Drought hits academic terrain

Time table of 450 polytechnic institutes tweaked

In a direct impact of the drought in Maharashtra on the education sector this year, the time-table of the second term of more than 450 polytechnic institutes in the state has been tweaked by the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE) to battle the water crisis.

MSBTE, which conducts examinations and declares results of polytechnics, has asked these institutes to shrink the second term by a week and conclude the final written examinations in two weeks by April 21. The examinations were earlier scheduled to end by May 9.

The board also announced that students need have to appear for examinations of two papers on single day for some part of the final examination.

Importantly, teaching and non-teaching staff of polytechnics have been asked to work even on Saturdays and Sundays and for two hours extra each day until term-end to ensure the stipulated minimum of 90 days of working to achieve the deadlines set as per the revised time table.

As per official records, MSBTE has around 489 affiliated polytechnic institutes for Engineering/ Technology which have 14,6,841 seats.

Speaking to Newsline, MSBTE director PM Khodke said polytechnics from at least half-a-dozen districts in Maharashtra were facing acute water shortage by December-end and the overall situation was likely to worsen in summer.

“We have rescheduled the time table of second-term of polytechnics in the wake of the water crisis. There are polytechnics from districts such as Beed, Jalna, Osmanabad, Nanded, Solapur and Nanded where drinking water is not available in institutes. Authorities concerned are not able to supply water to students in hostels. The situation is going to turn grim and therefore we have decided to alter the time table,” he said.

Khodke said a special squad would be formed to verify whether affiliated polytechnics have taken measures like working on weekend days.

The principal of Government Polytechnic Latur, Balbhim Kumbhar, said the water scarcity was likely to become more critical, and therefore his institute was complying with MSBTE norms.

The MSBTE move to alter the time table of polytechnics has not gone down well with a large section of the staff.

They questioned the rationale of changing the time table of all institutes across the state and raised doubts whether effective teaching-learning process would take place as the students and staff would be burdened with extra working hours.

Khodke, however, said it was a well-thought decision taken as a part of the contingency plan to address water scarcity in educational institutions.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/drought-hits-academic-terrain/1068646/0

Ahead of summer, GSDA warning on fast-dipping water table

In Pune district 9 talukas have shown a marked decrease in groundwater table

Even as the state government is gearing up to brace for summer with a drought looming large, the Groundwater Survey Development Agency (GSDA) has issued a warning about the depleting water table and have pointed out that 68 talukas in the state will be badly affected of which 10 are in Pune region itself.

“In the last three years, the groundwater levels have come down considerably. Even as there was some rainfall it is not enough to restore the groundwater where the water table has dipped by 6-9 feet. This is a matter of concern and we have already intimated the state government after our survey,” said a GSDA official.The GSDA conducts detailed and systematic surveys of hydrogeological conditions in the state keeping the records from 1972.

Interestingly, even in Pune district, of the 13 talukas, 9 have shown a marked decrease in groundwater table. “While Haveli, Daund, Khed, Ambegaon, Junnar have had water levels go down by 1-3 feet, Baramati and Shirur has seen water levels reduce by 3-6 feet while Indapur and Purandar has water levels reduce by 6-9 feet in the district,” said the official. The only areas which have seen the water table remain the same are Velhe, Bhor, Maval and Mulshi in the district.

With the GSDA coming out with detailed taluka wise report in January, March and May end, the officials said that they have assessed all the 353 talukas and the report for the Pune division too does not look very good. They have clearly stated that of these, 68 talukas are likely to be most affected including in Pune division. For Pune the talukas are Baramati, Indapur and Shirur, in Satara they are Khatau, Koregaon and Mann and for Solapur they are Mangalvedha, Mohol and Vasala and Jet and Kaluz for Sangli district in the region.

Having send the warnings, the state government has also said that temporary schemes to protect the water sources are being considered for which Rs 24 crore has been allocated and 1,100 structures are to be constructed to prevent further depletion.

According to the survey of last year, of the 13 talukas in the district 11 talukas showed depleted groundwater levels while in their survey of the state of the 57 talukas in the division, 23 recorded one-metre depletion in groundwater level. In nine talukas, the water level depleted by around two metre.

