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Underprivileged children put up photo exhibition in Mumbai

Click Rights, a photojournalism initiative, returns in its 2015 edition with photographs taken by street children of their younger siblings.
by Child Rights and You

The first five years play a significant role in a child’s life. But for thousands of children, a healthy start to life continues to be a distant dream. Long before they turn five, their physical, emotional and cognitive growth is hampered by the lack of adequate nutrition and healthcare. Child Rights and You (CRY) aims to change this by launching its ‘Get Healthy. Give Healthy’ campaign that will give 2,81,045 children a healthy start to their lives.

One of the primary features of the campaign is CRY’s annual photo journalism initiative called ‘Click Rights’  that is in its 4th year.  Click Rights 2015 will highlight through the power of photography the health and nutrition challenges faced by children under the age of 5 years. A large number of the photographs have been contributed by children from our supported project areas in the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, with training from esteemed photographers and CRY volunteers. These children were given cameras to photograph the daily lives of their younger siblings. Many of the elder children had in fact never stepped into a school because they were entrusted to look after their younger siblings.

Their photographs will be showcased at exhibitions across the country, in malls, parks, colleges and as part of projections on prominent buildings.

In Mumbai, the first exhibition will be at Phoenix Mall, Kurla (West) from October 17 to 18.

“The real health of a country can be measured by how we look after our children. Hence it is alarming that in India today, 13 million children are un-immunised, making them susceptible to deadly diseases, and 40 per cent of these children are underweight. With Click Rights, we would like to highlight the health related issues confronting children in India. We hope it will build awareness, start conversations and motivate people to take action for children,” says Kreeanne Rabaddi, Director, Western Region, Child Rights and You (CRY).

PHOTOVOICES

This is what 12-year-old Raj clicked.

Photo by Raj“This is my two-year-old brother Manas. He is quite naughty and plays with mud all day. We are three brothers and one sister. We live on the roadside and spend our whole day playing. We have no school in our area. We don’t have any toilets as well. I want to see my brother happy. I want to build him a home one day.”

This is what six-year-old Anjali clicked

“My little brother Ajay (name changed, in featured image above) stays with me all the time and plays with me. I take care of his needs. He is one year old. My parents are labourers, they leave the house early in the morning and come back only after dark. We live on the street, sometimes it is difficult to manage him, but most of the times I do it with ease. I love my brother very much and think of him as an angel. If he weren’t there in my life, I don’t know what would I do the whole day.”

This is what 12-year-old Umesh has to say of his photo…

“These two girls are my best friends. They are more like my sisters. Many of the kids don’t go to school, so we play all Photo By Umeshday on the road. Some people give us food to eat, on Sundays so many bhaiyas and didis come to visit us and we have fun sessions with them. I wait for Sundays, that’s the only day I feel loved and cared for.”

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Playing God with the inanimate

We catch up with Mumbai’s first 3D designing and printing firm that brings all your fantasies to life – seriously!
by Ritika Bhandari Parekh

It looks like a scene from the future – jewellery being printed from a printer. And no, it isn’t paper jewellery. We are talking about wearable jewellery, from earrings to rings. Intrigued? We were too.

Siddharth Sah

When 28-year old Siddharth Sah finished his MBA from California in 2012, he decided to fuse his love for design with his inherited business genes. The result: a one-of-its-kind 3D Design Studio in Churchgate, called Make Whale.

Be it jewellery or a carved bottle to hold your messages, a Ganpati idol or a wacky creation of your company logo – Make Whale gives you an opportunity to go wild in your thoughts and shape them. Intricately carved or flexible in design, the design studio gives you complete freedom to mould your creations and showcase them.

“Our thumb-imprinted cufflinks are gaining much popularity these days. As each product is designed from scratch, we have no inventory as such. Also depending on the style, designs and colours, we choose the material which will fit best for the product. So while sandstone allows for a multicolour product, it is difficult to have interlocking designs in the same material,” he says. “Steel helps to give various finishes, for instance gold-plated jewellery. But there are design limitations, too.”

Sah tell us how 3-D printing as a technology has been around for 30 years, but its advancement began only in the lastGanapatifive years. “I remember taking a joint class in design as a business student, to understand the world from their angle. The first-time I witnessed 3D printing at the prestigious Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, I was hooked.”

Studying the market and understanding if all the hype around 3D printing – does it have or not have substance – led him to opening the business venture. “After a lot of research and development, we started in August 2015. I have a team of product designers who help with the gift designs and an experienced automotive engineer,” he explains.

