IITian scores with lassi bar

Hemali Chhapia | TNN

Mumbai: Walk into hostel rooms on any IIT campus and you’ll probably find every other aspiring engineer glued to his computer screen, feverishly setting up a website. Prabhkiran Singh is a different story; he is a civil engineering student busy whipping up chilled lassi every evening after class.

The 20-year-old from Punjab who came to IIT-Bombay three years ago, didn’t find a decent lassi joint in the city, and hence would rely on his mother’s recipe every time he craved one. That marked the birth of Khadke Glassi — now a stall set up on a computer trolley, operating after classes at IIT close.

The Rs 10,000-venture now has a fan following of close to 500 on Facebook and apart from IIT students, alumni and faculty, residents of Powai, crowd around this little corner every evening. Though 20-dayold, Khadke Glassi is now profit-making. However, like any new undertaking, it has weathered not just ups and downs, but several wrong starts and break-down of financial plans.

How crazy are Mumbaikars about lassi? Where would the best raw material be available at the cheapest cost? Start small or take off really big? These were some of the questions that Singh and Himanshu Dhiman, the initial two promoters, faced. They bought a heater so that milk could be set to curd in the hostel room. Every evening, the duo would make 15 to 20 glasses of lassi and ask friends to review it. Fifteen days later, in November 2009, they started the stall. It’s not your run-ofthe-mill lassi. Flavours include black currant, strawberry and chocolate. You can have it with or sans ice cream.

Sceptics had an obvious question: “Why did you come to IIT if you wanted to sell lassi?’’ Singh and Dhiman were always interested in the food and beverages industry; both love cooking. “Also, my dad’s venture failed miserably and he wanted his sons to join college and take up a secured job. Hence IIT,’’ added Singh. A few days after this lassi bar started, Dhiman quit; two of Singh’s friends help him. “Initially my friends teased me, saying that all I learnt in life was to make lassi. Now they are proud of me that I got out of the hostel room and started doing something I love.’’

Thane zilla parishad to start English-medium schools

Manoj Badgeri I TNN

Kalyan: If all goes according to the plan, kids studying at zilla parishad schools in rural areas adjoining Kalyan, Bhiwandi and Ambernath would soon be taking their lessons in English.

In a bid to help these students overcome the language barrier, the Thane zilla parishad has decided to introduce exclusive English-medium schools in rural areas. The general body of the zilla parishad, this week, gave its goahead to the plan. The parishad has already made budgetary allocations to implement the project.

To begin with, around 8-10 English-medium classes will start for kindergarten on a pilot basis from June. The zilla parishad would soon call in experts to design the syllabus and train the existing teaching staff.

This is a first-of-its kind project in the state. “People residing on the fringes of urban townships want to send their kids to English-medium schools. We aim to provide English schooling to these children at a nominal rate,” said president of Thane zilla parishad Kapil Patil. “This move will also help us arrest the dwindling student population in our schools.” Patil, who is confident of getting the state government’s approval, plans to replicate the model in other districts.

CEO of Thane zilla parishad, HK Jawale, said the move will help academically bright students from rural areas get into good colleges.

Revealed: How brain decodes music, lyrics

London: Does the brain process lyrics and melody separately or as one? Scientists claim to have found an answer.

A team at Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Germany has found that the brain first deals with music and lyrics together and then, after passing through more complex processing, like understanding what lyrics mean, the two are treated separately.

The scientists studied a functional MRI brain scan of people listening to songs to make the discovery. The team knew that when neurons process the same stimulus repeatedly, their response to it decreases over time. They reasoned that if they varied just the tune and kept the lyrics the same, areas showing a decline in activity must be processing lyrics. And if they varied just the lyrics, areas showing a decline must be processing the tune, while any regions declining when both the tune and lyrics are repeated must be processing both.

The team wrote four different sets of six songs and played these to 12 volunteers. The scientists worked out that one particular part of the brain — the superior temporal sulcus — was responding to the songs. In the middle of the STS, the lyrics and tune were being processed as a single signal. But in anterior STS only the lyrics were processed. PTI

Chocolate Power!

SWEET THRILL: A racing car that researchers from Britain’s University of Warwick have retrofitted, on display in Boston. Fueled by leftover chocolate and with components made from carrots, potato starch and flax, the world’s first sustainable Formula 3 racing car has a top speed of 135 miles per hour and can go from zero to 60 in 2.5 seconds

TIMES IMPACT

Now, robotic crabs to be used for race

Vijay Singh | TNN

Mumbai: The first ever ‘Great Indian Crab Race’ that is to be held in Mumbai on March 11 will now not feature live crabs, and instead battery operated robotic crabs will be used at the charity event organised by the American Alumni Association (AAA).

