Category: Kharcha paani

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Trends

Dangerous on field, dangerous off it

His IPL antics put fear in the hearts of his opponents and made him the most ‘dangerous’ cricketer in cyberspace.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Indian Premier League’s (IPL) sixth edition was concluded very recently, and Mumbai Indians took home the cup after defeating the Chennai Super Kings. However, far from the on-field antics and off-field match-fixing scandals, the IPL’s cricketing stars proved to be dangerous in cyberspace as well.

chris-gayle Yesterday, security technology giant McAfee unveiled results of its ‘India’s Most Dangerous Cricketer’ study which researched this season’s top celebrities of the cricketing world on their risk quotient in the Indian cyberspace.  Christopher Henry ‘Chris’ Gayle took the top slot in the survey, followed by Brett Lee and S Sreesanth.

Such studies are routinely conducted by McAfee; its last big survey a couple of years ago centred around Indian celebrities from film, music, sports and other fields, and found that Katrina Kaif was the most ‘dangerous’ celeb online.

Commenting on the findings of the present study, Venkatasubrahmanyam Krishnapur, Vice-President of Engineering (CMSB), McAfee India Centre said, “Cyber criminals constantly leverage famous personalities and very cleverly time their attacks to coincide with popular events in luring people to websites with malicious software.  In the context of the ongoing cricketing leagues, cyber crooks are leveraging famous cricketers for their nefarious gains. During such events, eager cricket crazy fans are highly motivated to search for photos, videos, scores and stories of their favorite cricketers online, and in that moment of weakness, they are lured into clicking malicious links that puts them at considerable risk.”

Cyber criminals follow the latest trends, often using the names of popular celebrities to lure people to malicious sites designed to steal passwords and personal information. Fans looking for results on search engines using strings such as ‘name of cricketer’ combined with words like ‘free downloads’, ‘hot pictures’, ‘wallpapers’, and ‘videos’ are at risk of running themselves into malicious sites, the study revealed.

The study for ‘Most Dangerous IPL Player’ used the McAfee® SiteAdvisor® site rating which indicates the sites that are risky to search for cricketing celebrity names on the web and calculate an overall risk percentage.

Other ‘dangerous’ cricketers included Yuvraj Singh, David Miller, Mitchell Johnson, Sachin Tendulkar, Dale Steyn, Kieron Pollard, Kevin Pietersen and Virat Kohli.

(Picture courtesy thecricketprofile.blogspot.com)

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Learn

Everything’s in a (road’s) name

Your elected representatives in the BMC are asking more questions about road renaming, rather than things like repairs and sanitation.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The monsoons should be upon us in the next month, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working hard to repair roads that are riddled with potholes and need general repairs. With more and more complaints coming from the citizens, it logically follows that the city’s elected representatives – its municipal councillors – will also take most of the complaints from their wards to the ward committee meetings.

Not necessarily.

A white paper released recently by NGO Praja Foundation recently reveals that of the questions raised by municipal councillors based on citizens’ complaints, the maximum numbers of questions pertained to renaming of roads and chowks in the city. The paper, titled White Paper On Report Of Working Of Ward Committees In The City Of Mumbai And Civic Problems Registered By Citizens, sheds light on the complaints by citizens against the quality and quantity of related questions asked by councillors in the BMC ward committee meetings. “The maximum number of questions asked by elected representatives in ward committee meetings during the year 2012 were on renaming of roads and chowks – a hefty 127 questions!” says the summary accompanying the paper.

The last such study was conducted by Praja in 2010, to similar results. “Some four years ago, when Praja Foundation had issued a White Paper on civic issues, we had found it shocking that of the plethora of problems facing the city of Mumbai, the maximum number of questions asked by the municipal councillors were on the renaming of roads,” the summary says. “In the calender year 2012, BMC received 29,852 complaints related to roads, potholes etc. The 227 elected representatives together asked 100 questions on roads, repairs, etc. However, the maximum number of questions asked by elected representatives in ward committee meetings during this year were on renaming of roads and chowks,” the paper adds.

“Unless municipal councillors learn to interpret data and raise valid, pertinent questions in the ward committee meetings, they are falling far short of the expectations the citizens elected them for. Should our elected representatives be taking the Corporation to task over the citizen’s complaints or should they be only asking the Municipal Commissioner to change names of roads and chowks?”

Incidentally, citizens have complained the most about roads in 2012 – there were 29,852 complaints received (as against 5,177 complaints in 2011). There were 16,194 complaints about drainage, 6,562 complaints against solid waste management and 6,215 water supply complaints.

