The Observer Volume 18 Issue 14 (Dailies 4)

The Observer An IIJNM publication

Vol 18, Issue 14

Haven’t benefited from Badavara Bandhu plan, say vendors, hawkers | P 3

Thursday, November 22, 2018

The Observer

@theweeklyobserver On the Web: issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs/ the_observer

Contraceptive pills tend to increase the risk of breast cancer | P 4

BNP animals Men, ‘emotionally weak’, are more suicide-prone than women inhale gases Accounted for of suicides spewed by 68% in ’15: NCRB safari vehicles Shrabona Ghosh

Buses and jeeps run on diesel, undergo no pollution checks

Big cats in the safari area face a direct threat from pollution caused byvehicles | Credit: Yajush Gupta | Courtesy: Bannerghatta Biological Park Yajush Gupta

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he 260-sqkm Bannerghatta National Park, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, and its eco-sensitive zones are threatened by its own safari vehicles.

Fifteen buses and jeeps carrying tourists run every 60 minutes.

The vehicles are old and do not abide by BS IV regulations.

Dr Arun A Shanmugam, an environmentalist, is worried over about the situation at the park. “The safari vehicles… are neither PUC checked nor CNG-fuelled. They run on diesel and petrol. Despite passing through the middle of the forest, they emit large amounts of smoke and pollutants.”

Prof. Nagesh Hegde, an environmentalist and development journalist, said it is a much bigger problem than thought. “The issue isn’t just limited to the periphery of the park but extends to nearby areas. Vehicles running around the park also contribute to pollution levels at the park, making the condition worse.”

Dr Madan K. from the Leela Veterinary Hospital, Mysuru, said conditions at Bannerghatta are abysmal. “The safari enclosures see a continuous stream of tourist buses.

As the roads are not asphalted, the vehicles leave behind clouds of dust, which big cats are sensitive to. The

pollutants cause tremendous disturbance and degradation of a fragile habitat that is home to iconic endangered species, reptiles and birds.”

Dr Uma Shankar, a veterinarian at the park, said the situation is unavoidable as the administration lacks funds to buy new vehicles.

“Procuring new vehicles requires funds as the number of safari vehicles needed to meet the requirement is high. However, officials have been making roads better by paving them with asphalt so that the dust emitted reduces,” she added.

Last year, a 14-year-old tigress, Gange, died at the Bannerghatta Biological Park from acute respiratory and gastrointestinal problems.

An online petition has gone viral with close to 7,000 signatures for preserving BNP. Despite numerous petitions by conservationists the situation has worsened.

Around 1,500 people visit the park, a region of biological importance, on weekdays; 4,000 flock to it during weekends.

Prof. Hegde believes that the poor condition of the vehicles reflects the poor state of wildlife conservation. “People from all around the country come here. It reflects a really bad image.” yajush.g@iijnm.org

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en are more prone than women to commit suicide, says a report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

In 2015, 1,33,623 people committed suicide, the latest NCRB report says. Of these, 91,528 (68.5%) were men. Among suicides by men, 24,043 (26.2%) were due to family issues, and 14,232 (15.5%) were due to chronic illness.

Dr Rajesh Kumar Bharati, a psychiatrist at the Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences, informed The Observer: “Men are emotionally weaker than women and cannot endure much stress. Family problems and illness are the two most common causes for suicide among

men. Men are driven by a patriarchal mentality, which is a driving force to achieve the best in everything. This becomes dangerous when they fail to meet their family's expectations. Their illu-

sionary fear of consequences often leads them to suicide. Serious physical illness among men often becomes an influencing factor for suicide as they tend to lose confidence.”

Failure in the first suicide attempt is often followed by a successful second attempt.

Apart from family problems and prolonged illness, other causes were drug abuse, isolation, unemployment, and loss of loved ones, the NCRB figures show.

Dr Girija C.R., a general physician and wellness speaker, said people living in nuclear families has a negative impact. Joint families had a positive effect on a child's upbringing. They could share their concerns with a number of people and share their concerns. In nuclear families, people are mostly busy in their lives; they fail to look at the problems of others. Men usually suppress their feelings due to patriarchal norms, leading to a piling up of emotional struggles leading to depression and suicides.

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Fewer youngsters watching ISL at stadia Avg attendance is down to 16,000 in Season 4

Sayantan Sarkar

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he Indian Super League (ISL) has failed to ignite the same interest among Bengaluru’s youth that it did in the first couple of seasons.

“I like football, but going to the stadium to watch matches is not feasible for me,” Harsha Vardhan, a student of St Joseph’s College, informed The Observer. He does not want to go to stadiums alone because his friends are not interested. “I prefer watching ISL matches on television at home as it is much more comfortable.”

According to the official website of ISL, the average attendance in the first season of the competition was 26,000 for all the stadiums.

The number has gone down. The fourth season saw an average attendance of just over 16,000.

Sourav Guha, an ardent football fan and boxing coach at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, believes that the lack of foreign players in the ongoing season is one of the major reasons for lower atten-

LOSING CURRENCY? l Foreign players like Del Piero and Marco Materazzi are not playing anymore l Football aficionados find ISL’s five-month-long duration too lengthy l Youngsters prefer to watch international leagues rather than domestic ones l They like to watch matches on television rather than going to stadia dance at the stadiums. “The likes of Del Piero, Marco Materazzi and other World Cup stars are not playing in the competition anymore. This affects the overall picture and also affects crowd attraction. People in India are not so inclined towards football de-

spite its rise in the past few years.”

Uday K., another college student, remarked: “I prefer to watch the international leagues rather than the domestic league matches. My favourite leagues are the Spanish and the Italian leagues because their level of playing is superior.”

The ISL format seems to be diminishing its popularity. “It is a five-month-long event but with only ten teams. Most of the matches are also not very competitive. Going to the stadium to watch slow tempo matches are not worth it.”

Bengaluru Football Club (BFC) has done exceptionally well in the past two ISL seasons. The team debuted in ISL last year and reached the finals, where they lost to Chennaiyin Football Club.

The Bengaluru side has done very well in the other domestic football league, such as the I-League, which was considered as the primary football league in India before ISL..

Continued on page 3

CITY

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JSW Steel implements ‘TQM’ at its Vijayanagar plant Aims to reduce dependency on iron ore imports Anuradha Sriram SW Steel, India’s largest steel making unit has implemented Total Quality Management (TQM) at its Vijayanagar Unit, as part of its journey towards quality excellence. The steel plant at Vijayanagar is the only production facility in the country with a capacity of 12 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA).

“Vijayanagar plant unit has the capacity to fetch a profit of 18 million per year,” the corporate communications officer of JSW, Mr Swapnil Mishra informed The Observer.

TQM implementation has enabled JSW Steel over the past five years to expand operational efficiency.

