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CM allows music up to midnight during Ganeshotsav

But cautions that sound norms may not be flouted; Ganesh mandals have requested that norms be relaxed during the festival.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Ganesh mandals meet with the CMGaneshotsav comes to the city on September 9 this year, and mandals across the city are gearing up to welcome the elephant god. A meeting yesterday between mandals and the Chief Minister of the State, Prithviraj Chavan, was held to discuss various issues related to the festival, prominent among those being the relaxing of sound norms during the 10 days of the festival.

While the Government gave no immediate assurance on this front, the CM is learnt to have allowed mandals to play traditional music “within reasonable sound limits” till midnight for all 10 days of the festival. Recently, the BMC too, had issued an appeal to mandals to not play music beyond midnight on any of the 10 days of the festival.

Overall, Chavan is learnt to have taken a soft stand against Ganpati mandals in the city. “There were mandals that met with police trouble last year, over law and order problems and over noise pollution norms. If such mandals write to the Government appealing that the charges against them be dropped, the Government will look at the case sympathetically,” he reportedly said. Chavan is also equally sympathetic about new Ganpati mandals mushrooming in the city after Ganeshotsav 2012, and has asked the BMC Commissioner Sitaram Kunte to consider each new case.

Apart from these, Chavan has asked that all mandals help in spreading awareness about the issues, especially terrorism, that currently plague the city. He also wants the BMC to set up CCTV surveillance of visarjan areas, that police train each of the major idol sites in safety, and that monitoring agencies should immediately apprehend those selling spurious mawa and milk during the festival.

(Pictures courtesy DGIPR and mmclaughlin11.wordpress.com)

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Governor wants Women’s Grievance Cell on campus

Governor K Sankaranarayanan wants eve-teasing, lewd comments, inappropriate language and gestures to be reported, women to feel confident of redressal.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Governor of Maharashtra K Sankaranarayanan on Saturday asked educational institutions in the State to ensure that a Women’s Grievance Cell is active and functioning in educational institutions. He also asked educational institutions to instill confidence in girl students, so that they would report incidents like eve-teasing, taunting, use of inappropriate language, indecent gestures and inappropriate physical contact to the cell.

Maharashtra Governor starts the sessionThe Governor was speaking at a sensitisation workshop on ‘Measures to Tackle the Menace of Sexual Crimes against Women’ at SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai on Saturday, August 31. The workshop was organised by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) at the instance of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Sankaranarayanan said that on the opening day of the college, all the girl students should be assured of their safety and security and informed of the mechanism to redress their grievances relating to sexual harassment and violence.

The Governor asserted that the girls have the right to an environment of safe learning. “Apart from the Government, parents, society and educational institutions have the responsibility to ensure that girls are safe and supported in their colleges, homes and in society. The attitude of Indian society towards women suffers from deep-rooted prejudices and bias. The first survival test a girl has to face is when she is still in her mother’s womb. The biggest challenge is to change the mindset of society, of parents, of brothers and also of women towards a girl,” he said.

Minister for Women and Child Development Varsha Gaikwad, Minister of State for Higher and Technical Education DP Sawant, Chairman of AICTE SS Mantha, Vice Chancellor of SNDT Women’s University Vasudha Kamat and representatives of technical education institutions in the State were present on the occasion.

(Pictures courtesy dawn.com and Raj Bhavan, Mumbai)

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100 beds for injured Govindas

Today, all revelry comes to the fore with Gopalkala and dahi handi. The BMC has announced 100 beds for casualties.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It’s that time of the year again. Today, most of Mumbai will move around in a big mass taking in the sight of several grown men ascend higher and higher into the air, standing atop sturdy human shoulders, reaching out with excited hands and shining eyes towards a pot of dahi, money and other things.

dahi handiEvery year, Mumbai celebrates Gokulashtami with great gusto, and the city also collectively feels sorry for those Govindas who crash to the ground during their many attempts to get at the pot and suffer fractures, or worse, death. Every year, as prize money rises and the handis are tied higher and higher to add to the thrill of the chase, we hear of several Govindas suffering major injuries and wonder why they do it all.

But since the spirit of the festival refuses to abate, the BMC is going all out to ensure that there are adequate beds and medical facilities available for those sustaining injuries today. As per a press release issued by the BMC’s publicity department, “At least 100 beds will be made available at the city’s prominent civic and Government-run hospitals. Smaller hospitals have also been instructed to be on standby to admit any casualties.”

According to the BMC’s directives, the Sion-based LTMG Hospital and the Parel-based KEM Hospital will reserve 40 beds each for injured Govindas. The Mumbai Central-based Nair Hospital will reserve 20 beds. Additionally, civic hospitals in each ward in the city will have 10 beds reserved.

