One of the major elements which makes a city is its people. Without its people, the city is absolutely incomplete. And Udaipur has an umpteen number of such talented people everywhere making the city proud.
The section ‘People’ of UdaipurBlog jots together the information and details about the prominent personalities in Udaipur. It gives a platform to all those people who, with their hardwork and spirit, glorify the name of the city everywhere. Here you can read about all those people who, with their hard work and passion, create news in the pages of Udaipur.
The section also deals with a special series named ‘People in Udaipur you should know about’ which features all the renowned personalities who with their hard work and accomplishments, have not just made the city proud but the entire country proud. These people have set a benchmark in the history and secured a well-deserved spot in the blogs of this section.
Just wandering over my bike in the interiors of the city, a plan to meet the 22 world-record holder from our city, Iqbal Sakka made us turn to further interiors. And the meeting really turned out to be a lavishing one, seeing the minute gold works & more importantly the simplicity of the artist even after all sorts of achievements. We here present you a gist of our conversation:
Q. When was it exactly that you started this work, what was your inspiration behind making such records?
A. When I was young, I used to listen about people making different kinds of records. Seeing them, I’d always felt why not any Indian’s name appear in such news. My father used to do gold work. Inspired from these world record holders & to heighten our country’s name, I started making a thin gold chain. During 1985-88, I initiated with a 1 gram chain; got praised in the market; then of 800 mg, subsequently 600 mg & then a 100 milligram chain with dimensions 0.2mm & 0.5mmwhich got its place in the Guinness Book. Started with that, today, I have 22 world records.
Q. How much time does it take to create these miniatures?
A. You can’t denote a particular time duration for this work. It’s all about your zeal to do it. Many times I got awake in the midnight, opened my shop & started working. Minting so small gold is not easy. Vision is the first problem & many times Gold flies with air & is difficult to find back. So, again new piece has to be taken & work starts afresh.
Q. How did you contact these record book professionals at that time when there were so less modes of connectivity?
A. People from Guinness came on their own after my works were covered & talked about in local newspapers. They too didn’t pass the record on my name instantly but took 4 years to give their certification for it. After that, in 1991, I was featured in the show “World This Week” on Doordarshan; followed by all big national newspapers.
Q. What do you think about taking up such arts as a full time career?
A. I am already doing Gold work, so making small objects out of it is associated to my profession, I don’t view it distinctly. I have also written the longest ghazal of 1001 shers. I just say whatever one does, there shall be 3 things in it: Junoon, Jazba aur Josh.
Q. Did you face any problem in doing these likes of yours?
A. Raising my country’s name was the only wish in my mind, there were problems but those didn’t need to pay much heed to. People used to say: what stupid things you are doing; regarding technical problems I have already told you. And after all this, we just receive papered honors but not any financial reward either from the record book makers or the government.
Q. What are your next plans?
A. I want to take the number of my world records to 36. One each dedicated to every state & Union Territory of India.
Q. Any message to the artists..?
A. Keep faith in yourself, work with dedication & never be disappointed.
Thanks for your time. It was very nice meeting an artist like you.
Bhakti Sharma a name which creates a sparkle in almost every Udaipurite’s eye. The pride and honor we feel in telling people “Oh…Bhakti Sharma! Yeah I know her, we are from the same city” is blissful. In my case, the sentence I often use when someone asks me whether I have heard of Bhakti Sharma is ‘Yeah I know Bhakti Di! We are from the same school, infact she was my senior’. This is what SHE has provided us with, a reason to be happy, a reason to be proud.
Bhakti Sharma:
Though this name requires no introduction, I would still like to share Bhakti’s feats of glory :
Crossed the English Channel (covered 36 km in 13 hours and 55 minutes) in 2006.
Acquired first position in the Rapperswil to Zurich Marathon event in 2006.
The Following year she crossed the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
29th August, 2012 marked another milestone in her life. This was the day when Udaipur’s ‘Mermaid’ was awarded with the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award2011 presented to her by the President Of India.
In Conversation With Bhakti Sharma :
UB: Being an internationally recognized swimmer, after so many achievements at hand; what do you plan next?
Bhakti:Next would be to excel professionally as well in the career that I have chosen . And swim in the Antarctica pretty soon.
UB: You had been a regular participant in various tournaments when you were in school but lately we haven’t heard your name in such events? No plans for Asiad or Olympics..?
Bhakti: Ya I used to participate in State and National level competitions. My last National was in when I was in 9th standard. After that I took up long distance swimming which got included in Olympics only in 2008. So I haven’t really got a chance to prepare for them and also you need to participate in 6 events to qualify for long distance Olympics, which isn’t really feasible for me right now.
UB: What inspired you to take up adventure sports, somewhere being out of league in our society? How you found, analyzed, planned & implemented over the opportunities?
Bhakti: There wasn’t a moment where I got inspired to take up adventure sports. It has been a journey that was started only to try something new and different. As I finished my swims successfully, it kept inspiring me to go for the next one. And of course the encouragement from my family has been a major factor. For every swim we had to do a lot of research online, there are swims for which I have waited for a year to get everything sorted. But my family never gave up, my mom used to sit online for hours looking for ways and organizations, and my dad was always busy arranging resources for the swims. I have been merely swimming.
UB: Do you think taking up sports on a serious career basis in Rajasthan still a risk? And wherever not, which sport would you suggest being the safest (except Cricket) when it comes to financial security?
Bhakti: People who take up sports seriously do for the love and passion for it. It is really not something that promises financial security, especially in Rajasthan. The ultimate destination is being a coach or getting a job easier because of your contribution towards sports. No sports is safest just for being that sport, the level at which you are involved in the sport makes the difference.
UB :Apart from swimming, what are your interests; what do you like to do in your free time?
Bhakti: I like to read books and watch movies. I am a total movie buff. And yes sleeping, I don’t leav a single opportunity to hit the bed.
UB: Are you studying? If yes, details?
Bhakti: Yes, I am currently doing MBA in communications management specializing in Advertising.
UB: Where do you see yourself, in what profession; after 10-12 years?
Bhakti: I see myself successfully running my own agency and continuing swimming even if just leisure swimming.
