Kolkata :

Most of us who have only heard of priceless masterpieces like ‘Bharat Mata’, ‘Aurangzeb At Prayer’, ‘The Passing of Shah Jahan’ or the Krishna series by none less than Abanindranath Tagore will now get a chance to see them in original. These invaluable paintings, which have the culture ministry’s tag of “national treasure” — meaning that the originals can never be taken outside the country — will be on public display for the first time at the Victoria Memorial in July. And not just a couple of them, there will be nearly 150 paintings by Abanindranath on display, to showcase his entire career of 50 years.

This is not all. Paintings by Jyotirindranath Tagore, another famous Tagore scion, better known as Rabindranath Tagore’s Jyoti dada, will also be displayed in a following exhibition in August. The July exhibition will also see some of the best works of another Bengal master, Nandalal Bose. This treasure trove is part of a booty that has been loaned out to Victoria Memorial for life by the Rabindra Bharati Society, a trust that operates out of the Jorasanko Thakurbari. A large number of memorabilia from the Tagore household had been bequeathed to the Society. However, it was not in a position to preserve such priceless paintings and decided to hand them over in 2011.

A whopping 540 paintings each of Abanindranath and Gaganendranath Tagore and 350 paintings of Jyotirindranath were loaned to Victoria Memorial along with 23 by Nandalal Bose. The Memorial authority has decided to hold continuous exhibitions of these Bengal masters so that all the paintings can be displayed in a staggered manner and people get a chance to witness these paintings.

These paintings were locked away in trunks for many years and many have sustained damages. Hence, a massive restoration project is on at the moment to heal the paintings. “Some damage-preventive treatment had been done on the paintings in the past but that was not enough, so we have started an elaborate curative treatment. Moisture content during storage and fungus can be lethal for these masterpieces,” explained Shakeel Ahmed, administrative officer of Victoria Memorial. “Since these paintings have never been put up for public display, we are cataloguing them and the catalogues for each painter will be available during respective exhibitions,” Ahmed added. He informed that in return for the life-long loan of these prize possessions, the Memorial has agreed to pay Rs 10 lakh annually.

The paintings for all the exhibitions in the series, titled, Bengal Masters, have been curated by Ratan Parimu, one of the country’s most renowned art historians and former head of the art department of Baroda’s MS University. “I have researched extensively on Aban Tagore and the experiments that he had carried on life-long to bring about a synthesis of the Western influences that he had been trained in and indigenous styles of the Mughal and Rajasthani miniatures and Kangra paintings,” Parimu said.

Painter Jogen Chowdhury, too, sounded happy. A contemporary Bengal master originally from Santiniketan, he felt emotionally connected to these creations.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kolkata / by Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey, TNN / June 14th, 2014

Kolkata :

Vice Admiral Pradeep Kumar Chatterjee, the senior most submariner in the Indian Navy has taken over as commander-in-chief of the Andaman & Nicobar Command (CINCAN). Originally from Kolkata, Chatterjee studied at the La Martiniere School for Boys till Class-VII before joining the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun.

“He passed out from the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on January 1, 1977. He has commanded the Type-1500 submarines Shankush and Shankul, the latter of which he commissioned. His other ship commands include Training Ship INS Krishna and the guided missile destroyer INS Rajput. He has also been Commodore Commanding Submarines (West), Principal Director, Submarine Operations and Principal Director, Submarine Acquisition at Naval Headquarters,” a senior official said.

Vice Admiral Chatterjee has also been the Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM), Flag Officer Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area (FOMAG) and Inspector General Nuclear Safety (IGNS) before taking over as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. From that post, he took over as chief of the tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Command in June.

“The A&N Command is a strategic one and the Vice Admiral’s experience will prove helpful in the days to come. Though a tri-services command, the Navy is the key element in ANC and his taking over will help in better co-ordination,” the official added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kolkata / by Jayanta Gupta , TNN / June 11th, 2014

Sweet surprise for the Master Blaster from the land of sandesh and rosogollas.