A graduate of Jai Hind College, this SoBo man believes that besides bobble heads, the market for 3D printed gifts is still in its nascent stage in India. With the focus on designing, Make Whale wishes to plunge deep into the elite society weddings and corporate gifting arena. “Whether customising candle stands or napkin rings with the initials of the bride and groom, the possibilities are endless. Our focus is on the consumer and once we are a bit more settled, we wish to bring out ceramic plates and mugs which adhere to the food safety standards,” he says.

Spicy1Their office has an in-house 3D printer to give the consumer an idea of how his creation will look as a prototype. And that is where the magic happens. A loop of material attached from the rear is heated till the design from the SD card finally takes shape in its current avatar. The designing process takes from a week to 10 days’ time, while the 3D model prototype arrives within a couple of days. Once approved, the final product takes three weeks to be created and delivered.

In a small way, 3D printing gives mortals like us a chance to play God. Inanimate gifts are created, designed, re-designed and produced. The limitation is only your imagination and the materials, to some extent. Sah signs off hoping to see you the next time brandishing your creative juices, keeping your gifts anchored in fantastical reality and designing it with Make Whale.

To know more about Make Whale and their products, log on to http://www.makewhale.com. Look up more images on our Facebook page.

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Mumbai police beat Pune cops

…in a game of rugby. Greater Mumbai Police and Maharashtra State Police bagged the top honours in Bombay Cup 2015.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It was a keenly contested match between the police forces. In the end, Greater Mumbai Police and Maharashtra State Police defeated Pune Police and Mumbai Magicians by 27-7 and 23 -13  respectively, in the first round of the ‘Bombay Cup 2015’, WIRFU’s premier 15-a-side Rugby Championship held at Bombay Gymkhana grounds.

A total of 6 teams across the state participated in the championship. The participant teams are Bombay Gymkhana, Maharashtra state Police (MSP), Pune Police, Pune District Rugby Team, Greater Mumbai Police (GMP) and Mumbai Magicians Rugby team.

The opening game between Greater Mumbai Police and Pune Police was keenly contested. Pune Police’s Sagar Babare scored the first try and secured the conversions in the first 25 minutes and built pressure on Greater Mumbai Police in the first half of the game. At the end of the first half, GMP Captain Vitthal Pawar scored the try and led the concluding score to 7 – 5.

But, in the second half, GMP came back very aggressively. Beginning of the second half, Sangappa Shinge scored the second try for GMP. And Rajaram Mote, Sanket Dhumal and Vipul Mokal continued the momentum by scoring one Try each for GMP. Pradeep Londhe successfully booted the last conversion. And the final score was 27-7.

The second game between Maharashtra State Police and Mumbai Magicians was tightly contested. The Mumbai Magicians Rugby team started off strong. In the first 15 minutes, the Magicians’ Ajinkya scored the first try and 10 minutes later Shankar Rathod scored the second try. At the end of the first half, Pappu Todkar scored the try for MSP and Sunil Chauhan booted the penalty conversion  for Magicians at the led the concluding score to 13-5.

In the second half of the game Mumbai Magicians couldn’t hold the opponent’s attack. Maharashtra Police came back and thrashed the Magicians defence. In the second half Sandeep Kamble scored in the 50th minute and two minutes later, Pankaj Khopde scored another try for MSP and Pappu Todakar successfully booted the conversion. In the last phase of the game, MSP Skipper Ranjit Jambhale sneaked out from opponent winger and scored the last try. In the second half, MSP did not let Mumbai Magicians score single try against them. The final score was 23-13.

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Fulfil your dream of studying abroad

Follow this 7 step guide that covers everything from researching your study options to getting accepted at a foreign university.
by Rohan Ganeriwala, Co- Founder, Collegify

1. Study Abroad programmes are becoming increasingly attractive as more and more college students seek meaningful ways to spend college breaks or explore true diversity of cultures. As a result, not only has a great international programme become more expensive, but also a lot more competitive to get accepted in to.

2. Research. Talk to parents, teachers, current students abroad as well as alumni to evaluate if you would be interested in studying abroad. Contact an education consultant who is looking into study abroad applications to understand what’s best for you, how you should plan your timeline of standardised tests and applications to colleges abroad. Remember to study hard for your standardised tests (SAT, SAT Subject Tests, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS etc.) and register well in advance. Plan your test dates well so you have time to retake if required.

3. Build your profile. It’s important to build your student profile with project work, summer internships, extra-curricular activities and volunteer work. If you know the industry you’re looking to get into, network with people in this industry to understand job trends and skill set required to enter the industry as it well help you in selecting programs and schools for applications. Shortlist universities with your education consultant and carefully evaluate the available options criteria such as offered programmes, rankings, location, campus life, eligibility, scholarship and financial aid opportunities.

