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15th Jul
Eco-friendly transport in Kolkata’s Fort William
Battery-operated rickshaws, locally called ‘totos,’ are now allowed to ply in Fort William, the headquarters of Eastern Command, for civilians to commute in the 177-acre campus. The initiative has benefited those who work in the Eastern Command — both former and current employees — as they routinely visit Fort William, located on the eastern banks of the river Hooghly.
“Electronic rickshaws are immensely helpful. We had to walk a kilometre or two to reach the canteen from one of the main gates,” said Shibnath Ganguly, a retired Air Force staff and added: “It was an arduous walk, especially in the summer.” The e-rickshaws charge a subsidised rate of two rupees from each passenger for each trip.
235th anniversary
The rickshaws ply from 8 am to 8 pm inside Fort William, which completes its 235th year in 2016.
Opened in 1781, the fort, with a formidable arsenal and personnel presence, was named after William III of England. Many civilians, a few thousands in number, stay inside, while scores of employees daily report to their offices offices.“This is primarily a welfare service, not only for the benefit of the public but also for the boys who operate the rickshaws,” explains Col. Richard Fernandes, the Commanding Officer of 12 Garhwal Rifles, who ensures smooth operation of the rickshaw service. The drivers are civilians, selected by the Army, to run four such rickshaws.
“The Army has provided the e-rickshaws. The drivers are not only paid Rs.3,000 every month [by the Army] but also make additional money by providing the service to people,” said Col. Fernandes. The rickshaws are not allowed to go outside the Fort’s campus. However, that is “not a major concern” for Mritunjay Kumar, one of the drivers who covers 50-60 km every day. “I am earning about Rs. 100-150 per day and making about Rs. 8000 each month,” said 19-year-old Mr. Kumar, whose father is a civilian employee of the Army.
The officials believe that the earning of the drivers from the e-rickshaw project, promoted as “an eco-friendly” venture, will go up from localised tourism, as the Vijay Smarak [War Memorial] at Fort William was recently opened to the public.
The e-rickshaws charge a subsidised rate of two rupees per passenger per trip
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National / by Special Correspondent / Kolkata – July 14th, 2016
IIT-Kharagpur to confer Distinguished Alumnus Award at the 62nd convocation
Kolkata:
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur will confer the Distinguished Alumnus Award on the occasion of the 62nd convocation of the Institute which will be organized on July 30 and 31.
Seven eminent alumni have been selected for the award for their exceptional professional achievements in the industry, in the academia or as entrepreneur. The awardees are – Dr Anurag Acharya, Ajit Jain, Asoke Deyasarkar, professor Gautam Biswas, professor Indranil Manna, professor Supriyo Bandopadhyay and Professor Venkatesan Thirumalai.
Dr. Anurag Acharya (IIT KGP B.Tech./Computer Science and Engineering/1987 batch), Distinguished Engineer at Google USA. Dr. Acharya is key founder of Google Scholar which since its inception has become an indispensable service for the global academic and research community.
Ajit Jain (IIT KGP B.Tech./Mechanical Engineering/1972 batch), President of Reinsurance Division, Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group, USA. Shri Jain is a visionary in the global investment sector, having led Berkshire Hathaway to great heights. He is a well-known philanthropist as well funding the Jain Foundation with the mission is to cure muscular dystrophies.
Dr. Asoke Deysarkar (IIT KGP B.Tech./Chemical Engineering/1971 batch), CEO and Chairman, PfP Industries, USA. Dr. Deysarkar has blended his research with entrepreneurship in Chemical Engineering forming a billion dollar conglomerate of companies. The Deysarkar Family has helped establish the Trans-disciplinary Program in Petroleum Engineering at IIT KGP. Dr. Deysarkar is also known for his philanthropy activities.
Professor Gautam Biswas (IIT KGP Ph.D./Mechanical Engineering / 1985 batch), Director, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. Prof. Biswas has an illustrious academic career of 25 years having taught at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Kanpur and in various international universities and known for his leadership at IIT Kanpur, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur and IIT Guwahati. His fundamental research on heat transfer phenomena is well recognised in the international academic community. He was the Founder Director of Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi.
Professor Indranil Manna (IIT KGP Ph.D./Metallurgical and Materials Engineering/ 1990 batch), Director, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. He has been an exceptional academician and researcher having a long-standing association with IIT Kharagpur as faculty and thereafter leading the Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata and IIT Kanpur. His significant contributions in advanced material science and engineering have been well recognised by national and international bodies.
Professor Supriyo Bandopadhyay (IIT KGP B.Tech./Electronics and Electrical Communications Engineering/1980 batch), Commonwealth Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, USA. Recently he was named Virginia’s Outstanding Scientist and is known globally for his interdisciplinary research. He directs the Quantum Device Laboratory in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering which has been frequently featured in national and international media for exemplary research in nanotechnology.
