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Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Meet creator of sculptures that reflect India's heritage
You cannot miss it if you are driving into the city or exiting it through Dahisar toll naka. The majestic 30-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj astride a horse, adjacent to the highway at Kashimira in Mira-Bhayandar, is a sculpture aficionado's delight. Looking east, the equestrian statue of the Maratha warrior king is not just impressive, it carries a significant meaning because of the location it is installed at. As Unesco declared 12 forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji World Heritage sites recently, the spotlight also falls on city-based sculptor Sunil Kashinath Deore, who created this beautiful statue in bronze. It has been drawing admiration from thousands of passersby every day since the then chief minister Eknath Shinde unveiled it in Sept 2024. "Shivaji Maharaj raided Surat twice (in 1664 and 1670) and damaged the reputation of the Mughals. A substantial number of people who enter Mumbai from Gujarat by road take this route and meet Shivaji Maharaj at one of the city's gates," says Deore, 52, who collaborated with Garnet, which was commissioned to create the statue. In July 2022, Deore courted controversy after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the national emblem cast atop the new Parliament building. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hidden Cause Found: Dementia And Memory Loss Linked To This Habit Memory and Health Click Here Undo Many opposition leaders, including Jairam Ramesh, criticised the expressions of the lions cast on the emblem. The opposition leaders claimed that the original lions at the 'Lion Capital of Asoka' at Sarnath in UP look "sober and peace-loving" while those in the cast atop the new Parliament building look "aggressive and ferocious". You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai But did Deore, who collaborated with Jaipur-based metal casting expert Laxman Vyas, deviate from the original design? "No. The lions looked aggressive because photos were taken from a wide angle. It took us almost a year to prepare the replica," says Deore, a gold medallist from the prestigious J J School of Art in sculpture studies. Having inscribed his name in history by virtue of creating the replica of the national emblem that sits atop the new Parliament building, Deore has bagged another important assignment: To create murals for different offices at the new central secretariat coming up near the iconic India Gate in New Delhi. "These murals to be installed at offices of the ministries will showcase India's rich cultural heritage," says the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar-born sculptor, who has studios both in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Mumbai. Deore's realistic, experimental works have earned appreciation from his peers and contemporaries. Vivek Lad, who was Deore's senior at J J School of Art and taught there before retiring a couple of years ago, calls Deore's works "monumental". "I have seen him work for years and he experiments with various mediums," says Lad. The Buddha statue that he created a few years ago, says Deore, is awaiting CM Devendra Fadnavis's attention. "Fadnavis should gift it to Delhi on behalf of Maharashtra," suggests Rajendra Jadhav of Borderless Babasaheb, which works to popularise Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's ideas.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Pune: Lumpy skin disease returns to district, but milder
After a gap of three years, Pune, Sindhudurg Satara and Solapur have reported the reappearance of the lumpy skin disease among cattle. Animal Husbandry Commissioner Pravinkumar Deore, while speaking to The Indian Express, said that the incidents this time are far less severe with very low mortality among animals. 'As compared to the last time the numbers are far fewer, also the infections are less severe,' he said. The disease is mainly being reported in animals with co-morbidity or young calves. The emergence in calves Deore said, had propelled the department to vaccinate the calves as well. 'Since the first emergence of the disease we have taken up the aim of 100 percent vaccination in the animals. Our drives are still on and we will continue our drives to ensure no animal is left behind,' he said. The present outbreak Deore said was mild with less mortality Originating in Africa, the Lumpy skin disease is caused by a virus called Capripox. This causes lesions on the skin of the animals and is transmitted through biting insects. In 2022 over 60,000 animals had died in India due to the disease. Like the previous outbreak Deore said this time also the cattle markets have contributed to the spread of the disease. 'I have been personally visiting the cattle markets of Ahilyanagar (erstwhile Ahmednagar) to see for the implantation of control measures. Due to the vaccinations we have managed to bring herd immunity among the animals,' he said. Previously it was thought that calves below 4 months would acquire immunity if the mother is vaccinated – but reports of calves getting the disease has propelled the department to take up Immunization of the calves as well. As of now, dairy farmers have not reported any dip in milk production due to the disease.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Time of India
Regular passports valid, touts spreading fake info: RPO chief
Pune: Passport agents and touts are exploiting the launch of e-passports to spread false information that regular passports are no longer valid, said Arjun Deore, regional passport officer at Pune RPO, on vested interests trying to drum up unnecessary business, there have been instances where citizens were misled into believing they need to replace their existing valid passports immediately with e-passports."There is misinformation circulating among people. Citizens with passports valid for several years are being told that their documents are no longer valid because 'passport' offices are now issuing e-passports. There are vested interests — certain agents who want to generate new applicants — who are spreading this kind of misinformation," said warning comes as Pune RPO (regional passport office) has now transitioned to issuing only e-passports since the first week of May 2025, making it one of the major passport offices in India to implement the new technology under the Passport Seva Programme 2.0. "All passports that we have been issuing since the first week of May are e-passports," Deore Pune RPO chief emphasised that citizens should not fall for these misleading claims. "Unless your passport is damaged or invalid, it remains perfectly acceptable for use. Only those who genuinely need new passports — those with expired passports, exhausted pages or damaged documents — should apply. Citizens should not apply merely for the novelty of having an e-passport," he per the ministry of external affairs, all regular passports issued under the previous Passport Seva Programme 1.0 remain completely valid and can continue to be used for travel purposes, subject to normal validity