Pune’s Maitreyi Bokil tops 30-34 age group for women at Goa half Ironman competition

The Indian Express | 59 minutes ago | 17-11-2022 | 11:40 am

Thirty-two-year-old Maitreyi Bokil, a Pune-based nutritionist and exercise physiologist, topped her age group (30-34 years) for women at Goa’s half Ironman event held on November 13.The distances of a half Ironman are equivalent to half the Ironman circuit in each of the disciplines: 1.9 km of swimming (1.2 miles), 90 km of cycling (56 miles) and 21.1 km of running, which is a half marathon (13.1 miles). At the Ironman 70.3 Goa organised by Yoska, a triathlon coaching firm, Bokil clocked 6 hours and 34 minutes to complete the event.“Honestly, I am very humbled to get an age group ranking at an official Ironman event. I did not race to compete. I raced to finish strong and that is what I accomplished,” Bokil, who is back in Pune, told The Indian Express. She now qualifies to compete in the half Ironman 70.3 world championships to be held in August next year in Finland.For this youngster, her hobby of exercising helped her find a career as a sports nutritionist and exercise physiologist. She has completed six full marathons, one full Ironman and three half Ironman 70.3 events. “I have been exercising since 2006 when I did my arangetram in Bharatanatyam and can count the days when I don’t workout. I provide consultation to a variety of athletes of all age categories for their sports-specific nutrition,” says Bokil. “I would also like to emphasise how important exercise is for all of us, how we should be targeting all five components of fitness in the week, even if the exercise session is as small as 20 minutes,” she adds.Sports nutrition is not just for professional athletes, it is for all those who want to supplement their active lifestyle with the right nutrition, according to Bokil, who is being coached by Arjun Kandikuppa. The triathlete admits to facing several challenges. “One major challenge is cycling on Indian roads. I am lucky to take a support car along but there are so many serious cyclists who spend a lot of time and energy dodging potholes, trucks and speeding cars,” she says.An important challenge is to take out time to train for triathlons and balance it with professional and family life. “If you are really passionate about this hobby, then eventually things do fall in place,” Bokil adds. “Dedicated daily training no matter what the day holds or what mental state I am in has helped me get the age group win. Consistency makes winners, is what I say about myself and I am also grateful to my family, friends and coach for pushing me to train,” she says.

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Apiculturists look forward to boost in production with discovery of new honey bee species in Western Ghats

Times of India | 8 hours ago | 17-11-2022 | 04:20 am

Times of India

8 hours ago | 17-11-2022 | 04:20 am

Panaji: The discovery of a new, more productive honeybee species, Apis karinjodian, in the Western Ghats is being viewed as a great boost for upscaling honey production. Local beekeepers, however, are wary of the aggressive, jungle-dwellers, who need greater care to be domesticated for higher profitable apiculture.A diligent research project for three years by S Shanas and two other researchers from Kerala helped establish Apis karinjodian’s unique identity. A paper published in a journal, Entomon, about this new species endemic to Western Ghats has created a buzz among scientists, beekeepers and others.“Apis karinjodian species produce more honey than Apis cerana indica and their honey is thicker in consistency,” said Suprajit Raikar, a well-known beekeeper.With this discovery, the tally of native cavity nesting honey bee species goes up to three in India, the rest being wild and hard to tame. For the common man, the tiny bees generally are almost as fearsome as snakes. But for beekeepers, their sting may not mean much. They usually look to homogenise them in boxes with an eye on pots of honey as well as pollination of gardens and crops. But bees, like birds, cannot adhere to a caged life for a few reasons.Apis karinjodian tend to sting more profusely and their sting is more painful. “Also, they are comparatively very aggressive and difficult to domesticate. Due to these undesirable traits, beekeepers generally do not utilise this species for beekeeping,” Raikar said.For bees, green areas with an abundance of flowers and nectar-rich trees like rita (soap nut), jamun or jam (rose apple) trees, coconut trees and plantain flowers can be a good habitat.The new bee species has mostly been encountered in the wild, like the deep forests of Netravali, Sanguem, Sanquelim and hinterland areas of the Sahyadris.“Locally, we captured some colonies in Aldona and kept three boxes at Peddem, Mapusa. But since they are more aggressive, more care and effort is needed to keep them in bee boxes. Also, if enough nectar is not available, then artificial sugar syrup can be given,” said Melwyn De Souza, a certified apiculturist.Raikar, who also is a trainer, has set up his apiaries at home as well as in deep forests, where bees can feast on nectar. “Their hive cleaning behaviour is superior to that of the Apis cerana indica as the wax debris falling on the hive bottom is regularly removed, which prevents wax moth infestation during the lean season,” he said.The discovery of the new species comes at a time when apiculture is picking up in Goa. Currently more than 200 persons are doing it, either as a hobby or integrating it with farming activities. “Farmers are even harvesting 10kg of honey per box per annum in some places,” Chidananda Prabhu, senior scientist, Indian council of agricultural research and head of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Old Goa, said.Giving further impetus are ICAR, the state agriculture department and other trained apiculturists who are providing hands-on training to aspirant beekeepers.“The Khadi Village Industries Board (KVIB) offers an attractive 90% subsidy – 95% for SC/ST persons – for startups with a maximum 10 boxes. This comes to about Rs 7,000 per box, including Rs 1,000 for accessories,” said Laxmikant Panvelkar of KVIB.With a good market for organic honey, apiculture is only bound to grow. “It has tremendous scope for development of ancillary industries. The untapped potential remains to be explored for gainful employment and income,” said De Souza.