UB: How does it feel; being awarded by the President, loads of success at an early age….? J Do you find any changes in your personal life after all this?
Bhakti: It feels just great to be awarded by the honorary President. The happiness is more because my sport and achievements have been recognized . Yes there is a change in my personal life, people have started to look upto me with expectations, my friends look for ne reasons to ask for a party :p but above everything else, I have grown as a person , not because of the awards but because of my swims. My favorite memories are still form my swims more than the award ceremonies.
UB: A light one, where are your favorite hangouts when you are in Udaipur?
Bhakti: I make sure to visit old city area in Udaipur everytime I am in the city. The roof top restaurants there are my favourites, German bakery,and yes the pani puri wala at durga nursery, Happinezz and Dabeli wala at Sukhadia. Rani road is my preference when it comes to going for a drive.
UB: If ‘Bhakti Sharma’ was not a swimmer, what would she be ?
Bhakti: Hahaha! I have been asking myself this question for a very long time now, and haven’t got an answer yet. I could have been anything if not a swimmer, there are a lot of other thing staht define me, maybe something out of those would have dominated then.
UB: Lastly, a message for the youth of Udaipur.
Bhakti: I see a tremendous change in the youth of Udaipur. There is surely lot of talent in Udaipur, people just need to realize it and work towards their dreams. Also after being out of the city now, I feel the pleasure and joy of coming from a small city and I want the youth of Udaipur to feel the same pride.
Mr. Madhukar Dube | Managing Director, Fusion eSolutions LLC, USA
In the previous part, we discussed about the IT sector, developments, requirements, and problems the IT Sector is facing in Udaipur. For those, who are new to this article, let me introduce to you a concerned Udaipurite, and one of the pioneers of the IT sector in Udaipur: Mr. Madhukar Dube, Managing Director, Fusion eSolutions LLC, USA. In this part, he speaks about the education system, regarding the necessary reforms it needs and what the IT sector needs out of it. Also, speaking about himself, sharing his views over the society, and our own City of Lakes. So not wasting a moment in the introduction, I’m continuing with the UB’s Gangs of Wasseypur Part 2 😀
• We have been talking about the IT infrastructure, challenges and lots more. Major highlighted issue that came up was lack of efficient manpower. That in a way points to the current education system and society too. Isn’t it?
Absolutely, the education system has greatly deteriorated in the present time. The teaching profession too is suffering at large. Let’s take a simple calculation. Every year new colleges have been opening in our country. To teach so many students, we need teachers. But are we producing the required quantity of quality teachers too? Certainly not!! Once a person is qualified enough, good companies like us for example or companies based in I.T hubs like Bangalore, Hyderabad & Gurgaon will pull you out from your college itself with attractive packages and incentives. But there are scarcely any who wish to teach others. I still remember two guys who resigned from Fusion just because they wanted to teach, and I believe they are doing better in their teaching career than they could do in Fusion. My parents have been teachers so I do appreciate the feeling, as I know that teaching profession needs a class apart and a different temperament which sadly is lacking today.
• Mostly, the education sector is now focused on anyhow getting admissions into the IITs. How far you think it is right? Or it is simply becoming a rat race instead of a trend?
I think I may have answered this question above but let me go into greater detail. Getting into IIT is not a panacea in itself. If you are a student who lacks zeal and a clear focus then you simply cannot get quality education anywhere, leave alone admission into IIT’s. Our society has put so much pressure on the words “success” and “packages” that the vulnerable student fraternity gets “pushed” into this rat race. They won’t know it, but they would be in that race.
This is destroying creative thinking and the next generation. I would quote Forest Long of the Young & Rubicam ad agency who famously said in 1971 “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”. So true!!
I am not an engineer, neither I have been into IITs. I have completed my B.Sc in Computer Science from Jain Vishwa Bharti University, and I am an OCP (Oracle Certified Professional) and have done a three year course from Aptech. But I had the good fortune of having the support and blessings of great mentors who changed my life, taking a moment to acknowledge with respect, Mr. Mohan Lal Talesara, Swami Sir, and Rekha Jain Ma’m, they ignited the passion in me for computers and pushed it into a right direction. I already had a budding interest for computers, but wasn’t good at programming. On the other hand, I was good at system designing and database, so they pushed me in that direction. And the outcome is what I am today. I am proud having been blessed with great parents who never forced me for anything.
My message to youth is do what your heart says and follow your own instincts. If you do not understand my message at least watch the Aamir Khan starrer “3 Idiots”. I think that would drive home my point!!
Mr. Madhukar Dube | Managing Director, Fusion eSolutions LLC, USA
• What do you feel about the City of Lakes?
Udaipur is a very beautiful city and has been a lucky charm for me of course. But like I said above, this city has the potential of getting catapult into a different league altogether. If the polity and policy makers put their head into preparing a vision for the year 2025, put their honest efforts into it and come out with the required ecosystem to drive growth, I am sure Udaipur would be shining on the world map.
We have to think ahead. Relying on tourism and mineral industry won’t get us into a different league. We have to develop the vision to include different industry segments, give them the required ecosystem to flourish backed by honest governance.
This in my view will be our fitting tribute to our ancestors who established Udaipur. One person can always bring a change to entire society. Despite of 100 driving carelessly, if one starts driving carefully with a helmet on or driving in a correct lane etc, rest of 99 can get a good example, and soon those 100 will influence the other 1000. Change is never instantaneous, its gradual, we must be patient.
• There have been myths/rumours of another recession coming up in near future. What would you like to say for the high school students or those who are stepping into college life from school for choosing IT as a profession?
Recession and Bullish-Bearish market will always be there at all times. To note, the maximum rise in Facebook was observed during 2009 to 2011, which was during the recession period itself. So stop following other’s footsteps or advice or rumours, there won’t be any recession for a talent ever.
• We have been talking about society, social awareness and reforms. What improvements or amendments in your views are needed in today’s hour in the society?
If I were to point out the top three things which are hindering the growth of India, they would be “lack of governance”, “corruption” and “lack of discipline”. Start with minor things, when you overtake a driving vehicle from the wrong side or when you cross the road when it is red signal, you are disturbing the whole system.