(Pictures courtesy www.mid-day.com, mumbai-pushpa.blogspot.com) 

Categories
Kharcha paani

Maha CM wants Chinese industries in State

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan throws the door open for Chinese investment in industry in Mumbai and Maharashtra’s economically backward areas.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Maharashtra State Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is eyeing Chinese investment into Mumbai and Maharashtra. After previous visits from British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande, it was the turn of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to visit Mumbai yesterday.

During the visit, Chavan sought China’s help in creating various industrial corridors in Maharashtra. Apart from this, he solicited Chinese investment in the State’s economically backward areas to create employment opportunities. “The State’s textile policy is open and conducive to foreign investment,” Chavan is said to have told Li during their meeting in Mumbai. “Maharashtra is the second-largest producer of cotton in the country, and we have the technical expertise and machinery required for a major textile operation. China can invest in this ‘value chain’,” he said.

The State is also open to providing land at Chakan (near Pune) for Chinese industries. “If Chinese companies are sufficiently interested to set up factories here, we can create Special Investment Zones in the area for them. There are a few Chinese companies operational in Maharashtra, and they are doing well in building construction and vehicle manufacturing. We would like China to set up plants that manufacture heavy vehicles for India,” Chavan said.

Additionally, Chavan sought China’s know-how in providing basic services to citizens, such as water supply, solid waste management and drainage.

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Kharcha paani

Summer camp industry to touch 1,000 cr in 2017-18

Survey reveals that the summer camp industry is growing by 25 per cent per year due to higher disposable incomes.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

You probably enrolled your child in a summer camp this year, or at least know of people who did. But while you thought your child or the neighbour’s child was simply kept occupied with fun activities in exchange for a bit of cash, did you give a thought to how much you’d contributed to the burgeoning summer camp industry?

As per a survey conducted by premier industry watchdog ASSOCHAM (The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry), titled the Rising Craze For Summer Camps in Metros, “The summer camps industry size is likely to touch Rs 1,000 crore y 2017-2018 from the current level of Rs 400 crore, due to working absent parents, higher disposable incomes and rising awareness.”

Why is this industry growing?

The growth in this industry is seen to take off at an annual growth rate of about 25 per cent. “The summer camps industry is closely tied to overall economic indicators such as per capita disposable income, population growth and leisure time. Over the next five years, the industry’s growth patterns will reflect substantial increase in the number of children and adolescents due to rapidly improving expenditure on recreational activities and marginal gains in sports participation,” adds the survey.

“Holidays and weekend breaks are times when parents and children are always on the lookout for activities to do at home or outside that combine fun with creativity and learning,” said DS Rawat, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM. This industry includes overnight recreational and instructional camps for adults and children. Some camps provide accommodation and other amenities such as fixed campsites, food services, recreational facilities and equipment, and organised activities.

The survey was conducted in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Dehradun, covering nearly 3,000 parents during April 2013. Broadly, it was found that parents dish out a minimum sum of Rs. 2,000 to Rs 6,000 on a child for a summer camp. Obviously, the sum spent doubles for two children. A majority of the parents interviewed revealed that they wanted their children to learn more activities like drawing, dancing, clay modeling, art and craft, culinary skills, cooking without using a flame and sports activities, in view of the growing peer effects and also to update their children to meet the challenges of current competition.

The survey also highlighted that working parents in the capital city of Delhi spent the least amount of time daily with their children at home (less than one hour) during the vacations, while those in Bangalore spend maximum amount (four hours) followed by Ahmedabad (three  hours) and Mumbai (two hours).

The survey further reveals, about one in five parents want their children to spend more of their free time in summer camps or hobby classes. One out of two parents responded that their children spend more time inside home; while only a third of parents said that their children spend equal time at home and outdoors.  Indeed, children on an average spend 5-6 hours at home for leisure activities during holidays, compared to an average 2 hours spent in outdoor activities, says the survey.

“Nearly 72 per cent of parents said that there was no provision of summer camps during their childhood. Accompanying their wards served a double purpose – not only could they give them a chance to learn something new, it also ensured they got to spend quality time with the children,” adds Rawat. “A majority of the respondents said that learning together gave them an opportunity to be cordial, respect each other’s views and understand each other better. The organisers are encasing on this trend by giving discounts if parents join their wards at camps.”

