Incredible Goa October 2017 Vol 3 Issue 1

` 100 POSTAL LICENSE NO. : G-2/RNP/Monthly/Goa-28/2016-18

VOL 3 ISSUE 01 PANAJI GOA, RNI: GOAENG/2017/66434

OCTOBER 2017

www.incrediblegoa.org

GOA’S ONLY SOCIETY MAGAZINE

2 nd

COVER STORY

SHEKHAR MITAL PUMPING THE NEW LIFE INTO GOA SHIPYARD WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

YOUNG GOA

IN FOCUS

TREND SETTER

GOAN TALENT

BUSINESS GOA In association with

GOAN CUISINE | HOT PICKS | EVENTS | FEATURE | GOA BUZZ | TALK OF TOWN | FITNESS |

GOA PRISM The Transparent & Fearless News Weekly

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CONTENTS OCTOBER 2017

CREDITS Editor & Publisher Rajesh Ghadge Finance Rajeshree Ghadge

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Layouts & Design Manasi Kavthankar AakashGhadge

SHEKHAR MITAL - Pumping The New Life Into Goa Shipyard

FROM EDITOR’S DESK

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TALK OF TOWN

10

IN FOCUS LIVING IN THE RUINS

18

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT JAYASHREE PARWAR

22

GOAN CUISINE TREND SETTER SHREY SAWANT BUSINESS GOA EDU’S BUDDY

Concept & Photography Aakash Ghadge

GOAN TALENT AKSHATA BANDEKAR

36

HOT PICKS

40

FITNESS

44

Content Writers Yutheeka Borkar

EVENT

46

Cover Page Credit: Rajesh Ghadge

FEATURE

48

YOUNG GOA KENNETH ALVARES

52

GOA BUZZ

55

Help Desk Ranjana Chauhan

© All rights are reserved. Reprinting, publishing whole or part without obtaining the express written permission of editor and publisher is strictly prohibited. All the images unless otherwise indicated are used for illustration purpose only. In case you feel that any image/s or content/s should not be there / needs due credits / having copyrights, you may please immediately inform the same to editor / publisher in written format, the needful will be done in the following issue.

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Publisher's Note:– Error is Human, although we take all due care while publishing the magazine to make sure that it is free from all the errors.

Any omissions and erroneousness are entirely unintentional. Please do bring to our notice in case if you nd any such things / items published incorrectly and any photography erroneously published, needed to be given credits. We also believe in publishing something which catches our attention and made available for the purpose of information to our readers. We also believe that people will take it sportingly and help us to make this publication even better and useful for our reader.

Printed, Published & Owned by Rajesh Ghadge and printed at Printek Printers and published at 608, Unitech City Centre, M G Road, Panaji – Goa. 403001 India.

Editor : Rajesh Ghadge

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FROM EDITOR’S DESK

THE JOURNEY TO SUCCESS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF A STRONG AND DEDICATED TEAM

RAJESH GHADGE Editor, Incredible Goa rajeshghadge@gmail.com rajghadgegoa @goaprismmag rajeshghadge

By unveiling this second-anniversary issue of Incredible Goa, I feel proud to announce that we have successfully crossed yet another milestone in our journey to success with more passion, zest, and spirit than before. Incredible Goa started its humble journey in 2015 and has received tremendous response towards its efforts. Our reader's comments and appreciation are our achievements, and luckily we have always been applauded by people we come across or connected with.

Every passing month by has brought a new ray of hope and new enthusiasm in our publication. Although we are not making a million dollars in this effort of ours, every million dollar smile of the person we have ever featured in our magazine has made our day. I am proud to say that we have earned it all with nothing but our dedication, honesty, and hard work.

No endeavours are complete without the help of reliable team members, and I am proud to say that Incredible Goa has a very strong team behind its success; right from the editorial staff to the distribution channel. The best part is, each team member who joined us in our endeavours shares the same ideology that I do, and let me tell you - getting team members like them happens through sheer luck.

Like every project has its ups and downs, we are no exception. No journey is complete without a few bumps, and let me tell you that we

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have had many such all along the way.

But, the support of Incredible Goa's dedicated team members and our valued customers kept the candle burning. Success is not only measured with how many pages we have ďŹ lled up with commercials but how many pages people have really read on the issue. Feedback from our readers made one thing clear, that they read the magazine right from the beginning until the very end, and that is the greatest achievement for us.

Incredible Goa has upgraded too and moved into a bigger and better premises in the heart of Panaji to serve you better. I assure you that I will always strive to get the best content to you each time, and I will never compromise on quality over quantity for anything. I appeal to all our readers to keep extending their infrangible support to our publication in the form of subscriptions or donations. Today, only subscriptions will keep honest media alive and if you really want to preserve that element, then please come ahead in support of our magazine and become a part of the new revolution.

Incredible Goa will always be grateful for all the support provided by you.

This issue has many new developments and I hope that you will accept them with the same enthusiasm as you have done in the past. Until next time - happy reading!

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TALK OF TOWN

GTDC CHAIRMAN NILESH CABRAL AWARDING THE LARGEST ONLINE BOOKING PORTAL BOOKING.COM Goa Tourism has presented this prestigious award to booking.com, a travel portal, f o r b e s t performance in the category Online Travel Agents. The award was given in recognition for a GTDC sales record, with GTDC hotels recording sales of more than one crore for the financial year 201617. The award was accepted by Mr Jedesh Kozhippalli, Hotels- Senior Account Manager, India and Ms Simone Pardiwalla, Content Specialist, India on behalf of booking.com. Mr Gavin Dias, M a r k e t i n g Manager, GTDC and Mr Deepak Narvekar, Senior Manager & PRO, GTDC and other officials were present too.

GTDC was one of the first tourism boards in India to sign up with booking.com, which is one of the l a r g e s t e commerce travel companies in the world. Over the years, a lot of business has been generated through online bookings at GTDC residencies. This year, there was an overwhelming response and an increase in the sales revenue. If one recalls, in 2016, booking.com awarded Calangute Residency with a Guest Review Award for its excellent guest review rating on its website. A small Dutch

startup established in 1996 in Amsterdam, booking.com has since grown to be the

ranging from apartments, vacation homes, and familyrun B&Bs, to 5-star luxury

at ease and GTDC is extremely happy to partner with them. The milestones

Mr. Nilesh Cabral, Chairman, GTDC presenting award to Booking.com

large e-commerce company it is today. As a part of the Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN), it now employs more than 15,000 employees in 204 offices, in 70 countries g l o b a l l y. T h e e - p o r t a l connects travellers with the world's largest selection of incredible places to stay –

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resorts, tree houses, and even igloos.

After presenting the award to booking.com, Mr Cabral said, “I congratulate the entire team of GTDC and booking. com for this huge achievement. booking.com has been very supportive in giving tourists all the facilities

being achieved by them is a clear indication of the customer satisfaction and service provided by GTDC and the agency collectively.

We hope for a long partnership which will benefit Goa and GTDC collectively.”

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TALK OF TOWN

RE/MAX SPACEDEAL GOA – THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA

Mr Nurallah Veljee, the game changer, is back in a new avatar. After gaining 35 years of experience in the Goa's real estate industry, Mr Veljee has now joined hands with the world's biggest real estate professionals, RE/MAX, and now his office will be known as RE/MAX SPACEDEAL. RE/MAX is a well-known giant in the real estate business in the USA and now in India at Faridabad. RE/MAX started its journey in 1973 in the USA and later they set up their office at Faridabad in the year

2009. The India office is handled by Sam and Saloni Chopra who were instrumental in bringing the RE/MAX in India. In the year 2017, the India franchisee became an RE/MAX stakeholder along with the Times of India group who holds substantial equity in the company. The franchisee's Chairman is Gaurav Marya.

The Times of India Group appointed SpaceDeal as their franchisee in Goa in the name RE/MAX SPACEDEAL GOA. Mr Veljee's journey is his new avatar in the real estate arena.

According to him, the reason behind having a partnership with the RE/MAX brand was to be able to market Goa's real estate better through the firm. RE/MAX's business model is so attractive that it will attract many residents of Goa to become next broker agents of the brand, who will be able to sit in the RE/MAX SPACEDEAL office and do business from there. Training will be provided by RE/MAX India, said Mr Veljee. The returns that will be given to them will be as follows: every deal the agent closes with the

clients, he will be offered 50% brokerage and if they cross more than 27 deals in a year, their brokerage will be 80% with all the deals they have done so far and in the event of fewer than 27 deals but more than 15 deals, their brokerage will be 70% on all deals.

RE/MAX SPACEDEAL GOA will be inaugurated on the 14th of October 2017 at Mr Veljee's newly renovated office at Gera Imperium I.

SPACEDEAL WWW.INCREDIBLEGOA.ORG

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COVER STORY

SHEKHAR MITAL Pumping The New Life Into Goa Shipyard

G

oa Shipyard Limited (GSL), one of the Goa's premier shipbuilding company run by the central government, nosedived into huge loses due to many wrong decisions t h a t w e re t a k e n b y t h e previous senior management.

The loses mounted into several crores and it looked like the shipyard would never reap profits again. But, at this juncture RAdm Shekhar Mital, NM, In.(Retd) took over the command of GSL and pumped new life into the dying organization, and there has been no looking back. He turned over the shipyard's destiny by making it profitable within the span of one year.

This task was nothing short of magical and was possible only due to Mr Mital's leadership skills. This story is a rollercoaster ride of a journey in accomplishing the most difficult task that very few can do. Please fasten your belts and join the ride with me.

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It is a known fact that before Mr Mittal's tenure, GSL's financial position was in a miserable condition. It was running under the loss of 64 crores which is a huge amount. The future of more than 3500 employees was at stake and the organisation was waiting for a messiah who would steer their sinking ferry ashore. When I met Mr Mital for the first time, I could feel the positive vibe in him and his entire personality was projecting only one thing - strong leadership. When I asked Mr Mital about how he felt when he joined the sinking GSL without many resources to revive it, he said, "Leadership is not about being at the best place at the best time, but it is about reversing the wind's direction. For me, the idea of leadership isn't about being given the best of the choices served on a platter, but about how you take over and manage something when it is given to you in adversity” adding, "The company might not be functioning or performing as it used to, GSL was going through operational loses from 2012 to 2014.