Government comes up with policies but due to poor governance, lack of accountability and corruption the fruits of development do not reach the lowest levels of the society. As a nation we end up squandering opportunities. Minor ego issues and leg pulling among us distort the larger vision.
During my recent visit to U.S, I found that people do consult psychiatrists, despite having an easier life (that’s what I think) compared to us Indians. But here these things fail, as we live a dual life. This is another great social problem. We never speak up what we like or dislike. We would rather complain to a third person than speaking directly to the concerned person. We have a policy here, “Jhooth toh hum bolte nahi, aur sach bola jaata nahi”. And thus, we daily lie to ourselves. We need to give a frank opinion about what we feel is wrong. We need to grow up and act mature as a society.
• What are your plans for the society for its betterments?
Like I said, society needs improvements that will gradually bring upon a change. I wish to do something for the education of poor children, as well as those who dropped out of their education due to reasons outside of their control. We have also adopted the ITI Mavli, and will be starting new courses for the vocational training of students to meet employment opportunities. Education is the only way for betterment, and achieving that will be my primary aim.
• Having talked about the incredible Madhukar Dubey at a professional level, can we get a sneak peak of him at a personal level?
I am passionate about music. Not many might know but not long ago I used to be a professional DJ (Disc Jockey) and mind you I was very good at it. I used to rank amongst the best DJ’s at one point of time. I am an avid sports lover and my favorite sports include Basketball, Hockey and Volleyball. I was awarded the Presidential medal for being a top scout when I was in school. I love mountains and was selected and participated in the Himalayan Base Camp when I was just 17 years old!! Every year I take time out to go for some kind of adventure sports like in June went for ‘rafting’ at Ton river in Uttarakhand. I am proud and lucky that I am blessed by true visionary parents who did their best making me realize my dreams. My father’s principles are mine and I follow them to last bit. My lovely wife Shweta has always motivated me to better myself. My son Yashovardhan is growing up and like me has a passion for electronics. Any toy I buy for him, he dismantles them within no time to understand their inner working. He is my heart. My brother, Himkar, is a pillar of strength for me and his lovely wife Anjali is someone I truly respect. My friends Siddharth Chouhan (DON Ji), Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar(Boss), Anuj, Manoj Dugar, Dheeraj Malhotra, Rohit Gupta & Raju Surana are very few people who have been with me in every up & down.
• Last, but not the least, your word for UdaipurBlog as well as its readers please
Honestly, I was waiting for such a news blog to come out from Udaipur created by Udaipurites. Your team which is full of young and creative minds is doing a fantastic job. I am glad you have a loyal base of avid readers who feel they are part of this endeavour. I wish the whole team of UdaipurBlog and its Readers all the success in the world!! While I work tirelessly towards achieving my dreams I would always solicit your prayers in helping me realizing them. Your blog is something non-political, non nepotism, aggressive, looking for new places to hangout and above all very pure from heart. Be that always…words go around. Jai Mewar!!
Udaipur is not merely a city of lakes or a tourist destination, there is a much larger part of Udaipur than what meets the eye.With the continuous exposure, strive for achieving an extra edge and increased hunger for adventure and fun has led the udaipurites to challenge many odds.
Following is the story by Ankesh Sharma, a biker and definitely an adventure lover.
Motor biking to Leh is the dream of every biker. We were planning for this since last year and this year when I and my brother decided to make our dream come true. We departed for Manali on July 17, 2012 and dived into the universe of adventures. It was Royal Enfield 350 cc Machismo motorbike that we were riding.
The beauty of Rohtang Pass was not less than that of heaven. The snow covered mountains and waterfalls made us feel we were in Heaven. The Drive up till Leh does require a lot of preparation but the worst part on our side was that we were without any preparation.
The first stop was made at Keylong which was 120 kilometers ahead of Manali. After that we stopped at Sarchu and we got our petrol tanks filled at a station called Thandi that came before Keylong as there was no filling station till Leh. It was a No Network area too.
Sarchu was a place that was on the border of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Here we had to get registered-in by the police. It was cold in Sarchu and the next day we started early since we had to cover up to Leh. The way from Sarchu till Leh was very beautiful and we came across the unseen beauty of nature.
Sometimes we drove with a river, sometimes crossed snow covered mountains and sometimes sandstone formations of Kangla Jal. Driving on the 21 loops of Ghataloops was also fascinating. This was how we reached up to Pong which is the highest army transit camp of the world. After Pong as we drove upwards we came across more plains (this was at the altitude of 17,000 feet above the sea level). It was very difficult to drive on this road because of low oxygen level and poor roads. Many times we had to go off road.
Then came Tanglang La which is the world’s second highest motor able pass and while coming down from there we got our motorbike’s tyre flattered. Fortunately we met some bikers who helped us in getting the tyre tube changed and finally we reached Leh the same day.
The following day we visited the landmarks of Leh namely Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa, Namgyal Tsemo Gompa followed by the visits to Magnetic Hill, Sangam and Hall of Fame the next day.
(Just for the record : Every tourist requires a permit to visit Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake. Permit can be made at the DC office of Leh.)
The third day we came across the world’s highest motor able pass called Khardung La Pass and also visited the monastery of Diskit and the sand dunes of Hunder, riding on sand dunes in middle of snow covered mountains was a good experience.
We thought of returning back to Leh on the same day but the drivers are strictly recommended not to drive before 7am and after 5pm because roads may block anytime and you don’t get help. So today the night stay was made at Diskit only.
The next morning we left for Leh. The very same day we decided to drive towards Manali and decided to reach Rumtsey, which is a town located 80 Kilometers before Leh. We halted at a town called Lato. We stayed at a rented room, (rented to us by a local family). Walls made of mud, wooden roof and floor covered with carpet. On top of that there was no electricity and we had dinner in candlelight. The house was on the bank of river Indus. It was like a night of fairy tales.
The next day we halted at Sarchu and there the bike broke down. Flattered Tyres, broken clutch wire and shock absorber. Fortunately we met a truck driver from Rajasthan who helped us in carrying the bike till Manali.