Professor Venkatesan Thirumalai (B.Sc./Physics /1969 batch), Director, NUSNNI-NanoCore, National University of Singapore. He is known for his pioneering research in laser technology. Prof. Venkatesan was Founder of the PhD/MBA program in NUS and the Surface Center at Rutgers University.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award is one of the highest recognition given of accomplishment and contribution of an alumnus/alumna from the Institute.
The awardees will be given a gold medal and a certificate.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kolkata / Somdatta Basu / TNN / July 12tj, 2016
Kolkata pays its last respects to the ‘Diamond’ coach
In death, Amal Dutta unified the football fraternity in the city which has so long debated his methods. Dutta, 86, breathed his last on Sunday evening after a battle with Alzheimer’s.
Hundreds of football fans from across the state came to pay their last respects to Dutta who introduced many unknown facets of modern football to his charges over a career spanning more than five decades.
Knowledgeable and astute
“I regard him the most knowledgeable and astute coach I have ever seen. It is sad that his peers and many of the players he coached could not appreciate the immenseness of his knowledge and ability,” said former international Satyajit Chatterjee, who is now Mohun Bagan’s football secretary.
Dutta turned to coaching quite early in his life after having played as a midfielder with considerable success for teams like East Bengal. He also had short stint with the national team, turning out for India at the 1954 Manila Asian Games.
At a time when most of the coaches in the country were rooted in traditional methods, Dutta travelled to England to secure a coaching licence from the Football Association.
“It is a mystery that he never received the Dronacharya Award. Perhaps he never aspired for official recognition. But there are countless players for whom he was the real Dronacharya,” said another former international Surojit Sengupta.
Dutta, who introduced the now-famous ‘Diamond System’ employed so successfully by the Dutch teams of yore, rose to the peak of his popularity in the 1990s.
As coach at Mohun Bagan, Dutta had a spectacular rivalry with P.K. Banerjee, another legendary player and coach, who was in charge of East Bengal.
“He was a true fighter, and that reflected as much in his coaching methods as in his life. I am greatly saddened by his death,” said Banerjee, in tribute to his friend and professional rival.
Dutta also briefly coached the Indian football team, which went on to win the SAF Games crown in 1987. He later became the technical director of the National team for the Nehru Cup in 1988.
Goswami’s praise
Another legendary footballer from the city, Chuni Goswami, heaped praises on Dutta saying that his innovative thinking spoke a lot about his depth of knowledge of the game.
“His passing away fills me with grief. He is the one who introduced modern football techniques to our country,” Goswami said.
Scores of present and former footballers came to pay their last respects to Dutta, whose mortal remains were kept at Rabindra Sadan for the public to offer their tributes.
Dutta was cremated in the evening with full State honours.
Mamata’s tribute
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called Dutta a true legend and said her government would consider immortalising him by naming a stadium or a street in the city after him.
Dutta rose to the peak of his popularity in the 1990s
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport / by Special Correspondent / Kolkata – July 12th, 2016
The brothers bose
Picture by Sanat Kr. Sinha
The book has been edited by Sumantra Bose, a professor of international and comparative politics at the London School of Economics and son of Sisir Kumar Bose.
Sisir Kumar Bose, Netaji’s nephew and son of Sarat Chandra Bose, had in the 1980s authored the Bengali version of the memoir: Basu Bari.
The book, which used to be serially published in Anandamela, a children’s magazine published by the ABP Group, focuses on the period from the mid-1920s to the 1940s, when the freedom movement was at its peak.
Sisir Kumar Bose, who died in 2000, had written a version of the memoir in English, said Harvard professor Sugata Bose, the elder son of Sisir Kumar Bose.
Chakraborty recounted how as editor of Anandamela he had convinced Sisir Kumar Bose to pen Basu Bari.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph,Calcutta,India / Front Page> Calcutta> Story / Monday- July 11th, 2016
Women-only team to make city’s costliest Durga idol
Aditi Chakraborty is a known name in the Durga Puja circuit, as one of the most sought-after idol makers of Kolkata.Subhamita Dinda, on the other hand, is a debutante, though her husband Sanatan Dinda commands huge respect in the same circuit. In a first, these two women are putting together one of the costliest Durga puja idols and pandals this year. They claim to be the first women-only team in this male dominated profession. Now that’s a reason why Santoshpur Lake Palli Pujo must feature in your must-visits list this year.
Aditi, who is in charge of decorating the pandal, said, “We are trying to present tradi tion in a never-seen-before manner. Our theme is `puja’ itself. We will be making use of many traditional items such as tambul dani and stitch-art that used to adorn the walls of homes in our childhood.”
We went to see the two ladies at work on the day of the khunti pujo, where we met Somnath Das, executive member of Santoshpur Lake Palli pujo. On being asked about the USP of their puja, Das said, “For most pujas these days, the theme is planned first and the idol and the pandal are then crafted around the theme.However, we have decided to keep the idol in focus. There will be many rare materials used in the making of the idol which have never been used for this purpose before. The pandal will feature detailed wood-carvings too.”
