A lunchbox of love served daily

CARE FREE An ordinary man from Borivli’s IC Colony, Maark D’Souza has turned dabbawala, feeding the area’s elderly free of charge

My favourite tiffins are Saturdays’ and Sundays’, because there is meat or fish in them. And I love it when they serve biryani. PERDITA D’SOUZA, 85, a widow who lives alone in IC Colony, Borivli, and has her meals delivered to her by Maark D’Souza daily Maark has been doing a wonderful job. It is rare to find people like him. His tiffins are a life-saver for senior citizens who can’t cook their own meals. JIMMY DORDI, 76, in charge of Borivli centre of NGO Dignity Foundation Maark’s tiffins make me feel like someone cares about my well-being. He is like a son to me. RAJKUMAR CHADDHA, 74, widower

MUMBAI: Every after noon, Perdita D’Souza, 85, waits for her doorbell to ring. She is never disappointed.

PRATHAM GOKHALE/HTMaark D’Souza (left) with 85-year-old widow Perdita D’Souza who lives in IC Colony, Borivli alone. Maark delivers a tiffin to her house every day.

At 12.30 pm, punctual and smiling, Maark D’Souza arrives carrying a tiffin box of still-steaming rotis, sabzi, dal and rice.

He smiles, chats a bit, picks up yesterday’s empty lunchbox and leaves. It’s been a daily ritual for two years. But Maark, 57, is no caterer. He delivers free meals to seniors who are too old or frail to cook for themselves.

It’s an idea he came up with three years ago, on Diwali.

“My wife and I thought Diwali would be an auspicious time to start, and a good time to spread a little festive cheer,” says Maark, smiling. He adds that losing his parents at a young age — his mother when he was 5 and his father at 26 — taught him their value. At a time when his mother would have been 75 and his father 85, he now cares for others in the same age groups.

“Food is a basic need. We couldn’t afford to buy them their medicines, but at least we can ensure that our seniors go sleep with a home-cooked meal in their stomachs.”

Maark started with six seniors in his neighbourhood of IC Colony, Borivli. Today, he delivers his fresh hot meals to 35 seniors daily, seven days a week.

He funds his initiative entirely himself, with the earnings from his real-estate agency and the tuition classes his wife Yvonne offers at their home. “Yvonne is my constant support,” Maark says, of his wife of 32 years.

“When Maark spoke about wanting to do something for senior citizens, we knew free tiffins was the best thing we could do,” adds Yvonne, 54. “We already had a cook. It was just the matter of telling her to make more food.”

Many of his seniors say they find it hard to imagine what they would do without him.

“I can’t go out much because my knees and ankles ache, so I can’t shop for groceries or even cook for myself,” says Perdita, a widow who lives alone. “During my search for a tiffin service in IC Colony, someone referred me to Maark. I went to his shop and spoke to him. I told him I could pay, but he said, ‘Use the money on your medicines instead’. Finding Maark has been such a relief.”

Maark’s tiffin service isn’t just about free food either. He makes sure he talks to each recipient — inquiring about their health, asking after their families, helping them fill out forms, pay bills and get to doctor’s appointments, even driving them about in his car.

“It gives me a sense of happiness to be able to help. They seniors are my family now,” he says.

Besides his wife, Maark has built up a small network of volunteers who help him out.

There’s Renuka Vishwas, the live-in help who wakes up at 6 am to cook the meals; and Zarina Sayyed, who accompanies Maark on his rounds and takes over when he’s out of town. “I like the feeling that I am helping people through Maark. It’s an added bonus that they love my cooking,” says Vishwas.

The D’Souzas typically rely on family and friends to suggest beneficiaries. “Anyone who approaches us is also added to the list. We don’t get involved in family disputes or why their children cannot feed them,” says Maark.

There have been times, however, when he has faced hostility from relatives. “It is shocking the way some people abuse and threaten their parents over money or property,” he says. “But we don’t let that deter us. We drop off the tiffin anyway.”

A month ago, Maark appeared on Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi, a TV show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan that celebrates everyday heroes. Ever since, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing, with requests for tiffins and offers of help. “We also got calls from people who wanted to help start something similar in their own neighbourhoods,” Maark says.

While the couple doesn’t accept money, they say well-wishers are welcome to send vegetables, fish or sweets as special treats.