Biking to Leh is a good experience for those who prioritize adventures. However Poor road connectivity and unavailability of proper medical facility makes this tour little bit risky. Also the charges charged by the localities for the services provided by them were very annoying.
In the nutshell I will conclude that motor biking to Leh is a must go for adventure lovers but for tourists, I will say a big NO.
The Photo Gallery is as Follows :
An Article By : Mr. Ankesh Sharma & Mr. Natwar Singh Rajawat
Mr. Madhukar Dube, Managing Director, Fusion eSolutions Pvt. Ltd.
Entrance to the IT Park
Udaipur has evolved as a tourism city and marked a great presence worldwide. Even to my surprise, I came to know many facts about Udaipur, for it has many “WOW” factors apart from only tourism, after I became a part of UdaipurBlog.com Team. The rich Mewar Culture, the presence of mineral rich places, mines, of being a marble hub, as well as a booming IT city, the solar observatory, and many more. Wait! Yes, if you came across it for the first time like I did recently and can’t believe your eyes, you still got it right. Udaipur has also left a great impression globally in the IT industry. There’s a separate IT park too in the Mewar Industrial Area of Udaipur aka Madri. Once I came across this fact, believe me I became curious to know more about how could an IT industry grow, or to be honest with words, survive in a comparatively smaller and technologically unremarkable (as of then) city than big metros. Gathering all information I could, I came across the names of few big players which are successfully venturing, and a name among them was that of Fusion Outsourcing Pvt Ltd. On my request for an interview with “The Boss” with utmost curiosity and nervousness, I was granted an appointment with Mr. Madhukar Dubey, (Managing Director) at Fusion Outsourcing. Entering into the IT Park itself was a jaw dropping experience, being into a part of city that was earlier wasn’t thought to exist on the map, and being there felt like being somewhere out of the city entirely. The entire place has a separate calmness and ambiance. Then I happened to meet this ever smiling and inspiring person, whose warm and friendly gesture made me forget that it was my first ever interview, Mr. Madhukar Dubey aka Madhu Dube. Anyways, enough for the personal feelings sections, now here’s an interview based on series of discussions with him.
• First of all, thanks for the appointment. Being here has been a different experience. Coming to the main point, many people still believe that IT Industries don’t exist in Udaipur, as even I used to think few time back. For an icebreaking stuff, Please tell us how did Fusion evolve.
Fusion started out as a proprietorship concern in October 2005. We rented a small office space at Akruti Complex near Saheli Marg. Our very first projects were in the BPO space which helped us gain traction and keep the ball rolling. October 2006 saw us converting into a Private Limited Company from a proprietorship concern. We deliberately kept the company name starting it with the term “Fusion” which means combining many parties, entities or objects to form something new and thus Fusion Outsourcing Software Private Limited came into play. With our sustained efforts we grew very fast and soon rented out three additional office spaces in the same office complex. June 2008 again saw us shifting base to the I.T Park (Mewar Industrial Area Extension) wherein we managed to rent out a big space so that we could bring all of our different teams sitting in separate offices under one single roof with state of the art facilities and superior office infrastructure. With the grace of god, my parents blessings and above all real hard work by the team has pushed us forward wherein currently we are employing 100+ professionals. We are a proud member of NASSCOM, CII & TiE.
Mr. Madhukar Dube, Managing Director, Fusion eSolutions LLC, USA
• That means more than six years? Wow! So what all spheres of IT does Fusion deal with?
We are essentially an integrated I.T Services Provider. Our business verticals include Social Media Research & Analytics, I.T Consulting & Development, Business Process Outsourcing services to name a few.
To elaborate on our business verticals, in Social Media Research & Analytics we are providing in-depth Research Reports and Strategy Consulting to many Fortune 500 companies. We make use of cutting edge technology to extract real-time data from different Social Media platforms like Blogs, Facebook, Twitter etc and analyze huge loads of data to arrive at a refined set of parameters to base our study on.
These research reports add tremendous value for our clients and enable them to understand the impact of their marketing efforts so they can make informed decisions going forward. We do not stop there. Based on our analysis we go a step further and provide consulting on how they should approach their product development, product launch and address the latent needs of their consumer base.
In a nutshell we provide our Fortune 500 clients end-to-end Research & Consulting Services based on the Social Media Sphere. It’s a niche service offering wherein we were ranked the 5th Best Service Provider in the entire world in Investment Research by the U.S based Data Monitor Group.
Our I.T Consulting & Development vertical has enabled clients spread all over the world in adding value to their operations. We have developed end-to-end solutions primarily for Healthcare & Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (also known as BFSI) Industry segments. Our web development vertical has created a niche of its own with aesthetically appealing web design and Web 2.0 solutions. With Mobile App development we have entered a sunrise industry segment. Our HTML 5 based solutions are powering our client’s future needs today.
Our Business Process Outsourcing offerings have done wonders to client’s operational efficiencies. We provide Virtual Staffing Solutions to Small and Medium sized businesses based in U.S, EU & Australia. It has contributed greatly towards minimizing their manpower costs and our virtual staff has succeeded in becoming an integral part of their overall process. We also provide Medical Billing solutions to U.S based Hospitalist groups.
• Everyone rushes out for big cities like Mumbai, Bangalore as they are big finance and IT capitals of the country. Why did you go against the stream and choose Udaipur?
India till the 90’s was considered a poor nation full of snake charmers and cows dotting the streets. This perception changed after liberalisation which unleashed the nation’s entrepreneurship and our Industry peers TCS, Infosys & Wipro gave credence to this changed image. We were suddenly shining on the world map. This is when Bangalore came up on the horizon which quite ironically till the 90’s was considered to be a heaven for Retirees. Udaipur which shines on the World’s tourist map sadly stood nowhere on the I.T map when I started the company. Though it may sound farfetched as of now but I will not be surprised if in a few years Udaipur becomes the Silicon Valley of the northern states. It has all the potential. The need is to “believe” that we can do it. I am proud to share that last year a study conducted by the Industry Association ASSOCHAM ranked Udaipur No.5 among the top tier II & III cities in terms of employment growth in the I.T Industry. This is welcome news among all the gloom that is surrounding the I.T Industry in the rest of India. I strongly believe in this dream of bringing Udaipur on the World I.T map and leaving no stone unturned to fulfill this dream.