The per capita consumption of steel in India is around 68 kg per person which is still quite low when compared globally. The challenge JSW or any other private steel manufacturing company face is the availability of

Metro’s third six-coach train begins to chug Akanksha Kashyap

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Paving way towards reducing dependency on iron ore imports.| Credit: Anuradha Sriram Iron which depends on market conditions. This is not the case for public companies such as Tata Steel as it has captive iron reserves.

“The availability of Iron ore is limited to us and thus we have to depend on imports. Also, Government amendments on iron ore imports affect us as a country,” said, P.K. Murugan Executive Vice President of JSW Steel Ltd.” “If the government auctions the available iron ore and lets the private manufacturers use it for

Accountants to discuss business growth and strategic leadership Ileena Dutta

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he Southern Indian Regional Council of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India announced today at the Bangalore Press Club a two days Regional CMA Convention 2018 to be held at JN Tata Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science on 23rd and 24th November to discuss about the strategic leadership and academic development of the cost and chartered accountants of the Southern states of India.

"The primary theme of the program is business growth through proactive thinking and strategic leadership’ and the program will be attended by more than 600 participants from all the 5 southern states and union territory of Puducherry.

Fifteen eminent speakers from various streams will be deliberating on different topics during the two days of convention.

"We are focusing on the current techniques of specialising the students like artificial intelligence, block chain technology, strategic sourcing and management in order to build up the standard of accountants in India", said Dr. Jaganmohan Rao, Vice President of Southern Associate South Asian Federation of Accountants.

In recent times, the whole

The Observer Thursday, November 22, 2018

ICAI delegates at the press club | Credit: Ileena Dutta world is thinking to change the role of accountants to bring a smooth flow of financial information and processes of the nation.

"There are times when the common public blame the bankers or accountants for mismanagement or the failure of finance structures or processes. It is really a sorry situation for all those who work hard for years to get into charted accounts or any as such", says Raveendranath Kaushik N, co chairman of SIRC. As per the National Financial Reporting Authority (NEFRA) rules, the Chartered Accountant Institution’s monitoring and disciplinary powers over the auditors of entities and large unlisted companies, will be taken away. Making it just a coaching institution. ileena.d@iijnm.org

their production, it will provide a sense of security for us and the imports will reduce drastically”, Vinod Nowal, Deputy Managing Director of JSW Steel informed the Observer.The Vijayanagar Unit aims to reduce the dependency on the import of iron ore.

The company also looks forward to doing good business from its Salem and Dolvi units in Maharashtra, which is expected to be completed by 2020 and thus reduce their dependecy on imports anuradha.s@iijnm.org

SJIM celebrates golden jubilee on November 27 Oisika Dev

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t. Joseph's Institute of Management (SJIM) will celebrate its 50th year on 27th November, 2018 at 7 p.m. commemorating the establishment of their institute in 1968.

“We have 300 students at our college presently and this celebration is organised to mark a 50 year old legacy of impactful and inclusive education in business management by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Bengaluru,” said, Dr Manoj D Souza, the executive director of the college.

The College earlier known as St Joseph's college of administration has been offering various diploma courses in management since its establishment. SJIM run by Jesuits are an international order of priests renowned all over the world for their service through education The chief guest for the function is Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India. Other guests of honour include H.D.Kumaraswamy, Chief Minister of Karnataka and Dr Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bengaluru.

In Bangalore alone, the Jesuits have established 13 educational institutions. The Jesuits also run one of the most prestigious business schools in India, namely Xavier School of Management (XLRI). oisika.d@iijnm.org

amma metro flagged its third 6-coach metro train today at Vidhana Soudha metro station.

H D Kumaraswamy, chief minister of Karnataka along with deputy chief minister, Dr G Parameshwara, flagged the metro train. The new train will run on the purple line from Mysuru Road metro station to Baiappanahalli.

The other two already existing trains are also running to the same line due to the high congestion on the east west line. “Our study shows more number of people travel to MG Road, Vidhan Soudha and Cubbon Park due to commercial and economic activities thus this line needs the six coach train first,” said Ajay Seth, MD, BMRCL. The train has a capacity of 2000 people with one coach reserved for women. “Trains with three coaches have a capacity of 960 passengers, with the six coach that capacity will now go up to 2000,” Seth said. These three six coach trains will commence every hour during the peak hours on the line. The fourth such train would go on floors after they conduct a test on it. “The fourth six coach train is to go for a test and

by December this year,it would be ready to hit the floor,” Sethi added.

The six coach train have energy saving features which is expected to save 15% more energy than the three coach trains. Talking to The Observer, N M Dhoke, Director(Rolling stock, signalling & electrical) , BMRCL said, “ Each coach costs us Rs.9.25 crore.” He

Namma Metro flagged its third 6-coach train at Vidhana Soudha | Credit Surbhi Jain also added BMRCL might start producing two such train every month very soon.“By August or September, next year we will have all 56 trains withsixcoaches.

Making it even more convinient for people,” said Seth. He also added that soon such coaches will start on North-South (green line) too.

Ajay Seth, while talking to The Observer said that BMRCL expects that the 42 km stretch (purple line) would be taken care of completely for the next 34 years and also are looking forward to accommodate new station stoppages as and when extension lines get cleared for functioning. akanksha.k@iijnm.org

YULU bikes promise smart mobility in city Anuradha Sriram

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engaluru gets YULU bikes for hassle and pollution free travel across the city.

The Electronics City Industrial Township Authority has collaborated with YULU bikes to provide pollution and traffic free connectivity for people living and working in Electronics City.

Yulu bikes is a dockless bike sharing platform and it aims in reducing traffic congestion by providing a scalable affordable efficient and clean solution for a short commute.

Yulu bikes are advanced bike sharing solution which is powered by GPRS and Bluetooth technology that gives freedom to rent and return bikes from all major parts of the city using Yulu app. It has a secure digital wallet through which payments can be

made.

Yulu app facilitates the user to locate an available bike in any part of the city and it is operated digitally.

“One can unlock icon and scan the QR code on the bike and it will open automatically”,Amit Gupta Chief Executive Officer, Yulu, informed The Observer.

The bike should be parked in the Yulu zone alone and after the ride is over, the rider has to press the end button, the money from the wallet will be deducted by its own. It runs on pay per use business model.

“This initiative is taken to decongest the traffic by providing a scalable and an efficient solution for a short distance commutes and thereby reduce pollution” says Naveen Dachuri, chief technology Officer, Yulu. anuradha.s@iijnm.org

CITY

The Observer Thursday, November 22, 2018

Badavara Bandhu plan hasn’t helped, there’s no profit, say traders

Lack of awareness among vendors about new additions to the Badavara Bandhu Finance scheme| Credit: Subhana Shaikh

‘Onion growers get a negative return on money’ Raveena Bhati

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o provide some relief from high interest rates and losses suffered, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy launched the Badavara Bandhu Finance Scheme for hawkers and vendors. The scheme intends to provide loans of Rs.2000-Rs.5000 with zero interest rate for hawkers and vendors who are below poverty line and 10lakh at 4% rate to the others.

