Sunday 30 September 2012

Indian Military Academy DehraDun turns 80

The Indian Military Academy IMA), the country’s premier training institute which imparts training to officers of the Indian Army will turns 80. It was on Oct 1, 1932 that the first batch of trainees came to the Institute.

Of the first batch of 40, there were 15 direct entries, 15 from Kitchener College and 10 seats were kept reserved for the families of the erstwhile royal states then in the country.

It has been a long and chequered history of the Institute which came into a building where the Railway Staff College was housed.

Incidentally in the days of the raj, it was felt during World War One (1914-19) that Indians did not have the right of becoming officers in the Army and they were just kept amongst the ranks.

The matter was first taken up the well known freedom fighter Gopal Krishna Gokhale, who said it was a discrimination against the Indians in general and the Indian youth in particular and it only in 1917 Chelmsford Reform Plans that it was decided that Indians will be given a role in the administration of the Indian Army.

It was in 119 that 30 Indian army personnel were given temporary commissions and made officers, which included the well-known name of Gen K M Cariappa, who later rose on to become the first Field Marshal of the Indian Army.

As pressure kept mounting for representation of Indian in the Army, the British opened the Prince of Wales Royal Military College in Dehra Dun.

After opening of the College, which today is known as the Rashtriya Indiian Military College (RIMC), it was decided that 10 cadets from here would be sent for training to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst for training.

But this did not go well with then intelligentsia and political leaders of that time. It was in 1925 that the Skeen Committee decided to open a training college in India itself for the training of Indian officers. Incidentally, both Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru and Jinnah were members of the Committee.

It was in 1931 that a committee of 18 specialists under Field Marshal Philip Chetwode that decided on setting up a Military Academy at Dehra Dun.

The Academy was established in January 1932 at the premises of what was then the Railway Staff College and the first batch of cadets came for training in October that very year, which started the new chapter of Indian officers in the Army in a big way.

Field marshal SHFJ Maneckshaw, popularly known as Sam Bahadur was in this batch.

After independence in 1947, Brig Thakur Mahadev Singh was the first Indian commandant of the Academy. In 1950, its name was changed to National Defence Academy.

In Dec 1954 a new Joint Services Training Academy was opened at Khadakvasla (Pune), which later became the National Defence Academy.

In 1960 the name was changed to Indian Military Academy. In 1980, the commandants rank was raised to Lt General.

Saturday 29 September 2012

The Doon School retains number 2 position in schools

The survey conducted by Education World on India School Rankings has been more or less sweet and sour for the schools of Uttarakhand.

While amongst the boarding schools, The Doon School managed to retain its number two slot, the premium girls’ school, Welham Girls has gone down from number three last year to number four now.

Incidentally, The Doon School had been ranked number one in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and slipped to the second place only in 2011. As far as the Welham Girls School is concerned it was placed number five in 2008 and 2009.

However, it climbed up two notches and was placed third in 2010 and 2011, but has slipped down to the fourth place in 2012.

Another prominent school of the city, RIMC , which was established by the Britishers as Royal Indian military College and prepared its students for Sandhurst and was renamed Rashtriya Indian Military College after the country’s independence has also had an up and down journey in the rankings. It was number 13 in 2008 and 2009 but climbed up to the eighth place in 2010 and to the seventh place in 2011. But sadly it has slipped back to the 12th position in the latest rankings.

Likewise, the Welham Boys School of the city has also had an up and down roller coaster ride in the rankings. It was ranked number 18 in 2008 but went up to the 11th slot in 2009 and then to the 10th place in 2010 but fell down to the 12th ranking in 2011 and is now placed 16th in the rankings for this year.

Zee TV to celebrate 20 years with live concerts in Dehra Dun

Music, dance and a lot more - that's how Zee TV plans to celebrate its successful 20-year journey.

The channel will host "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa LIVE" - a series of live concerts and entertainment nights across 10 cities, starting Friday.

Starting in Pune, the live shows will also enthrall fans in Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Dehradun, Bhopal, Aurangabad, Kanpur and Lucknow on different dates.

Uttarakhand govt reduces VAT on diesel

With an eye on the October 10 Tehri Lok Sabha bypoll, Uttarakhand government on Friday reduced the VAT on diesel prices by 60 paise per litre.

A notification announcing the concession was issued by the state government here yesterday.

Diesel, which was available for Rs 50.20 per litre, will be sold across the state for Rs 49.60 with effect from today, official sources said.

Uttarakhand government plans to distribute free medicines

Following the footsteps of Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand government has decided to distribute free generic medicines in the states.

The Uttarakhand government has enlisted 426 generic medicines and 300 chemicals and surgical items which will be distributed for free in the state via 755 medical units.