• That accounts for the wonderful delights connected with this company. Speaking about the darker side, what all challenges did you have to face since the establishment phase?
As an individual I love my country and I love my town. But when it comes to establishing an enterprise there are numerous hurdles. Infrastructure bottlenecks such as absence of good quality bandwidth, uninterrupted supply of electricity, well set up I.T incubator facilities, friendly government agencies all frustrate an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur all I need is infrastructure which matches the standards set in major I.T hubs, fast approval of regulatory compliance’s and continuous flow of good quality manpower. Unfortunately I find them all missing.
Come to the I.T Park where we are located. In fact it is not a I.T Park in the true sense of the word. The .T Park is just adjacent to a busy industrial area known as Madri where there are numerous chemical factories spewing toxic acids and gases in the air, soapstone factories throwing dust and powder in the vicinity, due to the presence of factories heavy vehicles ply in the I.T Park which have caused numerous accidents, pathetic roads, government agencies whose officials throw tantrums for simple paperwork in the expectation of getting their palms greased and what not. The quality of manpower sadly is below par. Out of every 100 candidates we interview, not even 6-7 are fit for employment.
Chimneys emitting harmful fumes
I must admit these are sorry state of affairs.
• Okay, so who is to be blamed for this?
The whole ecosystem is flawed to start with. The education system which is responsible for producing the required manpower lacks quality teacher. The syllabus is primitive and what is taught is not what the Industry requires. A recent study pointed out that out of every 100 engineering students who pass out, only 17 are fit for further “training”. Mind you, I am not saying they are fit to be “employed”. Employment comes later, first the students need to be trained so that they can become “employable”. We end up doing the job which our education system should be doing. The mushrooming of new universities, colleges and institutions doesn’t mean we have also improved on the count of employable manpower. In fact the opposite is true. The institutes who do not have adequate infrastructure and quality teachers are producing “human robots” which are incapable of applying their own brain when it comes to practical thinking. This is injustice to the students who enroll themselves in colleges looking at the full page advertisements claiming 100% placements and when they pass out they find themselves unemployable in the industry stream they have got graduated from.
B.Tech(Mech. Engg) pass outs are applying for the posts of Data Entry Operators. Isn’t this injustice!!
I also find the students lacking in zeal and in clear focus. The race to earn a quick buck without putting in sustained and laborious efforts and the many worldly distractions hinder their employability and career growth.
• Any memorable incident that occurred to you till date?
Yes, something very memorable I would like to mention. I generally spend 10 days outside Udaipur every year, traveling alone. That’s the time I plan new strategies for the company. The incident occurred in 2006 when my life took few undesired turns and I had to undergo a bitter experience at both personal level (had a bad breakup) as well as professionally wherein I had suffered huge losses. I went to Goa for a change. On my way, I found this young foreigner – Tobias, who was looking to hitch hike to a hotel. I shared my auto rickshaw with him. On the way we became friends, and came to know he was from Norway, and has travelled 5 countries before India, and amazingly was just 19 years of age! When asked about budget, he said he came here with a plan of only Rs. 600 per day. For a place like Goa and for a foreigner, this is extremely low. He just told me one inspiring thing, “Anything can fit in any budget, provided it is planned perfectly”. For the entire time of about 10 days I was with him, I was amazed that this young guy, he was so enthusiastic and energetic; he never stopped for a moment, kept on doing something or the other, slept in a hut with just a bulb and fan, even on beach with a blanket only. I spoke to myself if he can stay happy, why can’t I? That was my life turning event. After my return, I worked really very hard for Fusion, redesigned the management, distributed work among my team members, gave them responsibilities, trusted them and that’s how we grew. Our stats speak for ourselves.
• That’s incredible. So how do you rate yourself as a boss?
The first and foremost thing, there is no word ‘employee’ at Fusion. Everyone is a team member. I am proud to have a huge loving team. My first team member, Dinesh Nagda, and the second to join me, Rohit Gupta, are both still around. A work friendly environment gives them a good boost. The attrition rate too has been low comparatively for the same reason. I don’t allow anyone to work for more than eight hours, and every Friday and Saturday, there are compulsory sports at our premises in the evening. I keep them saying and following one sentence “Your parents never gave birth to you to lose. They dreamt of you to be a winner, so be that and strive for it”
PS: That’s it for the 1st part, stay tuned for the next. Till then, share your views, also if you like this post share it on Facebook, Twitter
Standing outside the SP’s chamber, I was hell nervous regarding my first interview and that too of none other than but Mr. Hari Prasad Sharma, who recently joined as Superintendent Police of Udaipur a few weeks back. But the way he so easily accepted his short hand in the technical field including blogging, social networking and all, it reflected how down to earth he is. The clarity and the confidence with which he answered my questions, was worth a ‘salute’.
Here is the conversation with him.
Q1. A very warm welcome to the Udaipur City Sir!! How do you find this city and how are you feeling after coming here?
A. Thank you. Udaipur is a calm and serene city. It’s a pleasure to serve the people of this city.
Q2. Everyone in the City wants to know about your education and service background.
A. I did my B.Sc. in Mathematics in 1979 and then M.A. in Economics. I worked in Reserve Bank of India for one year. Then I joined Administrative Services and served as RPS and DYSP till 1993. Then I became IPS in 2001 and worked with United Nations for 1 year. After that I became SP Jhunjhunu, SP Ajmer, SP Jodhpur, and SP Nagaur and then got posted in Udaipur.
Q3. After joining as SP of Udaipur, what are your priorities or the areas of focus?
A. Firstly, we’ll try to speed up the investigations and provide the population with a better and unbiased system of justice and administration. Secondly, we’ll make sure that there is a reduction in the number of crimes in the city.
Q4. “Tourism is the spine of Udaipur”. What will you do to provide a secure environment to tourists?
A. Basically, State Tourist Board deals with the matters relating to tourism. But in a working system, it becomes a job of local police. I’ll try to help tourists in every possible way and see to their security.