While speaking to The Observer Shantaram, vendor at

Yeshwanthpur APMC mentions, “The price of onion is extremely less, due to which we and our farmers are under huge loss. The scheme launched will make no difference until unless government regulates the price of goods.

The farmers don’t want to sell their harvest because they are not making profits. Say, a farmer buys goods at Rs.1000, the return he receives is only Rs.400,” Manjunatha Reddy the farmer from Chikkamanglur village says, “The Scheme launched in October has bought no benefits to us, I am not aware of the new addition to it. We are suffering from losses and these schemes have no relief from loans.”

The vendors and farmers are reluctant to sell their goods as the prices are really low, they prefer keeping their harvest with them

than selling it into market. The scheme launched on Thursday in Yeshwanthpur APMC, is not known to vendors and hawkers in APMC itself.

In the event HD Kuamarsway gave checks to all the cooperative banks that will be providing loans to the people and MLA from Amahalaxmi layout spoke about all the schemes earlier launched by JD(S) and the addition to Badavara Bandhu Finance Scheme.

“There is a well established cycle between the farmer, trader and the vendor. Even if one of the component’s topple, it creates a loss for all three,” says Anil Kumar,a trader at APMC. He also added that the while regulating the prices, the government and the APMC authorities do not consider the three components of the cycle hence creating issues with the scheme.

Sohail Ahmed, trader, added “There has been 40% loss in the incomes of trader which influence the entire cycle and no governments benefits are reached to us, and there no rise in business for any of the components of the cycles.”

“It is even difficult for us because the government has set limits to our export thus out of our complete production, only 60% of it can be exported. The rest of it is sold to local markets at lower prices. The customers are used to buying onions at a certain cost and there would be zero sales if we increase our prices,” said Kumar Even after the addition the schemes doesn’t seem to provide vendors and hawkers with any relief, as they still are recurring from their previous losses. raveena.b@iijnm.org

Suicidal tendencies are often influenced by lifestyle followed by a person Continued from page 1

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r Rajesh Bharati, a psychiatrist, said: “Among adolescents, parental expectation, academic pressure and failure in relationships are the most common causes for suicide. Among adults, pressure to meet family demands, professional performance and responsibilities towards families often lead to stress. If a person's tolerance towards stress is less, even petty issues can lead to suicide.

Suicide because of prolonged illness is most common among men above 50. Financial crunch and emotional and physical dependency create low self-esteem in them and suicide becomes an es-

cape measure.”

Sudip S, a graduate from the Raja Rajeshwari College of Engineering, said: “Failure to fit into the picture of an ideal son, and the burden by family responsibilities, drove my friend to suicide.”

Arbind Saha, an IT professional, said he once attempted suicide because he was unable to meet his family’s expectations and demand.Fayez Ahmed, a medical student, shared: “I was suffering from lung cancer and at one point felt like ending my life.”

People who feel suicidal often report a “tunnel vision” – an inability to see the broader picture.

They think only in terms of black and white. In such circumstances, they may not be motivated to seek help for themselves, and it

often falls on others to offer support by listening, offering encouragement and sometimes even challenging the preconceptions that people hold about themselves, according to a report published on the website ‘Verywellmind’.

Dr Arun Kumar, a neurologist, said: “Suicidal tendencies are also dependent on the lifestyle of the person. We request patients to refrain from excessive alcohol consumption as it triggers factors that influence suicide. It is important to extend help to people, showing suicidal intent. Psychologists, psychiatrists, community mental health centres and voluntary organizations are always there to guide and help." shrabona.g@iijnm.org

3 ‘Europeans passionate about football, Indians are not’

The All India Football Federation has held talks to merge ISL and ILeague, without any sucess | Credit : Sayantan Sarkar Continued from page 1

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kash Vinay, head of the media team of JSW Group, owner of BFC, said: “We are trying to attract more people by going to schools and colleges.

We hold tournaments and interschool championships that would help ignite interest among the youth. It is also down to individual choices and passion for the game.” Nobody can force a person

to come to the ground to watch matches in stadium.

Piyush S, an employee at XL Health Pvt Ltd, pointed to an important difference between the overseas audiences and those in India. “People in England, Spain and other European countries follow football as a religion. Their passion for the game brings them to the grounds, which is not the case in India.” sayantan.s@iijnm.org

Citizen’s Voice Organ donation Apropos “ Organ donation picks up in Bengaluru” NOV 22nd.

2018. Firstly, I’d like to thank ‘The Observer’ for bringing this heartening development to my attention. It's a perfect example of making the best out of the worst.

I hope other cities really carry this trend forward Ajay R, IIJNM student

Lack of streetlights The streetlights are not working in #13/A, Entrance of ISRO Layout, Vasanthapura, Bangalore for the past few days. The streets are too dark at night. Ladies feel that it’s not safe to walk in the streets after sunset. I request you to please notify the authorities involved.

Praveena P, IIJNM student

Pre-poll fracas The derogatory remarks HDK made were quite evident. But at the same time, protests been carried out by various parties all over the city seems nothing but a political gamble. In the state our country is in right now, whatever the issue is, it becomes a political gamble. It is also due to the fact that the general elections are just round the corner.

Raveena Bhati, IIJNM student

Traffic lights There is too much traffic in Kengeri but no traffic lights. People are unable to walk freely on the roads. It is also a cause of increasing accidents in the concerned area. Often it becomes very difficult to regulate the traffic. One gets stuck there for hours together. It is of the utmost importance that you notify the authorities involved.

Sindhuja M, IIJNM student

Water scarcity There have been loads of coverage made regarding water scarcity. It would be nice to see more coverage of the reasons behind the scarcity of water in Bengaluru and how can it be controlled. This is the need of the hour that we need to control the wastage of water.

Surbhi Jain, IIJNM student

Potholes Bangalore is one of the fastest growing cities in India. It is also the technological capital of India.

But some problems are just not letting it go ahead, potholes everywhere and many MNCs have threatened to pull out if no action is taken. The corporators are not doing anything about it.

Jaya Jha, IIJNM student

Around the City lBengaluru by Design, organized

by Kelsang Dolma. On November 23, 2018; 10 am at UB City Amphitheater.

lWorld War 1 heritage hunt by GameFYI. On November 22, 2018; 8am at Opp. Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium.

lGST audits and annual return

by Princeton_ Academy Mumbai 2. On November 23, 2018; 9 am at The Lalit Ashok Bangalore.

lIndustrial Tech Expo 2018 by Manufacturer summit and expo.

On November 22, 2018 to Nov 25, 2018. At Neelakanta Convention center, west Bangalore

lThe power of silence by Levente Molnar. On November 22, 2018; 2-5 p.m. at My Botree south Bangalore.

lYamaha Music Production workshop, by Farhan AK. On November 23, 2018; 1-5pm At Resonance studious and academy.

