Slowdown in IIT coaching at Kota

JAIPUR: The IIT coaching industry in Kota is likely to witness a downslide in coming years. And with this, the overall economy of the city, which is largely based on IIT-JEE coaching, would plummet to an extent of 15%. Pramod Maheshwari, director (academics) of Career Point, a leading coaching institute in the country, told ET the number of IIT aspirants coming to the city has died down considerably after the chance-restriction. “With government restricting aspirants’ IIT-attempts to only twice in consecutive years, students are now aiming at AIEEE and state pre-engineering tests to ensure a berth for themselves. It will result into an overall shrinkage of 15% in the annual turnover of the coaching industry, which is estimated to be sitting at Rs 250 crore,” Mr Maheshwari pointed out. Institutes, however, are gearing up to fight out the situation. Career Point is planning to launch an IPO to raise funds for their diversification plans. “We would be the first IIT coaching institute to go public. By raising around Rs 60 crore, we would initiate international educational programmes to cater to the global needs,” Mr Maheshwari informed. Every year more than 20000 students land at Kota to realise their IIT dreams. Of which, around 1,500 students succeed, which is one-thirds of the total seats of IITs and allied institutes. Now that the chance restriction has come into play for the first time this year, number of students coming to Kota is going to fall in the coming session. The trend was quite evident in the last IIT-JEE examination. In 2006, more than 3 lakh students appeared for the IIT-JEE while this year, less than 2.5 lakh competed for around 4,600 seats. “Now to match last year’s turnover, institutes either will have to hike the fee or add other courses like AIEEE and state pre-engineering tests. Also, there would be a question of survival for feeble players, who rely on students failing to get admission in top-of-the-line coaching institutes,” Mr Maheshwari feared. Top IIT coaching institute Bansal Classes has now forayed into pre-medical coaching also. It has recently started its pre-medical unit in Jaipur. However, PK Bansal, CEO of Bansal Classes, maintaining that IIT coaching business is running smooth, said, “We have started pre-medical coaching on an experimental basis in Jaipur only. It’s nothing to do with IIT coaching, which is our main thrust. Chance-restriction would not have any impact on us, since we have limited seats and long queue of aspirants in waiting,” Mr Bansal said. Apart from coaching institutes, hostel owners and other ancillary businesses have started feeling the heat. “Last year, we were 150% booked. And this year only 75% rooms are occupied. We are expecting further fall in accommodation in the next session,” Sharad Kapoor, a hostel owner, said.

The first-ever night Diwali fair, a big hit in Jaipur

These days all roads are leading to Albert Hall in Jaipur, where a night Diwali fair is being organised by the Rajasthan Tourism Department for the first time. Visitors are having great fun beyond midnight while participating in the festivities.
More than 200 stalls and 60 kiosks from different parts of the country are showcasing their products in the fair. Visitors, tourists say it is one-of-its-kind with different products available at reasonable rates. "This is being held for the first time and we can find that stalls from different cities of the country have been put up here. It is really nice. One can find a lot of variety and the rates are also reasonable. This festival should happen every year," said Jagruti, a visitor.
Mouth-watering dishes, mellifluous music and cultural programmes, all have added to the ambience of the event making it one of the most apt event on the occasion of the festival of lights.
"It's fantastic, it's good to see people coming out in the night. All the different stalls of food, the music, the lights ... it's very interesting, very exciting. It's nice to walk around and feel the party," says Asid Fiona, a tourist from Australia.
Businessmen say that the night bazaar has been 100 per cent successful and they are registering good business. "This is like a night bazar and a good event in the sense that common man likes it. The entry is free. It is very centrally-located, very close to the walled city (Delhi). They should continue organising such events every year because this kind of event are liked by the people and people do spend in this kind of event," says Sanjay, a stall-owner.
Most of the items displayed at the fair are handicrafts, small household items, eatables, jewellery and colourful clothes of Rajasthan.
The fair will last till November 1.