Ice-cream, idlis and biryani are favourites with my seniors, Maark says, smiling. It’s 2 pm, and he’s still on his rounds. Next up is Rajkumar Chaddha, 74. Maark has been bringing food to his door ever since Chaddha’s wife passed away six months ago. “I have a maid but she only makes rotis,” Chaddha says. “Having Maark’s tiffin means I don’t have to worry about the rest of my meals. The effort he takes makes me feel that at least someone cares about my well-being. He is like a son to me.”

Source: Hindustan Times dated 21 December, 2015

Your kitchen can be a fuel maker

DIGESTER Machine converts kitchen waste into biogas which will meet home cooking needs

MUMBAI: It was during a walk in the evening, two years ago, when 37-year-old mechanical engineer Kabir Udeshi, a resident of Shivaji Park, came upon an open dump. The sight was not new to him but it was the stench emanating from the dump that provoked Udeshi to come up with an easy-to-use waste management system for households.

PRATHAM GOKHALE/HTKabir Udeshi with his organic waste management kit at a house in Santacruz.

In one year, Udeshi and his team took the idea forward and built a machine the size of a standard washing machine, called the ‘Dedko Digester’. The machine converts kitchen waste into biogas and organic fertiliser.

According to Kabir Udeshi, organic waste consists of 70-80% of any household waste and the biogas generated through the machine can provide 40-50% of an average household’s cooking needs. “Once the kitchen waste is collected, it has to be churned and fed into the machine which contains a bacterial culture, mainly methanogens. These bacteria, in the absence of oxygen, break down the waste into biogas and fertiliser,” said Udeshi.

The machine is connected to a multi-layered polymer bag where the biogas is stored. The bag in turn has an outlet that connects it to the stove in the kitchen.

Nikhil Jain, 37, one of the users of this machine and a resident of Santacruz, said, “I have been using this machine for the past year. It’s so easy to use that even my maid knows how to use it now.”

“This machine uses about halfa-unit of electricity a day, which could cost around Rs3, which is hardly anything. Another aspect of it is that there is no smell or stench though it’s processed waste.”

The machine is available for Rs25,000. A sophisticated version of the machine called ‘The Rhino digester’ has the capacity for daily waste from 30 households. This machine available for Rs1,30,000 was designed for residents of housing societies who can pool in money to purchase a machine common for all the residents.

Source: Hindustan Times dated December 21, 2015

Language laboratories hone soft skills of college students

RISE IN POPULARITY
The labs employ audio-visual tools, no structured courses

MUMBAI: When Rahul Pandey got admission to Jai Hind College a few years ago, he couldn’t adjust to the new environment. Pandey, who studied at the Mohan Bhagat Hindi School, Vasai was having a hard time communicating with his teachers and his class mates, who preferred English.

“I could understand them, but wasn’t able to speak their language,” he recalls.

Today, the Science graduate has been placed at Infosys and speaks English effortlessly. He gives credit, in part, to the college’s ‘language lab’.

The language labs, which teach the basics of languages and help students develop their soft skills are fast gaining popularity in city colleges. Presently, around 30 students are learning at Jai Hind College’s language lab, compared to 15 when the facility began its operations a couple of years ago. KC College, which started its ‘Bhashas Lab’ in June, has already catered to 200 students. The first such lab was established in Xavier’s College in 2006.

“Many students come to the lab to brush up their presentation and communication skills, before appearing for interviews,” said Jyoti More, who heads the language lab at Xavier’s. “When I saw a notice about a presentation workshop being held by the lab during the vacation, I readily enrolled myself. It turned out to be very helpful,” said Sharon Lobo, a BA student at the college.

The lab also offers training programmes in French, Hindi and Marathi. On the other hand, KC College’s Bhashas Lab offers modules in seven languages.

The colleges employ audio visual tools and computer software. The labs, usually don’t have structured courses. “The students simply walk in, and we mentor them in an informal way,” said Jyothi, a professor at Jai Hind College. The services are provided free of cost.

The colleges, too, take efforts to identify and enrol students who seem to be struggling with English. In fact, such students have to attend mandatory sessions at the language lab in Xavier’s college.

“We select some first year students based on a diagnostic test, conducted at the beginning of the academic year. Then we try to improve their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills,” said More.

Source: Hindustan Times dated 21 December, 2015

Offers of ` 4L- ` 13L for undergrads

MUMBAI: No longer do graduates only f rom t he I ndian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) get hired with annual pay packages of Rs10 lakh and above. The ongoing placement season in city’s colleges is witnessing an increasing number of undergraduate students bagging job offers comparable to those that IIT-Bombay students have received in the current placement season.