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HealtH & Wellness

The Observer Thursday, November 22, 2018

Shun the pill, it ups cancer risk: Docs

‘Seek our advice before using hormonal drugs’ Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel

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omen using oral combined hormonal contraceptives are found to be more prone to breast cancer than those who had never used them.

Doctors alert women to be cautious about the intake of hormonal contraceptives, as there is increase in women patients with breast cancer.

“Breast cancer is more common among women from 32 to 50 years in recent times. No proper records would be available but birth control pills make hormonal changes leading to breast cancer in women. Any hormonal treatment can increase the risk of cancer. There are various other temporary methods of sterilization than opting for pills,” says Dr S Hema, general consultant, BMS hospital According to a Danish study released in December 2017, the oral combined hormonal contraceptives increased by 20%-60% the risk of breast cancer in women taking birth-control pills.

The risk increased as they pro-

A Danish study in December 2017 said oral hormonal contraceptives increased by 20%-60% the risk of breast cancer in women taking birthcontrol pills.|Credit: Abbinaya Kuzhanthaivel longed their course of contraceptives. The recent formulations in the contraceptives with synthesized female hormones estrogen and progesterone stimulates the growth of breast cancer. It also reported that hormonal contraceptives could even trigger recurrence of breast cancer in women.

“It has been researched and confirmed. It is risk when contin-

ued for more than 6 months. People need not opt for hormonal contraceptives, as there are various methods for temporary and permanent solution.

Even though there are various reasons leading to breast cancer, this can be avoided, as we have alternative methods,” says Dr Shalini Dath, gynecologist, South City Hospital near Lalbagh west gate.

When the observed accessed

Doctors divided over the safety of sunscreen lotions Sounak Das

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he medical fraternity is divided over the application of sunscreen lotions. Some doctors are of the view that they cause melanoma (skin cancer), whereas others believe these help in preventing the same. ‘’Regular use of sunscreens can cause cancer of the skin. Several studies conducted by reputable international universities show that oxybenzone, present in these lotions, can sometimes cause... burning sensation and allergies. This ingredient is added to almost all non-mineral sunscreen lotions,’’ Dr Shravan Kumar, a dermatologist practising in Hyderabad, informed The Observer.

Sunscreen lotions are used by many people who are exposed to the sun. One of the main reasons is protection from tanning.

Pranab Das, a dermatologist at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, said: “Some people use sunscreens because they think that these lotions would prevent tanning which is correct in some ways. However, many people don’t know the harmful effects of ozone depletion. I recommend the use of sunscreens to people who are exposed to UV radiation..’’

Sayanna Das, a pharmacist from Kolkata, was more precise.

“It depends upon skin type and varies from person to person.

Costly sunscreens cause less damage. Burning, itching, red-

the regional medical shops for contraceptives, ‘emergency pills’ were only available that can be availed without prescription.

Medical shops didn’t have any contraceptive pills that are considered to be of ‘low dose’. However, doctors recommend consulting a gynecologist before starting any medications as the preferred low dose vary from woman to woman. Self-medication is the burning cause for breast cancer yet it is still being used “Low dose pills are available which has low risk of breast cancer. One or two cycles can be taken to check if the pill has suited the patient. Women in rural areas need more attention about breast cancer, as they tend to self medicate with locally available oral contraceptives,” says Dr Reetu G Naresh, gynecologist and obstetrician, Apollo Hospitals.

Dr K Ramadevi, a gynecologist said that she recommends the use of low-dose pills that have very minimal risk in comparison with women who aren’t taking pills.

“Women with family history or other risk factors like smoking habits, alcohol, obesity must avoid oral contraceptive pills.

They can opt for other methods of family planning,” she said.

Science debunks it, but homeopathy’s popularity is rising Shashank Dipankar

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The sun protection factor (SPF) value in sunscreen lotions is very important in determining their efficacy | Credit: Pexel ness and swelling are the most common allergic reactions. Sideeffects include irritation and worsening of acne.”

“There are also some unusual effects which are not well known to the medical community such as formation of pus in hair follicles and estrogenic effects on the breasts leading to breast cancer,’’ Das said.

Another pharmacist, Souvik Ghosh, who has researched cosmetics and attended international seminars on the matter, said: ‘’There are three types of UV rays – A, B, and C. The A type penetrates into the dermis of the skin resulting in wrinkling

and ageing. The B type burns the upper layer of the skin resulting in skin cancer. Sunscreens contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which help to protect the skin and prevent melanoma.’’

The sun protection factor (SPF) value in sunscreen lotions is important in determining their efficacy. The higher the value, the greater the protection. However, Dr Anirudh Chakraborty, chief medical officer, Western Coalfields Ltd, Saoner, said: “Sunscreens have SPFs which reduce vitamin content in the skin leading to hypervitaminosis.’’ sounak.d@iijnm.org

Doctors highlighted the risk of using hormonal treatment for any disease. It is advisable to avoid for a healthy life.

“I am sure about the fact that any hormonal treatment can increase the risk of cancer in human. It is good if people do not fall for the marketing strategies and choose their pills. Always take a doctor’s opinion before hormonal medications,” says Dr S Girija, general physician at Banshankari medical nursing home.

Dr. Sanjeev K, an oncologist in ShriShankara Cancer Centre, told observer that the topic should be taken for further research. “There are many reasons that cannot be medically explained for inculcating a cancer.

So, calculated risks can be avoided,” he said.

Studies conducted in 1968 had recorded an increase in the number of women prone to breast cancer after a course of contraceptives.

A National Cancer Institute report says that, in addition to breast cancer, oral contraceptives might increase the risk of cervical cancer by changing the susceptibility of cervical cancer cells to persistent infection with high risk. abbinaya.s@iijnm.org

omoeopathy is emerging as an alternative to allopathic treatment despite scientific researches saying it is not effective for treating any condition. According to an article on Medgadget, a website that reports on heath matters, the sale of homoeopathic medicines is expected to grow 12.5% annually.

India has 221homoeopathy colleges. Of these, 12 are in Karnataka.

Dr Josy Joy, who practices homoeopathy in Ulsoor, informed The Observer: “Patients believe in homoeopathy. I know cases where it has helped my patients recover from medical ailments.

There are many patients who come (away) from allopathic treatment and want a more effective and less expensive alternative.”Geetha Ramesh, a resident of Nandini Layout, said: “Homeopathy has helped me a lot with minor health ailments without any side-effects. (I have used it) for my hyperthyroid.”

Registered practitioners of homeopathy have increased drastically this decade. According to the AYUSH website, there was a growth of more than 100% in the number of homoeopathy doctors across the country between 2012 and 2015. There were 84,577 registered practitioners in 2012;

their number increased to 2,15,327 in 2015.