I took over on the 1st February 2014.

In the years 2013-14, the company faced losses of around 64 crores, this tends to happen when the projects

don't complete or aren't delivered on time. The moral of the staff and workforce tends to take a hit in such scenarios where the work overheads extend.”

When Mr Mital joined the GSL, they had projects only from the Coastguard and Naval Offshore Petrol Vessel which were not sufficient to cover losses and time was slipping from their hands like sand. “When I took over as the CMD of GSL, I realized that the biggest challenge in front of us was to deliver the ships on time and as per schedule - that was my main aim. I started daily rounds at the plant where I would meet the officers and the workforce, and check on the ship and its progress. This helped us keep a steady flow of the workspace alive, and according to me when the workforce observes that the CMD is coming in, their confidence rises and they interact with you by telling you about their issues,” he informed.

When taking up any challenge, the basic requirement is passion and zest which Mr Mital has in abundance but one more thing required, and that is the technical know-how of the field, and Mr Mital is an expert in that too. “There can be a lot of issues, but how those are handled is more

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important. The challenge in front of us was to make it happen from the very first day, and with few efforts, I have achieved that. When I moved into GSL from the Navy, I had prior knowledge and experience in shipbuilding and design work. I was familiar with the issues we face while working.

So, from day one, it helped me lead from the frontiers and my forte, in particular, is in the field of finance so it assisted me in the work areas where I could study the balance sheets." Adding that “As a leader, people you work with assist you and give you various inputs and you have to keep your eyes and ears open. When you do this, everything will come to you naturally. That is when you can decide what is right and what is not and make changes at once." The next challenge that posed before him was the financial issue. GSL was highly vulnerable, it was going through loses which needed to be conceded and further loses needed to be stopped. Mr Mital faced this challenge head-on and started working on it. “When you are going through loses, you have to reconsider each and every expenses, however small it is. It becomes highly important that you do this.

We had the infrastructure for our guests in Delhi which was done well and offices too, which I later decided to sell off. This helped us tackle the unnecessary expenses and expenditure. Besides this, I even started cutting down on unnecessary expenses,” said Mr Mital.

Mr Mital is a multifaceted personality, his specialities in various fields really helped GSL come back to life. Right from technology to finance and marketing, Mr Mital could manage everything and these qualities of his came very handy while dealing with GSL's problems.

When I asked him about his help, he said that when he WWW.INCREDIBLEGOA.ORG

took over, the major issue GSL faced was to generate business. “The major problem at that time the company facing was, there were no major offers before GSL to take up new work. The last contract which was signed was in the year 2011.

The auto balance book purchase was 2200 and that for a company of this size is very small,” he said adding that when he joined, his good connections within the Navy and Coastguard helped him gaining business for GSL “I had the background and knowledge in the navy, the coastguard, and the MOD (Ministry of Defence) so we took up our case with them.

Secondly, since we started delivering the ships on time, people immediately started realizing that the company was performing well and had started working. This helped us gain the people's trust and confidence. And as a result of all this, we got one of our major projects which were the OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) projects, which was roughly a Rs. 2000 Crore order. In addition to that, our current CM too brought in an order of around Rs. 32,000 crore which was truly a boon for us.” There is no doubt that the then Raksha Mantri Mr Manohar Parrikar helped GSL and it was his efforts mixed with the persuasion of Mr Mital that got GSL a huge order and once the production starts, GSL will not have to look back for at least another 30 years. But when the big businesses happen, the task becomes more difficult and something similar happened in the case of GSL too. According to Mr Mital, gaining the contract of 32,000 crores was not an easy task. “A lot of pressure was definitely built on the RM (Raksha Mantri) to give this order to the private sectors.

We were nominated for this project back in the year 2005, and we had done considerable work on it. Now,

we have started responding very efficiently especially under programs like 'Make in India'. Prior to this, they were to be made outside, but we insisted that should be made here. Putting all these factors together, and under the proper leadership, we retained the project and further extended its scope,” he said.

As I mentioned it earlier about the challenge that Mr Mital took by joining a sinking GSL, the situation was very bad then, but consistent efforts and meticulous work environment paved the way of GSL towards success. It was Mr Mital who transformed the fate of GSL from the failure to success. In this process, he had to face lots challenges, hardships, and difficulties. “Once you start taking the right decisions, and work towards the idea with clear intentions, the entire universe starts responding towards your efforts. In the first year itself, we moved up to the profit of Rs. 78 crore surpassing the losses of 64 crores,” he stated.

I am sure, to the readers, this story sounds too good to be true but the easier the talk, the more difficult the task.

Tu r n i n g t h e m i s f o r t u n e upside down is not easy. Here Mr Mital explained how he managed to overcome the loses and turned them into profits that to within just one year's time. “We looked at improving our stand and our shortcomings, and how we could correct the things that somehow went wrong in the past. The very simple thing in finance is that the tariffs need to be updated with time.

Initially, we were not making any profits and our tariffs hadn't been revised for a long time too. We needed to see what type of orders we wanted to take up in time.

With this in mind, we immediately realigned our priorities. Also, we started

assigning our projects in an account based manner. The moment we started doing this, we started getting a clear picture of what was needed to be, if we were falling behind in line or getting ahead within the time limit we have in hand. It was getting better for us to work this way. So, this helped us understand if the projects we were taking up were profitable or not,” he answered. The next task before him was cost-cutting and keeping a very close watch on the expenditures and to do this he started keeping the account of every operational expenditure on the day to day basis. “We sought out to reduce the build period of the projects we were taking up. We have successfully managed to reduce all the unnecessary wait period and started to deliver the vessels faster,” he said.

Heading an entity like GSL is no joke because 3500 people from various background and sections are to be dealt with.

This workforce also involves fixed employees and contract workers but Mr Mital with his experience handled this well.

In business, making money and gaining orders are just as important as debt recovery and loan re-payment in time.

When Mr Mital took over, there was an outstanding of Rs. 140 crore that GSL was to recover from the various sources. “Just by pursuing these cases, we brought down the owed amount to 70 crores in a period of 1 year. All this amount was with the vendors and our business dealers. We had a Fixed Deposit with the CCI, which was pending for recovery since a period of 30 years which we have started receiving now. We also had another 10 crores invested into Risk Purchases held up with one of the private vendors we deal with. Here again, we had a successful recovery. This way we went

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COVER STORY after our debtors and sought out to clear the financial issue. A lot of these decisions were complex and difficult ones for us all, but at that j u n c t u re , w e c o u l d n o t postpone them,” he said.

Dealing with people is the biggest challenge regardless of how small or big an

organisation is; you can thus imagine how reforming GSL was the biggest task as Mr Mital was supposed to deal with numerous people. He had to lead, and bring a change in their pre-existing mind-sets. When I asked about how he managed to deal with this challenge he

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said, “I would like to mention here that I received a very good response for my efforts.

When I said earlier, everyone started noticing that we were improving and making all the necessary changes with the right amount of attitude and charisma. There were no ulterior motives involved, and

hence I received full support from everyone in this process without any hassle or resistance. The biggest plus point of this company and Goans, in particular, is that their integrity is high. They definitely needed a little push, but it was all good in the end,” he said.

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Within the span of just one year, Mr Mital wrapped up all the loses and started marching towards the profits.

It began with 78 crore profit mark in a just first year and today the profit has gone to 200 crore mark, which is a big achievement. If today GSL is marching towards profits, it is

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all due to Mr MItal who has been at the helm of the company for three and half years. “I feel very proud to say that this year we will be crossing the 200-crore mark in profits itself which is a great thing for all of us at GSL here.

We are moving rapidly ahead, and as you know we are a

100% Government-owned company in a Public-Sector Organization. This money we make is for the people, our other aim is to handle the job given to us by the government efficiently,” he said. Coming back to the massive order of 32,000 crore, I asked Mr Mital how

long it would take to come into the execution stage and he replied happily that this is a very big project and it takes time due to lots of formalities.

“Basically, on a project of this magnitude, the requirement of preparatory work is immense. We are making a considerable amount of

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COVER STORY development within the GSL yard. The PM inaugurated the facility on the 13th of November, 2016. Part of these facilities are ready and a few other which is undergoing construction.

Projects and work worth 650 crores are in progress as of now and these will be completed by the next phases early 2018 onwards. A lot of training, designing of the work is going on too. We are to sign a contract with a foreign shipyard firm for transferring technology. As for major work like this, we are hopeful that the projects will start by late 2018 as that was the initial plan. The design work has been absolutely finalized and once we sign the contract it wouldn't take long,” he said.

Mr Mital has not only brought the biggest reforms in GSL but he also had initiated many CSR activities in the state.

“People approach us for CSR activities. To be frank, there has never been a project done outside Goa from our side. Our work is people driven and for the people of Goa. 100% of our work helps a n d re a c h e s t h e m . A n y educational institution, any hospital that asks us for support, we wholeheartedly give it to them. As a matter of fact, we will be creating a School and Hospital for the special children in the state.

In addition to that, we are working on a “Special centre for excellence” which will be based on the skill development training such as welding. On this project itself, 1 crore rupees has been invested. All these public

projects have been identified by detailed surveys. These are all based on need and importance.” GSL has been awarded by the President of India and Defence Minister for excellence in work. “We have been awarded by the President, also by the Defence Minister of India as the “Best Shipyard”. This speaks volumes about the work we put in and we are by far the largest exporters of ships in the country. There is not a single project which has been delayed in the last 3 and half years, which honestly is very difficult to achieve and maintain,” he said. Currently, GSL has spent around 800 crores for its expansion and infrastructure development which is spent on the new office building that will be ready by 2018. “We have

built up our capability significantly. It is by far the largest for any shipyard in the country. Our turnover for the previous year was 1000 crore which stands second to the MDM. Last year our growth was clocked at around 40% which was is notable for any company,” he said adding that “This year yet again we are looking at the same growth rate. I am committed to seeing that GSL moves forward. State government's support has been very instrumental in our growth and Goa's culture is essential for our functioning. Our employees and everyone that makes up for the company is what it is all about at the end of the day. We, in turn, want to give back to the society in the same way. It is very important for us,” with these

words Mr Mital concluded our conversation.