The average annual packages being offered at the undergraduate colleges are in the range of Rs4 lakh to Rs6.5 lakh, while a few students have also managed to get offers between Rs12 lakh and Rs13 lakh.

“This year, more than 70 companies have already registered with us and at least three companies will be on campus every day till mid-January,” said Navin Punjabi, assistant professor and placement in-charge at HR College, Churchgate.

Of the 300-odd students who registered for placements this year, more than 70 have already got jobs in the first four days itself. “While the average package is around Rs5 lakh to Rs6 lakh per annum, the highest so far is more than Rs10 lakh,” said Punjabi, adding that last year, the highest package offered was Rs24 lakh per annum by a Japanese company.

Similarly, at St Xavier’s College, Dhobi Talao, more than 30 companies have already visited the campus and 60 students have been offered jobs. “Each company has offered different pay packages and the average is between Rs4.5 and Rs7.5 lakh per annum. The highest package to have been offered so far, to a TYBA student, is Rs13 lakh per annum,” said Dominic Fernandes, the placement officer at St Xavier’s College. Companies visiting the college are mainly from professional services, banking and finance, hospitality, information technology, media and education sectors, Roy Thomas, another placement official, told HT.

Along with job offers, there has also been a rise in the number of students interested in taking up jobs straight after graduating. At RA Podar College, Matunga, almost 50% more students have registered with the placement cell as compared to last. “Apart from finance, marketing and IT jobs, HR firms and banks have also shown interest in hiring fresh graduates this year,” said Ishani Chattopadhyay, secretary of the placement cell at Podar College. With the average package of Rs4.5 lakh, the highest offer made to a student has been Rs8.9 lakh per annum. “This year, the pay packages offered have been 20% to 50% higher than last,” she said.

Placement cells at almost all colleges ensure that students are made aware of the job description, pay scale, profile of the company, etc, in advance so as to avoid students from backing out of jobs at the last minute. Students, too, seem to be clear on what they can add to the job and their expectations in return. “On field experience is an advantage when we apply for further studies. My aim is to work in the investment and financial sector and once I gain enough experience, I will start applying to institutes abroad,” said Anirudh Poddar, 21, a TYBCom student at HR College.

With every passing year, colleges are witnessing an increase in the number of start-ups offering jobs to students. “Every day, we have at least one start-up offering jobs to our students. Most of them are into designing mobile applications. Students, too, are more inclined towards these jobs because of their tech-savvy nature,” said Hassena Sayed, assistant professor and placement in-charge at Jai Hind College, Churchgate. Many startups have also offered paid internships to first-year and second-year undergraduate students.

Source: The Hindustan Times dated 18 December 2015

Include module on firecrackers in eco studies: UGC to varsities

AFTER PARIS PACT

Body issues circular asking universities to explain ill-effects as part of compulsory subject

MUMBAI: After the Climate Change Convention in Paris, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the body that regulates the working of universities, has asked universities across the country to include a module on the ill-effects of fireworks in the Environment Studies, which is a compulsory subject for all students.

A circular from the UGC said their decision was influenced by the discussions in Paris. “Environmentalists and scientists have affirmed in no uncertain terms that a host of factors have done tremendous damage to the ecology and environment…It is as part of this effort that world leaders came together at COP21 in Paris recently and underscored preservation of the environment as a collective responsibility,” said Jaspal Sandhu, secretary of UGC, via the circular. Dated December 11, the circular further states in this context the youth of the country be made aware of the ill-effects of bursting fire crackers.

“At a time when issues of climate change and global warming have captured international attention, we need to do all it takes to educate students about the severity of toxicity of fireworks so as to discourage their usage,” states the circular. It also mentions the toxic outcome of bursting firecrackers, including the toxic concoction of “carcinogenic and hormonedisrupting substances” that make their way into the environment as well as the effect the hazardous gases have on people suffering from asthma and other respiratory issues. “On festive occasions, the levels of particulate matter in the air increases beyond the permissible limits,” states the circular.

Apart from a module on the ill-effects of fireworks under Environment Studies, UGC has also requested colleges to organise forums, discussions and presentations related to the hazards of fireworks and ways of reducing them as well as depute student/ teacher groups to conduct similar workshops in schools and colleges around their own institute. Institutes as well as universities have also been requested to share with UGC the steps that they undertake on campus, so as to be able to share the same with other institutes across the country.