An AAA spokesperson told TOI on Wednesday: “We were earlier going to use live crabs for the race, and then set them free in their natural environment. However, respecting the sentiments of animal activists, who had asked us not to use live crabs, we have replaced them with robotic crabs.’’

She further added, “There was really no cruelty involved in our original crab race. However, since it is a charity event, we did not want to upset any group or party, and so decided to use mechanical crabs for the event so that everyone is happy.’’

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA India) had earlier written to AAA asking them not to use crabs as they can feel pain and stress. “We thank AAA for listening to our appeal. So finally, all’s well that ends well, in case of the forthcoming ‘Great Indian Crab Race’. May the best (toy) crab win!’’ exclaimed PETA India’s campaigns coordinator, Dharmesh Solanki.
vijay.singh@timesgroup.com

Workshop to help parents understand kids better

Shreya Bhandary | TNN

Mumbai: “A child’s brain functions better when given a chance to question,’’ said Dr Stephen Rushton, reclusive brain expert from the University of Florida, who along with his wife Anne, is in Mumbai to conduct a two-day workshop to help parents and educators understand brain development in children.

The workshop, which will be conducted over this weekend, will shed light on Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), a lesser-known term in India that is fast getting recognition in the US.

“The architecture of our brain is very complicated, but it has the tendency to allow experiences we have to shape itself in response to the environment,’’ said Rushton. After studying the importance of various parts of the brain, he started writing books along with his wife to educate people on how it functions. “Every time we pressurise our children to do something, we tend to send negative signals to their brains, leading to stress. Our aim is to teach parents and teachers how they can use our approach to enhance their child’s psychology,’’ he added.

“Mostly, students are talked to, and not heard in class. If we give them a chance to participate in conversations by asking questions, their brains are stimulated.’’

On day one of the workshop, the speakers will interact with principals and teachers from schools around the city. On the second day, there will be a three-hour interactive session with parents. “We want them to leave the workshop with a sigh of relief and go home with new methods of bringing up their kids,’’ said Rushton.

Broadband gets Rs 18k-cr push

Govt Plans To Lay 5 Lakh Km Optic Fibre Network To Reach Every Gram Panchayat

Shalini Singh | TNN

New Delhi: Access to broadband services in India has been a failure in the otherwise highperforming telecom sector. To address this challenge, the government is planning to spend Rs 18,000 crore over three years to lay a five lakh km optic fibre cable (OFC) network to reach every gram panchayat.

The formation of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to monitor and review the implementation of this broadband initiative is also being considered. Whether the GoM will invite the private sector to participate in the planning of this initiative and focus on wireless as a means of delivery remains to be seen.

An infrastructure company will be carved out of BSNL to implement the project and work with other PSUs like Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) and RailTel. The venture will be supported financially by the Universal Services Obligations Fund (USOF), which holds a large amount of unused resources.

Upon the direction of cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, a committee on broadband connectivity had been formed recently with officials from six ministries — telecom, HRD, rural development, economic affairs, ministry of panchayati raj and information technology — in addition to the Planning Commission. Chandrasekhar also held discussions with senior officials like Trai chairman J S Sarma and DoT secretary P J Thomas.

The committee is tasked with creating a roadmap for extending affordable broadband connectivity to all villages by leveraging existing infrastructure and augmentation of optical fibre wherever necessary. It is also mandated to pull financial resources from various ministries, including finding ways to subsidise consumer premise equipment using the USOF.

While the plan seems ambitious, the two parts that seem seriously missing are private sector participation and using wireless broadband for such connectivity. The work of the committee has been focused on government or government resources despite the fact that the telecom revolution is almost entirely led by the private sector, at least where mobile telephony is concerned.

And, despite its limitations, wireless broadband connectivity is a faster and cheaper way to reach unconnected areas. With 3G auctions being scheduled this year, the Committee might consider it important to include wireless as an equally important, if not superior, mode for connecting rural India.

Growth, The Virtual Way

An infrastructure company will be carved out of BSNL to implement the project and work with other PSUs

The Centre is considering formation of a Group of Ministers (GoM) to monitor the project

It’s not clear if the GoM will invite the private sector to participate in the project or focus on wireless broadband