January 18, 2016

Monday, 18 January, 2016
Act Permitting Premature Redemption of
SSNNL Bonds Illegal: Gujarat High Court
Ahmedabad
17 January 2016
On Friday, Gujarat high
court ruled that the Gujarat
government’s decision for
premature redemption of
Narmada deep-discount
bonds was not legal and
struck down the Sardar
Sarovar Narmada Nigam (Conferment
of Power to Redeem
Bonds) Act. Sardar Sarovar
Narmada Nigam (Conferment
of Power to Redeem Bonds)
Act is passed by the state assembly
in 2008 and it had
paved the way for the early
redemption. The act was made
to empower Sardar Sarovar
Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL).
A bench of acting Justice N V
Anjaria and Chief Justice
Jayant Patel termed the
SSNNL (Conferment of Power
to Redeem Bonds) Act. The
High Court has stayed its order
for eight weeks after state
government said it would approach
the SC. The court additionally
directed the investors
as well as petitioners, who
have already redeemed their
bonds, to approach the civil
court to collect the amount of
loss they have incurred due to
the Act. The matter had
reached the high court’s of
Maharashtra, Gujarat, and
Karnataka after the Gujarat
government passed the Act
which empowered a government
company SSNNL, to redeem
the deep discount bonds
(DDB) issued to investors before
maturity, which was ending
in January 2014. These
bonds were issued in 1994 to
elevate funds for the Sardar
Sarovar project, including the
dam and canal network. government
raised Rs 257 crore in
1994, through these bonds,
which had a 20-year tenure.
The bonds offered a profitable
18.9 per cent interest. Thus,
total amount payable to investors
against each bond of Rs
3,600 came to Rs 1.11 lakh in
2014. However, the new Act
empowered the government to
terminate the bonds prematurely
by making a payment of
Rs 50,000 per bond in 2009.
Device to lock car if
driver found drunk
Vadodara
17 January 2016
While drunken driving
has become nightmare for
many, it has inspired a citybased
mechanical engineer
invent a device that can shut
down a car if the driver is
drunk. Brewlocks, a device
created by Ramnadh
Mandali (35), prompts the
driver to blow into the device
before operating the car.
The mechanism analyses the
breath in about two seconds
and interlocks the ignition
system if the driver is found
to be drunk.
"Every year thousands
of people lose their lives due
to incidents of drunken driving.
I conducted a research
on the effects of alcohol on
human brain for about three
months before working on
the device," said Mandali, a
native of Vijaywada in
Andhra Pradesh, who has
settled in Vadodara since
2011.
According to Mandali,
the device can benefit in four
ways. It not only reduces the
incidents related to drunken
driving, but also gives the
driver a means of self-evaluation
before driving. The device
also provides remote
locking of the car from any
part of the country via text
messages. Owners of the
cars can also use it as an antitheft
locking system.
"The owner of the car will
also get a text message on
his mobile using an application
each time someone accesses
the car. A simple SMS
can lock the car from anywhere
in the country. The
device can be connected using
GPS and GPRS," added
Mandali who developed the
device with the support of
Hyderabad based I Start Innovations.
"Although there are various
types of breathalysers
available, this is the first time
that a device has been created
that could lock car ignition
after analysing driver's
breath. The locking system
based on text messages too
is being made for the first time
in the country," said electrical
engineer Dhaval
Prajapati, who handled the
hardware execution of the
device. The biggest hurdle
while making the device was
finding the right kind of sensor
for the device, said
Prajapati.
Sudoku
The classic sudoku game Involves a grid of 81
squares the grid is divided into nine blocks, each
containing nine squares. The rules of the game are
simple: each of the nine blocks has to contain all the
numbers 1-9 within its squars Each number can only
appear once in a row, column or box.
Thus, investors suffered a loss
of Rs 61,000 per bond. Around
4.1 lakh people across country
had invested in these
bonds, as per the rough estimate.
With this premature termination,
Gujarat government
intended at saving around Rs
4,500 crore, as the final figure
would have been Rs 7,000 crore
at the end of maturity in 2014.
VMC faces
ARV shortage
Vadodara
17 January 2016
While the city continues to
be terrorized by canines, the
Vadodara Municipal Corporation
(VMC) has run out of antirabies
vaccine (ARV). VMC
does not have stock of the ARV
since last three days and is referring
cases to the SSG Hospital
(SSGH) that has the ARV
vaccine, but no rabies
immunoglobulin to treat severe
cases. The issue of shortage
of ARV at the VMC was exposed
by the opposition Congress
when it received complaints
regarding the unavailability
of vaccines there. The
opposition claimed that the incident
was an example of how
the VMC administration functioned.