“The numbers are increasing as each year thousands of students graduate from colleges of homoeopathy in Karnataka,” said Dr Nanjaraju, director of Karnataka Board of Homeopathic System of Medicine. The state has a total of 232 homoeopathic pharmacies. Bengaluru Urban district has 130 outlets and Belagavi accounts for 34. “More and more people are opting for homoeopathy as an alternate way of treatment,” Dr Nanjaraju added.

Allopathic practitioners do not agree that homeopathy does any good.

“Homeopathy is not an effective alternative to allopathy as it does not have any scientific evidence.

People should refrain from opting for it, ,” said Dr Rajeev Kumar, an ENT specialist who practices in New Delhi.

A scientific research carried out by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council published a paper on homoeopathy. The report states that there are no health conditions for which there is reliable evidence that homoeopathy is effective.

Further, homoeopathy works on the placebo effect, where the patient thinks he has taken a medicine; and the body reacts as if it has taken a medicine. shashank.d@iijnm.org

The Observer Thursday, November 22, 2018

RURAL KARNATAKA

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Teachers are not Digital education makes social sciences interesting willing to work at this rural school

Presentations save lot of time help students

Oisika Dev

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Pranay Prakash

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n initiative by a group of social sciences teachers is imparting digital education to students of the Government Adarsh School in Indi taluk, Vijayapura district. Under it, teachers from across Karnataka have come together to set up the Social Science Digital Group.

The Social Science Digital Group website functions as a platform for sharing ideas and information among teachers. Members of the community prepare presentations on chapters from the social science textbooks of classes 8-10 and then share it on the website.

Member of the group then hold the classes in their respective schools, equipped with a projector and a computer, for social science students from classes 8 to 10.

They hold interactive sessions after providing background to students.

Ramachandrappa, founder of the network and teacher at a government school in Honnali taluk, Davanagere district, said: “There are over 40 chapters in the class 10 syllabus, and it is a challenge to cover all in the school year.

Teaching them through presentations is more time-efficient and interactive than using textbooks.”

Rangaswami, a member of the group and teacher at the Government Adarsh school, Indi, said:

Weather Cloudy, showers and tstorms.

Maximum: 24°C Minimum:20°C Humidity: 88% Cloud cover: 92% Dew point: 21°C

Observer Team Editor: Sounak Das Reporters: Ajay Biradar, Akanksha Kashyap, Anuradha S, Abbinaya K, Ileena Dutta, Oisika Dev, Pranay Prakash, Raveena Bhati, Sayantan Sarkar, Shashank Dipankar, Sounak Das, Shrabona Ghosh, Sindhuja M, Yajush Gupta.

Desk: Renuka Thakare, Sahana.S, Sayantan Sarkar,Shashank Dipankar, Shrabona Ghosh, Yajush Gupta, R. Yohanjali.

Supplement: Ileena Dutta , Webely Prabodh, Rohit Chatterjee, Saloni Arora,Sahana S and Ajay Biradar.

The teachers committment towards digital education has helped students to learn better. Digital technology provides better ways to learn and offers easy access to education | Credit: Pranay Prakash “Teaching through a digital medium has helped the students.

They are better able to retain what is discussed in the class. In subjects like social science, where names, places and processes of government are important to remember, visual slides help a lot....”

Amin Sab Burangol, person-incharge of the school, said the students have benefitted a lot from the digital classes, but such measures need more support from the government. “We had to buy the computer and projector using money left over from other projects. Some money was pooled by the teachers. Some support from the government will help greatly in such taking up such initia-

tives.”

“Despite such challenges,” said Ramchandrappa, “we have 25-30 members in all the 30 districts of Karnataka who coordinate with us and around 200-250 teachers who use our resources in their classes.”

Even the students feel that learning topics with the help of a digital medium benefits them.

Siddalinga Bommanajogi, a student of class 9 in Adarsh School, Indi, said: “It has created opportunituies,Itake more interest in the social sciences class because it is easier to understand.Digital education helps me remember the topics during exam time.” pranay.p@iijnm.org

o teachers have been appointed to teach subjects of science and commerce streams for the past two years at the Sangmeshwarara Government College PU College, Lingsugur, leading to a sorry situation for students.

“We have informed the board about the problem a year ago. But they aren’t doing anything. Students who come from various other villages don’t perform well because of lack of teachers,” headmaster Mrugendereppa Gorabal informed The Observer.

“Most teachers are not keen on going to rural areas because according to them there are not many opportunities available there. Probably in the next few months two or three new teachers will be appointed,” an administrative officer of the education department said on the condition he would not be named.

Students from nearby villages, such as Adabhibhavi, Mudgal and Narayanpura, come to the college to study.

Ramappa, a student’s father, said: “My son is in class 12. He will be giving his boards in a few months. Non-availability of teacher is hampering his studies.

His grades are slipping. We have complained to the school authorities, but they haven’t taken any action yet.

Mohammad Rafeek, the English teacher at the college, said: “This problem has been there for the past two or three years. The performance of the students is deteriorating by the day.”

Teachers of govt-aided school not paid for 1 yr Sindhuja Michael

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eachers at government-aided schools in Agarkhed village in Indi taluk have not been paid salaries for a year.

“We have not been paid for 12 months.

When we asked the headmaster, he blamed it on a community dispute, and gave no detailed answer,” said T.K. Nagur, a Hindi teacher.

“They have paid only four teachers.” The Hindi, Kannada and history teachers are yet to receive their salaries for a year.

Nagapa Basapanavik, a resident of the area, said: “There is only one government primary school here, so we have to go to government-aided schools for higher education.

Since we have to pay fees, many don’t pursue studies after primary education.”

“It is a co-education school, includes 8 to 10th grade. There are 248 students, 7 teachers, and 3 non- teaching staff. There are 8 subjects included in the curriculum. There is one toilet for girls alone. The fee is Rs.198 for the whole year.” Says the headmaster of the school R.S. Bajanthri

Agarkhed village government aided school, lacks toilet facilities | Credit: Sindhuja M The government-aided schools also don’t have proper sanitation. “I don’t use facilities as they are in a bad condition,” said Sushmitha Ningapa, a student of class 8 at a government-aided school.

Basapanavik shared: “There is only one toilet for girls. It is a co-educational school.

There are 248 students, seven teachers and three non- teaching staff.” sindhuja.m@iijnm.org

Rajlakshmi Balawishwanathan, the maths teacher at the college, said: “Most teachers refuse to go to villages because of lack of amenities. Inspite of us complaining repeatedly about this problem, no action has been taken. Initially, they used to appoint temporary teachers, but now even that has stopped. As a result, there is huge pressure on the permanent teachers.”

Abhishek, a class 11 student, said: “I will be appearing for my board examination in the next few months. However, due to nonavailability of maths and chemistry teachers, I am facing a lot of difficulties.”

Mohammad Zubaid, another student, said: “We have complained to the school authorities so many times but no action has been taken yet”.

Nagesh HM, the principal of Mudgal College, said:“The problem has existed for long. Due to the irresponsibility of the government the students are suffering.