Goa witnessing rise in locals turning homeless

Times of India | 11 hours ago | 17-11-2022 | 01:31 am

Times of India

11 hours ago | 17-11-2022 | 01:31 am

Panaji: Contrary to the perception that homeless people are migrants, Street Providence Goa, which takes in the homeless and runs eight shelter homes, says close to 60 per cent of its inmates are locals. Of the 150 inmates at its shelter homes, 87 — 51 men and 36 women — are locals. “The number of poor Goan people knocking on our doors is rising and that’s a big concern. Old age homes cater to those who pay fees or who have families. But the poorest of the poor who are just homeless, reach the streets and finally end up at our shelter homes,” said Donald Fernandes of Street Providence.“It is a social problem caused due to price rise, inflation, unemployment, alcoholism, compact families who don’t or cannot look after parents, or siblings having mental issues and no one to look after and administer daily medication to them,” he said.Last week, Street Providence took in a Goan mother and son. The young boy is a student of Class X and has been living with his mother on the streets or at bus stops for over a year. Next week, a Goan couple with no home of their own will be taken into one of Street Providence’s shelter homes. Fernandes said people turning homeless and reaching the streets will become a big issue in the years to come. Street Providence’s shelter homes cater to the homeless and people with all types of disabilities with a total capacity of 200. It is presently housing150 homeless people with intellectual disabilities. People suffering from all types of sicknesses, including HIV, are taken care of in the homes, Fernandes said. “Old age homes may be plentiful due to urbanisation and commercialisation, but manpower is a big issue and price rise makes it impossible to take in the homeless free of cost. Basically, the homeless and the poor are increasing but are going nowhere else apart from the streets,” he said. “Very rarely do we refuse admission and even if refused, we try to adjust later once people are treated either at the district hospital or at the Institute for Psychiatry and Human Behaviour.”The NGO is currently caring for patients with TB/ HIV, those with amputations, alcoholics, those having psychiatric issues, the bed-ridden, aged persons, those with physical disabilities, drug addicts, and unwed mothers. It has more than 19 full-time staff, including seven drivers and will launch two free physiotherapy units at Quepem and Cavelossim on November 21.