Former opposition
leader Chirag Zaveri said the
complications began after the
existing supplier of vaccines
stopped supplying them as his
outstanding amount of Rs five
lakh was not cleared. "On the
one end, people are being bitten
by stray dogs.
ACROSS
1. Very small
4. Has added seasoning
8. A volcano does this
9. Birth... again
10. Quick
12. Negative
13. Not a coward
15. Power
17. Consists of hydrogen and oxygen
19. Can do
20. TV show... you either love it or hate it
21. Became a father to
23. Lots and lots and lots and lots
25. Controls aircraft
26. Sneak
27. Not lowered
DOWN
Mathematical idea demonstrated to be true .1
Prepare .2
To lower oneself from a standing position .3
You do this when you are deeply sad .4
Biggest .5
Not Hotmail .6
Clear .7
You go on this when you are courting .11
63 endangered birds rescued at Nalsarovar
Ahmedabad
17 January 2016
Common Coots, Common
Pochard, Ferruginous Pochard,
Garhwal, Wigeon and other endangered
birds were among 63
rescued by the forest department
from a boat in Nalsarovar
Lake, the only Ramsar Site of
Gujarat, on Friday.
Some of the Coots had been
tortured by the
poachers.Senior forest officials
who recovered the birds said
that the poachers had broken
the legs of 25 coots and wings
of the remaining 38 birds were
twisted and locked behind to
prevent them from flying off.
Forest officials said that this is
the first time that they have
come across such a brutal technique
to prevent the birds from
escaping. "We suspect that
the 63 birds were meant for sale
in open market and also for local
consumption," said a forest
official. Sources said that
the birds were to be sold in the
open market and to villagers in
nearby Ranagadh. The officials
said that the tortured
Coots with broken legs and
wings have been sent to
Jivdaya for treatment.
Deputy conservator of forest,
Nalsarovar, R G Prajapati,
said: "On Wednesday we spotted
a boat with birds and our
staff chased after it. The boatman
abandoned the vessel and
and escaped through marshy
parts of the lake. The team
found 63 birds of which there
were 25 coots whose legs were
broken," said Prajapati.He
added that acting on a tipoff a
team of forest officers raided
the residence of the su spect
and his relatives in Bagodara
but he is not traceable.
Gujarat Government to Announce
New Startup Fund in State Budget
Ahmedabad
17 January 2016
On Saturday Gujarat Government
said it will soon
launch a brand new “fund” for
supporting startups in Gujarat.
Notably, Prime Minister shri
Narendra Modi also made
public a new start-up policy
same day. Industries Commissioner,
Government of Gujarat
Mamta Verma said “We have
studied the funding issues
connected with start-ups very
minutely and so we are proposing
to come up a fund for (GVFL) seeks to fill the existing
gap in funding structure
start-ups with innovative
ideas that are struggling for for start-ups. In a discussion
funding. We are still working about the gujarat government’s
new Industrial Policy
on it. We are at advanced
stages of discussion and probably
it might come out in this sistance for start-ups and in-
2015 where a “scheme for as-
(state) budget,” while addressing
the session planned from January 1, 2015, the offinovation”
came into power
by FICCI on “Start-up India, cial told Gujarat has provided
Stand-up India”. Speaking to Rs 10,000 as “sustenance allowance”
for a period of one
a number of entrepreneurs,
funding agencies connected year for any innovator suggested
by 11-odd nodal accel-
with start-ups in gujarat, the
official said that gujarat government’s
new fund will mean-
functional in the state. She
erators or incubators that are
ing “more like a grant” without
seeking any “equity” in unique features of our new
added “This is one of the
the start-up venture. Mamta policy,” “This policy (surrounding
start-ups) is new and
Verma said “This will very different
from the venture funds so we are still very open for
and it is definitely in our pipeline,”
adding that the new fund need to improvise and improve
suggestions. Wherever we
set up in association with our policy we are ready to do
Gujarat Venture Finance Ltd it,” Verma added. Executive
New lease of life for fire brigade
Vadodara
17 January 2016
City fire brigade will soon
add nine water tankers to its
fleet. The fire brigade on Saturday
acquired nine chassis and
15 fibre boats. While two of the
units with water tanker and
pumps have been built on the
chassis, the remaining seven
are under construction. The
Vadodara Municipal Corporation
(VMC) has placed an order
of Rs 62.55 lakh to construct
the tankers for the emergency
services. The new
equipment were acquired as
the existing were depreciating
and were in need of replacements.
The new tankers will
have the ability to deliver water
to even the narrowest lanes
in the city. Apart from its utility
in the emergency services,
these tankers can also be used
to transport drinking water. The
fire brigade has also got 15 fibre
boats with double out boat
machine to meet flood related
emergencies in the city. The
boats can save upto 12 persons
at a time. The 15 fibre
boats were acquired at a cost
of Rs 2.51 crore. The city fire
brigade will now have access
to 22 fibre boats including the
ACROSS
seven acquired by Gujarat State
Disaster Management Authority
(GDSMA) for the emergency
response centre. earlier
reported that the city fire and
emergency services was grappling
with its own deficiencies.