The development of Goa Shipyard under Mr Mital's leadership gives the indication that development is possible irrespective of adverse conditions prevailing around you. Today, our state and country are going through a lot of changes and there is a need of more leaders like Mr Mital all a r o u n d o u r c o u n t r y.

Incredible Goa salutes to RAdm Shekhar Mital, NM, In.(Retd), Chairman and Managing Director, Goa Shipyard Ltd. for his commendable job of reviving the GSL from its deathbed.

TEXT RAJESH GHADGE

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INFOCUS

LIVING IN THE RUINS

G

oa may be facing lots issues that need to be addressed and the issue I am about to take up with you here is the no less as all Goans are living it with since a long time. It is not that they are not aware of it, but reasons I can't comprehend, they are waiting for a tragedy to take place. I am talking about the collapsing structures in the state that are posing a danger to

human life. These structures include many buildings in the state that house major government offices a n d p r i v a t e residences too. Living in the ruins the story of each and every Goan who is trapped in such monuments.

Before going ahead, w e n e e d t o understand that every structure that has become old either n e e d s t o b e demolished or in case there is hope left, needs to be restored.

In the absence of either of these

options, there are many possibilities that can take place to these buildings - they can collapse at any moment, or due to their deteriorating condition, electrical wires can catch fire.

We will start with the latest event at KTC Complex, where a fire broke out causing major destruction to the RTO ( R o a d Tr a n s p o r t Organisation) & KTC ( K a d a m b a Tr a n s p o r t Corporation) offices, besides swallowing a major portion of the supermarket from where the fire originated. It is not that this was unexpected, in fact, most of the authorities were aware of the deteriorating condition of the KTC complex, that was serving tirelessly without any maintenance for several

decades. But despite knowing the situation, they overlooked it. And the result was in front of the people on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti when this city's busiest bus stand was on fire.

The fire at KTC Complex gutted most of the important documents and valuable assets of the government as well as private entities, but it was a miracle that the fire did not spread across other establishments situated in the complex. It is a habit of human beings to wait until the mishap takes place and

then start the blame game.

Something similar happened in this case too after the accident took place, people started blaming the authorities for the mishap.

Sources revealed there were several warnings given to the authorities prior to the fire mishap but nobody bothered to listen. The fire erupted from the supermarket situated on the ground floor and started spreading on the first floor by 6 am on the 2nd October. Although it was a holiday, some officials who had come down to celebrate

the Gandhi Jayanti had spotted smoke coming out from the RTO office. They immediately informed the MD of KTC who rushed to the spot and summoned fire brigades. 12 fire tenders took approximately 4 hours to bring the fire under control but by then, the damage was already done.

This is a case of fire, but there are many other buildings in the capital city alone that are posing a danger to the lives of people who are working in them along with the threat to all the people connected to it

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KTCL GUTTED IN FIRE

like visitors or pedestrians who walk under these dangerous structures. The next on this list the is very old but partly restored Junta House situated on the famous 18th June Road. According to reports, this building, which is housing many important departments with a huge amount of database, is under the threat of fire due to possible short circuits. If you ever get the opportunity, do not forget to visit this place to take a look at the electricity cables hanging in the most irresponsible manner all over the place. This building does not only house major government offices but also many private business establishments that are situated on the ground floor of this premises. Next in line is Sushila Building, again situated on the 18th Juneroad - the list is endless which includes the most i m p o r t a n t e n t i t y, C C P (Corporation of City of Panaji) in the old structure surrounded by ruins.

Once you come out of it and visit the other places in the

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A BUILDING SLAB OF FOURTH FLOOR COLLAPSED IN VASCO DA GAMA

state, you will find the Port city of Goa, Vasco da Gama is second in the number that has many private and government building that is under threat. The recent case of a slab from a fourth floor collapsing on the third floor of a building situated in Vasco da Gama seriously injured 9

people of a single family, who then woke up the authorities who finally issued the order of evacuation. According to the reports, the building was declared unsafe after an inspection by the authorities.

“We have handed over the building to the police department so that they can

maintain vigil and prevent people from entering in the unsafe building. We had also informed the South Goa collector about the other unsafe buildings in Vasco so that some decision can be taken to avoid any untoward incidents in future,” said fire officer Dilip Dicholkar.

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INFOCUS

MANGOR HILL SCHOOL CONDITION

The story does not end here, let me pull your attention towards the school that is situated in one such dangerous structures.

According to recent reports that were published in all major local media, the school situated at Mongor Hill in Vasco da Gama that houses 700 students, is in a completely deteriorated condition. The lives of more than 700 people are in danger. The sources have confirmed that the building is in complete dilapidated condition. The concrete from the beams of the building have ripped off and the metal structure is visible. The former headmaster of the school has endorsed the fact that the building is in very poor condition, and it has been that way for a long time now. According to sources, this Government high school building is on the verge of collapsing. The walls have become frail and weak over the years. In Vasco itself, a few months back the ceiling of a supermarket (Goa Sahakar Bhandar) collapsed, damaging electronic items, and causing losses to the

business.Thankfully, a major tragedy was averted as not many people were shopping at the time. This superstore was located in a very old building despite knowing the fact that it can give in anytime. “There is a serious need of repairs to this old building,” noted one customer adding that, “Otherwise they should shift to the better premises. If this ceiling had to fall on any of the staff members or the customer, it would have been a serious issue.”

Many small and big incidents like these have taken place in the state but not much has been done to improve the situation. Everybody seems to wait for some mishap to take place and then start badmouthing the authorities.

There are many NGOs and so-called social workers who are busy chasing their d e s t i n y, b u t n o b o d y i s bothered about these serious issues. There aren't many PILs in the courts against these. Is this not serious enough? Or is nobody is concerned about the life of innocent people?

Incredible Goa decided to take up this issue to create

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SAHAKAR BHANDAR (SLAB COLLAPSED )

awareness about this haunting issue. If you too would like to be a part of this mission, please write to us on how we can improve this situation and we assure you that, we will take this matter to senior authorities. If you

want to leave your valuable comments and suggestions on this issue please do mail us incrediblegoan@gmail.com

TEXT RAJESH GHADGE WWW.INCREDIBLEGOA.ORG

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

JAYASHREE PARWAR Working towards achieving Sanitation goals for Women

T

he road to success is not easy at all, especially for the women in our country, and more so for those in a tiny place like Goa; things get difficult. Government and other social organisations publicise abundantly about empowering women but, the real empowerment of women is not possible unless we create a platform for them.

The story I am about to tell you is the perfect example of effort and support - efforts of a woman who decided to take up the challenge despite the adversity, and the support of the people who helped her in achieving her dreams. I am talking about the little known, but surely an entrepreneur of tomorrow, Mrs. Jayashree Parwar. A woman from a small village in Goa, she stepped out of her comfort zone to help many women in fulfilling their basic sanitation needs.

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Achieving the basic sanitary needs is everyone's end goal, but it becomes more difficult when situations are difficult. Being a woman from a metropolitan area makes a lot of tasks seem easy especially in comparison to that of a woman from a village. Women from villages need to put in much more effort to achieve the same goals as women from cities.

The difference lies in the issues of accessibility and mindsets of the people in the vicinity. Here is this story of Jayashree Parwar, who took the initiative of doing something that most women from villages would shy away from. Jayashree setup the unit of manufacturing eco-friendly sanitary pads in her village. In a world of synthetic, and predominantly plastic sanitary napkins that are mass-produced in large factories, Jayashree's initiative is laudable and courageous. But her journey hasn't been a smooth sailing one, she has had to cross many hurdles along her way.

According to Jayashree, her journey has been strenuous; she had to face a lot of opposition from the villagers

initially. In a country like India where talking about periods, or sanitary pads is still considered taboo, Jayashree decided to start the business of same. Her road to success was was nothing short of difficult and highly controversial but she persevered. But before we climb onto the roller coaster ride of Jayashree's journey to success, let me tell you who Jayashree is and where she is coming from. Jayashree belongs to a small but very beautiful village in North Goa called Pilgaon.

Situated about 5KM from Bicholim town in North Goa, Pilgaon is as b a c k w a rd a s i t g e t s , w i t h n o infrastructure developments. The way to her home and now, also her manufacturing unit, are difficult to locate unless she personally guides you to them. In my personal experience, even Google Maps failed to work here. Jayashree has always been a highly enterprising woman. She states that she is a part of a self-help group and used to embroider, which ultimately led her to receive orders for her products. “I set up a shop with enough

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p ro d u c t i o n c a p a c i t y b y purchasing 4 new sewing machines, and hiring ladies to help out,” says Jayashree.

“That was much easier task compared to what I am doing now.” She was correct about that. Our society still does not accept a woman selling sanitary pads. “When I started selling the Sakhi Sanitary Pads, I observed that most people shy away from my stall. They used to laugh at me. But it did not change my

perspective towards my products,” adding,“But at the same time I found that there are women from the city to come to my stall and inquire about the Sakhi Pads, many of them purchase them too.”

To d a y, J a y a s h r e e manufactures the Sakhi brand of Sanitary pads which according to her are the most eco-friendly and free from chemicals variant in the market. “The pads what we

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take this opportunity and it landed into Jayashree's hands.

“In this process, I applied for a loan which did not get cleared. Later we went on to join hands with a women's welfare federation where 60 of us ended up joining. The president of the federation in a meeting spoke to us about a proposition to set up production for these napkins.

This was when I came forward and took up to the initiative

consecutive years she did not give up on this project. “I trusted in the opportunity given to me, and I have been running this business for two and half years. But, for the first 2 years, we didn't generate any revenue. The pads were available only in the Mahila Mandal or the selfhelp group stalls around Goa,” told Jayashree. This setback affected her deeply.