periods and other provisions under the Passports Act, e-passport rollout at Pune RPO is part of a nationwide expansion of the technology, which was initially piloted in smaller offices in Nagpur and Bhubaneswar last year before being extended to major regional the digital nomenclature, e-passports are still physical booklets identical to regular passports, with one crucial addition — an embedded RFID (radio frequency identification) chip that stores passport data securely."The term e-passport does not mean it can be downloaded to a mobile phone or any digital device. It remains a physical booklet. The only difference is that it contains an embedded chip," explained Deore. The booklet features a distinctive chip logo on the front cover though the actual chip is located on a different page chip technology, similar to that used in debit cards, enables automated identity verification at immigration counters and significantly enhances security by making tampering extremely RPO wins national awardRegional Passport Office, Pune, received the first prize for "innovative steps and citizen-centric initiatives" during the recent Passport Seva Divas celebration. Minister of state for external affairs Pabitra Margherita presented the award to Arjun Deore, regional passport its notable achievements, Pune RPO became the first passport office to install an 80kW rooftop solar plant in Jan 2025 under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, generating 25% of its monthly electricity needs and saving Rs1 lakh per month.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Time of India
Pune passport office to hold special tatkal drive today
Pune: The Regional Passport Office (RPO) in Pune will organise a special tatkaal passport drive today at the Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) to provide earlier appointment slots to applicants with urgent passport needs. "As part of the ministry of external affairs' initiative to make passport appointments available at an earlier date, we have released additional Tatkaal appointments for Saturday," said Pune regional passport officer Arjun Deore. The tatkaal scheme has stricter eligibility criteria and requires additional documentation compared to regular applications. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune "Many applicants fail to meet either the document requirements or eligibility guidelines, leading to unsuccessful applications on the appointment day. We strongly advise applicants to carefully read the tatkaal advisory and tatkaal undertaking before appearing for their appointments," he said. The passport office has issued a comprehensive list of mandatory original documents that applicants must carry. "Under Section 5 of the Passports Act 1967 and Rule 5 of the Passports Rules 1980, the Passport Authority may conduct necessary enquiries and require additional information or documents for proper disposal of applications," Dr Deore explained. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You To Read in 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Key documents include QR code birth certificates mentioning Aadhaar numbers, Class 10 matriculation passing certificates, latest complete eAadhaar with scannable QR codes, PAN cards with holograms, voter IDs with hologram stickers, and driving licenses. Applicants wanting to add spouse name, marriage certificates or joint photo declaration (Annexure J) are required. The passport office has strictly prohibited the use of "smart ID cards" - plastic versions of official documents printed by private entities. "Aadhaar is not accepted as date of birth proof. Cut-out Aadhaar cards and smart ID cards printed on plastic by private stationery shops will not be accepted," Deore said. Applicants have been advised to download mAadhaar and DigiLocker mobile applications before visiting the PSK. "Before submitting online applications and visiting PSK, applicants must fetch their birth certificates, Aadhaar, Class 10 certificates and other documents on these apps to verify authenticity," said Dr Deore. He clarified that only DigiLocker-issued documents shared during online application submission would be accepted, while documents merely uploaded to DigiLocker Drive would not be treated as authentic. The passport officer also advised applicants to scan QR codes on supporting documents using DigiLocker and mAadhaar apps before their PSK visit to ensure document verification goes smoothly. For minor applicants, additional requirements include duly filled Annexure D with both parents' consent and both parents' original passports.
Hans India
16-06-2025
- General
- Hans India
BEE urges RWAs to prod consumers in taking energy efficient steps
Hyderabad: Recognising the pivotal role of Residential Welfare Associations (RWAs) and Group Housing Societies in shaping consumer behaviour, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Ministry of Power has called on all State Designated Agencies (SDAs) to intensify grassroots-level awareness campaigns promoting Behaviour-Based Energy Saving Practices (2BESP), which can save 22.5 billion kWh of energy per year. These efforts are particularly vital in the residential sector, which accounts for 35 to 40 per cent of India's total energy consumption. RWAs, with their close-knit community structures, are ideally positioned to champion energy-efficient habits and technologies among households. During a recent stakeholder interaction on the impact of 5-Star Rated Appliances, BEE Secretary Milind Deore emphasised the importance of adopting high-efficiency air conditioners, refrigerators, and ceiling fans to significantly lower electricity consumption and consumer bills. He also reiterated the Centre's campaign encouraging citizens to set air conditioners at 24°C or higher, a simple yet impactful practice. 'A shift in daily habits, coupled with the adoption of energy-efficient appliances, can lead to massive savings for both consumers and the nation,' said Deore. According to BEE estimates, the implementation of 2BESP initiatives could save up to 22.5 billion kWh of electricity annually, translating to substantial economic and environmental benefits. A standard 75W ceiling fan, used for 16 hours a day, consumes 1.2 kWh/day, resulting in an annual electricity bill of Rs 2,857 (at Rs 6.50/kWh). A 32W Brushless DC (BLDC) fan, under the same usage, consumes just 0.51 kWh/day, cutting the annual bill to Rs 1,208, which is less than half the cost. BEE lauded the active participation of Southern SDAs—especially the Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO) in World Environment Day campaigns, and urged all SDAs to build on this momentum. These efforts have already delivered major gains and 81.64 billion units of electricity saved (2022–23) Rs 54,323 crore in energy cost savings, 58 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided annually. BEE reaffirmed its commitment to nurturing a culture of sustainability and urged every SDA to partner with RWAs, schools, and local institutions to scale up awareness and adoption of energy-saving practices. 'The road for a cleaner, more energy-secure future begins at home. And RWAs can be the torchbearers of this movement', said Deore.