Court reduces sentence, fine of daily wager accused of assaulting school boy

Times of India | 1 day ago | 16-11-2022 | 04:33 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 16-11-2022 | 04:33 am

Panaji: Holding that the sentence of one-year imprisonment and fine of Rs 1 lakh imposed on a daily wage worker for assaulting a nine-year-old school boy in 2013 was“harsh”, the high court of Bombay at Goa has reduced the sentence to 15 days and the fine amount to Rs 15,000.“To my mind the sentences awarded against the accused are on the harsh side and therefore, only on that count, discretion can be exercised,” the high court stated.It was the case of the prosecution that the accused, who was the father of the victim’s classmate, assaulted him with the school bag of his son, insulted him using filthy language and threatened him at a school in Bardez in February 2013.“From the material on record and the findings of the trial court, one thing is clear that the charges levelled against the accused stand proved beyond all reasonable doubts. The deposition of the victim is cogent and convincing. There is no material to disbelieve the testimony of the victim. Injuries sustained by him are corroborated by the medical certificate as well as by the deposition of prosecution witness number two,” the high court stated.It, however, added that considering that the offence took place in 2013, and that the accused is a daily wage worker, “imposition of the sentence awarded by the trial court is certainly detrimental to his family members as they are fully dependent on the income of the accused.”The court stated that it is a well settled proposition of law that the sentence of imprisonment as well as imposition of fine must be proportionate to the alleged offence which stands proved during evidence.“Thus, the imprisonment could be even for a few days considering the gravity of the offence. In such circumstances, imposing a fine of 1 lakh, and that too when it is clear that the accused is a daily wage earner, would be certainly harsh and no purpose would be served by imposing such a fine,” justice Bharat P Deshpande stated.“The main purpose of imposing a fine is to compensate the victim. Therefore, looking at the gravity of the offence, like the one in hand, imposing a fine of Rs 1 lakh would certainly be very harsh. Such cannot be considered as an intent of the legislature. Such fine could be imposed in case of serious offences such as sexual assault being a part and parcel of Section 8(2) of the Goa Children’s Act,” the court added.

Bring private sports clubs under regulatory body: Child rights panel

Times of India | 1 day ago | 16-11-2022 | 02:40 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 16-11-2022 | 02:40 am

Panaji: In view of at least five cases of child sexual abuse in private sports coaching institutes reported this year, the Commission for Protection of Child Rights, in a letter to the chief secretary, has recommended that all clubs and private coaching institutes offering any sports related training be identified and brought under a regulatory body at the earliest.The commission has stated that none of the institutes where these incidents have occurred are registered under a regulatory body.“Several of the said training institutes are found to be housed in private homes of coaches and the reported instances of abuse so far have occurred in the homes of the coaches. There are no set minimum standards with regards to the quality of training, qualification of the trainer, maintenance of records, as well as fees charged by the said institutes,” the commission has stated in the communication.Under the new POCSO rules, any institution housing children or coming in regular contact with children, including schools, creches, sports academies or any other facility for children, must ensure police verification and background checks on a periodic basis of every staff member, the commission stated.It has also called for minimum standards to be formulated for ensuring appropriate admission procedures, regulation of fees, etc. to provide a safe, secure and healthy environment for all round development of children with prime focus on training in sports. In addition, it has called for a child protection policy and guidelines for trainees and sports persons to safeguard them from high-risk environment for misconduct and sexual abuse.

AI Chatbot to track learning of students

Times of India | 1 day ago | 16-11-2022 | 02:40 am

Times of India

1 day ago | 16-11-2022 | 02:40 am

Panaji: The government on Tuesday launched a conversational AI Chatbot platform, Parakh, under the newly-established Vidya Samiksha Kendre for learning improvement in students. The platform is expected to help track the learning progress of 2.7 lakh students studying from Class I to VIII in 1,484 schools.“It will track what students are being taught and how much they have actually been able to grasp. The report will go directly to the education officials for analysis. The first Vidya Samiksha Kendre started in Gujarat and the second will operate in Goa, that too without spending a single rupee from the state government treasury,” said chief minister Pramod Sawant, who set up the Kendre after Goa students were found lagging in mathematics in the national achievement survey.The Chatbot will provide assistance in bridging learning gaps, anyway anytime learning, assessment of mathematics skills, knowledge, strengthening of language skills, improvement of oral reading and fluency, speaking of English and Marathi, instant doubt resolution, tracking of students and schools, he said.The State Council for Educational Research and Training will record, evaluate and analyse the education data of students and teachers.

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