(Pictures courtesy www.cuisinecuisine.com, www.indiatvnews.com)

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Who’s going to Mumbai’s municipal schools?

City-based NGO finds that most parents, whatever their economic and social background, are sending their children to English medium schools.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the only municipal corporation in the country to run schools in eight languages. The presence of BMC schools in Mumbai is also high, with a school located at or near a major slum pocket. There are over 1,500 primary schools in the city.

But the numbers of children applying for admission to them, and the numbers of students dropping out every year, are at opposite ends of the spectrum.

BMC schools According to statistics by Praja, a city-based voluntary organisation, “Less than a decade ago, the municipal education system that used to cater to over 7.5 lakh students now attracts less than 4.5 lakh students. Says Nitai Mehta, Managing Trustee, Praja Foundation, “The number of dropouts (from municipal schools) has increased over the last decade, despite better infrastructure facilities and qualified teachers. A household survey recently showed that 83 per cent parents expressed preference for private schools rather than municipal schools.”

Traditionally and culturally, municipal schools cater to children belonging to economically and socially backward backgrounds, and hence, the medium of instruction is a vernacular language, mostly the mother-tongue. “But an increase in dropouts is an increasingly common trend in private vernacular schools as well. The growing trend is for parents to be more inclined towards English medium schools,” Mehta said.

Dismal findings for BMC schools

Milind Mhaske, Project Director, Praja had some key findings to relate about BMC schools:

– In 2009, the pass percentage of private schools was at least 20 points ahead of BMC schools, a trend which exists till date. Also, out of those students receiving scholarships in Class BMC schools IV, only 9 were from BMC schools while the rest were from private schools.

– A significant portion of Class V students cannot read simple text.

– There is a high dropout rate between Classes V to VIII.

– Parents are normally not part of the teaching process.

– Pre-school is not yet a part of BMC schools.

Possible solutions

A panel appointed by Praja to examine the problem of BMC schools came up with solutions to arrest the dropout rate and improve attendance and learning levels. ‘Undertake development work for schools which have adequate infrastructure on an immediate basis,’ was one solution. Another was, ‘Supportive systems such as sports and health programmes should be implemented in the near future.’

A major solution is to provide inclusive education for all, where ‘schools should serve as hubs for community programmes, study classes, reading rooms for the higher classes, reading melas, etc.’

(Pictures courtesy www.ashanet.org, www.afternoondc.in, www.educationworld.in. Images are used for representational purpose only)

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Studying coins as a job

You can turn your love for old coins into a profession. This knowledge comes in handy for archaeologists and historians.
by The Editors

At the heart of the University of Mumbai campus in Kalina, in Saroj Sadan, is located an institute that offers a fascinating glimpse into Indian and world history. The Dinesh Mody Institute for Numismatics and Archaeology (DMINA) houses a veritable treasure trove of ancient coins that give the visitor a history lesson he will never forget.

Museum Building 2Interestingly, the University of Mumbai has been conducting the Masters of Arts in Numismatics and Archaeology course through the DMINA for the last six years, and five batches of numismatists have graduated and are out practising. Says Mahesh Kalra, Assistant Professor and Curator, DMINA, “The Dinesh Mody Numismatic Museum is also located here, and was established by Dinesh Mody, a senior Mumbai-based advocate and an eminent numismatist with large collections of Indian and world coins.”

Why study ancient coins?

Numismatics, though a very important research tool in Social Sciences, has been till recently a neglected field in India as no University offered a structured course imparting the necessary skills for expert numismatists. “The biggest advantage of trained numismatists is in archaeological expeditions, where old coins found in excavations can help us date the other objects or structures found in the excavation. Additionally, Indian coins are collected and traded as highly valued objects of art amongst modern collectors and dealers spread across the country,” Mahesh explains.

There is a huge burgeoning market in trading of Indian coins, both nationally and internationally. “Students can expect to be absorbed by the increasing number of auction houses for coins as resource persons, and by the numerous museums both in India and abroad that require expert numismatists to catalogue their collections of Indian coins,” he adds.

The Museum

The in-house museum and the institute are spread over a sprawling 15,000 square feet area. The Museum was set up in 2002 and houses two large breathtaking museum galleries that house more than 25,000 coins of gold, silver, copper, bronze, lead and bank notes donated by Mody from his personal collection.

“The collection of Indian coins range from the most ancient (punch-marked coins) to the most modern proof sets of Republic of India, giving the visitor a kaleidoscopic view of the museum interiorentire range of Indian coinage including the coins of Guptas, Kushans, Satavahanas, Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagara Empire, Dehli Sultans, Mughals and the colonial coinage series,” Mahesh explains. The collection also includes coins and notes from various foreign countries, though these are not included in the syllabus of the Masters course.