“I started feeling that our product may be sub-

to do so. This was the set up to the foundation that started it all. The machinery was provided to us by Dr Shagun Naik, he supported us at the start of this initiative,” states Jayashree. In any new venture, taking up responsibility alone does not lead you towards success but, you must also know how to play the game. In Jayashree's case, she seems to have had entrepreneurial capabilities since the very onset, and despite bearing loss for two

standard, and it wouldn't do well in the future. We did not even have enough workforce back then - it was just one woman working with me, and sometimes paying her salary would become difficult for me as we weren't selling any units. But I would somehow manage to sell other items and support her salary. These were some of the dark days we have seen.”

According to Jayashree when she took up this challenge, very little training was

make are made from ecofriendly products such as pinewood pulp and ecofriendly papers. There are no traces of the chemical in it, unlike most of the modern pads in the market that use plastic and hazardous chemicals that do not get disposed of. But Sakhi pads can be disposed in the soil and, will turn into the fertile manure,” she remarks. According to her, the idea of manufacturing

eco-friendly sanitary pads came up when she comes in contact with Dr Shagun Naik.

“The opportunity came knocking to my doorstep, and I decided to take it.” She tells me that there was a meeting with all the self-help group members and everyone was given the choice to take up this project but, as mentioned earlier, talking about the sanitary pad is still taboo in Indian villages.

Nobody came forward to

OCTOBER 2017 \ INCREDIBLE GOA \ 23

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT this product are the ones who are more interested to help save the environment.

A s I m e n t i o n e d e a r l i e r, Jayashree has been lucky to get the support from many people because of which her project has become reality and another instrumental person worth mentioning is Sumit Singh.Sumit is associated with the Swachha Bharat Abhiyan and is presently involved with Goan villages. Jayashree came in contact with Sumit through her project and Sumit too

imparted to her. “To be honest, we were trained within a period of only 4 days.

They showed us the basics, the production method, and everything else. It was we who took it into hands to perfect this method and create the perfect product.

All this took us an additional 6 months to get better at - and we did it,” she beamed.

Another problem that Jayashree faced was the procurement of the raw material. “Initially, the raw materials were bought from Goa itself and there were no transportation costs added to it. But later, when I started buying from outside Goa, it became very difficult,” she said adding that it affected the product costing but, she managed to overcome this by reducing her profit margin.

Today, Jayashree's unit has a capacity of manufacturing around 100 packets per day.

Currently, she makes only one variant of the sanitary pad with no additional features like wings. “We are working on the new packing methods because as of now we have a very simple packaging. So I have spoken to a few of my

colleagues and associates in Mumbai who are assisting us on this front." Jayashree's major concern is that of obtaining raw material, as the main component of the product is not available in India, and it has been imported from U S. “I want to maintain our standards and not let it go to waste by using some inferior substitute. At the same time, I don't want to increase the cost of production which is why we are looking for viable options for the same product, and are still in talks with our clients in the US and Canada. This will benefit the manufacturing immensely.” According to her the people who are buying

pads too, which has a huge demand from nursing women, or those who are expecting. When I asked Sumit about the drawback Sakhi Pads have, how the pads have no modifications like wings, he said that every product regardless of its superiority has drawbacks and shortcomings. “For this product, it is the absence of the wings and some design issues as we were limited by the funds and time.”

Presently, Jayashree is busy in her ever-growing work, but soon she has a plans to train some more women with this unique business idea and create more awareness about the one of a kind, eco-friendly sanitary pads. Jayashree's innovative venture is surely praiseworthy - it will help many women from villages get employed, all while saving the environment. If you want to share your views on this story please write to us a t incrediblegoan@gmail.com.

helped her in numerous ways to get her product to the shelves Jayashree mentions that they are working on manufacturing maternity

TEXT RAJESH GHADGE

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GOAN CUISINE

DIWALI SPECIAL INDIAN HOG PLUM CHUTNEY (AMADE)

By Rajeshree Ghadge

Traditional Goan dish that we make especially during the Diwali time.

PREPARATION TIME: 30 Mins

SERVES : 4

NGREDIENTS:

PROCEDURE:

8 Hog Plums (Amade) 2 Bowls Coconut paste 2 tablespoon grated jaggery 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder 1 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 pinch asafoetida 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 4 Green chillies 10 curry leaves

STEP 1:Wash and peel the Hog Plum(Amade). Apply 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar to the Hog Plums and keep aside for 10 mins.

STEP 2:In a wok add oil. When the oil is heated add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies and the hog plums and fry for 5 minutes.

STEP 3:When the Hog Plums get cooked then add coconut paste,red chilli powder, turmeric powder, jaggery and salt to taste.Cook thoroughly and serve with chapati.

YOUR HOG PLUM CHUTNEY IS READY!!

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SHREY SAWANT Goa's only Graffiti and Street Artist

G

raffiti is a form of art not many would understand, but the league of graffiti artists is g ro w i n g r a p i d l y w i t h t h e n e w generation getting inclined towards a life of freedom of expressions. Graffiti and street art are one such field that will be the next thing big thing among new generation kids. In America and other western countries, this concept is very famous, but in India, it is just catching up. I met Shrey Sawant, the Goan graffiti and street artist to find out more about this art form which I too am not very familiar with and I am sure it will be new to some of our readers too. Let's check out what Shrey has to share with us.

Shrey is a very cool guy, you may be wondering why I am calling him cool, but that is what the new generation call each other and Shrey is one of those free will people who believe very strongly in himself; he is very aware of where he is heading. As the story progresses, you will come to know more about him that will make it easier for you to assess the same. Shrey belongs to a technical background, he has done engineering against his wish,

only to satisfy his family.

However, his is inclination has always been towards art which he has been doing since childhood. Most parents do not understand their child's aptitude and force them into a sector they do not belong in. If this practice stops, many parents will realize how good their children do in the field they love. When I asked Shrey how he managed to cope with both studies and creativity he said, “I come from a technical

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background, and I was doing my diploma in Fabrication Engineering, but I am a born artist and my inclination always remained towards art and creativity. I started drawing when I was in kindergarten, I was inspired by the Batman series, the one w h e r e A d a m We s t w a s playing the leading role, so that's why I started drawing.

Throughout my schooling, I drew but that was in 2006.

When I finished my grade school, fine arts was not a big

deal and my parents were against my passion. They asked me if I was planning to sit on the road and sell paintings,” adding, “Many people are not aware of this new trend called graffiti art, people think this is something to do with the mischievous, or else who would paint other's walls while spending money from their own pockets.” Shrey knows very well what he is doing will not be supported by his near and dear ones for WWW.INCREDIBLEGOA.ORG

the sole reason that they feel it is a waste of time and money. In today's norm, smart people are the ones that make lots of money and become a part of the rat race.

But people like Shrey are different, and for them, their life lies in their passion.

“When I decided to take up graffiti seriously, people were against the idea as most of them were not aware of what it is, and they did not know what I could do with it.”

Shrey is not the first person who went against his parent's wishes and chose a field of his choice, like the legendary Goan artist and cartoonist Shri Mario Miranda, who entered the field of creativity despite his educational qualification which did not match his passion for art.

Despite being a qualified architect, Mr Miranda chose to become a visualizer in the India's leading newspapers.

When I put forward Mario Miranda's example, Shrey said, “Mario Miranda had his

goals set, but the field which I have chosen is completely different - there are no goals and no rules.” According to Shrey, people are not yet aware of this art form and it is yet to reach its complete potential. He told me a small story about his background and family and how he realized that his destiny lies in something else. “I come from a joint family and my brothers a re b u s i n e s s m e n s o m y

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parents decided to make me an engineer so that I can start my own business too. It was four years down the line that I realized that I was not good at it and that it was not my calling. But I was afraid to tell my father about it,” he said adding that he was able to clear only one paper that time. “That was the end of the chapter. My brother mediated the meeting with my father and requested him to give me an opportunity to

select my own field where I could do better. Finally, my father gave me the permission with the condition that in case I mess up, only I would be responsible for that.” Following this, Shrey went into full swing to chase his dreams. At this time he had to fund his own expenses and studies. “In those days I used to collect incentives to do some gigs, paint here and there, and even that time,

during the final year, I knew I needed some money, so to go paint somewhere to generate revenue became my way of life at that time,” he said. According to Shrey, as a child, he was always influenced by graffiti and street art, and there is a reason why he took up street art as his passion. According to him, after getting out of engineering college, he realized as for how things do not go as planned. “I started diverting my attention into street art. I was never a big fan of the art scenario in Goa, it has always been nepotistic and very close-knit, that is the reason I got into street art as I do not come from an artist background. So when I did not get showcased at a gallery I decided to put my art on walls and I gave myself a tag of 'Flyin Munki'.

According to me, people do not remember names, even now when I was pursuing fine

arts people used to call me 'munki', my friends call me maakda (monkey) so that's how it began.”

Although Shrey explained to me about getting tagged as Flyin Munki, I could not understand his reason and out curiosity, I asked him what was the idea behind choosing that particular pseudonym.

He said, “Everything has a reason so does this. I remember growing up, I used to watch Ramayana serial and I was fascinated by the character of Hanumana. I do not believe in religion, but when I looked at Hanumana, he was that one character, who was a monkey but could change his size and fly and I was always fascinated by him.

And through my teenage years, I would be there chilling with my friends, doing recreational activities, often I used to harass my friends, not ever be in one place. And since then, they started calling me 'flyin munki' and hence I decided to use it for my creative work.” According to Shrey, graffiti is yet to catch up in Goa and hence he prefers to do it outside the state; people here do not want to see it is done by an Indian. “They feel that street art or graffiti is an inheritance of white people. Actually, street art and graffiti have been around in Goa for a long time,” he said. “My group 'Crew' is from Chennai Chennai's first graffiti group.