In two talukas, groundwater depleted by up to three metre, while Mann taluka in Satara district recorded a depletion of at least three metre. Mann is the only taluka in Maharashtra where such a large-scale depletion of groundwater level has been observed. The report stated that of the 353 talukas in Maharashtra, groundwater levels in 167 were almost constant.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ahead-of-summer-gsda-warning-on-fastdipping-water-table/1068651/0

 

Woman throws three daughters into river, jumps in; all 4 die

Eldest daughter escapes; No suicide note, motive behind extreme step not known

A 26-year-old woman allegedly killed her three daughters by throwing them into the Bhima river from a railway bridge in Daund and jumping into the river Wednesday morning. Police rushed them to a nearby hospital but all the four were declared dead on arrival.

Her fourth daughter, the eldest, ran away on seeing her mother throw her sisters into the river. Daund police said the motive behind the woman’s act was not known.

Police have identified her as Afreen Mehmuddin Shaikh. Her three deceased daughters have been identified as Arshida (6), Aatma alias Guddi (4) and Ruksana (1.5). The eldest daughter has been identified as Taskeen alias Lali (7).

Police said that Afreen was staying at her parents’ house in Khatik Galli, Daund. She was married to a truck driver Mehmuddin from Rajasthan in 2005. “Mehmuddin drives a truck to different states and is away from home most days. So Afreen came to stay with her parents in Daund about four months ago,” said sub-inspector Tushar Patil of Daund police station.

“Early this morning, she woke her daughters and took them to the railway bridge over Bhima river in Daund. After throwing her daughters one by one into the river, she jumped in. The eldest daughter Lali fled from the spot and informed the family members about the incident. A family member called police. The motive behind her act was not known. No suicide note was found. Investigation is on,” said S-I Patil.

Police said Afreen was staying with her parents and two brothers in Daund.

Her father sells bangles in Daund. The family members are in shock. Police have informed her husband who was in Bangalore when the incident took place.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/woman-throws-three-daughters-into-river-jumps-in–all-4-die/1067106/0

Anil Bastawade’s rise in fortunes ‘shocked’ relatives

Held in Koda scam, he is a native of Sangli settled in Pune

The surge in financial fortunes of Pune-based businessman Anil Adinath Bastawade deported to India from Indonesia on Tuesday in connection with the alleged multi-crore moneylaundering scam involving former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda had come as a surprise and shock to relatives in Sangli, his native place.

Bastawade’s family members in Pune, when contacted on Wednesday, refused to comment.

Bastawade, known to be a close aide of Koda, was detained in Jakarta by Indonesian authorities on January 21 acting on an Interpol notice issued on the request of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

ED officials on Wednesday produced him in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Jharkhand capital Ranchi. Special judge (PMLA) R K Choudhary remanded him in judicial custody for 14 days. Among the others arrested in the scam, besides Koda, are aides Binod Sinha, Vikas Sinha, Manoj Punamia, Arvind Vyas and Vijay Joshi.

Koda, now in judicial custody, was arrested on November 30, 2009 after the Income Tax and ED departments claimed to have unearthed a Rs 2,500-crore moneylaundering and illegal investment scam following countrywide raids on October 31 the same year.

Two others arrested earlier, Harinarayan Rai and Enos Ekka, who were ministers when Koda was CM, are now out on bail.

An ED official said investigations so far reveal that the scam, which allegedly took place during the Koda regime between 2006 and 2008, has swollen to Rs 3,400 crore.

“This excludes Bastawade’s assets,” the official added. As per the chargesheet filed last year, Bastawade is alleged to have purchased assets to the tune of Rs 250 crore in UAE from money generated from illegal activities during Koda’s regime.

Basatwade was reportedly born in Sangli district on August 27, 1964. “The Bastawades left the village about 60 years ago and settled in Pune,” said a relative at his native village Bhose in Sangli.

“He almost severed connection with the village. So we do not know much about his business. But he was good at financial matters and did came to the village on a few occasions for some deal related to their farmland. We are shocked and surprised to know about his progress. He went on to became a close aide of the former Jharkand CM. His father was working in a government department. He has two bothers,” a relative in Sangli said.

Koda is known to have properties in Sangli and Pune. When The Indian Express visited his family members in a residential housing society on the Senapati Bapat Road, they declined to comment.