Results are going down every year.”

On World Teachers’ Day the UNESCO Institute for Statistics released an estimate of teachers required to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 .

According to its 2015 report, 74 countries faced acute teacher shortages. While Nigeria topped the list, India is second .in terms of teacher recruitment .

India needs close to 3.70 lakh new teachers to meet its demand for primary education. About 3 million recruitments will be required by 2030. oisika.d@iijnm.org

Byadgi ryots switch to hybrid tomatoes Ajay Biradar

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armers from Byadgi taluk have been shifting to hybrid tomatoes following a drastic decline in the demand for crops such as chillies, maize and Bt cotton.

Ramayya A, a farmer of Mallur, informed The Observer: “We have grown Bt cotton for many years. But since last year, we started grow- Characteristics: The ing hybrid tomatoes as hybrid tomatoes are it yields higher profits disease-resistant, hard and consistent and grows faster.” shape and size Earlier, people of the in Fancy names: village used to grow Some of the popular chillies, but a decline in varieties are Cherry, output 15-20 years ago Early Girl, Grape, forced them to switch to Big Beef and Bt cotton and maize.

Better Boy Prabhu Deva, a scientist working at the Horticulture Research Station in Devihosur, said: “It’s good to see farmers investing and adapting to newer conditions.”

Abdul Kareem, a plant pathologist, said: “The farmers have to be very cautious about one thing: Plant virus, which is very harmful for crops. it can destroy the entire season’s crop.” ajay.b@iijnm.org

Culture & Society

The Observer SUPPLEMENT

Thursday, November 22, 2018

6

Tipu’s Torment I

The controversy over Tipu Jayanti celebrations feeds off a tired communal narrative, writes Ajay Biradar

n 2014, the Siddaramaiahled Congress government announced that it would celebrate Tipu Jayanti as a state event to mark the birth anniversary of the former Muslim ruler of Mysore. But the celebrations have sparked a controversy ever since. The Hindu majoritarian Bharatiya Janata Party accuses the current Janata Dal(S)-Congress government of politicising the event and pandering to the Muslim community.

Tipu Sultan was an 18th-century ruler of the princely state of Mysore. He was born on 10 November, 1750 in Devanahalli, north of what is now Bengaluru, and was Sultan Hyder Ali’s first born son. The Hindu rightwingers describe the 18th-century warrior king as an autocrat because of the forced conversions to Islam during his rule.

A few years ago, noted Kannada actor Girish Karnad had sought to commemorate Tipu Sultan saying, “In Kolkata, the airport has been named after Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose; in Mumbai the airport is named as Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. But this is not the case with Bengaluru. Here,in

In the eyes of many Tipu Sultan is a freedom fighter. Credit: Scroll.in

Bengaluru, the airport has been named after Kempegowda rather than Tipu Sultan.”

He went on to add, “Tipu Sultan should be honoured by naming the airport after him.

We are proud of Kempegowda as he was the founder of Bengaluru. But when you come to the discussion on who is more deserving of the two, I would

say Tipu Sultan.”

According to Peoples Democracy, party newspaper of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Tipu Sultan’s place in history has to be judged by the long battle he fought against the East India Company (EIC). Mysore and EIC fought four wars, which are often referred to as the Anglo-Mysore wars, for more

than thirty years. From 1766 to 1799, the British tried to conquer Mysore. In the latter half of the 18th century Mysore stood as the first hindrance to British expansion.

The struggle of Haider Ali and Tipu Sultan against the EIC assumed epic proportions because of the capability of both sides to mobilise their militaries on a very large scale. Tipu’s modernised army and use of rockets forced the British to upgrade their military hardware which resulted in a massive financial crisis for them. But the defeat of Tipu Sultan facilitated the suppression of the Marathas, and helped establish the supremacy of the EIC at the beginning of the 19th century.

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s Afroz Pasha, president of Karnataka BD Workers Association, said,“Tipu belonged to the 18th century. Most people of modern India who talk about him in both positive and negative terms don’t know the ground reality, rather they form their opinion based on some claims made by historians.Those who are now

strong critics of Tipu are the same ones who, a few years back, used to dress up like him and praise his ideologies.

Today they are not criticising him rationally but doing so under pressure.”

Pasha says that the reasons for both celebrating Tipu Jayanti and opposing it are political. Supporters of the anniversary celebration are wooing the minority community while the opposition protests against it because they want to appease the majority and win their support.

The controversy has kept some politicians away from the celebrations this particular year. Even the chief minister of Karnataka chose not to attend Tipu Jayanti this year saying he had health problems. But he did not hesitate to tweet to make the people of Karnataka aware of Tipu Jayanti. “The Government will observe Tipu Sultan’s birth anniversary today across the state. We salute his courage against the British forces. His progressive measures in the administration were equally commendable.”

Chronicle of Deaths Foretold India’s festivals are turning our cities into gas chambers and our lakes into toxic cesspools, says Saloni Arora

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eavy smog shrouded many cities across India following the week-long Diwali celebrations. People burst loud firecrackers at all hours despite the court-ordered window of 8 pm to 10 pm and its ban on all crackers except “green” ones. “My eyes were burning on Diwali day, it became difficult to move out in the pollution,” said Vignesh, a resident of Jayanagar in south Bangalore.

According to a report by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) run by the union government’s Ministry of Earth Science, Delhi recorded its worst air quality of the year on Diwali with the index reaching 574, a level beyond the highest category “hazardous” (401-500) in its Air Quality Index.

However, in Bangalore the air quality index in the city was recorded as ‘moderate’ or ‘satisfactory’. An official from Karnataka State Pollution Control Board said Jayanagar and few other places including Mysuru Road saw a marked rise in air-pollution levels on

Chemicals in firecrackers can cause wide-ranging diseases from Alzheimer’s to respiratory problems. Credit:mtmtv.info

Diwali.

India is a land of multiple cultures and endless festivals.

What was once cause for celebration, has today become a major health and environmental hazard. Even after weeks after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, the idols from Bangalore’s Ulsoor Lake hadn’t been cleared. Residents near the Ulsoor Lake complained about the foul odour from the rotting garlands and other debris left behind by the celebrants.

The immersion of Ganesha doesn’t only pollute water but also the land. Huge amount of waste is generated from thefe-

tival including waste tins of paints, clay, paper and especially polythene used for carrying incense sticks, flowers, and fruits.

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he idols are no less harmful as most of them are made from plaster of Paris. PoP takes months to dissolve into the water and the larger idols take years to dissolve, in the process damaging the water bodies and aquatic life under sea.

Apart from the PoP, the paints used to colour the statue are extremely toxic and harmful. These paints once im-

mersed in the water destroy the flora and fauna of the water body, says an expert with Green Peace.

Says Anil Abbi, a water conservationist, “Negligence by the authority could be seen, as after three weeks of the festival, waste is still present. Problem of plastic and domestic waste is responsible for the unhygienic condition of lakes in Bangalore. Lakes need attention so that the aquatic life is maintained, and the lake ecosystem is intact.”

