation? The corporators elected by the voters whose credentials are always under the shadow of suspicion? The public who is supposed to be king in a democratic system? Government turns a Nelson’s eye whenever the question of public welfare is put in front of it but is ecstatically active whenever some sort of fodder visible in the deal? This is the questions few enlightened souls in the city are asking to the functionaries who taken upon them to unquestioningly assume all authority and skip the responsibilities involved therein.




The issue came to fore when a handful of activists filed Right to Information application and unearthed data from PMC. The data clearly showed that even though the elected public representatives do not spare any attempt to scream from their rooftops on various issues in city, the same representatives more often than not skip their duty when the moment of reckoning comes.

The Naughty Superhero, First Indian Flag and Quizes

The Naughty Superhero

Ben Tennyson might seem like an ordinary 10-year-old boy — he plays video games, rides his bike and is a bit of a trouble maker - but thanks to his Omnitrix watch, he also has the ability to change into 10 different alien heroes. While the star of Ben 10 knows he must use his power for good, he still finds time for a little super-powered mischief now and then.


When ten year old Ben, his cousin Gwen, and their grandfather Max are on their summer camping trip, Ben finds an alien pod on the ground. When he examines it, he finds a mysterious, watch-like device called the Omnitrix. The device attaches itself permanently to his wrist and gives him the ability to transform into a variety of alien life-forms, each with its own unique powers.

Towering Above The Tradition

The history of Pune is filled with all colours. It comes then as no surprise that among the plethora of buildings boasting their heritage traditions, a church also celebrates its rich and prideful past. One such place is The 'Church of the Holy Name', also called 'Pavitra Naam Devalaya'. This tall building with marked and unique features is located at Guruwar Peth. The church has planned 12-day celebrations to mark its 125th foundation day this August 7.


Attempts are also on to include this building in the Pune Darshan tour of heritage buildings. The Church of the Holy Name is an historic monument built in the Gothic Style. The work of renovating the floor of this 125-year-old church is just completed.

BioTech Schools grow 5-fold in 10 years

Competition for admission to good institutions gets intense


BioTech Industry absorbs just one-third, two-fifths go abroad for higher studies


The spiraling growth of the $3.1 billion biotechnology industry has led to a five fold increase in the education infrastructure at the graduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels in the last decade. So much so that supply now far outstrips the demand with the industry able to absorb barely one third of the graduating biotechnology students

Special Parenting Made Easy, and How childhood makes you

Special kids need special parenting. Here’s taking a look at what goes into parenting differently able children with Mukta Gaikwad


Parenting is an experience that encompasses frustrations, anger, exhaustion and rewards, which get doubled for parents with special needs children. The biggest challenge faced by such parents is the issue of acceptance. It is because most parents cannot come to terms with their child’s condition, they get into psychological moaning, often cursing their situation. “As parents never learn to deal with the situation, the child suffers more and more with each passing day”, affirms Malavika Vartak, a special educator. A family which accepts their child’s disability is in a much better place to garner hope and enthusiasm, in comparison to a family which does not.

Julia's Hinduism, Aamir's favorite and Big Stars on TV

How Julia Came To Hinduism


Oscar winning Hollywood actress Julia Roberts became interested in Hinduism after seeing a picture of the saint Neem Karoli Baba, who died in 1973.


In an interview with anchor George Stephanopoulos for the news programme Good Morning America on ABC News on August 9, Roberts said her interest in Hinduism "came from seeing a picture of a guru called Neem Karoli Baba and I was so drawn to this picture of this person and I did not know who he was or what he was about but felt a very strong interest."

Do computers reduce brain power, Corrupt Officials and benefits of running after bride

Writer and journalist Nicholas Carr has built a career covering the economy, culture and technology in numerous articles and books such as "The Big Switch: Rewiring the World from Edison to Google." Carr's latest book is titled, "The Shallows" and it's raising eyebrows - and in some cases, voices. The reason can be found in the book's sub-heading: "What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains," and from Carr's point of view, the answer isn't reassuring.


"What the 'net does, by being such a distraction machine, is it emphasizes that skimming, rapid fire approach to collecting and processing information," Carr says. "But what it de-emphasizes is all the ways of thinking that require attentiveness, concentration."

Carr says, the Internet is like a machine that does one thing very well: it pumps out information in all sorts of forms and in ever-growing volume, encouraging users to skip and skim among it for bits of information. In modern parlance, multi-tasking.