One-up is one of the Europe's biggest and oldest crew and

OCTOBER 2017 \ INCREDIBLE GOA \ 29

TREND SETTER

they h a v e been coming in and hanging around Goa for a l o n g t i m e . T h e re i s another Russian crew from Moscow 'Zashem'. He states, "Not a lot of people know the difference between street art and graffiti.” When Shrey said that there is a difference between graffiti and street art I asked him what it was.

“Street art is done to communicate with the public on legal spots, by taking permission and whenever we put up something the content is relatable so that one quickly understands it.

Whereas graffiti is more script oriented, in a form of

writing.” Graffiti is the form of art that is not meant for everyone. “In graffiti you do not really understand, it is more about playing with the text and it is intended to communicate with other graffiti writers, and only if you are from the crew or have a hand style then perhaps you will understand how the letters are going there, if a normal person sees it, he will think this is gibberish. And this has to be illegal,” Shrey explained. Recently, he was in the news for painting a rickshaw of an Australian duo who quit their job to take a trip of their lifetime throughout India. “I met these Australians when they decided to explore India and Nepal, in an autorickshaw. So, they wanted their rickshaw design to be that of 'Dhalsim', a character from Street Fighter, a very popular video game from the 1990s.”

“In Goa, I have hardly found

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any Graffiti artist, actually there are none. There is only one friend of mine, who I used to work with, but now he is working in Gujarat.” The main point here is, graffiti artists do not paint for money so the question is how does Shrey make a living;? When I asked him about this, he said that he does commercial work to earn but street art and graffiti is paid for from his own pocket. This shows how difficult this field is, you need to leave everything and be on your own to support this passion, which Shrey is doing at the moment. “We, the graffiti and street artists, do not paint for money, we paint to express ourselves. I do commercial projects only to pay my expenses such as travel, food, and paint. And none of which are cheap. So, often people have come to me asking 'are you getting paid for this' and I say no, so the biggest question is why

do I do it.” According to me, Shrey is a trendsetter in the field of graffiti & street art in Goa as no other artist has dared to take up this task.

According to him, street artists need the full freedom in painting as they put their money and efforts into it. In Goa people still ask for money to get their wall painted by the street and graffiti artist and according to him, this trend needs to change. “As a street artist, I want to show my art, and not hide it. Although more, I enjoy when people come to talk, and can see the entire process because there is nothing to hide. And this is something you cannot be taught. And social media is helping me a lot to make this subculture possible in Goa.”

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EDU'S BUDDY Mapping the Brain Power with just a Finger Scan

T

he world is filled with novelties and you never know what kind of invention or product you will come across tomorrow. These inventions are made for the betterment of society and hence, there should be no cost involved; but, the inventions also have a cost attached to them and the recovery of same is vital. Making use of a business model for helping the society is known as Social Entrepreneurship, and Mr Anand Pednekar and his son Adish Pednekar are doing something similar that will not only help individuals but will also create the new avenues of business for many unemployed youths in the state. What Mr Pednekar is doing will change the face of society, and will also help many people connected to it - either as consumers or business associates. This is one of the most interesting stories I have come across and I want to share the same with you.

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Perhaps Mr Pednekar may not be doing something that nobody has done before; but, he is surely doing it in the way no one has thought of doing it like before. Mr Pednekar will help you unleash your potential, to explore the unexplored region of your mind - by way of reading the lines on your finger. Of course, Mr P e d n e k a r i s n o a s t ro l o g e r o r horoscope reader, but he has come up with the most innovative way to scan destinies through fingerprints.

When I heard about the concept, I knew I had to meet Mr Pednekar to find out more about it, so that I can share the same with our readers.

According to Mr Pednekar, this project is a need of the hour as competition is growing quickly and parents are worried about the future of their children. Once the child is out of the high school, there is a constant fear of the oblivion. But Mr Pednekar makes the claims that he can help the child find the right path that he or she will excel in. “Every parent spends a large sum on the education and upbringing of their kids, regardless of their income groups. They cut down on their own luxuries to see their children explore their interests; but what happens when a child realizes mid-way that his/her interest lies in something else altogether, not it the field that he/she is pursuing,” says Mr Pednekar. In fact, Mr

Pednekar is right, by the time parents realize their mistakes, money spent on education has been wasted. This might not happen in every case but is also not uncommon either. “After realizing their mistake parents start pressurising their children to stick to what they have decided for them.

But in such a situation, the child gets further discouraged and slowly starts losing interest due to disappointment and guilt,” informed Mr Pednekar. The tests that Mr Pednekar performs on his 'Subject' (student or parents) gives the clear indication of what the 'he' is capable or incapable of. “We have a very innovative way of finding what the children are capable of and in which field they will excel. It is a simple test which is done with the help of finger scanning and then the reports are prepared. The entire process takes around 10 to 12 days and once the r e p o r t s i f r e a d y, w e b e g i n counselling.” According to Mr Pednekar, this test is purely scientific and does not have any elements of astrology or horoscope in it. The results of this tests are near 100% accurate claims Mr Pednekar.

According to him, with the help of this test one can find out about the inborn intelligence of their child.

“Whether he/she is a self-learner, imitation learner or effective learner, whether he/she needs a little push to

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achieve that milestone can be found out. With the help of this test you will be able to see through your child's personality and provide him/her with the best platform accordingly,” he claims. Keeping the statement of Mr Pednekar in mind we can assume that this test will make everyone;s lives easier.

Now that the test has been discussed so much, let us find out what it is all about and why this test is necessary for everyone. “With the help of this test you can find out the grasping power and areas of the interest of your child, and save your child from getting trapped somewhere that he/he does not belong,” said Mr. Pednekar adding that it is too late when the teacher blames parents, who then blame the child for no mistake of his. The test which is also known as DMIT (Dermatoglyphics Multiple

worldwide. Medical experts confirmed that fingerprints provide an accurate analysis of humans, multiple intelligences, and inborn potential,” says Pednekar adding that, “DMIT can be used not only in the field of schools, colleges, and educational institutions but, also into the human resource management, children's' memory enhancements programs, career guidance as

easier. According to him, there are many branches to it.

There are tests from which you can find out other areas of intelligence like musical intelligence, spatial intelligence, body kinetic intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, naturalist intelligence & emotional i n t e l l i g e n c e .

This technology came into the existence in 1980 but, it came to India very recently,

emotional, behaviour, or why do you do a particular thing.

This exactly tells you how to combat or enhance a good quality in you, or how you should be treated,” said Pednekar.

According to Pednekar, he is a professional authorised to carry out the tests. It is crucial to study the pattern of the fingerprints, and that needs professional training which Mr Pednekar and his son Adish have gone through.

There is no room for errors in this, hence they are very careful about the scans. He elaborated about how the analysis and the counts go into the software. But studying the fingerprints is done manually because every fingerprint is unique. Later the entire report is transferred into the computer and the final report is prepared. The analysis is one of the most important parts of this process. Mr Pednekar

I n t e l l i g e n c e Te s t ) i s completely based on the scientific studies which take the data from your fingerprint patterns that help in understanding the potential & personality of an individual.

“Dermatoglyphics Multiple Intelligence Test (DMIT) is based on an understanding of neuroscience, genetics, dermatoglyphics, psychology, and embryology.

DMIT test Assessment method has been formulated by scientists and medical experts. It has been accepted

well as, career counselling, and the accuracy is almost 100%, because years of research has been invested in this.” The DMIT test not only finds out what kind of personality you have but, it also gives the clear indications of what type of learner are you. Whether you a re a u d i t o r y, v i s u a l , o r reading/writing and kinesthetically. “These are the inborn style of learning,” says Pednekar. According to him, knowing the child's style of learning makes things

and In Goa, it was stared by him under the name of 'Edu's Buddy'. When I asked Mr Pednekar if this subject is c o r re l a t e d w i t h K u n d a l i reading he replied in negative. “Though kundli comes from ancient science, and are even in accuracy but, only if done by the right person. There is a demand for it, hence you will find many dhongi babas claiming to be the best person. If you compare this test with kundli, there is an elaborate explanation for your

said that he built ships before entering into this business.

“After I came across this concept, I was completely impressed by it, and I felt that people should be aware of this. I advise that every parent should do this test for their child because this is an investment for your child and not an expense. Parents spend so much regularly, they can spend a small amount, which is once in a lifetime amount of rupees 3,500.

Even after he grows up, and becomes a father, has his own

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OCTOBER 2017 \ INCREDIBLE GOA \ 33

BUSINESS GOA family, he can still refer to this report that helped him to get better by following the tips.

As a parent, he will know how to tackle his child."

When asked about the process, how the

days, after which the concerned client or child is called for counselling. If it is s o m e w h e r e f a r, w e g o

approach and the counselling, finger scanning starts he replied, “We first explain the concept, and this test is not necessarily for the child, even adults can take it, it is for everybody. First, the scannings are done, which takes 15-20 minutes, and the reports come after 10-12

ourselves."

According to Mr Pednekar, The best part about this test is the career guidance. “This report shows the parents, what their child is best at.

Areas he is best suited for, the one he is born smart in and can excel in. The only thing the parent has to do is give

him the best exposure and

TEXT RAJESH GHADGE

This concept is very appealing, and it is also the need of a Day. According to Mr. Pednekar, with the help of this test, peace in the family can be restored to a great extent, the family bonding improves, and stress level reduces between the parents and a child. “That is why we feel proud to have ventured into this Noble cause. This is not an expense but a wise investment with wonderful returns.” For more information contact Mr. Pednekar on 9822389612, 8007380150

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GOAN TALENT

AKSHADA BANDEKAR Music is Magic in the Muggle way

I

t is said that talents are born, and that is true to the core; but, just like a growing child needs proper nurturing, talent is Today, Akshada is 19 and pursuing her degree in the E l e c t r o n i c s & Telecommunications field, from Goa Engineering College in Farmagudi. But, we all know Akshada just as a singer, and right from her childhood, she has been singing on stage without any

no different. The point I am trying to put across here is, being born with the prodigy does not make o n e a s u p e r s t a r, b u t

formal training, because she is gifted. “Besides music which is my passion - I love animals, I am a pet lover,” says Akshada adding that among all the animals, she loves cats most and finds them adorable. Akshada has big plans for the future that will connect her passion to

36 \ INCREDIBLE GOA \ OCTOBER 2017

constant efforts to improve one's skills do.