Aditi and Subhamita have already started work a couple of months back. On being asked how it is to try to make a footprint in this primarily male-dominated industry, Aditi shrugged it off. “I am an artist.It does not matter whether I am a male or a female. What matters is that the work is done well. My bonding with Subhamita is strong and I am enjoying working with her,” she said.
Subhamita, on her part, promises surprise for the visitors. “All I can say is that people will find it in their heart to fold their hands and pray to the idol, once they see it. But for that, one needs to wait a little bit more,” she signed off.
Reporting done by Pratik Banerjee
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kolkata / July 11th, 2016
Only military establishment to be named after Bengal icon
Kolkata :
One of his primary responsibilities is to encourage youngsters from West Bengal to join the Indian Navy and what better way to do this from the INS Netaji Subhas, the only military establishment in the country to be named after the Bengal icon. In a way, it was fateful that Commodore Suprobho K De took over as naval officer-in-charge (NOIC), West Bengal, on Monday. A day later, INS Netaji Subhas that De now commands celebrated its 42nd birthday.
“We shall continue to visit schools and colleges to encourage students to take up the Navy as a career. We would like more youth from West Bengal to join the Navy. A Naval Selection Board is also coming up at Diamond Harbour. This will be very crucial for youth in the eastern part of the country who now have to travel to Bhopal to get selected. The selection board will also provide employment and business opportunities for people of the area,” Cmde De said before attending a cake cutting ceremony and barakhana with officers and other ranks of INS Netaji Subhas.
The naval base in Kolkata is also in charge of warships that berth at the ports of Kolkata and Haldia. The NOIC also liasons with the civil administration on several issues including humanitarian aid and disaster relief. The Navy office in Kolkata also keeps a watch on shipping activities in the Bay of Bengal and security aspects. The Navy has also been eyeing a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Sagar for better monitoring of the region. Sagar will also have a missile battery once the island is connected to the mainland by a road-cum-rail bridge.
The naval base in Kolkata was first set up at Marine House prior to World War II. The strategic importance of the Kolkata port during the war made it necessary for the Allied presence in India to bring up this naval presence to safeguard and strengthen its maritime assets in the east of the country which would also augment the capability to provide logistic support to Allied units and later Indian naval ships operating in the Bay of Bengal. Later the HMIS Hoogly was renamed INS Hoogly. On July 5, 1974, it was rechristened INS Netaji Subhas.
Cmde De, who was commissioned in 1985, is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, the Defence Services Staff College and Naval War College. A gunnery specialist, his previous appointment was as station commander of INS Angre, Mumbai. An alumnus of Sainik School, Purulia, he is married to Bandana De and they have a son who is an IPS Probationer.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kolkata / Jayanta Gupta / July 05th, 2016
Bengali film star Jeet acquires Premier Futsal franchise
Kolkata :
Bengali film star Jeet’s Grassroot Entertainment Private Limited on Wednesday announced that they have signed a long-term agreement with Premier Futsal to acquire the Kolkata franchise of the league.
The agreement, for an undisclosed sum, makes Kolkata the second franchise to be sold after the promoters of football club Chennai City FC — among the oldest in the city — picked up the league’s Chennai team.
“Football has a huge, fervent following in Kolkata, where love for the sport is passed on from one generation to the next. It is therefore a matter of great pride for me to introduce the faster, shorter version, of the beautiful game to Kolkatans,” Grassroot Entertainment Pvt. Ltd director Jeet said in a release.
“Through futsal, the young generation can hone their skills and talent, which will uplift their quality and eventually benefit in long-term development of footballers. I’m certain it will capture people’s imaginations and thrive and I urge people to come forward and support our initiative to lead the Kolkata franchise of Premier Futsal to glory.”
The Kolkata franchise will be called Kolkata 5s. In the inaugural season, each team will be similarly named. The franchise-owners will then be allowed to rebrand their respective teams from the second season onward.
Premier Futsal managing director Dinesh Raj said, “It gives me immense pride to announce Jeet and Grassroot Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. Asowners of our Kolkata franchise. We are delighted to have a superstar of Jeet’s stature backing Premier Futsal and playing his part to grow it in what is football’s Indian heartland.”
“The response we have received from prospective owners across all cities validates our decision to get behind Futsal as sport. We will unveil owners of the other franchises very soon.”
Each franchise will be assigned a marquee international football player, seven international and five Indian Futsallers for their squad to participate in the inaugural season through a player draft scheduled later this month.
The league, which has roped in international stars like Alessandro Rosa Vieira, fondly known as ‘Falcao’, Deco, Paul Scholes and Michel Salgado will kick start from July 15.
Portuguese legend Luis Figo is the president of the tournament.
–IANS
dd/ajb/dg
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Kolkata / IANS / July 06th, 2016