As a Ganesha statue dealer in Kumbalgodu near Bangalore explains why PoP is preferred saying, “It takes extra effort and time in making Ganesha out of mud, their transportation is also difficult as the mud structures can break down easily.” He adds that structures over 5ft can’t be made with mud.

But people can choose alternative options by using ecofriendly methods.

Says Mayank Rajpal, a resident of JP Nagar in Bangalore, “This is the first time we’ve bought an eco-friendly idol of Lord Ganesha in our home. It is the

responsibility of every citizen to look after the environment.”

According to online publication The Quint, Dattadri Kothur, created the world’s first Ganesha that transforms into a tree. The Ganesha is created with seeds inside that grows into a tree after immersion. The Ganesha is not only eco-friendly but also helps to control water pollution.

The idols can also be immersed in small tanks or in a bucket within the homein order to protect the environment. Similarly, idols can be coloured with natural colour that doesn’t end up harming the environment and the ecosystem.

Dr. Manju Rani from Green World Education and Research points out that while the Constitution allows people to celebrate their culture and festivals freely, it cannot be at the cost of the environment. In fact, Article 51A (g) of the Constitution states that, “It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life.”

Women

The Observer SUPPLEMENT

Thursday, November 22, 2018

7

Women in Combat Martial-arts training for women is more than a means of self-protection. It builds self-esteem, says Ileena Dutta

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here were several times in my life that I have been harassed, like the guy on the bike who hit me or a friend who tried to kiss me in the lift,” recalls Palak Jain. “And each time I would freeze. One such incident was when I went to see Victoria Palace with my niece. As we were walking out, the security guard held her by the shoulders and started asking her questions. And again, at that moment, I froze. I felt extremely guilty and helpless in my inability to respond in the situation,” she laments.

Jain is now a student of a martial arts discipline called Jeet Kune Do or JKD where the art of combat is tailormade for the individual. JKD, or “the way of the intercepting fist” in Cantonese, is a hybrid philosophy of martial arts heavily influenced by the personal philosophy and experiences of martial artist Bruce Lee. Lee believed that the individual is more important than any established system. So, the ‘one size fits all’ approach of traditional martial arts is dropped in favour of tailoring the skill to

tute of Combat Studies in Bengaluru, India is the only certified institution teaching women a self-tailored self-defense art to empower themselves.

With the #Metoo movement exposing sexual abuse in the media and film industry, it is time for ordinary women to share their stories, boost their self- confidence and develop the psychological preparedness to either defend themselves or escape. It’s a social convention to tell women how to dress, how to behave in public and how she should be careful about herself. But there is little instruction on how to defend herself.

Unlike other traditional martial arts Jeet Kune Do is customised to individual capabilities. Credit: ICS

the person’s capabilities. JKD seeks to unite the body, mind and spirit in the goal for selfliberation.

Women in India are in constant danger of being assaulted, harassed, teased or, in the worst case, raped.

Crime statistics say that a woman is raped every 22

minutes in India. And these are reported cases. What can be the possible antidote to this? Schools and educational institutions are introducing courses in self-defense and martial arts techniques, especially for girls to build their self- confidence and ability to protect themselves. The Insti-

“R

ecently, when a man approached me while walking, my immediate response was to bring out my elbows in case he came any closer. As he saw this action, he apologised and left. This is because of my training in Jeet Kune Do at the Institute of Combat Studies. Not only has it made me capable of defending myself physically but has also strengthened my mind. I

know now that the times I froze wasn’t my fault, I just hadn’t learnt how to respond when threatened,” says Jain.

The key is how one can be aware of one’s surroundings and thus able to foresee potential threats. “A woman needs to build a psyche where she can immediately fight back a real-life assault case,” says Dr. Ritesh Reddy, PhD, 4th Degree Black Belt (UAC),military martial arts & full-time instructor, JKD Bangalore. “I believe in amalgamating psychological stability, fitness, kicking, grappling and punching to knock down the opponent who can be of any size, age or gender. The areas where Karate or Mixed Martial Art techniques fail, JKD fulfils the gap and brings in more flexibility and pragmatism.”

Training for months in JKD has been successful in making women much healthier and stronger in terms of mind, body and soul. Learning such a self-defense technique is ultimate experience for many women. Forestalling your enemy while saving yourself allows her the freedom to go out with head held high.

A Café with a Cause The Teal Door Café in Auroville shows how self-help and community entrepreneurship can change lives, says Sahana S

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fter working with underprivileged women in Auroville, Pondicherry, many of whom suffered at the hands of alcoholic fathers and husbands, Shruti Ravi, 28, decided to open ‘a cafe with a cause’ as she puts it, called the Teal Door Cafe. The architect, now turned restaurateur, decided to help these women, by employing some of them and displaying artefacts and paper products created by them in the café.

"I was not able to study as my father spent all his money on drink,” recollects Deepika, 24. “But today am able to take care of my education after getting a job in the café. Here I am trained to speak in English, and have learnt to speak the language with confidence."

The 24-year-old, who works as a senior steward in the café, adds that she is braver today and can face any situation with ease.

Some of them faced difficulties when communicating with the customers. One of them served a customer salt when asked for sugar! But-

The cafe helps underprivileged women in a multiplicity of ways. Credit: whatshot

Shruthi never lets them get disheartened. She insists they go right back to the customer, apologise and get things right this time. It’s all about building self-confidence, she says.

The café not only employs women from poor backgrounds, but also creates work opportunities for unemployed youth. “I was able to find a

new lease of life after getting a job in the café,” says Madhu.

“I had been searching for a job for a long time, and there were times where I had to go to bed hungry," he recalls.

All the employees joining the café are trained by Shruthi. She begins the training with a casual conversation, and trains them by

teaching them English, how to read a menu and also tries to sharpen their personal skills.

At first, these trained women are given with menial jobs such as looking after the kitchen, sweeping the floor and other housekeeping jobs.

"I am very proud seeing these women today training their subordinates and taking care of them like a family,thus creating a better workplace in the café,"says Shruthi. Apart from training them, Shruthi ensures that everyone works together like a family. The day in the cafe starts with Shruthi inquiring her employees, their homes and generally making them feel comfortable in the workplace.

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he women leave the café at 6pm to look after their families. As the café employs so many locals, Shruthi started to incorporate a range of local dishes in the menu but gave them an International twist. Her Crepe Dosa has the batter prepared from local ingredients and served with mayo sauce. The menu in-

cludes a wide range from bhonda bhajis to masala chai.

The café has a separate space dedicated to artefacts like earthen pots, candle cover and aroma candles made by Auroville women. The objective is to help them improve their financial status by selling these products for around Rs 800 to customers and friends. Their products are eco-friendly and include some of the furniture used in the cafe. The tables, for instance, are made of leftover scraps of wood.