Summer camps are relatively popular with only 65 per cent parents preferring their children to spend time at a summer camp, in comparison to 92 per cent of children surveyed preferring going to a summer camp, points out the survey.

Highlights of the survey:

– Many schools have a dedicated marketing budget for summer clubs centered on print advertisements, hoardings, leaflets and mall activations. They allocate close to 20-25 per cent of their marketing budget on summer clubs. There are nearly 30,000-35,000 camps of all kinds operating in all the tier-II and tier-III cities.

– 81 per cent of children learn a new skill like musical instrument, dancing, clay modeling etc.

– 71 per cent of children want to learn art and craft outside home.

– 65 per cent of children go out to learn different styles of dancing like Jazz, contemporary, classical etc.

(Pictures courtesy www.trekindiamanali.com, www.kinkari.com, www.indiacurrents.com, kopili.wordpress.com. Images used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Become

The food blogger’s party

Reshmy Kurien, who started the ‘Bombay Chowparty’ food blog talks about her food love and what makes her blog popular.
by Medha Kulkarni

Our country, in the past few years, has really woken up to global cuisine, with even non-chefs taking an interest in culinary activities. Fuelled by the sudden popularity of cooking-based reality shows, a number of people across the world and in India have taken to experimenting in the kitchen.

Bombay Chow-party is a blog that has been started by one such food enthusiast based in Mumbai. In 2010, the Andheri-based Reshmy Kurien (in pic on left) started the blog simply as a place to record her encounters with food and share her recipes, thoughts and ideas with others. In time however, her blog had grown into a entity of its own – as she kept writing and cooking, the blog became a catalyst for her to commit more seriously to her passion for food and to learn more, whether about food photography or about her own relationship with food and baking/cooking.

While food blogging by itself is quite common, what sets Bombay Chow-party apart is Reshmy’s unique approach to it. Also, by sharing her love and passion for food and food based experiments in such creative and fun ways, Reshmy is providing passionate foodies in the city and the country with some fabulous ways to explore something new.

The blog’s popularity also served as a platform for putting her in touch with other foodies. “People wrote in with queries and comments and I discovered the pleasure in sharing my passion with other like-minded people and helping people discover new and exciting food and start experimenting in their own kitchen,” the 33 year-old says.

Setting up a food blog
Reshmy now works on the blog full time, and says that she has no formal training in cooking. “It’s all trial and error, and the occasional food workshop,” she explains. The blog has begun to get noticed more since last year when she started blogging more frequently, Reshmy adds.

The money factor
No money is spent on the blog. “The only money gets spent on cooking but that’s something one does anyway,” she explains. Her food workshops are reasonably priced at Rs 3,000 per head and are “more of a food party than workshops,” she says.

The ingredients
“I source my ingredients from various places. For the workshops, I try to get ingredients that are easy to find so that people can make these at home, too. Otherwise I like places like Nature’s Basket, and I often stock up on ingredients when travelling abroad,” Reshmy says.

Beyond food
Today, Bombay Chowparty has extended far outside the realm of the blog and has grown into an outfit that helps people discover experience and create new food through the CReatE Workshops and ‘foodventures’. “These are events that are organised with the aim of helping people discover and create new food and are about pushing the boundaries of how people engage with food. The ‘foodventures’ entail unique food trails around India, and are customised culinary experiences for tourists in Mumbai, Goa and Kerala,” she explains.

The guided food trails introduce participants to local cuisine and food culture through culture walks, visits to the traditional wet and dry markets, trails to the best eating joints, cooking classes and meals at family homes to sample authentic traditional cuisine.

Reshmy also organises gourmet workshops, that are about encouraging people to discover world cuisine in their own kitchen. “I see a lot of parallels between design and food. The creative process for both includes science and art,” says Reshmy, who is trained as a designer and who was the design head of a company till last year.

Thus the CReatE workshops, entail both creating and enjoying great food, and unlike most cooking classes/workshops, the focus of CReatE is not so much about recipes and is, instead, on introducing participants to what Reshmy calls “the guiding principles,” and thus equip them with the know-how to interpret/improvise with the concept and thus be creative with food. “These events are always a bit of a party and end with a feast. Because cooking/baking is a joyful activity and the greatest incentive for me and most other foodies is always the food, the food-talk, music, wine and fun,” says Reshmy, when asked about her workshops.

