PANCHAAMRITAM 263

PANCHAAMRITAM 263

Amavaasya / KALI YUGABDA 5116 / Jaya Margazhi 6 (December 21, 2014)

This issue is devoted to YOUTH – comprising 1 our victorious kabaddi teams (men and women), the world champions, 2 the swadeshi  warrior in the unrelenting Sanskrit student, 3 a tough soldier, 4  the IITians not cowed down by lust for money and 5  a honest taxi driver of Madurai. Read on…

ONE

Bharat defeated Pakistan (45-42) in the final of the fifth World Cup Kabaddi tournament at the Guru Gobind Singh Multipurpose Stadium Badal (Muktsar district, Punjab, Bharat) on December 20, 2014. In the women's final, the Indian veeranganaas defeated New Zealand (36-27). In the men's final, both the Indian and Pakistni teams were neck and neck for the first 10 minutes. Gradually, Pakistan gained lead, and it was only towards the end that India came back in the game. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal appreciated the "keenly contested match". "From next year, the prize money for the winners in the girls' category will be Rs 2 crore, same as for men," he said. Haryana Chie Minister Shri Manoharlal Khattar also was present on the occasion. In women's section, Ram Bateri and Priyanka were adjudged the best raiders. Anu Rani was declared the best stopper for the second year in running. In men's section, Sandeep Surakhpur (India) and Shafiq Ahmed Chisti of Pakistan were adjudged best raiders while Yadwinder Singh Yada was declared the best stopper. "Great news!  Our men and women Kabaddi teams win Kabaddi World Cups. My congratulations to the sportspersons. We are very proud. This is the fifth consecutive win for the men's team and fourth consecutive win for the women's team. Truly phenomenal performance", congratulated Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

TWO

The 32nd convocation of Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi (UP, Bharat), was held on December 19, 2014. Computer scientist, Padma Shri Vijay P Bhatkar was the chief guest. Governor and Chancellor Shri Ram Naik presided over the function. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge to make India a 'Vishwa guru' was also discussed at the ceremony.
The dress code was dhoti, kurta and jacket for boys while the girls were clad in cream saree and blouse. White topi (cap) and cream dupatta is a must for students. It may be mentioned here that last year a Sahityacharya (MA) student, Suman Chandra Pant, was ousted by the administration officials from the convocation venue as he refused to wear traditional gown at the 31st convocation ceremony. Pant was to be awarded nine gold medals and a silver medal for his meritorious performance but because of his argument that the gown was a colonial relic he was ousted and was not awarded. It is worth mentioning that Pant had written about it to Ra j Bhavan seeking special permission for wearing dhoti, kurta and jacket. (Talking to The Indian Express over the phone from Lucknow, where he is now pursuing a Ph. D from Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, Pant said: "The issue was not raised of a sudden. In July  2013, a researcher, Umesh Chandra Shukla, who, too, was among those who refused to wear the gown, had written to the Governor, who is the Chancellor of the University, on the issue. But no decision was taken. When I came to know about the convocation on November 20, 2013, I wrote to Raj Bhavan. I wanted a special permission should at least be granted to me for wearing dhoti, kurta and jacket. But the university was not interested"). Based on a report in THE TIMES OF INDIA, December 20, 2014 and THE INDIAN EXPRESS, November 30, 2013.

THREE

Lt Col Sankalp Kumar, the lone officer from 24 Punjab regiment, among 10 security personnel martyred in the Uri (Jammu Kashmir, Bharat) attack on December 5, 2014 leaving behind wife and two cute daughters. All these are known facts. What is relatively lesser known is this story shared by another officer. "Sirs, when I came to know the name, Sankalp Kumar, it brought back memories of April 2003.The scene was 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar. Myself and Sankalp lying next to each other in ICU. Both were recently operated upon.He had got gun shot wounds. I was badly injured in grenade and IED blast .His injuries were peculiar. He had caught a burst of AK on his stomach. Some which hit the magazines which he was carrying and live rounds were extracted from his belly. His parents came over and would always talk to both of us. Even in ICU he was full of fun and his never ending jokes caused a lot of   pain as both of us since we had over 40 stitches on the stomach.  He was a soldier in the truest sense. He was already a battle casualty. NOT recommended to serve in a field area. But, he volunteered to serve in Kashmir for the love of his Paltan, 24 Punjab”. Based on a post in Nitinagokhale.blogspot.in by Shri Nitin A Gokhale; December 8, 2014.

FOUR

It is not every day that a job-seeker turns down a Rs 1 crore offer. But four of them — three boys and a girl student — at the IIT-Kanpur have done it. According to the chairman of placement cell, Prof Deepu Philip, the offers were made on December 3 by a multinational company during placement interview on their campus. "The offer was for a take home of $150,000, or close to Rs 93 lakh per annum. Along with other incentives and perks, the size of the package was more than Rs 1 crore yearly," says Philip. The girl student and one of the boys declined the offer saying it did not match their temperament and that they wanted professional fulfilment from their jobs. The two have accepted offers of Rs 50 lakh per annum from a smaller company. "The remaining two students said they want to focus on higher studies and were, therefore, not keen on taking up the Rs 1 crore offer," added Philip. Meanwhile, Shri Anurag Meena an Engineering Physics  final semester student of IIT Bombay (Maharashtra, Bharat), has opted for the Deferred Placement Programme (DPP). He is developing product the ‘non invasive drug delivery and diagnostic technique’. The product  will be ready next year. He says: “You need no oral pills or injection; the non invasive technology will deliver the drug into the body. Similarly for diagnosis, blood need not be taken from the body.”   So, Anurag does not seek a job; he is bent upon becoming a job giver. Eleven more of his batch too, have taken to DPP.  Based on a report in BUSINESS STANDARD, December 5, 2014 and another in THE TIMES OF INDIA, December 7, 2014.

FIVE

Dinesh Kumar, a young taxi driver of Madurai, who hardly earns Rs. 8,000 a month, had returned an iPhone and a purse with Rs. 10,200 left by a young French woman in his taxi. The lady, Amandine Huet, had to catch an early morning train to Chennai. Dinesh Kumar dropped her at 4.30 am on December 15, 2014 at the station. “I noticed the valuables left in the rear seat while washing the car. Immediately, I alerted the person who had booked my taxi,” he said. Stephen J. Muthu, founder-Director of Forum for Concern for Others, who had booked the taxi, organised a simple felicitation along with the Director of Fortune Pandiyan Hotel, G. Vasudevan. The driver was honoured with shawls, bouquet and a cash reward. “We find all negative news/articles every day. We thought it was important to honour honest people just to say that good people are here. And he should become a role model for others,” Dr. Vasudevan said. Based on a report by Shri S. Sundar in THE HINDU, December 16, 2014.

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