The medicines will be distributed to the BPL card holders as well as to the APL families. With this scheme, the Uttarakhand state Government have not only aims at providing free medicines to the people but also aims at encouraging the use to generic medicines.

This scheme was first initiated by Tamil Nadu government which was later adopted by Rajasthan. A team from the Uttarakhand health department recently visited Rajasthan to study the details and feasibility of the scheme. The team had already prepared a blueprint for the implementation of the scheme in Uttarakhand. The department has also prepared a list of medicines for all kind of diseases and surgical items which will be distributed for free in the state.

This scheme is inspired with the list of medicines distributed by Tamil Nadu government and the World Health Organization (WHO). The money required for the implementation of the first phase of the scheme will be provided through National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

Friday 21 September 2012

Rotary Club launches campaign to fight against alcoholism

Taking cue from the much acclaimed and popular TV programme, Satyamev Jayate, the Rotary Club that has been formed by the students of University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) launched the campaign 'Say No Till 27' to fight the rampant problems of alcoholism and substance abuse.

After flagging off the campaign, Vijay Simha, who participated in the Satyamev Jayate episode addressed the issue of alcoholism. He informed students about the reasons and circumstances that lead to addiction. Quoting from his own experiences- what made him take to alcohol and substance abuse and how he recovered from the malady, warned them how to battle this social evil.

During the interactive session, he got the young college students to open up and share their perceptions and doubts on this grave social problem.

He told them that through various studies it has been established that the human brain is adapting to change till 26 years. He also appreciated the Rotract Club of UPES for their initiative and was confident that with such participation of the generation next, the campaign would soon ignite the minds of the youth not only in Dehradun but across the State and country and our society would get rid of the evil of addiction.

While addressing the gathering, Dr SJ Chopra, chancellor, UPES said, "Today's younger generation is more prone to the ill effects of addiction as these stuff are more easily available besides easy money with the students. Thus they have to be over cautious and not become a prey. Some students of UPES have come together to form a drama group 'Exhilaration'.

The group presented an emotionally impressive play depicting how and why one becomes a victim of addiction and ruins his life. Dr Mandira Agarwal, associate professor, Rotary Club Dehradun (West) members and 200 students of UPES were also present on the occasion.

Bharat Bandh: Life paralyzed in Uttarakhand

Normal life was paralyzed across Uttarakhand on Thursday in response to the day-long Bharat Bandh called by BJP and other opposition parties to protest the Centre's move decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail, cap on LPG subsidy and hike in diesel price.

All shops, business establishments, schools, colleges and other private educational institutions remained closed in Dehradun, Haldwani, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, Almora and Pithoragarh.

Commercial vehicles were off the roads while government transport services like Uttarakhand Transport Services avoided plying their buses fearing attacks from pro-bandh supporters.

Protestors burnt effigies of PM Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union ministers to oppose the government's move in Dehradun, Haldwani, Kotdwar and Udham Singh Nagar towns.

HMT Watches sets up counter at Dehradun to reach out to people

In an effort to increase the market visibility of its products, HMT Watches Ltd launched its programme of setting up counters at prominent post offices in Uttarakhand, beginning with the General Post Office in the city.

HMT wrist watches will be sold at the counter by India Post personnel as part of an arrangement with the company trying to revive itself in the face of tough competition from watch manufacturing giants like Titan.

Friday 7 September 2012

Uttarakhand Government becomes strict on LPG connections

Around 10 per cent multiple cooking gas connections with individual customers have been cancelled in the Dehradun district. Uttarakhand LPG Association spokesperson and Uttaranchal Gas Agency owner Tanveer Singh said this.
The gas agencies have started conducting verification of customers’ connections after issuance of direction from the Indian Oil Company Limited officers.
Customers were instructed to submit declaration forms provided by the agency in which they have to acknowledge that the IOCL will be within its rights if it discontinues LPG supply, forfeit security deposit or impose penalty if any information provided by customers is not true and incomplete and also in the event of any violation of Government regulation related to the supply and distribution of LPG.
The agencies have been directed to inform to the department of food and civil supply about the LPG connections being cancelled.
He further said that customers are being assured that there is no need to procure multiple connections because agency will provide them cooking gas through home delivery within 21 days of booking.
Jagdamba Indane Gas agency officials said that around 10 per cent customers have verified their connections out of which around 15 multiple connections have been cancelled so far. The employees who are deployed to provide gas through home delivery to the customers have been directed to provide them consumer information sheet.
Recently, Food and Civil Supply Secretary Subardhan had directed the representatives of the oil companies to cancel multiple cooking gas connections with individual customers and to ensure that each customer has procured only one gas connection.