So what’s the response been like and which has been the most popular workshop till date? “I think the most popular offering so far and also our first one was the Breads Workshop. The people who signed up were an interesting mix of both men and women – from a musician to a film producer; a college student to a banker. What tied everyone together was a common love for food and in particular, bread. Given the popularity of this one, I am now planning a second one around whole wheat bread soon.” (See bottom for details)

What’s next?
A motorbike ‘foodadventure’ is also being planned and promises to be just as exciting as it sounds! The trail will follow the stunning Konkan coast and is being organised in partnership with Enfield riders. Starting from Mumbai and going all the way down Goa and into Kerala, Reshmy and her food adventurers will be covering the incredible variety of the fantastic food and breathtaking scenery that the western coast has to offer.

“We will be sampling a lot of amazing food at local eating joints and family homes, stopping by the best markets to buy local offerings of foods and ingredients (like the sausages and feni from Goa, vanilla, pepper and spices from Kerala) and conducting culinary classes on the traditional food of the coast – all the while riding down the coast on the Royal Enfield bikes. We are currently working actively on the exact itinerary with Enfield Riders and planning to announce the Foodventure ride soon,” says Reshmy.

Best compliment ever
“What delights me the most is when somebody tries a recipe. I once posted a recipe at 8 am and by 9 pm, someone commented on Twitter, saying they tried it and that everyone in their family loved it,” she grins. The blog Finely Chopped also praised Reshmy’s bread.

Do you want to be part of a bread-making workshop with Reshmy this month? Five selected readers will get the chance to learn to make different kinds of bread and have loads of fun while they do it. Write to editor@themetrognome.in for registration details.

(Pictures courtesy bombaychowparty.wordpress.com)

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Learn

“In Mumbai Region, 40% of us are living in ‘Campa Cola'”

Ramesh Prabhu, Chairman of the Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association, writes to the Maharashtra Government on the Campa Cola building society demolition issue.

“As Mumbai awaits with bated breath for some kind of miraculous intervention to save the 94 families of Campa Cola Compound from being dis-housed, these middle-class families are like the administration’s scapegoats. They represent all of us. As they wait for the raised axe to fall on their necks, my heart goes out to them with sympathy, and I am filled with worry with what will befall the rest of us. I am not competent to comment on the legality or the judicial wisdom of this decision; surely, the Supreme Court knows best. But I would like to ask some questions to no one in particular.

Why only Campa Cola Compound? What about the rest of Mumbai, where over 40 per cent of occupied residential buildings don’t have BMC’s mandatory Occupation Certificates? It is reckoned that at least  6,000 buildings are paying double for municipal water, which means they are not authorised. Many unauthorised structures are routinely regularised on payment of penalties… but there are many more that are not yet regularised for various reasons. Will this axe fall on them also?

And why only Mumbai? What about Thane, Mumbra, Ulhasnagar etc. where thousands of unauthorised (and often unsafe) structures are standing — a disaster waiting to happen?

In all these places, builders have have sold the flats, made off with the life savings of crores of families, worth several thousand crore rupees. Dozens of MPs, MLAs and Corporators from all political parties are routinely the accomplices of these builders, as are the bureaucrats.

As it happened with the three builders of the seven buildings of Campa Cola Compound, developers perpetrate the crime and usually go scot-free. Thousands of architects and contractors who mastermind such unauthorised buildings will also never be caught.

The municipal officials, State Government bureaucrats and police officials who turned a blind eye to the goings on are unlikely to be punished.

Needless to say, no one may point a finger at the judiciary, which willy-nilly allowed cases to drag on for decades and created a perfect window of opportunity for all the illegalities to build up.

When the time comes to for buildings to be demolished, it will be you and me — the common man — who will be running helplessly from pillar to post like the residents of Campa Cola Compound are doing today.

I have no easy solutions to offer. Major surgery is required in the entire MMR region, and that will not be a bloodless and painless process.

But may I humbly urge the State Government and Legislature to frame a humane policy to deal with unsafe buildings first, before demolishing sound structures like the Campa Cola buildings? May I humbly urge Maharashtra Government to avoid shirking its responsibility, and letting municipalities take their own decisions?

If a comprehensive and humane “demolition policy” is not framed, a humanitarian crisis looms large before at least 40 per cent of us in the years to come. Until such a policy is framed, I cannot help feeling that we all are Campa Cola building residents, waiting for our houses to be demolished for one reason or another.

Yours sincerely,
Ramesh Prabhu
Chairman
Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association

The Supreme Court today stayed the demolition notice and gave the affected building residents five months to vacate the premises. The threat of demolition still looms, however.

(Pictures courtesy chandivali.com, mid-day.com)

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