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Get your dose of adrenalin rush
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CIC Napalchayal calls on Governor
Welham boys lend helping hands to stray animals
Sumit adjudged best speaker at college contest
District-level youth fest at month-end
Kailash Kher, Daler Mehndi, Raju Srivastava to perform at GRAFEST
Dinesh trounce Mohit in TT tourney
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Get your dose of adrenalin rush
This state-of-the-art extreme adventure zone was inaugurated by Tourism Minister Madan Kaushik at Mohan Chatti today. This grand inauguration was done in the presence of dignitaries of the Tourism and
Forest Departments of Uttarakhand state. Bungee jumping from 83 m, Giant Swing from 83 m and 1 km-long Flying Fox gaining speeds up to 160 kmph is a unique experience for any adventure lover. The Managing Director of Jumping Heights, a company promoted and managed by ex-Army officers, Col Manoj Kumar (retd), said: “In Asian countries, bungee jumping is done either from crane or towers, but nowhere it is undertaken from the natural cliff towards the river. But, we have achieved this feat which is extremely safe, as it is performed under the watchful eyes of jump masters from
New Zealand”. Colonel Kumar emphasised that before allowing adventure freaks for bungee jumping, they would be passed through some essential medical fitness tests to ascertain their fitness level which must be at the desired level to withstand this extreme adrenalin-filled activity. He also added that all sports which come under it had been designed by teams from New Zealand and operated by jump masters from New Zealand. The safety standards being followed are the same as followed in Australia and New Zealand. The Tourism Department has left no stone unturned in making this experience truly global as the adventure lovers who opt for bungee jumping begins their experience with the air-conditioned bungy coaches provided for transportation from Laxman Jhula to the Jump Zone, a 35-minute drive on a beautiful road overlooking the Ganga. Smartly turned out crew awaits the guests at the reception of the jump zone. Those who wish to jump are briefed and weighed in before being escorted for the jump, while others can view the jumps either from a viewing deck or live on monitors placed in the cafeteria. Bungee jump with ankles tied to a rubber cord is carried out from a cantilever platform jutting out from the hills over the river which has 2-3 ft of water. Safety is ensured at each stage to make it very safe. At 83 m as you look down, the heart skips a beat but then you jump and feel the adrenalin rush like never before. Giant swing carried out from the same platform has an altogether different feel as you jump off tied to a fixed cord and swing like a pendulum. The third activity Flying Fox located on a different platform is yet another exciting experience. Harnessed to a wire about 1-km long, on release one travels at a speed of 140 to 160 kmph over the river. Colonel Kumar claimed it to be the Asia’s longest Flying Fox and a lifetime experience. Done in tandem by three persons, it has a very different feel. On completion and return to the reception, the jumpers collect dare-to-jump certificates, and the international experience continues as they can also buy jump DVDs, photos and T-shirts and other jumping heights merchandise as souvenirs as well to be able to cherish the fond memories of their daring acts for the rest of their lives. Rajiv Bhartari was all praise for this new addition in the eco-tourism sector which, he said, also provided jobs to unemployed local youth as 95 per cent of the staff employed was from the local area. He said the entire zone also emerged as a big adventure sector with rafting taking place at Rishikesh, angling at Phool Chatti and now bungee-jumping at Mohanchatti, which were good signs for the development of eco-tourism. Local village sarpanchs honoured Colonel Manoj Kumar and his other two associates who for the past four years worked tirelessly to bring such a facility to their area, which offered jobs to the local youth and enhanced developmental activities of the area. The theme of this thrilling extreme adventure zone is: “I’ve got guts”, and truly, with such a safe experience provided by Jumping Heights, all need to test their guts.
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Top-heavy Info panel raises heckles
Dehradun, October 20 No wonder then, when a small state that is facing a severe scarcity of funds
and manpower appointed two more persons as State Information Commissioners
(SICs) just a day ago, it was bound to raise the heckles of RTI activists and the common man. In the past five years, the commission’s performance has been exceptional. The commission, since its inception in 2005, has received total 6,971 appeals and complaints and disposed of 6,506 cases, a healthy record of 93.33 per cent. At an average, the commission receives 1,500-2,000 complaints in a month, clearly indicating that the work load is not in excess. In fact, Dr RS Tolia, Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), who retired a few
days ago, led the UIC singlehandedly for four years. Further, after taking office today as SIC, the first thing one of the commissioner’s did was make a formal request for
personal security through his office, the request was quickly forwarded to the authorities concerned. For the past five years of UICs into existence, neither the CIC nor the SIC had this facility. Now, with this request government circles believe that it will set a wrong precedent and a chain reaction with the CIC and others too demanding the same, further burdening the exchequer. On the other hand, the Uttarakhand government spends around Rs 1.5 lakh on the CIC, including salary, government accommodation and vehicle, and now with the appointment of two more commissioners, the state ex-chequer would further be burdened with an additional expenditure of Rs 1.4 lakh. In all there are three SICs and
one CIC. “The financial condition of the government is weak. Instead of splurging money on mindless pursuits, the government should have utilised the money for spreading awareness and sensitisation of people towards the Act. The government has only scored a political goal,” stressed Avdhesh Kaushal, Chairperson of the Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK). Though as per Section 15 (2) of the Act, along with the CIC, around 10 SICs can be appointed depending on the work load. Most small states have only two Information Commissioners. The neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh has only two, so do
other states. Doubts are also being raised about the division of work among the four information officers, to which newly appointed CIC NS Napalchayal said the matter was yet to be sorted out. “They are likely to be made responsible for certain districts depending upon the number of complaints,” he
said.