Here, I am talking about the young singing sensation, Akshada Bandekar, who is a born talent, and a singing prodigy of Goa. She is one of those rare people who is gifted with the most melodious voice. At the tender age of 3 when most kids do not even learn to talk fluently, Akshada was singing on stage. How was she so confident? To find out the same, I met with her and am going to share her story with you here.

her profession. “I remember my mother telling me that when I did not even learn how to talk properly, I started singing. I feel gifted, and I always want to treasure it, no matter which field I will pursue in the future,” says Akshada. According to her, music has always been an

important part of their family, and as said earlier, Akshada started singing at the age when most kids do not understand what they are doing. Akshada gives entire credit for this to her mother.

“Music has always been around in my family and my mother always encouraged WWW.INCREDIBLEGOA.ORG

me towards it. I remember that my parents had curated a cassette of their favourite songs,” Akshada said adding that there was always a radio playing around in the background.

After Akshada's mother re a l i s e d h e r d a u g h t e r ' s hidden talent, there was no looking back for her and she started encouraging her in this filed more and more. By the time Akshada turned 6, her mother helped her host her first solo concert. It is not a joke to shoulder the re s p o n s i b i l i t y o f a s o l o concert that too at the young age of 6 - but the people who are gifted can do magic, and the story behind the concert is even more impressive. “I remember, I was only 6 then, and during that time a tsunami had hit South Asia. I didn't know what a tsunami was but, I remember that my mother has a habit of reading the news clippings in front of me, and on that particular day, I remember very well that my mother read about the concept to raise the funds for the tsunami victims.” At that age, she was not aware of terms like tsunami, concert or fundraising. But, when her mother read about it, Akshada could not stop herself and asked her mother about the meaning of relief concerts. “When my mother explained to me about the idea of a concert and how one can help the tsunami victims, I decided to do something for them, and out of this, the idea for the concert was born,” stated Akshada. That year Akshada performed on the stage alone for nearly 3 hours to raise funds for the tsunami hit people in South Asia. I was covered in goosebumps when she was narrating this story to me, imagining a 6y e a r- o l d g i r l h o l d i n g a concert for the relief of tsunami victims, I wonder how many of us would have thought the same way when we were at her age.

Nevertheless, Akshada did

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this impossible task with lots of compassion, enthusiasm, and of course her parents' help. “Just knowing that I helped some families during this catastrophe, made me feel happy, and even though I was just a kid, I felt the pain of the loses,” she said.

According to Akshada, it was that moment she decided that this is what she will pursue for the rest of her life no matter where she was and what she was doing. Akshada h a s a l w a y s b e e n compassionate, and the reason behind this is, she grew up watching her father, who is a doctor by profession, treat and help many people.

“My family has always been a very supportive. My father is a doctor and I have seen him help many people; my mother who is an engineer has a huge influence on my personality. She has always been very gentle towards animals and that is where I developed a love towards pets,” she said. Akshada has always been working towards the good cause. Her concert for the special children “Jeena Isika Naam Hai” says it all. She also held a concert for the children of Sanjay School followed by another one for “Saving Girl Child”; the most noteworthy thing here is, neither of them was as funded by the government and she managed it singlehandedly. When she held these concerts, she was just 9 years old. She not only sang but also wrote all the songs she performed.

Although initially, Akshada did not train formally as she has a gifted voice but, as I s a i d e a r l i e r, u n l e s s y o u nurture your talent it will not grow, and this was sensed by Akshada too. According to her, she joined classical training but she could not continue due to her studies.

Later, her parents made arrangements of a tutor for her classical training, he would come to her place and train her in Indian Classical

Music. “As I was committed to my college and studies, I found it difficult to see myself committing to commercial work,” she said. Akshada wanted to become an engineer but singing has always been her passion and

that will continue, “I would love if it becomes my career. I have plans of being my own boss and owning a studio where I will pursue my career and passion together,” she said. Akshada feels that due to technology, creating music

OCTOBER 2017 \ INCREDIBLE GOA \ 37

GOAN TALENT

has become more complex and the quality has also changed, and in order to have

better control over music one needs to have sound knowledge of a software. “I want to be independent and want to pave a path to success, and f o r t h a t knowledge, the key is engineering,” says Akshada.

Now, Akshada is balancing between her passion and career. Even though the college work has increased, s h e h a s learned to manage it well. Her latest project is a song for the FIFA U-17 that she has self-written.

According to her, she gets an idea when she's at college, or on the weekends when she unwinds. “If you like something you manage to make time for it. It is not difficult, as my college life is always fun. I also take part in the college events. In a recent annual college event called Renaissance, I became Miss Engico,” says Akshada.

Like everyone has their idols, Akshada does too. According to her, she considers Ashaji (Asha Bhosle) and Lataji (Lata Mangeshkar) as her idols.

When I asked Akshada what kind of songs she likes to sing she replied saying, "Everything, that touches my heart, it may be in English, Marathi, Konkani or Hindi.

Music is meant to break barriers.” Besides singing, Akshada also plays many musical instruments, like the keyboard, drums, and guitar; she wants to learn the

saxophone in the near future.

“I like to listen to all types of songs that have good melody and beat, and most importantly they should have a good lyrics. I prefer the pop genre and like to listen to songs that touch my heart, that make me feel more.”

Akshada feels that we must do good for the society without any strings attached.

“If you can in any way, do something good, do it without any strings attached to it, with the thought that it will give you contentment, just do it without giving it a second thought. And always do things that make you happy, ultimately you will need to stay with your life, people will only judge.”

TEXT RAJESH GHADGE

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FILL YOUR TUMMIES IN RS. 50 WITH AMAZING PLACES TEXT IN MARGAO HEIDI FERNANDES Margao is said to be the second largest city by population in Goa, and it is also the commercial and cultural capital of Goa. Apart from its Portuguese nuance and old city charm, people here believe in spreading love through their delicious food and it is also known as the hub for cutlet pao lovers. As a cutlet pao

1.ORLIM STEAK BREAD (Orlim)

2. EMY'S

lover myself, visiting these places was an incredible experience and here at Incredible Goa, we believe in sharing our experiences. So here is a list of places for you meat-lovers to go crazy.

(Telaulim-Varca)

3. CAREY'S FAST FOOD (Calata, Majorda)

The moment you set foot in there, you are welcomed with the lively smiles of Mr. Fernandes and his family. The next thing you know is that you are served with the most succulent and inviting cutlet pao. The minute you sink your teeth into the soft bread and the crispy beef, the flavors play tricks with your mind. The well-marinated meat is itself a flavor bomb that it doesn't need any other partner. The master chefs behind these amazing delicacies are the super duo Mr. Fernandes and his better half Mrs. Maria Pereira.

At the other end of the Telaulim-Varca bridge, you see Emy Fernandes busy at work trying to fill the tummies of hungry customers with her delectable cutlet pao. She handles the business by herself and is amazing at her job. The generous serving of the juicy, crispy beef cutlet in the traditional goan pao, with a refreshing salad and a tangy sauce, is the most extraordinary combination ever.

The beautiful Emy started this business with her husband since the working of the Telaulim-Varca bridge in 2011. She also serves delicious fish cutlets and a very flavorsome beef soup. Emy's bright smile and the appetizing food makes you want to go back for more.

Mr. Remedios puts all his dedication into serving his customers the best food they have ever eaten. He specialises in only the beef cutlet bread, and to be honest, it's really really good. The Oh-so-good meat, tender and soft, crispy fried in rawa is so luscious. Mr. Remedios began running this little place in 2006 and is at it ever since. It is not fancy, but at least you can eat to your heart's content. So here's another sensational hotspot for you to visit when you're hungry and you happen to be around Majorda.

Joao Gabriel Fernandes Mob.: 8379043094 Add.: Near St. Michael the Archangel Church, Orlim, Goa. 403724 Email.: meloshafernandes07@gmail.com

Emy Fernandes Mob.: 9767184151 Add.: Near Checkers hall, Varca- Telaulim bridge, Goa 403721

Remedios Fernandes Mob.: 9822387455 Add.: Near Wild Orchid hall, Seraulim, Goa.403713 Email.: Careyfernandes2016@Gmail.com

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FITNESS

TREADMILL FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Norbert D'souza Treadmills are the number one exercise machines both for ease of use and for calories burned. But how do you get the MOST calorie burn on a treadmill, below are three ways you can boost your calorie burn while on your treadmill AND possibly even after your workout!

Doing incline-As the incline on the treadmill increases, so does the amount of calories burnt want to burn more calories then head for the hills they say. Yes, walking on a treadmill even a modest 3 to 8% incline can increase calorie burn by 20%. The more the incline on the treadmill, the greater the calories will be burned on the treadmill simply because walking at an incline on the treadmill causes more muscle activity and greater range of motion. Incline treadmill engages the lower body muscle group, forces people

to incline at each step, exert themselves and significantly burn more calories than walking on a flat surface of the treadmill. To increase your efficiency in walking up an incline take shorter steps than you normally would.

Incline treadmill provides a more challenging way to increase the workload in terms of distance without going faster. Incline treadmill simulates an uphill climb; going Incline strengthens muscles and burns calories allowing you to lose more weight. Another way to double your calorie burning

power is by doing incline intervals: walking on a steep incline for 1 - 2 minutes, then walking on a normal incline for 5 minutes (while you catch your breath) and then repeating. Incline intervals are a powerful way to challenge your body: So the number of calories burned rises and STAYS high - even after your workout. But be caution Workouts over the incline treadmill all the time can generate negative effects on ankles and tendons.

People should avoid and restrict themselves to 10% inclination on the treadmill.