The landmark 128-year-old sweet shop Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick is gearing up to give a sugary send-off to the genius with a five-pound eggless cake and a 5-kg ‘ Naler Gurer’ Sandesh.

While the cake has Sachin’s face on it surrounded by cricket balls made of white chocolate, thehe sandesh has chocolate hearts surrounding the Master Blaster’s figure holding a bat.

The sweet shop is famous for their ‘ jol bhora nalen gurer sandesh’.

“Cricket Association of Bengal ordered the cake. The sandesh is a gift from us to him to express our love and respect. This morning, we went and handed both to him,” Sudip Mullick, proprietor, said.

“The message on the cake reads ‘ To the God of Cricket, 199th Test match, Eden Gardens 2013’. ‘ Thank You for being Sachin, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna’, says the message on the sandesh” Mullick added.

The round cake is adorned with chocolate and chocolate chips. Piping chocolates have been used to draw Sachin’s face.

The rectangular sandesh is bordered with two types of dark chocolates. Chocolates hearts are placed on the sandesh surrounding Sachin’s image with a bat in hand.

Trademark Bengali utensils such as lohar kadai and kather taroo (4-feet-long wooden spatula made of segun and saalwood) have been used to make the sandesh.

Interestingly, it is not only Balaram Mullick but other renowned and traditional sweet shops which vied for a chance to present Sachin with traditional Bengali sweets.

Girish Chandra Dey and Nakur Chandra Nandi in north Kolkata was one of them.

“We had proposed a 30-kg chocolate sandesh for Sachin. I am a cricket fan and a fan of Sachin,” Partha Nandi from Nakur.

In May 2012, Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee felicitated Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.

A huge cake from Nakur was cut to mark the day in the presence of Mamata and Shah Rukh Khan.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> India-News> Kolkata / by Ravik Bhattacharya, Hindustan Times / Kolkata – November 06th, 2013

“Tapan Sikdar ji’s demise is extremely saddening. May his soul rest in peace,” Mr. Modi said in a tweet.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday expressed sadness over the death of BJP leader and former union minister Tapan Sikdar, and said that he will be remembered for his “rich contribution in building the BJP”.

“Tapan Sikdar ji’s demise is extremely saddening. May his soul rest in peace,” Mr. Modi said in a tweet.

He added: “Tapan Sikdar will be remembered for his rich contribution in building the BJP and his years of dedicated public service.”

Mr. Sikdar was a union minister in the Atal Bihari Vajapyee government from 1999 to 2004.

He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here May 29.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Other States / IANS / New Delhi – June 02nd, 2014

Survey shows our cities ‘grossly under-prepared to deliver a high and sustainable quality of life’

Among Indian cities, Kolkata is the best place for quality of life. It was followed by Thiruvananthapuram, Bhopal and Patna.

Delhi and Mumbai were ranked fifth and ninth, respectively. Chandigarh scored the lowest, due to its poor legal framework, according to the second report of Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems 2014.

Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship & Democracy, a Bangalore-based non-profit body, issued the report on Friday. It is based on 115 parameters defining the function and policy framework of 21 selected cities.

The cities were evaluated on four broad aspects of the City-Systems framework. These were urban planning and design, urban capacities and resources, empowered and legitimate political representation, and transparency, accountability and participation. (CROWN FOR CITY OF JOY)

The findings show Indian cities are nowhere close to London and New York, which scored 9.6 and 9.3 on 10, respectively. Kolkata topped with a 4.0 score and because of a robust state election commission and higher voter turnout. Thiruvananthapuram was given the second position because it is the only city having a local body ombudsman.

“The scores imply that Indian cities are grossly under-prepared to deliver a high quality of life that is sustainable in the long term,” the report said.

It had sharp observations such as 17 of 21 cities scoring zero on open data compared to a perfect 10 for both London and New York. And, all cities scoring zero on compliance with spatial development (master) plans.