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CIC Napalchayal calls on Governor
Dehradun, October 20 The Governor’s house said it was a routine courtesy call in which the Information Officers held discussions about the Uttarakhand state Information Commission. Earlier, Napalchayal after taking office said his priority would be to strengthen the Uttarakhand Information Commission (UIC) by establishing a helpline.
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Welham boys lend helping hands to stray animals
Dehradun, October 20 One such club has been formed at Welham Boys’ School that has been regularly visiting the shelter every week. The boys have been extending a helping hand in a variety of works at the shelter, such as grooming the pups, cleaning the campus, maintaining stock books, assisting in treatment, cooking and serving meals to the animals. Yesterday, during the Welham Boys Founder’s Day, the PFA Club at Welham Boys also put up a special exhibition of their involvement with the cause. The exhibition included pictures showing the boys at work at the shelter, making life easier for a variety of animals. Information about common illnesses and first aid steps was also displayed. According to PFA state representative Gauri Maulekhi, the visitors at the exhibition had lots of questions for the PFA Club boys and all were well answered. “We all have a lot to learn from the initiative and courage shown by these children and the tenderness and care that they display while working with helpless animals,” said Maulekhi.
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Sumit adjudged best speaker at college contest
Dehradun, October 20 Vinayak Uniyal of Marshall School was declared the best speaker speaking against the motion. Gaurai Maitri of Rashtriya Indian Military College was the runners-up. The overall trophy was won by Marshall School, but being the host school it passed the title to St Georges College, which was the runner-up. The 19th All-India Inter Schools debate was held by Marshall School in the fond memory of FR Marshall (founder of the school). The theme of this year’s debate was “The division of British India in 1947 was ill-conceived, short-sighted, criminally motivated and without the approval of the people, hence I must be denounced and de-recognised”. Twelve schools from Dehradun and Mussoorie Asian School, Brooklin School, Constancia School, Doon Cambridge School, Doon International School, Doon Public School, Jaswant Modern School, Moravian Institute, Rashtriya Indian Military College, Scholars Home, Marshall School and St Georges College, Mussoorie, participated in the debate. GC Juyal, founder president of Marshall School, was the chief guest while AK Pandey, principal of Law College, was the guest of honour. The students were adjudged by Madhu Singh, HoD, English, SGRR PG College, Col SD Pharasi (retd), expert in communication and personality development, and GS Rawat, Director of the IAS Academy, Race Course. The programme was conducted by Amitabh Garg, HoD, English, Marshall School, along with his team comprising Deviyani Thapliyal and Nazia khan.
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District-level youth fest at month-end
Dehradun, October 20 People in the age group of 18-35 years who were interested in participating in the show should register themselves with the department till
October 27.
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ICFAI varsity celebrates World Statistics Day
Dehradun, October 20 Research and use of statistical analysis is very important in every day decision-making. It equips professionals with the right information and saves time and money. The paradigm shift in modern business has made managers and researchers more inclined towards analytical decision-making. Statistical techniques are being widely used for data analysis towards effective decision-making. Prof GP Srivastava, Vice-Chancellor of ICFAI University, apprised the delegates that Faculty Development Programme (FDP) was very important in institutions of higher learning. ICFAI University regularly conducts FDPs to keep its faculty updated and improve their skills. These programmes help provide more knowledge and keep the faculty updated with the latest in their respective fields. Prof TN Shaw gave an overview of the programme, which will be conducted over the next three days in 15 sessions, involving use of statistical tools and case studies. Also present on the occasion were Prof Loveraj Takru, Dean of IBS, and Prof Prafulla K Dash, Registrar of ICFAI University.
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Kailash Kher, Daler Mehndi, Raju Srivastava to perform at GRAFEST
Dehradun, October 20 Kailash Kher will perform on October 21, Raju Srivastava will entertain on October 22, while Daler Mehndi will enthrall on October 23. The university informed this in a press conference at a city hotel here today. According to the varsity, over 2,000 students from across the country are likely to participate in various competitive events. The highlights of this festival include music, dramatics, robotics, personality show, technical and managerial competitive events like Brand War and Bridge Construction. Various institutions from Dehradun, including DIT, IMS, UIT, TULA, Beehive, JBIT, UPES, SCOE and others will take part in
the festival. Rakesh Sharma, Principal Secretary, Technical Education and Tourism, Uttarakhand, will be the chief guest and will inaugurate the event on October 21 at 10 am.