People should take care that they don't overdo themselves while using the treadmill at incline angle and stress themselves. People should stop the workout on the incline treadmill if the speed and the incline start causing problems to shins, calves or even heart. Finally Incline treadmill is an effective and ideal solution to lose fat, burn calories and achieve body sculpting results. However, individuals should take care so as to avoid over stressing or over working on the inclined treadmill which may create problems for them.

Don't Grip the Handrails: In most of the gyms I see people grasping onto the front or side handrails as they walk. While it's fine to touch them for balance, you shouldn't have to hold on.

That actually burns less calories since your legs aren't doing the work by themselves - they're getting help from the treadmill frame.

Instead of holding on to the

handrails, try lowering your intensity until you don't need to hold onto the handrails for support. Then, to build more calorie burning power into your workout swing your

arms or carry 2 pound hand weights to get an overall body workout. Overall, you'll be burning more calories this way than holding onto the handrails for support. Build in Speed .

Intervals: Just like incline intervals, Walk (or run) at your normal pace for 3 minutes and then do 30 -60 seconds at a faster pace (so that you're breathing heavily by the end of the interval). Then slow it 44 \ INCREDIBLE GOA \ OCTOBER 2017

down to your usual pace again for another 3 minutes. You'll definitely feel the difference after your workout!

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EVENT

BONDERAM FESTIVAL

TEXT YUTHEEKA BORKAR

The beautiful Bonderam festival or also known as the festival of flags of Goa, is celebrated on the isolated island of Divar. This serene island is located at a distance of just 12 kilometers from Panjim. There is a peculiarly interesting history behind this festival, it is said that years ago, during the Portuguese soldiers set up flags to mark areas where the villagers were unable to take land ownership. The villagers were

infuriated and came together to protest against this system by knocking down all the flags. The Bonderam festival is celebrated in the memory of those protests.

In Goa, this is one of the most happening festivals of culture and togetherness. This tiny island becomes alive with vivid colours and bubbling activity. Many people from in a n d a ro u n d G o a , c o m e together to celebrate this festival and there is a carnival

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atmosphere created by the locals with the colorful dioramas and floats. There is a massive parade that takes place, and everybody is welcome to participate from the small communities and even locals.

This festival this year started with a flag which was accompanied by the brass band and then, followed by the traditional float parade.

There was a live band performance by the famous

music bands of Goa, as well.

The villagers engage in a mock fight that represents the knocking down of the flags during the time of the Portuguese. Toy weapons made of bamboo stems are used for fighting and wild berries are used as missiles that are aimed at the rival group. All this is taken in good spirit and all the people come together after the mock fight to eat and drink merrily.

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FEATURE

PARYATAN PARV Spreading a message through the Youth Paryatan Parv is an initiative of Ministry of Tourism Department of Regional Tourism of Government of India in collaboration with Department of Tourism of the Government of Goa to make use of the Yuva strength to spread a message across the country. The Ministry of Tourism along with the Regional and Tourism Departments has successfully conducted

Paryatan Parv events all across Goa. While the events are scheduled over a duration of three weeks, during the last one week, programmes like heritage walks, cleanliness drives, Incredible India Run, and street plays have been conducted and have received good response from locals and tourists.

Paryatan Parv commenced in Goa from 5th September 2017 and has been wholeheartedly supported by students of the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering

Institute of Water Sports, Department of Art and Culture and Department of Information & Publicity.

During the last week, the events have helped

Te c h n o l o g y & A p p l i e d Nutrition, Goa, in addition to p a r t i c i p a t i o n f ro m G o a To u r i s m D e v e l o p m e n t Corporation, Archaeological Survey of India, the National

disseminate information and insights about Goa’s history, tourism, and various other aspects. Here is a glimpse of the Paryatan Parv activities.

A heritage walk organized in Panjim On 5th September 2017, a tourism walk was organized.

A total of over 40 students from IHM walked from Old Secretariat, Panjim, Goa to Mala, Panjim. The activity ended with interaction, observations, views, and d e l i b e r a t i o n s o n G o a ’s h i s t o r y a n d heritage.Stressing on the importance of cleanliness at historical monuments and religious places, a heritage walk was organized at Fort Aguada. The rally spread strong messages on cleanliness. The Students of IHM, Goa interacted with and

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enlightened tourists about maintaining cleanliness and hygiene at tourist places. An officer from India Tourism and Goa Tourism also interacted with vendors outside the Fort and insisted them to maintain cleanliness and hygiene.

A street play organized to show the importance of keeping the heritage sites clean A street play was conducted on 7th October 2017 to sensitize local tourists and the general public on the significance and importance of tourism in the State of Goa. The street play covered topics like Athithi Devo Bhava and the importance of

keeping heritage sites clean.

It was scripted and directed by the students of IHM, Goa. There were about 17 participants and 27 volunteers in all. The volunteers carried plaque cards and banners to create awareness.

A Run for Incredible India A Run for Incredible India was organized on 8th October.

Almost 100 people ran the 3km distance between Kala

Academy and Miramar Beach along Dayanand Bandodkar Marg as part of the Paryatan Parv.

Paryatan Parv - Sensitization about Atithi Devo Bhava

Awareness on hygiene for tourists, street food vendors, and stakeholders

‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ is an integral part of our ancient Hindu scripture and society, and reveals a lot about the Indian culture. Keeping with t h i s i d e o l o g y, t h e c a r t owners/workers, stall o w n e r s / c h a i w a l a s , w e re

made aware of the necessity to be hospitable to all guests visiting Goa. Also, aspects of hygiene, garbage disposal, and cleanliness were stressed on, which would be beneficial to all those involved.

An awareness drive on the hygiene of street food and vendors was organized on 9th October 2017 at Old Goa

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OCTOBER 2017 \ INCREDIBLE GOA \ 49

FEATURE

A sensitization programme for rickshawalas Another sensitization programme was organized on 11th October at the Panjim Bus Stand for autorickshaw drivers, taxi drivers, shopkeepers, etc.

The awareness programme focused on the importance of safety & security.

A guided heritage tourism walk at Old Goa A guided Heritage Tourism Walk was organized on 12th October by IndiaTourism - Goa at Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa to Se Cathedral, St. Cajetan, Vice-Roy Arch, St. Francis Assis, St. Cathrin Chapel, and Gandhi Circle.

The participants were from Department of Tourism, students of IHM, volunteers from Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (IITTM), and National Institute of Water Sport (NIWAS), hoteliers, guides and the staff of India Tourism. The guides explained to the participants about the historical background of all the heritage sites.

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YOUNG GOA

KENNETH ALVARES CREATING MAGIC THROUGH CODING

K

enneth Alvares is a self-taught coder, entrepreneur, model, writer and musician who was born in Pune but has lived in Goa all his life. When he was in the 7th grade, he discovered coding with an introductory class on computers where simple HTML language used for websites was taught. The 18-year-old entrepreneur, realized four years ago where his passion lies, and it was tech love at first sight that got him addicted to coding. This young man knows how to use his resources and time to the best of his abilities. He is also a TED talker.

Kenneth focuses on coding, though his other interests such as modelling, writing and music are well balanced in his life. He always finds himself being productive with his time. I asked him what happened after he discovered coding, to which he replied, “I didn't code much for the next few years, I spent the initial years learning HTML. When I was in the 11th and 12th grade, I found myself not very comfortable in giving exams and my grades started dropping, and I was not academically inclined at that point in my life. Even then, I did not give up on my passion for learning how to code. I decided to balance my time with studies and coding. I made up my mind to develop my skills even more, and then I

decided to freelance.”

Kenneth has always been a fast learner, he feels that there is an ocean of knowledge waiting to be explored and that there is no such thing as too much knowledge. After discovering coding, he made sure that he did not stray from the path.

“Most of the coding classes I took were online. I knew some people who coded and asked them about it regularly, but I did not have a teacher in person,” he further said, “Coding is basically a way of converting ideas into applications and programs, using a particular language.

There are different languages, some are used to make websites, some make apps, others are used to make games. The basic idea is that you form logic in your

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mind and by using code, you can convert it into a p r o g r a m . ” What I took from the conversation I had with Kenneth about was that coding is something more than complex technology, it is something anyone can understand and maybe I will give it a shot at some point of my life. It is always curious about the scope for coding in a small state, such as ours.

“Goa has just started getting into the startup trend. There have been many tech startups cropping up here. There are many incubation centres for tech startups, even the government is giving grants to startups. Now is a good t i m e t o g e t i n t o entrepreneurship,” he answered. I further asked him what his plans for the future

are, in which direction is he headed. “Currently, I am freelancing; by that, I mean developing, web designing, graphics, I do the entire package alone. But I have plans to collaborate with a couple of my friends who specialize in various fields in the coming months. The plan is to collaborate with different people who have diverse skills and start a web development firm which will be a one-stop shop for online business development. My firm will not only develop and design websites but also do logo design, provide blogging strategies, social media management and more.” For a person who is a working college student, it always gets difficult to find the right balance but Kenneth seems to have found the

WWW.INCREDIBLEGOA.ORG

perfect one. “I am into many things right now, my main focus is coding, secondary would be college and then modelling; I am calling college secondary because I am already well versed with the syllabus, as I have studied most of it online before college started.”

Kenneth was 15 when he designed his first app called 'Lumos', he named it in reference to his favourite fiction book Harry Potter. For a kid to turn a magic spell into an app is quite uncommon.

“Lumos in the Harry Potter series is used to cast light. I was a very lazy kid and could not get myself to turn on the lights, because of my laziness I had an idea about designing a mobile application that would allow me to control the electrical devices in my house from my phone,” he explained. “I presented this app, along with a small device I built that connected the electrical appliances in my house to the internet, allowing me to switch them on and off with my app, at a science exhibition in my school. I wasn't very skilled in app developing and did not know programming as such, I used a free online software by the MIT, called the App Inventor. This was my first experience with developing apps, and I learnt many things. The following year, in ninth grade, my app (and device) bagged a thirdplace prize at MindSpark, a science competition held at NCS, Vasco. When I was in the 11th, after 2 years of working on it, I perfected my design, making Lumos more powerful than ever. I displayed it at a science fair in BITS Pilani – Goa, where it won the first place. ” Often, after high school, science students pursue engineering or medicine, but, Kenneth decided to pursue

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BCA, and most of the people found that it was a particular field to choose and so I asked him why was he more drawn to BCA than engineering.