“Over the years, urban residents have become immune to living with overflowing garbage in their backyards, arduous commutes to their workplaces, shabby housing and minimal social or cultural outlets,” said Ramesh Ramanathan, co-founder of Janaagraha.

Around 300 million people live in towns and cities. In the next 20-25 years, another 300 million Indians will shift to towns.

According to a Planning Commission document, it took nearly 40 years for India’s urban population to rise to 230 million. “It could take only half the time to add the next 250 million. If not well managed, this inevitable increase in India’s urban population will place enormous stress on the system.”

source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Current Affairs> News> National / by Sahil Makkar / New Delhi – June 07th, 2014

Mohammed Shami has married his model girlfriend in a private ceremony at Moradabad

Mohammed Shami has married his model girl-friend Hasin Jahan at a private ceremony in Moradabad on Friday. The 24-year-old Shami, who lives in Kolkata and plays Ranji Trophy for Bengal, met Hasin at an Indian Premier League event a couple of years ago. Like many international sportspersons, Shami too took a liking for models.

Speaking to sports.ndtv.com, Shami’s father Tauseef Ahmed said the Nikkah was at 4 pm and the reception was at 7 in the evening. It was a family affair and some close friends were invited. “We didn’t invite Shami’s Indian teammates as we were not sure about their schedule. The family will plan a reception either in Kolkata or Delhi depending on when the players are available,” said Ahmed.

Hasin is an ex-model, informed Ahmed. “Now she will be a housewife and support Shami in his playing career. That’s what we want as parents,” he added.

Shami’s phone was busy throughout Saturday and he was not available for reactions. He is expected to be back to cricket after June 13 when his only sister gets married. “Shami is the middle one of my three sons. He has done well in cricket and as a dad what else can we want?” said Ahmed.

Playing for Delhi Daredevils this season, Shami did not set the IPL on fire but his father is not worried about his son’s bowling form. “So many world-class bowlers were treated with disdain. I don’t think Shami’s performance was all that bad when the entire team failed,” said Ahmed.

Shami has been rested for the three ODIs versus Bangladesh later this month. He will be part of the attack on the long tour of England starting July. Known for his reverse swing, Shami has played six Tests so far, bagging 27 wickets with a best of 5/47 against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in November 2013.

“Playing for India is very important for Shami. He has done well on the tours of South Africa and New Zealand and should do well in England too,” said Ahmed.

Lady Luck should also bless the Bengal seamer, who has also played 29 ODIs for India, taking 50 wickets with best figures of 4 for 50 against New Zealand in Napier in January this year.

source: http://www.sports.ndtv.com / NDTV Sports / Home> Sports Home> Cricket> News / by Soumitra Bose / Saturday – June 07th, 2014

The mecca of cricket, Eden Gardens will once again stand up to welcome its Kolkata Knight Riders team, amidst fun, glamour and glory on Tuesday which will be a mark of respect for the team by the Cricket Association of Bengal for bringing the IPL trophy back home once again.

Kolkata:

Memories of the 2012’s grand felicitation of Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens are set to be re-lived with the West Bengal government and Cricket Association of Bengal having planned a similar programme at the same venue on Tuesday evening.

All the roads on Wednesday will lead up to Eden Gardens, KKR’s home venue, and the entry will be free for the fans to join the felicitation programme, CAB joint secretary Subir Ganguly said. (Celebration pics)

“Eden Gardens gates will be open from 11.30am to 3.30pm and everybody is welcome to join in the grand victory march tomorrow. We have all plans to make the victory doubly memorable,” Ganguly, who is with the KKR team, told PTI from Bangalore.

He further said CAB supremo Jagmohan Dalmiya will call on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat (Nabanna) this afternoon to finalise the programme.

The CAB official also said he would land in the city with the triumphant KKR team members and the Trophy at 7pm today.

Team Mamata had come under sharp criticism after showering KKR with gold medals and gold chains in an extravagant felicitation after their maiden IPL triumph in season five, two years ago.