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Inter-Collegiate Football
Dehradun, October 20 In the first quarterfinals, DAV (PG) College outplayed Government Degree College, Dak Pathar 5-0. Arpan of DAV starred in the win striking three goals in seventh, 29nd and 42nd minutes of the match. While Ankit Sundryal (second) and Rahul Negi (58th) also contributed with a goal each. Birla Campus, Srinagar knocked out Government (PG) College, Kotdwar 2-1 in the second quarterfinal. Ashish (28th and 45th) netted both of the winning goals for Birla Campus. Soban Singh (55th) scored the hard-fought lone goal for the losing side. While in knockout matches played earlier, Government Degree College, Dak Pathar beat SRT, Tehri 3-0. Manoj (25th) and Tarun (45th and 55th) were the scorers. Birla Campus, Srinagar, thrashed Government PG College, Gopeshwar 4-0. Virender (12th), Ashish (26th, 36th) and Abhishek (56th) scored for the winning team. PLMS PG College, Rishikesh, beat Campus College, Pauri, 4-1 in the tiebreaker round. The penalty shootouts were played after the match ended in a goalless draw. MPG, Mussoorie, also won after getting walkover against Government PG College, Tehri.
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DAV zonal athletics meet concludes
Haridwar, October 20 The meet titled Mahatma Hans Raj Aryan Zonal Athletics Tournament saw more than 1,000 students from various DAV schools across the states of Uttarakhand and
Uttar Pradesh. Host state schools bagged a dozen odd medals, while neighbouring state participants bagged a majority of the medals at stake. Lauding the efforts of the participants, School Principal PC Purohit said all co-curricular activities, be it sports or cultural ones, brought out inner talent of the students, while also strengthening a bonding between the participants. He urged all students to take part in other activities also or enhance their hobbies to a higher level to make sure their overall development of the personality. Earlier, state Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik inaugurated the athletics event amidst various kaleidoscopic cultural programmes by the students displaying diversified culture of various states. In various meets till filing of the report winners were as follows: In senior girls 800-metre race, Monisha Kumari of Dibiyapur won the gold medal followed by silver medalist Sonali from Sahibabad and bronze medallist Haldwani’s Swati. In boys’ section, Raghav Ahuja from Saharanpur clinched the gold medal with Sudhanshu Dwivedi and SK Tanveer sharing the podium. In shot put, Narmada of the host school won the gold medal with compatriot Drishti from Sahibabad gained silver medal while Kajal won bronze medal. Anuradha (Saharanpur), Pooja (Sahibabad) and Haldwani’s Anita were the first three winners in the long-jump event. While Dinesh Kasana (Sahibabad) won gold, Sagar Walia (Haridwar) and Aditya Singh (Dehradun) won silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the shot-put event.
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Doon Star sail to DFA Challengers Cup semis
Dehradun, October 20 The hotly contested encounter saw the match ending in goalless draw in the stipulated time. Several attempts made during the match to score goals failed to bring fruit and both halves ended in nil. However, in the penalty shootouts, Doon Star managed to have an edge over Cantt Blue 4-2. Ahundut, RS Rawat, Balvinder and Robin scored a goal each for Doon Star. While Som and Prveet scores a goal each for the opponent team. Tomorrow, New Gypsy Hostel will face Football Hostel in the first semifinal. Second semifinal is scheduled to be played between Sarvodya and Doon Star on October 22. The final of the competition will be played on October 24 following rest day on October 23.
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Dinesh trounce Mohit in TT tourney
Mussoorie, October 20 In the girls’ individual championship, Priyanka from DAV College defeated Vinita also from same college to lift the coveted trophy. The team trophy was lifted by Srinagar. They defeated MPG College by narrow margin. The girls’ trophy went to DAV College, Dehradun, who defeated Gopeshwar
girls emphatically. The chief guest on the occasion was Palika president OP Uniyal and Principal MPG College RS Shukla who presented citation and winning trophy to the participants. State TT Association members Narendar, Ramesh Chamoli, Nand Lal, Kedar Singh Chauhan and others were present on the occasion.
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Parade Ground defeat Heritage School
Dehradun, October 20 While in the boys’ matches, Jolly Grant School, Bhramawala, Doon International School and Brothers Club entered semifinals. Bhramawala beat Brothers Club 25-20, 20-25, 25-21. DIS also defeated KV No. 1 by 25-11, 12-25,18-16. Brothers Club got past Doon Club 25-20, 25-16. In another match, Jolly Grant defeated Heritage School 25-15-25-22.
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Yash thrashes Deepak to victory
Dehradun, October 20 While in the C-7, Sports College’s Sumit defeated Almora’s Prem Singh. In the A-6 event, Champawat’s Hemant beat Army School’s Pankaj. Arpit of STCK got past Ankit of Army School in the A-7 category. In the A-8 category, Sports College’s Anand defeated Almora’s Deepak. Saurabh of Army School performed superbly to beat his school’s counterpart Ajay in the C-0. Also in the B-9 category, Army’s Pritam defeated Army’s
Arun.
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Dehradun, October 20