Q5. From past few months, there has been an increase in the number of crimes ranging from Chain Snatching to land-mafia and alcohol smuggling. People got no satisfactory results from the interventions taken by police against these crimes and criminals. What will be your strategy to deal with them?
A. It’s always the easiest job to sit in the couches and blame the system for not functioning effectively. But people need to stand over the ground of facts and then speak. According to India Today analysis, Rajasthan holds the fourth position in the list of peaceful states, only after Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala. In the last 15 days, I have myself gone through the records of the city and found that there has been a minimal increase in the crime rate. Still I and my department will work to control the crime. See the situation today and see it after 2 months, compare them, and then you will no longer ask this question.
Q6. Sir, maybe the communication gap between the general masses and the police is the reason that people are unaware of the measures and the steps taken by your department and that’s why they are not satisfied with the working system.
A. Obviously this gap will be visible when you have only 2619 constables and a few inspectors and officers for a population of approx 32 Lakhs.
Q7. Udaipur is no longer a peaceful city as it used to be, reason being the growing traffic. How are you going to manage this terrific traffic?
A. Traffic management can never be successful unless the drivers themselves follow the traffic rules. If you wish to have a swift traffic as in European countries, then you need to drive like Europeans. They don’t even break the red light at midnight with not even a single vehicle around and we can break red light even with hundreds of vehicles around.
Q8. Female feticide is a serious matter of concern even for Udaipur. How will you work to stop it?
A. Female feticide is a social problem. Neither Police nor any law can save female fetus from being killed in the womb itself. People need to be educated; awareness must be spread. This is the only single way of combating this problem.
Q9. Most of the time, undue political pressure and interference of politicians hinders the effective functioning of police department. Your comments on this matter?
A. Politicians in Rajasthan are quite good and away from those political games. Moreover, it depends on the officer whether he wants to do the right thing or not. No one can hold your hand and make you sign on a wrong document.
Q10. What motivated you to join police services?
A. In a small area near Jaipur, Administrative services and police department are the most respectable professions. That’s why I joined Police Services.
Q11. Any message for the people of Udaipur?
A. People should have civic sense and must bind by the law. Moreover, they should have faith in the Department and I hope to have their support with me always. And I wish UdaipurBlog.com, all the very best to excel as an online media, effectually acting as a bridge between the administration and the people.
भारतीय जनता पार्टी अल्पसंख्यक मोर्चा के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री सैयद शाहनवाज़ हुसैन अपने एक दिवसीय निजी दौरे पर उदयपुर आये. एक मित्र के पारिवारिक समारोह में शामिल होने आये शाहनवाज़ हुसैन के इस बेहद गोपनीय दौरे की भनक स्थानीय मिडिया को भी नहीं लगी, किन्तु उदयपुर ब्लॉग टीम ने उनके निजी कार्यक्रम में से उनका कुछ समय चुरा ही लिया. और जब बात शुरू हुई तो फिर हर बिंदु पर बात हुई. प्रस्तुत है उनसे हुई बातचीत के अंश-
1. आपने राजनीति में प्रवेश क्यों किया ? श्री हुसैन: मैं बिहार से हूँ. जब छोटा था तो बिहार की समृद्ध विरासत अपने बुजुर्गों से सुना करता था. किन्तु जब थोड़ा समझने लगा तो वर्तमान बिहार को अपने इतिहास से अलग पाया. उत्तर खोजने पर हर अंगुली तत्कालीन राजनीतिज्ञों पर उठती देखी. पाया कि हर कोई राजनीति को हेय दृष्टि से देखता है. फिर सोचा अगर गन्दगी को साफ़ करना है तो गन्दगी में उतरना ही होगा. बस यहीं से निश्चय कर लिया.
2. राजनीति में प्रवेश हेतु ऐसी पार्टी को चुनने की खास वजह, जिसे हिंदुओं की पार्टी कहा जाता है, जबकि आप इस्लाम को मानने वाले है. श्री हुसैन: देखिये, मैंने भी बीजेपी को ज्वाइन करने से पहले यही सुना था कि ये पार्टी हिंदुत्व की पार्टी है. पर दरअसल ऐसा है नहीं. क्या मुस्लिम बीजेपी को वोट नहीं देते? अगर ऐसा होता तो माननीय वाजपेयी जी लखनऊ से हर बार जीत कर नहीं आते. मुझे ही देख लीजिए. मुझ साधारण कार्यकर्त्ता को पार्टी ने कितना सम्मान दिया. और फिर अगर ऐसी कोई धारणा है भी कि ये पार्टी सिर्फ हिंदुओं की है, तो लीजिए मैंने इस मिथक को तोड़ दिया.
3. तो आपको लगता है कि बीजेपी एक राष्ट्रवादी पार्टी है, साम्प्रदायिक पार्टी नहीं? श्री हुसैन: सांप्रदायिक वे है, जो ऐसा सोचते है, हम सभी को साथ लेकर चलने वालों में है. बीजेपी में हमेशा से राष्ट्र धर्म सर्वोपरि रहा है.
4. क्या कारण है कि मुस्लिम तुलनात्मक रूप से ज्यादा राजनीति ज्वाइन नहीं करते ? श्री हुसैन: मुस्लिमो के मुख्य धारा से पीछे रहने का मूल कारन अशिक्षा और गरीबी है. अगर सभी साक्षर होंगे तो सब अच्छा होना शुरू हो जायेगा. जहाँ तक राजनीति को ज्वाइन करने की बात है, ऐसा नहीं है. यहाँ मुस्लिम कार्यकर्ता भी है, और वे अच्छा काम कर भी रहे है.
5. आपके अनुसार देश को बाहरी आतंकवादियों से ज्यादा खतरा है या अंदर पनप रहे क्षेत्रवाद से? श्री हुसैन: कोई धर्म नहीं कहता कि किसी बेगुनाह को मारो. ये इसका धर्मं, वो मेरा धर्म…. ये अनपढ़ लोगों की बातें है. क्योंकि सबसे पहले हम सभी भारतीय है. यही बात मैं उन लोगों के लिए कहना चाहूँगा जो क्षेत्रवाद फैलाते है. देश के निति निर्धारकों ने कुछ सोचकर ही नियम बनाये है. हमें उनका सम्मान करना चाहिए, यही राष्ट्रहित में है.