“When I finished my 12th, I chose not to do engineering because I wanted to stay focused on doing my own research and educating myself using courses available on the Internet. Over the next few months, I had become an expert in web development, mastering HTML, CSS,

JavaScript and more. I also learned Android App Development. I then built my personal website to demonstrate my skills and began freelancing as a web developer. This w a s around

6 months back and since then, I built a clientele of 5 clients, from Goa and Maharashtra and it is growing steadily.”

After already having made an app, I asked Kenneth if he's working on something new “I have plans on releasing an app that I am currently developing sometime next year that is set to revolutionize planning and the 'to-do list' industry with a unique new way of setting goals, prioritizing tasks based on a principle that was discovered sometime in the 70s or 80s. It's all very top secret, and so I cannot reveal more on this, but do stay tuned.“ For an 18-year-old to be this knowledgeable and devoted to working is quite appalling. It is rare to find young Goan kids so dedicated to working, “People have said that I am a bit of a workaholic. A while back I partied a lot with my friends. But now I do not go out much anymore, it has been months since I last w a t c h e d T V. Coding is not work to me, it m a k e s m e happy, and if you do something you love as work, I think you automatically find yourself working a lot more. Recently I went on vacation with family, did the usual touristy things.

But I took time out to code. I did not stop even when I had to be operated which left me lucid and wide awake in the hospital.”

Kenneth is well known for his public speaking and is quite the debater in his batch, he has won several debates and elocution competitions.“ I have always been a very outgoing person, thanks to studying in wonderful schools in my formative years that pushed me to socialize, be more confident and improve my conversation skills. I have

OCTOBER 2017 \ INCREDIBLE GOA \ 53

YOUNG GOA taken part in several school and college level debates, elocution competitions and more. Yet, public speaking was never a major part of my life. I didn't enjoy giving speeches or anything of the sort. I only took part in such competitions every now and then because I liked competing. However, in the 9th grade, I joined the Gavells club, and my understanding of public speaking changed.

My mother, who was the then president of the ICG To a s t m a s t e r s C l u b , i n t ro d u c e d m e t o t h e i r daughter club, the Gavell's Club, which aimed at teaching public speaking to children. Here, I learned that real public speaking was nothing like elocution competitions. I learnt extempore speaking, how to write prepared speeches, how to speak naturally, and much more. This would later come to benefit me in my first year of college.”

After which I retorted a question on how would this have helped him, he then answered with a wide smile, “When I was in the beginning of my FY in college, I was promoting my work a lot, due to which, the organizers of TEDx SWS noticed me. It has been one of my life goals to

give a TED talk and when they invited me to be one of the speakers at their event, I was more than thrilled. It will be about coding, my personal journey to becoming a programmer and how anyone can learn to code.”

Kenneth is also an Elite Model Look 2017 - National Finalist.

For some, it is difficult to imagine a tech geek can as a model, but Kenneth didn't ever want to become one.

“As a child, I wanted to be an airforce pilot. Later on, when I fell in love with computers, I decided to become a programmer. Not once did I ever think I'd get into modelling. However, one day, while shopping at the Max store in Mall De Goa, I was asked to try out for Elite Model Look, an international model hunt for Elite Talent Agency, one of the top modelling agencies in the world. I returned a few weeks later to audition and cleared the state round. I cleared the national casting round in Mumbai too.”

In the end, I asked him if he had advice for people who want to learn to code, his reply was very insightful, “Everyone should try to learn to code at least once, and say that not because I code.

Everybody can benefit from

coding. Maybe you will build something that can benefit your life, coding is proven to be beneficial for solving problems. Learning programming can change the way you look at things. You become more interested in solving problems and

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become hungrier for knowledge. Anyone can learn to code, I learnt it for free from the internet, that is how easy it is.”

TEXT YUTHEEKA BORKAR

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GOA BUZZ

LEADING ONLINE TRAVEL PORTAL ORDERED TO PAY RS. 1 LAKH COMPENSATION TO CONSUMERS IN GOA all the facts, the Consumer Forum held the online portal c o m p a n y M a k e M y Tr i p responsible for cheating the consumer by not providing what was promised despite charging them for the same and further causing tension and inconvenience to the consumers.

In its order, the Forum said that the failure to pay the compensation within 30 days will lead to an additional interest of nine percent per annum from the date of order.

It also directed the booking company and a hotel owner to collectively pay an amount of Rs 50,000 as the cost of the litigation. The above order comes as lessons to all those companies who cheat their customers for little gains.

A boom in the travel industry has brought many online portals into existence. Some have become the leaders, while rest are following trends. But, customer satisfaction is something that always remained secondary for most of them. Frankly, none of the companies provide satisfactory services, and in this world of cutthroat competition many times they even resort to cheating!

In one such case of cheating, the Consumer Forum of Goa has ordered one of the travel portal companies to pay Rs. 1 lakh as compensation to the consumers, Mr Pradeep Kankonkar and three others who had ďŹ led a complaint about being cheated before the Consumer Forum in the year 2012. According to the reports published by a local n e w s p a p e r, N o r t h G o a Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has directed Make My Trip India Pvt Ltd to pay the compensation for cheating consumers. Besides the compensation of Rs. 1 Lakh the Consumer Forum

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also directed the company to refund an amount of Rs. 40,326 along with the interest of 12% per annum with effect from May 12, 2015.

According to sources, Mr Kankonkar along with three others had lodged the complaint at the Consumer Forum on 22nd August 2012, and according to the complaint, they had booked six air-conditioned rooms through the online portal Make My Trip by paying Rs. 40,325 in May 2012 as they had planned a family tour to Coorg, Karnataka. But, when they reached the hotel, to their shock, the hotelier denied them an Air Conditioned rooms on the pretext of unavailability of the same. The consumers brought this to the notice of Make My Trip and the staff, but, the company did not provide much help to the consumers and all the four families had to accommodate themselves in non AC rooms.

This caused a huge inconvenience to all the families while they had paid

to the travel company for AC rooms, said social activist Kashinath Shetye, who was one of the affected.

Complaints of the case that went on for ďŹ ve years and judgment was delivered recently. After going through

What is your opinion on this?

Have you ever approached the Consumer Forum with disputes, and what was the outcome of it? Please do share with us.

OCTOBER 2017 \ INCREDIBLE GOA \ 55

GOA BUZZ

GOA SHIPYARD LIMITED CELEBRATES GANDHI JAYANTI WITH “SWACHHTA HI SEVA” INITIATIVE Indians celebrate Gandhi Jayanti on October 2nd every year to mark the birthday of the Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.

There are various activities that take place on this day, and mainly, the cleanliness drive is the major focus of them all. On this occasion, the “Swachhta Hi Seva” Abhiyan was organized

by Goa Shipyard Ltd on 02.10.2017.

According to the reports, RAdm. Shekhar Mital, NM (RETD), CMD G S L , S . P. R a i k a r Director (operations) along with other Officers, employees &CISF GSL Unit took part in the cleaning campaign from Goa Shipyard Ltd to Mormugao Municipal Council. The campaign started from both the ends of the roads early morning.

“Swachhata Hi Seva” Campaign Started with “Swachhata Shapath” administered by RAdm Mital

to all the GSL Employees. The Campaign was executed by 3 different teams in various parts of the town. All executives took part with great enthusiasm and spirit.

RAdm. Mital said, “GSL has significantly contributed to

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Swachh Bharat initiatives of the Central Government by embarking on a cleanliness mission to keep the city of Vasco neat and tidy.” He also emphasized on the need of cleanliness by each and every citizen. CMD complemented

all officers and personnel of GSL for participating in all programmes concerning with welfare of the society wholeheartedly.

Over the past many days GSL has taken the number of steps to stay committed to its vision of making Goa a clean and a model state in terms of cleanliness. GSL has come Forward with donation of garbage disposal vans to Mormugao Municipal Council, adoption of Wards for cleaning, etc. besides the participation of GSL's employees in undertaking cleanliness drives in and around the city of Vasco regularly. The yard has also drawn a yearly schedule of activities for undertaking numerous cleanliness drives in public places including beaches, temples, churches, ports, jetties, roads, parks, etc. and is committed to working towards a cleaner and greener Goa.

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GOA BUZZ

NOW YOU CAN UPDATE YOUR VOTER ID CARD DETAILS ONLINE The voter id card is an identity document issued by the election commission of India which primarily serves as an identity proof for Indian citizens while casting votes in the country's municipal, state and national elections.

Initially, it was a lot of hassle to update the information as t h e e n t i re p ro c e s s w a s manual, but now with the digital India project in place, you can update your voter id online, want to know how?

Please read this article.

Voters can now get their names added, corrected or deleted on the electoral roll

online, with the launch of the Election Commission's EROnet. The electorate can log on to http://www.nvsp.in, even on their mobile phones, upload a photograph, documents of age and address proof, following which the booth level officer (BLO) will contact them to get the details verified. Citizens will also receive alerts and notifications once they register their mobile number on the website.

During the present special summary revision that began on Monday, the electorate has been encouraged to go

online to make corrections and change. This process will continue till October 17. The draft electoral roll will be kept open for claims and objections from citizens. The unified platform for maintaining electoral rolls throughout the country that was launched by Governor Mridula Sinha on Monday is expected to eliminate duplicate EPIC IDs. When a person relocates from one state to another, he will be able to retain his unique voter ID card number, with changes made in the address only, chief electoral

officer Kunal said. He explained that in the past, each state would follow its own method for updating its electoral roll.

This new system will change the way the election machinery interacts with voters.

Kunal said. He explained that in the past, each state would follow its own method for updating its electoral roll.

This new system will change the way the election machinery interacts with voters.

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OCTOBER 2017 \ INCREDIBLE GOA \ 57

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