Grit: Flying Officer M P Anil Kumar is the personification
of an indomitable fighting spirit. Kumar, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy who was adjudged the best
Air Force cadet of the 65th Course, had gone on to become an ace fighter pilot. But his brilliant flying career
was cut short in a freak road accident when he severely injured his spine, losing complete mobility below the neck.
Kumar taught himself to write initially by holding a pen with his teeth and subsequently on a computer using a
specially-modified keyboard holding a stylus in his mouth. A prolific writer, his life story "Airborne to Chairborne"
is part of the tenth standard syllabus in Maharashtra and Kerala.
Read the story .....
Expert speak: "Mera Bharat Mahan - India, is indeed a great country - full
of contradictions. We talk of corruption, but who started it in the first place?" These are excerpts from a speech
delivered by Dr Vijaypat Singhania at the 47th annual convocation of the Indian Institute of Management
Ahmedabad in his capacity as chairman of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA)
Society and the Board of Governors. He has since relinquished office as the chairman following completion of his
tenure.
Read more .....
Inspiration: Marsha Ivins, a veteran astronaut who has logged 55 days
in space, advises youngsters to "Never take a 'no' for an answer".
Read more ....
Fiction: May 7 marks the birth anniversary of poet-philosopher
Rabindranath Tagore. To commemorate the occasion, we have attempted a crude translation of one of Tagore's
short stories. The story "Holiday" is about the travails of a teenager.
Read the full story .....
Colours: For the youth, life is a splash of colours. Whether
on or off the campus, living is sheer fun, joy and laughter.
Share some light moments here .....
Brain Teaser: There are 12 coins. One of the coins is fake. It is known
that a fake coin weighs either slightly less or slightly more than a real coin. Using a balance scale, how can you find
the fake coin, and determine if it weighs less or more than a real coin in only three weighings? Can you help me solve
this?
Please help .....
History: May 7 marks the birth anniversay of poet-philosopher
Rabindranath Tagore. To commemorate the occasion, here is a speech delivered by Tagore. The Nobel Prize in Literature
was awarded to Tagore in 1913 but he could not be present for the awards function. On May 26, 1921, he visited
Stockholm and addressed the Royal Swedish Academy and delivered this speech and acknowledged and accepted the honour.
Read more .....
Art and culture: Ramesh Pachange is a "chowghada" exponent who
represents the fifth generation of his family to continue the tradition. He is determined to preserve this
dying art form.
Read more .....
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Preserving the dying art forms
Ramesh Pachange is a "chowghada" exponent who represents the fifth generation of his family to continue the tradition.
His son Prasad and daughter Aarti have also taken to the art enthusiastically. The "chowghada" is a set of two drums -
a bigger drum known as the "nagara" and a smaller one called "jheel".
Ramesh hopes to keep this dying art form alive. This art form has been practised by his family for quite a few
generations. he had learnt the nuances of the art from his father when he was ten years old. "He taught me the right way to
hold the "chopas (sticks)" and at 12, I was accompanying him at public functions," Ramesh says of his father.
Ramesh is called upon to perform at temple events, marriage functions, cultural events and others. At political
gatherings and other events, the "chowghada" is sounded to welcome the dignitaries. ramesh and his father have performed
all across the state of Maharashtra and have earned wide accolades. His father has been felicitated on over 350 occasions
and he too has been honoured umpteen times.
The "chowghadas" have an ancient past and their history can be traced back even to the "Mahabharata" era, says Ramesh.
The "nagara" was used as a war-drum to signal that the army was marching into battle. The break of dawn used to be
announced by sounding the "nagaras" in the ancient times. However, despite having such a rich tradition, there are very
few people who practice this art now. "Chowghadas" add flavour and complement other folk art forms like "lavani", "bhangra"
and even during the chanting of "bhajans", says ramesh while stressing that there is, therefore, a need to preserve and
perpetuate this art form.
The "chowghadas" have to be played using "chopas (sticks)" while other percussion instruments require the use of
fingers. The "chopas" have to be held in the proper manner, else the desired sound is not produced. Two "chopas" are
used and they have to be of the same weight. A slight difference in the weights of the "chopas" too can spoil the
performance. It takes around two years to learn to play the "chowghadas", says Ramesh.
He hopes that the government would open an institute where such dying art forms would be taught. On his part, Ramesh
says he will ensure that his son, Prasad, too continues the tradition so as to keep this art form alive.
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Some useful links for
your career:
- Union Public Service Commission - www.upsc.gov.in
- IIT-Kharagpur - www.iitkgp.ac.in
- Indian Statistical Institute - www.isical.ac.in
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras - www.iitm.ac.in
- Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad - www.iimahd.ernet.in
- Indian Institute of Mass Communication - www.iimc.nic.in
- IIT Bombay - www.iitb.ac.in
- Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad - www.ismdhanbad.ac.in
- Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi - www.bitmesra.ac.in
- Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training - www.cifnet.nic.in
- Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (Deemed University) - www.iiita.ac.in
- Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi - www.cmfri.com
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai - www.tiss.edu
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