6. क्या सच में राजनीति एक “डर्टी पिक्चर” है ? श्री हुसैन: ऊपर से उंगुली उठाना बहुत आसान है. खुद आइये और परखिये…
7. वर्तमान सरकार पर बहुत उंगुलियां उठ रही है ? क्या नेता,क्या संत.. सब पीछे पड़ गए है? श्री हुसैन: विपक्ष का काम सरकार की हर खामी हो जनता के सामने लाना होता है. विपक्ष के रूप में एनडीए यह काम बखूबी कर रही है. एक के बाद एक होते घोटालों और कमर तोडती महंगाई ने आम आदमी की आँखे खोल कर रख दी है. हजारों करोड रुपये देश से बाहर भेज दिए जाते है, और जब कोई आवाज़ उठाता है तो उसे आधी रात में डंडो से पीटा जाता है. मैं अपनी कहता हूँ, इस सरकार के इतने घोटाले देख लिए, जितने अपने तमाम राजनितिक जीवन में नहीं देखे. ऐसी सरकार को केन्द्र में रहना का क्या हक है, आप खुद ही बताईये, जिसके मंत्री तिहाड में बंद हो.
8. आपकी पार्टी के बंगारू लक्ष्मण जी भी को तो रिश्वत लेते तहलका ने पकड़ा था, अब तो कोर्ट ने भी उनको दोषी करार दे दिया ? श्री हुसैन: जिस दिन बंगारू लक्ष्मण टीवी पर रिश्वत लेते पकडे गए थे, अगले ही दिन आलाकमान से उन्हें निलंबित कर दिया. और कुछ ही दिनों पश्चात पार्टी से निष्कासित भी. ऐसा कोई उदहारण कांग्रेस में हो तो बताईये. यहाँ तो कोमन्वेल्थ मेंघोटाले करने वाली मुख्यमंत्री को और ज्यादा तवज्जो दी जाती है. और फिर देखिये, पांचो उंगुलियां बराबर नहीं होती. बंगारू ने जो किया, उसका फल पाया.
9. आप देश के सबसे युवा सांसदों में से एक है. और सबसे युवा मंत्री भी रह चुके है. युवाओं के लिए कोई संदेश? श्री हुसैन: हिंदुस्तान युवाओं का देश है. यहाँ के युवाओं ने तरक्की की नयी इबारत लिखी है. युवा शक्ति को अपने अधिकार समझने होंगे और अपनी शक्ति का पोजिटिव उपयोग करना भी सीखना होगा. हाथ से हाथ मिलाईये, और फिर देखिये, किस तरह देश को नयी दशा और दिशा मिलती है. अन्ना आंदोलन में हम देश की युवा शक्ति का जीता जगता उदहारण देख चुके है.
10. उदयपुर के लिए कोई संदेश? श्री हुसैन: उदयपुर मेरे दिल में बसता है. मैं यहाँ आने के बहाने खोजता हूँ. अभी भी मेरे एक मित्र के घर में शादी थी, तो मैं भगा चला आया. जितना सुन्दर ये शहर है, उतने ही अच्छे यहाँ के लोग. मुझे यहाँ के लोगों के दिल यहाँ की झीलों की ही तरह साफ़ और बड़े दीखते है. अगर रिटायरमेंट के बाद कही बसने का मन हुआ तो उदयपुर उसमे सबसे पहले होगा.
There’s a special thing about her that makes her stand out amongst others. At the level of nursery standard, she was awarded as “Baby Shakti Nagar”; she was the first pilot of her flying club; and now she has successfully completed her examination of Commercial Pilot License Training.
Here, we are talking about Annie Taldar, a 21 year old young girl, the lady pilot of Udaipur.
She has a flying experience of more than 200 hours and she reached till 9000 ft. height flying Cessna 172 Glass Cockpit, a small airplane.
She had a passion of becoming pilot when she was just 3 years old. When once asked about her plans for future, ‘A Pilot’ immediately came the answer. No one other than her herself realized the seriousness behind this innocent answer. Right from that time, she nurtured the dream in her mind and heart.
After completing her schooling from St. Mary’s Senior Secondary School, Udaipur in the year 2009, she joined SVKM’S Academy of Aviation, Shripur, Dhule district Maharashtra. And this month she successfully completed her examination for Commercial Pilot License Training. Anil Taldar is a proud father today. It’s a matter of great achievement for her and a moment of immense happiness for the whole family and Udaipur City.
Annie is very thankful to her parents for having faith in her, for being her supportive backbone throughout and helping her dream come true. Now, the next step for her is to get a job as a pilot and a dream of flying the AIRBUS380, one of the heaviest airplanes in the world.
We on Behalf of all Udaipies, Wish the young girl Congratulations and All the Best for her flying future. Have safe take offs and happy landings…!! 🙂
उदयपुर में आज के दिन दशामाता पूजन काफी हर्षोल्लास के साथ मनाया जाता है। हो सकता है आज आपने सुबह सुबह कई महिलाओं को साज-श्रृंगार कर हाथ में पूजा की थाली लेकर जाते हुए देखा होगा, पर्व है दशामाता पूजन का। चैत्र माह के कृष्ण पक्ष की दशमी यानी होली के दसवें दिन किया जाने वाला दशामाता व्रत एक ऐसा व्रत माना जाता है जो बिगड़े ग्रहों की दशा सुधारकर सुख-समृद्धि, सौभाग्य और धन संपत्ति की पूर्ति करवाता है। ऐसा माना जाता है की अपने नाम के अनुरूप यह व्रत-पूजा परिवार की दशा को सुधार देती है।
दशा माता पूजा विधि
आज के दिन भगवान विष्णु के स्वरूप पीपल वृक्ष की पूजा की जाती है। सौभाग्यवती महिलाएं कच्चे सूत का 10 तार का डोरा बनाकर उसमें 10 गांठ लगाती हैं और पीपल वृक्ष की प्रदक्षिणा करते उसकी पूजा करती हैं। पूजा करने के बाद वृक्ष के नीचे बैठकर नल दमयंती की कथा सुनती हैं और परिवार के सुख-समृद्धि की कामना करते हुए डोरा गले में बांधती हैं। घर आकर द्वार के दोनों ओर हल्दी कुमकुम के छापे लगाती है। पीपल छाल को “स्वर्ण” समझकर घर लाया जाता है और तिजोरी में सुरक्षित रखा जाता है।
व्रत करने वाली महिलाएँ आज के दिन एक ही वक्त खाना खाती हैं। भोजन में नमक का प्रयोग वर्जित रहता है।
इस दिन सुबह जल्दी उठकर घर की साफ-सफाई करके सारा कचरा बाहर फेंक दिया जाता है। आटे से माता पूजन के लिए विभिन्न गहने और विविध सामग्री बनायीं जाती है। नव-विवाहिताओं के लिए आज के दिन शादी का जोड़ा पहनना अनिवार्य माना गया है।
मान्यता के अनुसार आज की दिन किसी को पैसा उधार नहीं दिए जाते।
This week I got a chance to talk to the very popular personality among students, flourishingly intelligent and also the very caring Professor from our city- our most respected Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi Chouhan- former Dean, Students Welfare Board, MLSU & the H.O.D. University Psychology Department.
Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi Chouhan
As people practically know very little about the subject, the most qualified & experienced person from the field of Psychology in our city- an epitome of exemplary excellence in herself, was interviewed, to provide the readers with a better view towards the subject. We really thank her for sparing her time to have a discussion with Kalpit. This is how the conversation went-
Q. Psychology- many conceptions and misconceptions!!! In your words, what is it?
A.Psychology is the subject of natures & behaviors. It is more or less the spine of our behaviour! As the spinal cord balances our brain, keeps it in place; similarly it’s the psychology of a person that keeps its life on a balance. Psychology in itself holds a high place of importance in daily life as it is what makes a person capable of analyzing himself, his society and surroundings; mould an understanding & further have his personal development.
We behold many problems in our life and thoughtfully the root of all problems lies in our psyche! To solve them properly, a psychological understanding is needed.
Q. People rarely know the difference between Psychology & Psychiatry. While those who know; generally believe “Psychiatry” to be a higher level of knowledge; my question is that, are the people specializing through basic degrees in science & arts; as “Psychologists” really inferior to them?
A. A student with the qualification M.B.B.S. + P.G. in Psychiatry is a Psychiatrist while those with M.A. or M.Sc. in Psychology are called Psychologists.
It’s the people’s mentality that has decided it higher. In actual, Psychiatry is just a part of Psychology. On the other hand, Psychology is a wide subject, covering all the aspects.
Psychiatry is the treatment of abnormals with the use of medicines. The flow of our blood, the rate at which we breathe, and many such things depend on our thoughts! To understand & analyze the problem in a wider perspective, we always go with Psychology.
Q. Though a very interesting subject; people have a say that it has low returns in the form of income! What is your verdict on it?
A. It’s merely a misconception aroused out of lack of knowledge & fallacies. Firstly, we can’t limit Psychology to any boundary; it finds its application everywhere. Practically, every 5th person needs a Psychologist; it’s just that being in a poverty-stricken nation, people can’t afford it!
And although, most of the Psychologists are dedicated to their work without any greed, still if you’ve asked- The income in this profession counts in Lakhs. A proper treatment starts with a least fee of Rs. 500 & may reach even 5 lakhs, depending upon the need!
Q. If asked about career specialization, which branch of Psychology you would suggest!
A. No part of a body is more or less. Eyes are as important as ears, so is our tongue! We can never decide which one is the premium! All fields are good at their place; solely depends on the student’s aptitude & choice, which branch he/she is best suited for! If a person wants and finds himself apt to treat abnormal behaviours; he may take Clinical Psychology or Psychiatry; and if he is more comfortable with industries & management life, he may move to Industrial Psychology; and so with the other branches.
Q. Will you name some good colleges for higher studies in psychology?
A. Studying it metros like Delhi & Mumbai will help a lot due to the competition as well as availability of investments.
Q. You’re a Professor since a long time, what do you feel are the standards of Govt. Colleges & the facilities provided in the Psychology Laboratories?
A. It feels disappointing, that in Rajasthan, the subject is not taken properly. We still see here that people believe & say- “Psychology is a subject meant only to be studied by insanes!” In fact, it is the subject which is followed by the most thoughtful & the reasoned ones. A Psychologist needs many elements for his proper furnishing. Tolerance, Will Power & Dedication are in oneself, they don’t need someone’s finances for these; but to check some behaviours and the levels they have reached; specific machinery & equipments are required to get accurate results.
And these facilities aren’t provided. Hence the condition is not so good.
Q. Living in the Indian Society, we see many deaths & diseases occurring due to paranormal reasons; how do you visualize it? (Parapsychology- the branch that deals with the study of spirits)
A. Indian culture is very vast, has a lot of literature describing it! Many highly effective psychological treatments are given in the Vedas; we too use them. Scientifically, it’s the person’s mentality/psychology that goes misguided; this is what is treated then.
Q. Does Telepathy really exist?
A. As a Behavioural Scientist, I’ll say; it depends on what you individually feel. Give a thought, If I’m thinking about someone or something and that happens to be by chance; then it’s totally my personal feeling and belief that telepathy is occurring with me.
Q. India as a nation holds a lot of diversity. What do you think may bring together all in a flow?
A. It’s a positive thing that our society has a lot of variety. I see it as a better part. It’s also the reason why we have comparatively less mental & depression patients than the western countries. There they have a similar lifestyle, which with time brings monotony and thus professional treatment needs! While our cultural combination- colored with festivals, fairs and relations; brings a feeling of happiness & change from time to time, relaxes us to the best.
Q. In the end Ma’m, any message to the students through UdaipurBlog?
A. Yes definitely.
Disregarding as students, you are in which field; I advise you all to study Psychology. Even if you don’t take it as a career; it is a great help in administering yourself, to analyze and understand life in a better way.
It shall definitely leave you with a better perspective towards life.
