Pune News Highlights: Pune court acquits Hindu Rashtra Sena chief Dhananjay Desai, others in 2014 Mohsin Shaikh murder case

India will find it difficult to realise the ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant) vision till the share of the agriculture and allied sectors in the GDP cross 24 per cent, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said on Friday, pitching for the introduction of technologies in farming and rural and tribal areas.

The minister was speaking at the 22nd convocation of Sri Balaji University here. (PTI) 

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#PragatiKaHighway #GatiShakti pic.twitter.com/h0AtE0uM8G

— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) January 27, 2023

Students of New English School Ramanbaug in Shanivarpeth attended online session of PM Narendra Modi’s Pariksha Pe Charcha, conducted by the Ministry of Education.

Pune is a city cradled in the Sahyadri mountain range with scenic landscapes dotting the roads all across — within the city and outside. Trips on these roads can make for an ideal weekend getaway. From Khandala to Malshej ghat, here are five trips you can take this weekend to soak in nature and soothe your soul before entering the work week. Read More

Scientists at the Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) in Pune have discovered a new low-altitude basalt plateau in the Western Ghats’ Thane region. The plateau, now listed as the fourth plateau type in the mountain range, houses 76 plant and shrub species from 24 families, which the scientists say can hold clues to the impact of climate change on the survival of species.

“The first time I met Osho was in 1978. Since then, I have had two purposes in life — to know myself and to share his vision. When I started working as a filmmaker, I knew that one day, I would make a film about him,” says Lakshen Sucameli, an Italian filmmaker, in the trailer of his five-hour docuseries Ten Thousand Shades of Osho.

Cracks appear to have surfaced in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra even as Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar has alleged that NCP chief Sharad Pawar was siding with the BJP.

While the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has slammed Ambedkar’s statement, the Congress said VBA was in alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and not with the MVA. Sena (UBT), on the other hand, said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had approved its alliance with the VBA. Read more

Professor Atanu Basu, scientist at the Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), Pune, has been selected for the lifetime achievement award for his outstanding contributions in the field of electron microscopy in studying viruses.

Pune City police have stepped up action against criminal elements among ‘Mathadi’ workers –manual labourers who load and unload trucks – who have been causing problems for the industries and business establishments in the area.

Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari is visiting Satara and Sangli today for multiple project inaugurations. He is supposed to inaugurate three National Highway projects worth 1,539 crores in Phaltan, Satara and will proceed to Palus and Peth naka later in the day to inaugurate Chitale Genus campus, visit Siemen's Lab and lay foundation stone projects of upgradation of National Highways worth 860.45 crore rupees. 

Union Minister Shri @nitin_gadkari Ji's public schedule for 27th January 2023. pic.twitter.com/0t6lNGONs8

— Office Of Nitin Gadkari (@OfficeOfNG) January 26, 2023

As reported by Loksatta, CNG pump operators have warned of indefinite strike in Pune rural areas. The pump operators are demanding an increase in service charge commission approved by government to CNG suppliers. Maharashtra Natural Gas Limited, which supplies CNG to the city of Pune, has given increased service charges to the vendors. However, Torrent Gas company that supplies CNG to Pune rural areas is reluctant to provide management. CNG distributors in the district have claimed a loss of nearly eight crore rupees till date as reported by Loksatta. 

Operating burly wrestlers is not easy. Their large size, heavy arms and bulky muscles are a challenge to surgeons as most of the surgical instruments are designed for averagely built individuals. But that’s the least of their challenges. Getting these wrestlers to go back to such a physical contact sport is an ultimate test of surgical repair, says Pune’s noted sports surgeon, Dr Ashish Babhulkar.

The surgeon performed arthroscopic surgery for Pune’s two top wrestlers followed by state-of-the-art rehabilitation programmes that helped them get them back on track to emerge winners in a tightly-fought competition.

Read the full story here

A total of 189 inmates were released from various prisons in Maharashtra on the occasion of the Republic Day on Thursday, an official said. The state government had issued an order to give special remission to the 189 prisoners.

The prisoners who were released included 35 each from central prisons in Nashik and Nagpur, 20 from Yerwada Central Jail in Pune, 16 from Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai, 11 from Thane Central Jail and four from Mumbai Central Prison (Arthur Road Jail), a prisons department spokesperson said. (PTI)

PRADEEP SWEETS, a sweetshop in Pune since 1970, offers a special kind of delicacy just at this time of the year. It is the “Tiranga Barfi” (tricolour sweet).

This year, there are relatively fewer takers of the sweet. An increase in the costs of ingredients and other raw materials has resulted in the sweet being priced at Rs 70 per kg against Rs 50 the last year. Read more

PUNE CITY police assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Dhananjay Chhabanrao Barbhai has been nominated for the President’s police medal for meritorious service.

Barbhai was a part of investigations of Elgaar Parishad cases lodged at the Vishrambag police station in Pune before the investigation was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Read more

The Government Railway Police has arrested a businessman from Gujarat for illegally carrying a pistol and cartridges at Pune railway station. The accused has been identified as Anilkumar Ramyagya Upadhyay (47), a resident of Rameshwar Residency, Surat.

In this connection, police Havaldar Nishikant Raut lodged an FIR at Pune railway police station. Read more

"Nari shakti" and women empowerment dominated the theme of tableaux of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Tripura at the Republic Day parade in Delhi on Thursday.

The tableau of Maharashtra on the background of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav presented "Sade Tin Shaktipithe and Nari Shakti".

Goddesses are considered as sources of power, reflected through this tableau. In the front part of the tableau, the Ghondali associated with the goddess can be seen playing the instrument sambal. On the main body, one can see replicas of three and a half Shaktipeeths.

At the centre of the tableau there is a folk art form Potraj and Aaradhi, associated with the goddess. A Maharashtrian woman depicted on the back side of tableau represented feminine power.

Apart from that, folk art forms such as Bhop Bhutye, Jogwa are also shown on tableau. (PTI)

A banyan tree replanted in Satara after being uprooted from Hadapsar area in Pune on 26 January 2022 completed a year today as reported in Loksatta. It's anniversary was celebrated at the Biodiversity Park in Satara, created by Sahyadri Deorai and Satara Police.The tree had been in Hadapsar for 100 years and was sawed off by the land-owner.  

Honorary Professor at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER Pune) Dr. Deepak Dhar has been awarded the prestigious Padma Shri award as reported by Loksatta. Statistical Physicist Dr. Dhar has made significant contributions in the field of research. He was recently honored with the prestigious Boldzmann Medal and was the first Indian to receive this medal.

Shantabai Kamble, first Dalit woman writer to pen her autobiography and one of the oldest Ambedkarite writers passed away on 25 January 2023 at 7 am in Pune. She was 101 years old.

She was the mother of former president of Dalit Panther late Prof.Arun Kamble.

Shantabai Kamble was a Dalit woman writer, teacher and social activist. She was born in Mahud Budruk village in Solapur district. Her autobiography 'Majhya Jalmachi Chittarkatha' has been translated in many Indian and foreign languages. A television series 'Najuka' was based on her autobiography.