4. Look for new horizons. Some destinations like the US and the UK are well known to international students but the picture is changing and new study abroad destinations are making head way. University World News recently featured India as an increasingly popular destination for study abroad. Given today’s global economies, it is imperative that all students acquire knowledge of and sensitivity to global issues. This knowledge and experience will enable students to participate fully in tomorrow’s workforce that will be even more ethnically and culturally diverse than it is today. Students are spending thrice the amount only for accommodation, away from families and home.

Research the university. Finalise universities after thorough research online, speaking to current students and alumni, and maybe attending a college education fair where you get to interact with faculty and staff members from the universities. Work on application documents such as worksheets, essays, short-question answers, statement of purpose, high school transcripts, predicted scores and mark sheets as per the requirements of the universities.

Contact admissions committees of colleges you are applying to with queries and doubts. They are always happy to help you out and their guidance may highlight points that an admission consultant or the college website may not provide. Including these insights in your documents may give you an edge over the other candidates.

5. Prepare your documents docket. Compile all the application documentation such as resumes, essays, worksheets, letters of recommendation, certificates and financial aid forms if required and forward the final packet to universities well before their deadlines to ensure timely receipt and consideration of your application.

6. Prepare for interviews. Some universities may schedule interviews with you before granting admission or if they consider you for scholarships. Prepare for the same and make sure you keep corresponding with the admissions office regularly. When you hear from colleges regarding your acceptances, select a college and enroll well before the deadline. This usually requires the payment of a fee.

7. Get your personal documents in order. Lastly, get your passport, visa and financial documentation in order along with health immunisations, health insurance, a credit card that works the world over, and your travel bookings. While loans are always an option, we encourage students to apply for scholarships or need-based financial aid first. To apply for scholarships, you will require an IELTS score of 6.5. India has only 27,000 foreign students and has no plans for any regulated increase because of controls in higher education. Also vocational education percentage in India is at meagre 5% of its total employed workforce of 459.10 million as against 95% of South Korea, 80% of Japan and 70% of Germany.

You’re now ready for a great experience abroad!

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NCC Cadets bring home PM’s banner for sixth time

The Maharashtra Contingent of the NCC romped home with the Prime Minister’s Banner for sixth consecutive time, beating 16 directorates.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Maharashtra Contingent of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) struck gold again – the contingent has created history by winning the prestigious Prime Minister’s Banner for the sixth consecutive year at the Republic Day Camp held in New Delhi recently. Maharashtra NCC was also adjudged the Champion Directorate from out of 17 NCC directorates in the country.

Maharashtra NCC also has the unique distinction of winning the Prime Minister’s Banner and the Champion Directorate Trophy 17 times out of 24 times since its inception. The achievement is particularly remarkable since as many as 17 NCC directorates and 2070 Cadets from across the country had participated in this year’s Republic Day Camp.

Interestingly, apart from the Prime Minister’s Banner, Maharasthra State also stood first in the All India Thal Sainik Camp for Girls, Best Republic Day Parade contingent, Best Directorate in Drill Competition and Best Directorate in Flag Area Competition, among others.

Currently, there are 13 lakh NCC cadets in the country.

The State Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao yesterday hosted tea in honour of the victorious NCC cadets and officers at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai. The Cadets presented a cultural programme on this occasion.

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Mumbai company to build SAARC region’s first seaplane maintenance unit

MEHAIR will set up the maintenance, overhaul and repair unit in Gujarat, will save enormous monetary resources on ferry flights.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

India may have just a couple of seaplanes since their launch in 2011 in the Indian subcontinent but the country is all set to have the first Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) for single engine seaplanes in the entire SAARC region.

Being the brainchild of MEHAIR, the private company which has pioneered the launch of seaplanes in India, the MRO is being proposed to be set up in Gujarat. The company signed an MoU with the Gujarat Government on the first day of the Vibrant Gujarat event at 1100 Hrs in the presence of the State Chief Minister Anandiben Patel and other senior dignitaries. The MRO is being planned next to Bhadar dam close to Amreli Airport so that both the amphibian type and straight float type seaplanes can be accommodated for servicing in the facility.  The MRO is likely to be up and running within the next 18 months subject the grant of land and other statutory approvals from the state and central authorities.

Speaking on the occasion, Siddharth Verma, Co-Founder and Director of the company said, “Such a facility will not only cater to the seaplane population of India but also the growing seaplane numbers around India in the SAARC region. As of now these planes need to go to the USA, Europe or Australia thereby having to spend a lot of money on the ferry flights as well as the high cost of labour in these countries. India will provide an excellent next door facility plus economies of lower cost to the seaplane fleets of the SAARC region. Additionally it will earn Indian valuable foreign exchange, generate jobs and make Gujarat the nodal point for seaplanes.”

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