Bastawade was reported to be the director of Dubai-based companies. He, along with his aides, allegedly played a role in investing, in other countries, illegally earned money from alleged mining scams. He is also learnt to have used his network for promotion of a Marathi movie abroad. (with PTI inputs) ich she was going to deposit in a bank in Navi Mumbai, in December last year but never returned.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/anil-bastawades-rise-in-fortunes-shocked-relatives/1067112/0

Civic body removes hawkers around Dagdusheth complex

Citing security concerns, for over a year now city police had been demanding removal of vendors around Ganpati Temple

More than a year after the city police placed its demand, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday removed hawkers and other structures around the Dagdusheth Ganpati Temple in Budhwar Peth for security reasons.

The civic administration has been under criticism for not taking action against encroachers on the plea that some of the vendors were authorised to carry out business around the temple and removing them would be illegal.

“We completed the administrative process for the removal of hawkers and structures from around the temple. The action was initiated in the presence of police,” said Arun Khilari, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, Kasba-Vishrambaug wada ward office.

He said the civic administration would also remove other structures, including public toilets.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner Ramesh Shelar said the civic anti-encroachment staff will carry out the drive in the area frequently to ensure that the vacated area is not occupied again by hawkers.

After it was revealed that the temple is on the terror hit-list, the city police have been taking extra security measures. According to the Indian Mujahideen (IM) suspect arrested in New Delhi, the IM had planned to attack the temple the same day that it had targeted German Bakery in Koregaon Park on February 13 in 2010. However, the plan failed due to the alertness of a flower seller.

According to temple trust office-bearers, the police have been writing to them, seeking removal of street vendors around the temple for security reasons. The police had also asked to remove dustbins and public toilets from the area, saying it might be used by miscreants. Since the temple is along the main city road, there was also a fear that miscreants might throw something to harm devotees.

The police suggested construction of a compound wall around the temple to help prevent any problem. The trust urged the civic administration to fulfil the demands made by city police. “We had written to the PMC as all the security measures suggested by the police can be carried out only by the civic body. It is up to the civic administration to implement them,” said a trust letter to the civic body.

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/civic-body-removes-hawkers-around-dagdusheth-complex/1066123/0

Hill station as venue for principals’ workshop raises heat

principals of colleges affiliated to Uop set to meet at Mahabaleshwar; teachers’ bodies slam ‘splurging of funds’

An academic workshop to be organised by the University of Pune for the principals of affiliated colleges has triggered a controversy over the choice of venue for the February event — Mahabaleshwar. A few teachers’ associations, among others, have questioned the decision to hold the workshop at the popular tourist spot that does not come under the jurisdiction of the university.

Calling it a move aimed to “splurge university funds”, the Pune University College Teachers’ Organisation (PUCTO) and the Pune University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) have demanded that the workshop be organised either on university campus or at some other place in Pune, Ahmednagar or Nashik district that fall under the UoP jurisdiction.

As per the latest notification issued by the university’s planning and development section, the proposed three-day academic workshop is scheduled to begin from February 15, and principals and directors of affiliated colleges are requested to participate in it.

The university’s annual budget has provision for holding academic events for principals and teachers from affiliated colleges. The workshop to be held at Mahabaleshwar, around 125 km from here, is expected to be attended by more than 350 principals who would not be required to pay any charges. The university is likely to bear a minimum financial burden of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 18 lakh to hold the workshop, according to sources.

“It is nothing but splurging of money. The university funds is nothing but students’ money and has to be used judiciously. The university itself has several venues available to hold a academic workshop. If the authorities wanted to move beyond Pune, they should have explored venues at Ahmednagar and Nashik districts,” said PUCTO president Shamrao Lawande.

PUTA executive council member and senate member of the UoP Dr Ashok Kamble said it was ironical that the administration decided to hold an academic workshop outside Pune when academicians and others associated with education strove to hold such an event in the city.

Nandkumar Nikam, president of the Principals’ Forum, said they did not suggest the venue for the academic workshop for principals. “It needs to find out who suggested Mahabaleshwar (as a venue). The university is the organiser of the event,” he said.

When Newsline contacted some of the college principals, they refused to comment on the issue, saying any venue would be welcome to them provided academic brainstorming took place on current and emerging issues.

UoP’s Board of College and University Development director V B Gaikwad said his department had no role in choosing the venue and the power to decide on this lay with the vice-chancellor.

Vice-Chancellor W N Gade could not be reached for his comment despite repeated attempts.

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/hill-station-as-venue-for-principals–workshop-raises-heat/1066127/0