Following a petition against bursting firecrackers during Diwali, the SC earlier this year had expressed concerns over environmental health hazards and the toxic fallout that fireworks pose.

Source: The Hindustan Times dated 17 December, 2015

External examiners are back for SSC, HSC board practicals

Earlier, for practical examination, the students were monitored by an internal as well as external examiner. This rule was suddenly stopped and only internal examiners (from the same school/college) were given the responsibility to judge students' performance.

After being discontinued for the past few years, external examiners — who were part of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education's (MSBSHSE) practical examination for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) — will once again become part of the setup from the upcoming board exams in 2016.

The state board on Monday issued a circular informing all affiliated schools and colleges about this update. The decision was taken by education ministerVinod Tawde following demands and complaints from various organisations, including the Mumbai Junior College Teachers Organisation (MJCTO), stating the absence of external examiners is leading to malpractices.

Earlier, for practical examination, the students were monitored by an internal as well as external examiner. This rule was suddenly stopped and only internal examiners (from the same school/college) were given the responsibility to judge students' performance.

Anil Deshmukh, general secretary, MJCTO, said: "We were behind the education minister to bring back external examiners for practical board examination and thankfully, he has agreed. In September this year, he assured us that he would ask the state board to issue a circular regarding the same. We thank the education minister for this move. A lot of malpractices used to take place during the practical examinations as internal examiners favoured a few set of students."

Now, the institutions will have to pay the external examiners, who along with internal examiners, would conduct the board practical exams for the SSC and HSC.

Duttatray Jagtap, chairman of Mumbai divisional board, said: "We received several complaints from students and organizations that the absence of external examiners is leading to lot of malpractices. Hence, the board decided to take this step and issued a circular to bring back external examiners for the upcoming board examination."

Source: Daily News and Analysis dated 17 December, 2015

Explained: What is Google’s Wi-Fi at 100 railway station project and how will it work

Google will deploy WiFi at 100 railway stations in partnership with Railtel. Mumbai Central will be the first station to get free Wi-Fi by January 2016

Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced company’s push to bring internet access to more users. The company also announced that Mumbai Central will get free Wi-Fi by January 2016 (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Google CEO Sundar Pichai had first announced about the the company’s free WiFi at railway stations in India when PM Modi had visited the company campus in Mountain View, California in September. Under the project, Google plans to provide free and high-speed Wi-Fi access to railway commuters at over 400 stations in India. Google has partnered with Railtel Corporation to make this project a reality.

How’s the project going to scale out? Which stations will get covered?

According to Google’s announcement today, the first station to get free Wi-Fi under this scheme will be Mumbai Central, where testing has already been carried out. Google’s free Wi-Fi at Mumbai Central goes live by January, 2016. Google plans to make free Wi-Fi live at over 100 stations in India by the end of 2016. The free Wi-Fi scheme will target stations across each railway zone in India.

At the end of 2016, Google will evaluate the project to see how it will expand the free Wi-Fi scheme further. Google says that preparations are already on in multiple stations to make the project a reality.

So how exactly will Google’s free Wi-Fi work? Why has it partnered with RailTel?

Railtel is the PSU which owns a Pan-India optic fiber network exclusively on railway track. It has laid out over 45,000 kms of optic fibre networks across the country, which Google will utilise for its Wi-Fi.

In this case, Railtel will be the ISP, while Google will provide the Wireless Area Networks (WAN) and will set-up the points of access at platforms. It should be noted that Google’s free WiFi will only work at the platforms and is not meant for the trains.

Will Google have some guidelines, standards for this free public WiFi?

Google says the idea with its free WiFi is to ensure wide coverage and high capacity. According to Google VP for Access and Emerging Markets Marian Croak, the company sees a potential of 10 million users accessing its WiFi each day by the end of 2016 from across these railway stations. And Google wants to make sure that these 10 million users get broadband quality experience when using its Wi-Fi.

For instance, Google will try and ensure that the WiFi railway users who watch videos on the network get at least HD standard streaming. Google will also aim to maintain speed, efficiency across a board of devices.

Will the service always be free? What’s the revenue model here for Google?

Google says that the service will be free to begin with, although it has not yet specified whether it will eventually charge for this WiFi. It should be noted that free WiFi in other public places like airports is free for a limited time period only. On the revenue model, Google hopes that this will be self-sustainable and it will start exploring with different revenue models later on. For now the focus will be on getting the project up and running.

Source: The Indian Express dated December 17, 2015(Online)