It will be interesting to see how the state supremo goes about the felicitation this time around especially when the West Bengal government is under scrutiny in the wake of Saradha chit fund scam.

Earlier, the West Bengal chief minister had congratulated Kolkata Knight Riders and its co-owner Shah Rukh Khan for their second IPL triumph, last night in Bangalore. (Highlights)

“Congratulations… KKR; Congratulations… Shah Rukh,” Mamata posted on her official Facebook page moments after Piyush Chawla hit the winning boundary to seal a three-wicket chase with three balls to spare against Kings XI Punjab in a pulsating IPL-VIII final. (Scorecard)

Thousands of KKR fans waving purple-gold flags, and screaming team slogan ‘Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re!’ poured into the streets of Kolkata while firecrackers lit up the skyline after the Gautam Gambhir-skippered side won their second IPL title, something that had earlier achieved by Chennai Super Kings. (Read: Manish Pandey, Kolkata’s Knight in Shining Armour)

Mamata had earlier conveyed her best wishes to Shah Rukh who is also the brand ambassador of West Bengal as the Bollywood heart throb had called on the CM at her residence after their team sailed into the final with a win over the same KXIP in the first qualifier May 28.

source: http://www.sports.ndtv.com / NDTV SPORTS / Home> IPL 2014> News / Press Trust of India / June 03rd, 2014

Kolkata :

While last year it was microbiology, this year English, physics and economics seem to be the toast of the season among undergraduate applicants. Studying these subjects increases possibilities of bagging a job after completing the three-year graduation course and also opens up avenues for higher studies.

Students applying in St Xavier’s College has always had four favourites — BCom (honours and general), English, BBA and economics. “These have been the most preferred choices among applicants over the past few years. I believe the reason is high probability of placement and the excellent reputation of the college,” said principal Felix Raj.

He added: “In BCom, we are the best in the country. There is a lot of scope for higher studies for those who opt for these four subjects. The teaching faculties in these departments are also excellent. Syllabus modification has also attracted a lot of applicants over the last few years.”

St Xavier’s is introducing a new campus at Raghavpur in South 24-Parganas, around 20km from the city, from this academic session. “We will offer for the first time BCom honours, Bengali honours and BA general courses on our new campus and the medium of instruction will be Bengali. We have 50 seats in each department,” added Raj.

Sheuli Sarkar, principal of Lady Brabourne College, said: “The highest number of forms in our college is taken for English. Almost 1,100 students appear for the admission test while the total number of applicants is more than 1,500. Among other in-demand subjects are sociology, microbiology, zoology, chemistry and physics. This year, too, we are expecting a high number of applicants in English. I feel the reason of its high popularity is the possibility of bagging jobs after graduation. Moreover, the reputation of Lady Brabourne College is high for teaching the subject very well.”

At Scottish Church College, English attracts the highest number of applicants. Principal J Abraham feels the trend will continue this year, too. “We don’t offer geography, which is, of course, one of the most popular subjects in several colleges. Usually English is the top scorer. Last year we had 4,838 applicants for 65 seats. Scottish Church College is very popular for English and the faculty is excellent. The teaching is mostly done in English. Many students prefer it because it helps them while getting jobs,” the principal said.

“NAAC has awarded us ‘A’ grade and the ‘college with potential for excellence’ status has helped us get a high number of applicants. In terms of demand, English will be followed by chemistry and physics along with zoology. We have the best faculty among colleges affiliated to Calcutta University since laboratory facilities for all science departments are up-to-date,” he added.

At Presidency University, English has always been one of the preferred choices, followed by physics and economics. “This year, too, we are expecting to see similar preferences from applicants. In humanities, the subject that offers the easiest opportunity to grab a job is English. Apart from that, English has always been very popular in Presidency because of the excellent faculty. Every year, more than 1,000 students take the admission test for 32 seats available. Though the numbers of applications are almost the same, physics comes a little lower on the demand chart as compared to the first two subjects,” said an official at Presidency.

