Tag: ch vidyasagar rao

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Asiatic Library opens its doors to world scholars

Over 200 years old, the Asiatic Library’s treasures will be digitised and stored in DVD and microfilm format for reference.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Fort-based Asiatic Library has long been a source of study and inspiration for scores of scholars and academicians. Mumbai and the rest of the State have long revelled in the Library’s bounties. The Library contains valuable resource material, periodicals, books, magazines, newspapers and other published material.

Digitising the Asiatic LibraryHowever, users have rued the fact that the paper format publications were in a state of constant decline. This meant that this treasure trove of information would not be available to subsequent generations of readers and scholars.

This picture is set to change, however. A mega digitisation project is soon to be underway, to make the Library’s treasures accessible to scholars all over the world. The Governor of Maharashtra Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Wednesday, August 5, 2015, inaugurated the Digitisation Project of the 211-year-old Asiatic Society Library in Mumbai.

Under the digitisation project, 1 lakh books, 2,500 manusripts and 1,200 maps will be digitised and the output will be saved in the form of DVDs and microfilms. The project is expected to open up the treasures of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai to scholars in the world.

The Government of Maharashtra has sanctioned Rs 5 crore to the Asiatic Society for the digitisation project.

President of the Society SG Kale is said to have told the Governor that the Library has a collection of 2,55,463 books and bound volumes of periodicals. He further informed that the Library has a collection of more than 12,000 coins including the gold coin of Kumar Gupta, a gold muhar of Akbar and coins of Shivaji Maharaj. The Governor was shown the old manuscripts, antique books, maps and other special collections of the Library including old coins on this occasion.

(Pictures courtesy Raj Bhavan, Mumbai)

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Event

Disaster preparedness training currently underway in Mumbai

Drastic climate change and changing weather patterns are attributed to rise in natural disasters, SNDT University is hosting the programme.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Observing that drastic climate change and changing weather patterns have increased the frequency and intensity of disasters in recent years, State Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao recently called for improving institutional and community preparedness to limit the damage caused by such disasters.

Recalling the instances of the earthquake in Nepal, floods in Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand, the Malin tragedy near Pune and the unseasonal rains in Maharashtra, the Governor said every organisation and housing society should have a functioning disaster management system in place. He added that there should be a regulator to monitor and certify the readiness of an institution to tackle disaster.

The Governor was speaking after inaugurating a training programme on disaster preparedness ‘Avhan’ at Birla Matishree Sabhagriha in Mumbai on Monday,  25 May, 2015.

The SNDT Women’s University is hosting the programme this year. In all, 1,050 NSS volunteers and 70 programme officers from all parts of the State will undergo the 10-day training programme to be conducted by the National Disaster Response Force in Mumbai during May 25 and 3 June, 2015.

Stating that community is the first responder in any disaster situation, the Governor expressed the need for creating awareness among citizens through disaster management education and training. The Governor called for inculcating disaster responsive public behaviour among the people.

Vice Chancellor Vasudha Kamat delivered the welcome address while State Liaison officer of the National Service Scheme Dr Atul Salunke apprised the gathering about the training programme.

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Mumbai gets country’s first railway research centre

The centre will be set up shortly at the Mumbai University, will research ways to improve railway infrastructure and services.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Mumbai is set to spearhead the Centre’s efforts at understanding and providing better railway services for the country. It will be the centre for the country’s first railway research facility in the country.

The centre is aimed at researching the current systems of railway transport, and come up with solutions to increase speed and efficiency of operations, thus impacting overall quality, says Union Minister for Railways, Suresh Prabhu. He adds, “Mumbai was the natural choice for such a research facility, since the genesis of Indian railways is here. The country’s first railway line was started between Mumbai and Thane. The Railways are constantly working on ways to upgrade infrastructure and services to world-class levels, and linking the process with a premium centre of learning like University of Mumbai was a natural progression.”

He says that new ideas for the better working of the 162-year-old Indian Railways will only come from research. “We will work on increasing speed, better services, passenger safety and optimum use of resources,” he adds.

MoU at Raj BhavanA memorandum of understanding for the establishment of the Centre for Railway Research was signed between Ministry of Railways and the University of Mumbai at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai, last week, in the presence of Governor of Maharashtra Ch Vidyasagar Rao and Prabhu. “I urge all universities and colleges to adopt the railway station nearest to them and cleanliness drive there at least once a month,” the Governor said. 

A similar centre to study water resources and water transport will be set up at Ratnagiri, it is learnt.

(Picture courtesy www.railnews.co.in. Image used for representational purpose only)

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World Snooker Championships kick off in Mumbai today

The event was formally inaugurated by Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, will be held at Hotel Grand Hyatt today and tomorrow.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Lovers of snooker, rejoice! The Indian Open Snooker Championships, a World Ranking event, kick off in Mumbai today.

The event was formally inaugurated yesterday by State of Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, who also played the opening shot. The event is to be held over two days – March 10 and 11, 2015 – at Hotel Grand Hyatt. Over 50 national and international snooker players, including Indian great Pankaj Advani, will participate in the prestigious event.

Advani was also part of the inauguration team yesterday, which comprised of Jason Ferguson, Chairman, WPBSA, and Capt PVK Mohan, President, Billiards and Snooker Federation of India.

(Picture courtesy Raj Bhavan, Mumbai)

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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 students cook up a (solar) storm

Bandra played host to various Mumbai school children who participated in a collective cooking event using just a solar oven.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Children love to cook, especially when presented with a challenge. Throw noodles into the mix, and they are guaranteed to have fun.

Yesterday, hundreds of Mumbai schoolchildren participated in the ‘Maha Surya Kumbh’, a solar cooking event held at Bandra. The participants included physically challenged children as well. The children prepared noodles using a solar oven.

Maharashra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao inauguarated the event, and called upon housing societies and industrial establishments to switch over to solar power and help save conventional power.

The Governor also tasted some of the noodles prepared by the children. The event was organised by Bandra BJP MLA Ashish Shelar as part of ongoing efforts to promote the use of solar power among chidren.

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