Jaipur Foot Takes Off for Lebanon

Jaipur Foot Takes Off for Lebanon

The Jaipur Foot - artificial legs made in Rajasthan - is all set to travel to war-hit Lebanon and Sri Lanka to aid amputees there.
Experts from the Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayta Samiti (BMVSS) will travel to the Middle East on the invitation of the Indian contingent of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, BMVSS general secretary S.R. Mehta said. The team would open a camp in Lebanon April 14 to 25. Five technicians would accompany the team to fit the artificial limb on survivors of Israeli and other bombings. Mehta told IANS that 100 people have been identified for the fitting. "After Lebanon, we propose to go to Colombo." BMVSS had organised a 15-day camp in Jakarta in February that saw 350 people fitted with the Jaipur Foot. "These were people who had lost their limbs to diseases or mishaps. There were some who had lost it in the tsunami," Mehta said. "Besides Jakarta, we have held camps in Sudan, Afghanistan and parts of Latin America." A Jaipur resident, Ram Charan Sharma, who hailed from a family of sculptors, conceived of the Jaipur Foot in 1968. With the assistance of orthopaedic surgeon P.K. Sethi, the Jaipur Foot was launched in 1968. The artificial foot - made of rubber, wood and aluminium - is attached free of cost in the premises of the BMVSS, which was established in 1975 here.

When tourists had a 'chilly day' in Rajasthan

Jaipur, April 13: Not many may know that Jaipur is popular for its spices in addition to the historical forts and traditional Rajasthani culture. A recently hosted five-day Spice Fair gave a glimpse of this little-known fact. The Spice fair, which attracted many tourists, especially women, showcased a myriad variety of hot spices from across the country. Though the fair was primarily to promote the state as a major production centre of Indian spices, it also had the condiments from other parts of the country.Rajasthan is an important producer of spices including seed spices such as fenugreek, cumin and coriander among others.Various varieties of raw spices or grounded spices were available at the fair.The Rajasthani chilly varieties, especially from the State's Gondal and Jodhpur regions are popular not only in the country but also appeal to the taste buds of the Indian Diaspora abroad.The special quality and special flavour of Rajasthani spices are generally attributed to the favourable climatic conditions and natural production methods being used here for ages. Spice makers from across the State participated in the festival vouching for the purity of their products."The spices are really very good. We bring pure spices. Our women clean the spices at home and we bring them here for sale," said Santlal Mehra, a spice trader.

Jaipur's lac industry is booming

By IANS, [RxPG] Jaipur, April 11 - It began in the 18th century in the narrow lanes of Jaipur's old city. Today, the lac industry is a booming business with its products finding their way to places as far away as Europe.From the times when only bangles were made from lac, the products now include ornaments, trinkets and gift items. Designs are aplenty, including necklaces, pendants, rings, bracelets, earrings, bejewelled boxes, photo-frames and penholders.'The industry has now reached international levels. Lac ornaments and other items are sent to Delhi from where they are exported to Europeans markets,' said A.S. Jafar, a manufacturer.'The industry started sometime in the 18th century in Maniharo Ka Rasta area. With the growing popularity of lac items, the area accounts for business worth millions of rupees now,' he added.Today, over 5,000 families in Jaipur are involved in the industry. Jaipur alone accounts for annual exports worth Rs.700-800 million.In recent years, the industry has successfully broken away from its traditional image of making bangles to produce exquisite jewellery and gift items. Several local artisans have even been awarded for their contribution and creative innovations. Yet, not many know that these artisans have to toil hard and long in difficult conditions to give shape to these designs.'We have to work on hot furnaces where lac is melted. Working conditions are very harsh, especially during summer,' said Kadir, another manufacturer of lac items. But the artisans seem to forget about their hardships when they proudly begin to talk about taking the cottage industry to global levels.

Sound and light show at Amber Fort soon

JAIPUR: The 16th century Amber Fort here will soon come alive to its history with an exclusive sound and light show.
The programme would serve as a guide to tourists, informing them about the historical background of the fort and the ancient anecdotes associated with it.
"It might take a few months for the show to start," said Urmila Rajoriya, additional director Rajasthan tourism department.
Every part of the fort would be illuminated with laser lights and a dramatic commentary would run alongside, giving a detailed description of the place along with the historical tales associated with it.
The state government is also planning to set up a crafts bazaar at the fort. It will be developed in Panna Meena Kund, which is being renovated at a cost of Rs400 million.
The Amber Fort, set amid picturesque and rugged hills, is a fascinating blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture. Constructed by Raja Man Singh I in 1592 and completed by Sawai Jai Singh I, the fort is made in red sandstone and white marble.