Physics is the most wanted subject in Asutosh College, followed by zoology, English, microbiology, journalism and biochemistry. “Students coming to study science subjects have a very good opportunity to score high marks due to excellent laboratory infrastructure and faculty. Moreover, the possibility of getting a job goes up. English, however, has always remained a favourite over the years,” said principal Dipak Kar.

In Sarojini Naidu College for Women, geography seems to be ahead on the popularity chart. “None of the colleges around Dum Dum offers the subject and hence the craze among students. Last year we had held admission test in English. This year, it won’t be possible. English remained one of the most preferred subjects until geography was introduced,” said Urmila Ukil, principal of the college. She added: “Our hostel accommodation is an added benefit.”

Jadavpur University’s application for introduction of geography from this year is still pending. “English, followed by economics and international relations, has the highest number of applicants every year,” said dean of arts, Rajat Acharya.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Education> News / TNN / June 05th, 2014

Der aaye durust aaye (Better late than never)

So said Shah Rukh Khan a week ago after keeping his fans waiting for four IPL matches this season to make an appearance at the Kolkata Knight Riders’ home ground.

On Tuesday, he kept a 50,000-strong crowd at the Eden Gardens waiting for two extra hours before turning up at 4.04pm to rock the house with a 60-minute blitz that overshadowed everything that had taken place before.

The SRK…KR show saw King Khan dance, cheer, climb and woo the packed Eden like only he can. Metro gives a ringside view of Shah Rukh’s IPL victory celebration.

The felicitation

“Aaj Kolkata ko entertain karna hai (I have to entertain Calcutta today),” SRK declared on arrival.

Mamata Banerjee was busy managing the gifts and Manvinder Bisla was in the middle of receiving a tray of mangoes when SRK made his much-awaited appearance to deafening cheers.

“Shah Rukh has arrived and our prize distribution ceremony will now start. Our heroes and heroines from Tolly and telly-wood will be handing over the gifts,” chief minister Mamata said as SRK asked Juhi Chawla and Jay Mehta to step out from the crowd of players and stand next to him.

“But first we will cut the cake,” Mamata added.

A knife was brought as SRK asked Mamata to come close to the table along with skipper Gautam Gambhir. SRK and Mamata jointly cut the specially made Sandesh Cake, the first bite of which he had before putting a piece into Didi’s mouth.

Next came the trophy that the state government had got made — a gold-plated stand with a cricket ball on top — for SRK and his Knights. On the base of the trophy were the words: “Congratulations KKR. Mamata Banerjee.”

As Mamata handed over the prize to Shah Rukh, he bent down to touch her feet. He then held her hand as she patted his head. All the players received a small trophy each along with a casket.

The victory lap

At 4.15pm, Shah Rukh tied the uttariya around his waist and put on his hat. “Jara maathey aachen, aapnara boshey porun. (Those on the field, please sit down),” Mamata exhorted, as if on cue.

“Police-er theke kintu aami bhalo bhir shamlate paari (I can control the crowd better than the police),” added the chief minister in jest.

King Khan gestured to Robin Uthappa to lead the walk with the trophy in hand and joined in alongside Juhi and husband Jay. The victory lap started from the clubhouse at 4.20pm and moved clockwise from Block L to B and so on. Click-click went the cameras, accompanied by deafening cheers and Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo Re in the background.

The trademark SRK wave, clap, bow and climb atop the police post were the five primary elements of the lap that were generously distributed among all 12 blocks at Eden.

As he walked past blocks L and K, Shah Rukh stopped, lifted his hands and bent down to touch his knees in a show of gratitude. The crowd screamed. A few steps ahead near Block J, he spotted a police watchtower. SRK paused, loosened his T-shirt dripping with sweat and climbed the flight of iron steps to reach the top. A shower of coloured confetti followed.

As SRK waved from atop the 15-foot post, Mamata asked the police commissioner: “Majboot achhe toh (Is it strong enough)?”