Scope of the course

The institute has a team of full-time and visiting faculty from the fields of Numismatics, Archaeology, Palaeography (study of evolution of scripts), Numismatic trade and Archaeological legislations in an endeavour to make the course comprehensive. The syllabus of the course covers the gamut of Indian coinage, right from the ancient punch-marked coins of the pre-Buddhist era (8th  to 6th century B.C.) to coins of various Indian dynasties like Guptas, Kushans, Satavahanas, Cholas, Pandyas, Vijayanagara empire, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals and the British till the latest coins minted by the Republic of India covering the history of a period of 2,500 years.

In addition, students are encouraged to learn numerous scripts ranging from the oldest Indian scripts, Ashokan Brahmi and Kharosthi to Nagari (the precursor of Devanagari) to Greek, Arabic and Persian as Indian coins are inscribed in these indigenous and foreign scripts. Lastly, the students are instructed about the basics of Archaeology, its methodology and various findings to give them an idea of how various coin hoards are discovered during archaeological excavations conducted throughout the country.

The course also opens avenues for a host of foreign scholarships at foreign institutions with collections of Indian coins like the British Museum, Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge University), Ashmolean Museum (Oxford University), etc.

(Pictures courtesy gammillnumismatics.com, Dinesh Mody Institute for Numismatics and Archaeology and Dinesh Mody Museum Numismatic Museum)

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Three suicides happen every day in Mumbai

Statistics for the country’s financial capital are grim, with most suicides found to occur in the 18-45 years age group.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Actress Jiah Khan killed herself at her home on Sunday. She was 25.Actress Jiah Khan (see pic on left) committed suicide at her Juhu home late on Sunday evening. The country woke up to the news of her shocking death, even as the inevitable question cropped up yet again – what drives somebody so young to suicide?

There were three suicides in Mumbai in the last two weeks, all of them publicised in the news. However, what is not known widely is that the malaise runs quite deep – as per data sourced from a comprehensive suicide watch study released for India by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for 2006-2007, police statistics said that three lives were lost per day in Mumbai due to suicide. As against this, Navi Mumbai registered two deaths by suicide per week.

All over the country, as per statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a suicide takes place somewhere in the country every five minutes. “Seven times that number attempt to take their lives and as for those who feel desperate and unable to cope, the number is mind boggling. More suicides occur between (the ages) 18 and 45 – in other words, in the most productive age group of our society,” the report says.

What is it about Mumbai that is claiming more lives by suicide than other factors such as accidents and disease?

The Mumbai conundrum

self mutilationDr Harish Shetty, renowned city-based psychiatrist, said in a newspaper interview recently, “In a city like Mumbai, people suffer from loneliness. We are getting at least eight people with suicidal thoughts. You have to be alert in case somebody you know gets angry on little matters, or uses words like ‘I am not worth it’ or ‘My life is finished’ every time he or she is under stress.”

A major point to ponder for our city is that with our fast-paced lives, there is constant competition to get ahead and stay ahead. “In this city, you are constantly racing against the clock to finish projects, earn more, get a better life. Rising inflation, growing peer competition, not as much opportunity to succeed as one would like…all of these begin to prey on the mind and cause a tremendous amount of stress,” says Dr Varsha Thakker, a private practitioner. “While most people are able to channel their frustrations into positive outlets, there are some who may not be able to cope. This class of people may not even acknowledge that there is a problem, that they may need help.” She adds that often, with an existing burden of problems, it sometimes takes just a little trigger to set a person on the path to suicide. “We hear of children killing themselves after a petty dispute with their parents. It may seem like a small issue to anyone else, but it is possible that that child was carrying a huge amount of stress all along, and one harsh word probably pushed him over the edge,” she says.

Suicides are not rampant only among students and young professionals in the city, but among the city’s police force as well. A recent The Times of India report says that there were 168ask for help  suicides in the Mumbai police force in the years 2002 to 2012. “Let’s face it – this is a tough city to live in, and the pressures of daily life are immense,” says Dr Shetty. “However, people must seek help if they are depressed often or find themselves increasingly thinking of ending it all.”

Some statistics to ponder:

– Every 3 seconds, a person in India attempts to die.
– Suicide is one of the top three causes of death among the young in the age group of 15-35 years.
– About 1 lakh people die by suicide in India every year.
– 3 people in a day in Mumbai commit suicide.
– A study says 72 per cent writers, 42 per cent artists, 41 per cent politicians, 36 per cent intellectuals, 35 per cent musicians and 33 per cent scientists are prone to stress-related disorders.
– Suicide estimates suggest fatalities worldwide could rise to 1.5 million by 2020.

(Statistics courtesy AASRA, the helpline for the distressed. Pictures courtesy www.india-forums.com, suicidal-lovez.blogspot.com, celiacdisease.about.com, www.sailorspouse.com)

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