"I love to visit this place, as it has a beautiful ambience and the menu here is different from other cafes as it has wide variety of foods,"says Sanaz Faal, a pharmacistwho visits the place frequently with her friends. “They also allow pets inside the café unlike others restaurants, which gives this cafe a unique edge over the others.”Another customer, Varsha Kishore is impressed by the café's social causes and says that patronizing the café is a way to share in and contribute to its concerns.

Motoring

The Observer SUPPLEMENT

Thursday, November 22, 2018

8

Pulse of the Open Road The Bajaj Pulsar range marked the coming of age of the Indian motorcycle scene, says Rohit Chatterjee

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he Indian biking scenario was stagnant till the mid-90s, when Hero launched the CBZ and proved that Indian buyers were hungry for powerful motorcycles with new features. Till then they had had to content themselves with low-powered bikes, with just a few motorcycles with a higher cubic centimeter (cc) displacement like Enfield, Yamaha RD-350, and Yezdi.

Bajaj accepted the challenge when, in November 2001, they launched the Pulsar series. It was equipped with a 150cc four-stroke engine that boasted of a power output of 13 horse power (hp).

It was one of the first bikes to sport a disc brake, a feature wanted by everyone. It also featured an optional electric start. The bigger 180cc variant had an electric start option as standard and gave a massive 15hp of power.

In, 2006, came another version with new features. The new model was equipped with clear lens pilot lamp, LCD screen and a twin strip LED tail light. The engine was refined with less vibration and improved gear shifting. Another important and major

The Pulsar range recently hit a milestone of one crore units sold.

Credit: Iamabiker.com

change that was brought by the manufacturer was the inclusion of a fuel injection system in the 200cc Pulsar launched in 2009.

Bajaj then entered a technical collaboration with Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen (KTM) in 2012 that produced a new version of the KTM Duke 200 and launched the Pulsar Naked Sport (NS) 200. This was one of the first ‘street fighter’ motorcycles ever seen in India

made by an Indian manufacturer. The motorcycle produced 23.5hp with a torque of 18.3 newton metres (nm). The engine claimed a top speed of 136 kmph but on a V-Box speed sensor, it could go waypast 145kmph.

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he manufacturer was still missing a key offering in their repertoire.

That came with the Pulsar Racing Sport (RS) 200. It was the most advanced Pulsar yet

with an engine which was equipped with a fuel-injection system. Its other features included a single channel antilock braking system and daytime running lights.

This PRS 200 took the market by storm as it could easily compete with the KTM RC 200 and the Yamaha R15.

Says one of the finest racers from the Yamaha Racing Team, Advait Berde, “The thing about Pulsar is it’s not just another series of motorcycles, like the R series from the Yamaha or the Ninja series from Kawasaki. By keeping the segment focused on the regular commuter, and still managing to offer best in class equipment, Bajaj has created a legacy which will be talked about, if not continued, for years to come.” The Pulsar range has opened new opportunities to hitherto aspiring riders. The RS and the NS, for example, are the best motorcycles to start your biking life with. Not to forget the LS135, which still holds strong against competitors well above the 150cc mark. And, of course, having the patented triple-spark tech has its perks.

Recently, the Pulsar range has reached a sales milestone

of one crore units sold in India. Says an experienced biker, Parikshit Basu from Kolkata, who has ridden thousands of miles on different motorcycles,“Pulsars revolutionized the Indian biking scenario, but they are powerful and practical street bikes. It began with the CBZ 160 which we tend to forget, but Pulsars captured the imagination with 180cc engine and muscular looks, never seen before. The best period of Pulsars was from 2003 to 2008. After that, stiff competition followed but market share diminished.”

It was the Pulsar 220 that changed the image of Bajaj.

Pulsar attracts the aam janta because of the thrill it provides with its initial pick up and throttle response. Cheap maintenance and parts are another reason it has achieved cult status. “In future, I see Pulsars with a new chassis and more refined Bharat Stage 6 engines,” says Basu. “A 250cc oil cooled 4valve mil is rumored, and I personally am waiting for it.

Surely, the future of Pulsars looks bright with more reliable and refined engines while retaining affordability.”

Best of Both Worlds Hybrids are still in their infancy but have already extended the life of the internal-combustion engine, says Webley Prabodh

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odern car companies are ever changing and adapting, not just because they want to but because they must. Gone are the days when cars were powered by big, raw, naturally aspirated fuel-burning engines.

Most companies these days are adapting hybrid and electric engines to power their cars, with the latter still being perfected.

The change happened around 2012-2013 when the entire world was up in arms over automobile pollution, the growing shortage of fossil fuels and global warming.

Normal engines being run on petrol or diesel were emitting harmful gases even while powering a car and with the hundreds of features being offered inside a modern car required ever more fuel. The plateauing of fuel efficiency and stagnant mileage per unit of fuel consumed only infuriated environmentalists. In India, Maruti Suzuki was the first company to develop and introduce hybrid technology in

fuel. This technology is being introduced across the company’s entire range and will become a permanent feature.

The technology wasn't entirely a foreign concept in India. Toyota was the first company to bring in the 'Camry Hybrid' into the country years ago and it proved to be quite a hit, selling in large numbers. But this technology didn't come cheap. At Rs.47 lakh, only the rich were able to afford it and it remained out of reach for most of the population unlike Maruti Suzuki.

In hybrid cars the initial power is provided by the electric motor before the engine takes over. Credit: Just-Auto

their cars from scratchnamely in their model 'Ciaz' Smart Hybrid Vehicle System (SHVS). This was the first car in the country to have an electric motor connected to its diesel or petrol engine. The initial power is provided by the electric motors and then the engine takes over to prvide maximum power and

torque to the vehicle.

Every time one applies the brakes in the car, the mechanical energy isn't lost by getting converted into heat but is converted into electrical energy and stored in the batteries, which then powers some of the interior and exterior equipment, thereby reducing the strain on the engine and saves

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oyota did set the ball rolling with the 'Prius', the world's first full hybrid electric car in 1997. It was voted the cleanest car sold in the world. While Toyota did introduce the Prius in India in 2012, there were only a handful of takers as it was priced around Rs.20 lakhs.

It wasn't only the massmanufacturing car companies that decided to introduce hybrid technology into their

cars. The big supercar companies too, seized the moment.

Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche came out with their versions of hybrid supercars that had jaw dropping looks with blistering performance.

They had the entire car industry stop dead in its tracks and notice. What was considered taboo in the supercar level of performance was destroyed. When the entire world said that supercars will be obsolete in the future, these companies showed that you can still use hybrid technology to save the supercar for tomorrow and that is a massive achievement.

With the Indian government passing strict rules for all car companies to reduce their carbon footprint and increase fuel efficiency by 2022, we can expect every single car in the country to have this technology embedded in its DNA, and moreover at prices that would make it accessible and affordable to everyone and not just the super rich.