The stage show

King Khan took the stage at 4.38 pm, his six-pack peeping through the drenched white T-shirt, to shake a leg to 1,2,3,4… Get on the Dance Floor with actress June.

Mamata asked the crowd to settle down for the KKR team owner to say a few words. Shah Rukh pulled Juhi, seated on the right side of the stage, to the forefront before he began his speech.

“Sar jhukake saare team ke taraf se main aapka dhanyawaad karta hoon, thank you (Head bowed, I thank you on behalf of the entire team),” said SRK, bowing to the crowd. “Humko aapki taaliyan bhi pasand hain humko aapki gaaliyan bhi pasand hain (We love your bouquets as well as your brickbats).”

The ultimate tribute came next. “I don’t think any other state in any other country in the world has this kind of support for its sporting heroes.”

Later, as the national anthem was played, SRK sang along, eyes shut. A selfie with June and a picture with singer Soumitra Roy later, he was off the stage.

“Thank you very much for your support and kindness,” SRK told police commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha as he was leaving. “Hope to see you again soon,” the police chief replied.

source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph, Calcutta-India / Front Page> Calcutta> Story / by Sushovan Sircar, Kinsuk Basu and Zeeshan Ahmed / Wednesday – June 04th, 2014

Kolkata  :

Seeking relief from painful sinusitis? Now you can, here in Kolkata. A breakthrough was achieved by doctors in the city last week as balloon sinuplasty was performed on a patient who was cured of chronic sinusitis in just one day. 

Gone are the days when someone seeking surgical relief from sinusitis would be exposed to conventional surgery that required him to get admitted, stay overnight at the hospital and forced to rest for a week or more to recuperate. Arjun Dasgupta, Chiranjit Dutta and NVK Mohan of Medical Super-Speciality Hospital performed the pioneering surgery in eastern India on a 53-year-old man suffering from chronic sinusitis. 

Balloon sinuplasty is the latest technique in sinus surgery where doctors use balloons to dilate the sinus openings instead of using endoscopic instruments like microdebriders and forceps. The technique is similar to angioplasty where balloons are used to open blocked vessels. 

Sinuplasty causes less trauma to the surrounding tissue and the natural sinus openings are preserved at the end of the surgery. Recovery is faster than conventional sinus surgery. Dasgupta explained: “We used the spin device, which is the most advanced of all the balloon sinuplasties. Balloon sinuplasty is the in thing in the ENT field. It cures chronic sinusitis in the safest and least invasive way.” He added, “The patient, a busy executive and frequent flier, found his lifestyle increasingly affected by his ailment. After the initial CT scan, we found that his blocked sinus had to be cleared. For a busy professional like him, balloon sinuplasty was the quickest and safest mode of treatment. It brought him quick relief with minimum trauma.” 

An official of Accelerant, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, that provided the equipment for the surgery, said: “The surgery was performed for the first time in Kolkata and eastern India. We are extremely happy to be a part of the feat. With this we hope more and more patients in eastern India will opt for it.” 

However, not all patients are advised this surgery. It’s not effective in removing nasal polyps or in patients with extensive scarring of their sinus openings. Balloon sinuplasty has associated risks, including tissue and mucosal trauma, infection or possible optic injury. 

The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. X-ray imaging is used to follow the course of the catheter to ensure it is in proper sinus. Working endoscopically through the nose, the surgeons thread a catheter through the nostril and into the sinus cavity. Attached to the catheter is a wire, which is then followed by a small balloon. The balloon is inflated and enlarges the sinus opening to allow the sinus cavity to drain better. Unlike traditional sinus surgery, balloon sinuplasty doesn’t involve cutting through the skin since it is performed through the nostrils. Therefore, the patient can go home the same day. 

Most chronic sinusitis patients report clinically meaningful improvement in sinus symptoms and quality of life through two years following the surgery. In a study of in-office balloon dilation, most patients returned to work and normal activity within two days. 

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kolkata / by Ajanta Chakraborty, TNN / June 04th, 2014