Out of 84 vehicles in the department,
about 60 per cent of
these are older than 20 years.
Twenty one of these are
owned by GDSMA and have
been allotted emergency response
centre (ERC). As many
as 50 vehicles in the remaining
fleet of 63 belonging to the
VMC fire brigade and have
lived out their age.
Taken to test DNA .14
The centre of Jesus' ministry .16
Turned .18
A biscuit .19
These are used to breathe with... but not by humans.
.22
A mischievous child .24
Lathyrus .25
In December 2013 a major
poaching incident from Maliya
Miyana in Rajkot district was
busted. Investigations had revealed
that meat of endangered
birds was sold to big hotels and
was transported to hotels in
Ahmedabad.
Prajapati said that this
month the department has recovered
532 nets which was
about 82 nets more than what
was seized in December. As a
part of Operation the department
since November has recovered
1382 nets and has
freeds birds in thousands.
Dabbawalas
share their
mgmt wisdom
Ahmedabad
17 January 2016
Once again, Mumbai's
Dabbawalas, who are known for
their managerial skills in supplying
food to their customers,
were at the Indian Institute of
Management, Ahmedabad
(IIM-A). In 2008, Mumbai's
Dabbawals for the first time had
shared their managerial skills at
the IIMA. This time, they
shared their managerial skills at
the world's one of the best management
institutes in the event
Amaethon 2016'.` The
Dabbawalas of Mumbai is a
phenomenon that has surprised
many in the management circles.
Subodh Sangle, the coordinator
of Mumbai Dabbawalas, explained
that the Dabbawalas
face many hurdles such as
unpunctual customers, physical
distance, large number of
dabbas, crowded trains,
Mumbai traffic, multiple hand
overs and scattered destinations.
"The key to overcome
these lie in reducing operational
costs drastically, which they
achieve by building their service
around existing infrastructures,"
said Sangle, adding that
high salaries are not the only
motivator and a sense of respect,
ownership and job satisfaction
are equally essential. Sangle
stressed that their customers
need to be very punctual because
any delay in time can halt the
whole supply process.
vice-chairman and MD,
Hitachi Hi-Rel Power Electronics
Pvt Ltd, Mr. Piyush Shah
said at the event about provisions
of Gujarat’s start-up
policy that the sustenance allowance
of Rs 10,000 provided
to start-up firms as “peanuts”.
“We hope that much more is
provided,” said shri Shah. The
founder director of Silicon
Computech Pvt Ltd, shri
Munir Thakor said that startups
in Gujarat require “more
than the Rs 10 lakh” provided
in the new policy as cost of
raw material components required
for new product development.
Ashwin Joshi from
Centre for Innovation Incubation
and Entrepreneurship
(CIIE) at IIM-A said that “The
start-up ecosystem in Gujarat
has come of age… There are
two definite trends.
Mangalore killings
accused nabbed in city
Ahmedabad
17 January 2016
In a joint oper ation with
Mangalore cops city crime
branch offi cials nabbed
Raviraj Pujari 30, resident of
Bantwal taluka of Dakshin
Kannada dis trict, Karnataka,
for murder of two VHP activists
during the protests held
against the cele bration of
birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan
in November 2015. Violence
had flared up when
Karnataka government decided
to celebrate for the first
time the birth anniver sary of
Tipu Sultan across the state.
The programme was boycotted
by several groups
who saw Tipu as a "religious
bigot".
According to crime
branch sources, during one
such protest in rural Bantwal,
which falls under the jurisdiction
of Dakshin Kannada
district police station, Raviraj
and his associate had murdered
two people known as
VHP activists.
"Raviraj's associate was
later on arrested by
Mangalore police but
Raviraj was still on the run,"
said a senior crime branch
official. Deputy commissioner
of police, Deepan
Bhadran, said Mangalore
police had located Raviraj in
Ahmedabad through electronic
surveil lance and had
dispatched a two-member
team to Ahmedabad. "We
located Raviraj in Vastrapur
on Saturday and nabbed him
from the main road adjoining
Vastrapur lake.He had come
to Gujarat to avoid arrest, and
was staying at his uncle
Ramesh Pujari's house in
Vastrapur, on the pretext of
sightseeing," added Inspector
S L Chaudhary of crime
branch. Mangalore police officials
said Raviraj has a
criminal history and had
been booked in several offences
in Mangalore."We
have handed over Raviraj to
Mangalore police, who will
escort him back," said a crime
branch official.