Circumnavigating world solo, first Indian comes home today

The Hindu: Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 22, 2010 by S. Anandan

— Photo: Special Arrangement
Enjoying challenge:Commander Dilip Donde on board INSV Mhadei.
KOCHI: On Saturday morning, as he steers his boat INSV (Indian Naval Sailing Vessel) Mhadei to a rousing reception into the Mumbai harbour, Commander Dilip Donde will be formally christened the first Indian to circumnavigate the world solo, covering about 21,600 nautical miles (38,880 km) under sail.

Vice-President Hamid Ansari and Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma will witness the historic moment from INS Delhi as Mhadei crosses the finishing line. Later, Cdr. Donde will be given a ceremonial guard of honour onboard the aircraft carrier, INS Viraat.

While the entire country is ecstatic about his feat, Cdr. Donde feels “good” about hogging the limelight. “Though it really doesn't feel like one is writing history!” he said in a chat with TheHindu from his boat.

Cdr. Donde embarked on the Navy's daunting project ‘Sagar Parikrama' in 2006. “The project has gone on for a long time and there have been many challenges, like building a boat like Mhadei in the country for the first time [It was built in Goa] and then sailing through some of the remotest seas of the world. Each phase and leg had its challenges — bad weather, equipment breakdown, extreme cold or heat, etc. Each phase was interesting, exciting and challenging in its own way,” says Cdr. Donde, who, at 42, is a bachelor.

On August 19, 2009, the 56-foot sloop set sail from Mumbai on its first voyage. The journey turned Cdr. Donde into an avid blogger as he kept his burgeoning number of admirers posted with Mhadei's progress at http://www.sagarparikrama.blogspot.com.

‘Best decision I took'

“The Navy was looking for a volunteer to take up the project. I liked the idea as it sounded exciting and volunteered without much idea of what I was getting into. Looking back, it was probably the best and quickest decision I took.”

On a solitary deck, Cdr. Donde encountered turbulent winds. He spent sleepless days and nights navigating the boat through choppy seas. When the sea was calm, he slept under star-studded skies. Close to shore, he snooped around, shooting pictures of marine life that had come calling on Mhadei.

At leisure, Cdr. Donde caught up on an interesting movie or a captivating book, chatted up acquaintances, enjoyed a delicacy or blogged at will. On the last and longest leg, he ran out of cooking gas and had to make do with canned food, resorting to innovative means of “warming things a bit using water from my heater that heats water to 60 degree Celsius, [relishing] lukewarm coffee, etc!”

On the voyage, Cdr. Donde made friends with Australian teenager Jessica Watson, who recently became the youngest person to sail around the world solo.

For a voyage to qualify as circumnavigation, it should start and end at the same port and cross all meridians (longitudes) at least once and the equator at least twice.

The distance covered should be more than the length of a meridian and the boat should not pass through any canal or straits, where use of engines or towing is unavoidable.

The boat should go round the three great capes — Cape Leeuwin (Australia), Cape Horn (South America) and the Cape of Good Hope (Africa). Mhadei has met all these requirements.
Circumnavigating world solo, first Indian comes home today by S. Anandan: The Hindu

Indian-origin scientists were part of new cell research
WASHINGTON: Three Indian-origin scientists are part of a team that has for the first time created a synthetic cell, controlled by man-made genetic instructions, which can also reproduce itself.

The 24-member team included Sanjay Vashee, Radha Krishnakumar and Prashanth P. Parmar. “We call it the first synthetic cell,” said genomics pioneer Craig Venter, who oversaw the project. “These are very much real cells.” Developed at a cost of $30 million by the researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute, the experimental one-cell organism opens the way to manipulation of life on a previously unattainable scale, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Indian-origin scientists were part of new cell research

Army Headquarters Transport Company celebrates 67th Raising Day

Friday, June 05, 2009 14:51 IST

The Army Headquarters Transport Company of the Army Service Corps celebrated the 67th Raising Day with great zeal and enthusiasm in the unit, today here. The celebrations commenced with Special Sainik Sammelan in the unit. While presiding over the Special Sainik Sammelan, Col Mukaesh Chadha, Commanding Officer Transport Company commended his men including the civilians for their dedication to duty. He applauded the way all men had worked with great perseverance in keeping with the high traditions of their Corps motto “Seva Ashmakam Dharm”. He also expressed confidence that they would continue to strive hard to achieve higher levels of excellence. The Commanding Officer presented excellence awards to the outstanding performers and the sammelan culminated with ASC Corps song. A barakhana was organized at Arvind Stadium where unit personnel along with their families were present. A variety entertainment programme was also organized.

Since its inception on Jun 05, 1942, the Army Headquarters Transport Company ASC has welded itself into a fine and efficient organization. The unit played a vital role in evacuation of refugees during partition and is popularly known as “The Company that Never Sleeps”. Army Headquarters Transport Company ASC is engaged in providing transport support to IHQ of MoD (Army), ISO and MoD and is amongst the first that has been certified to the highest level of management standard ISO-9001:2000 and the only unit which received Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Trophy in Dec 2008.
Veerendra/Rajendra
Army Headquarters Transport Company celebrates 67th Raising Day

Comment:
The Transportation & Logistics sector of Indian Army comprises a wide range of service providers, covering all modes of transport – air, road, rail, sea – as well as related services such as warehousing, handling, stevedoring, and finally services like packaging, labelling, distribution etc. In addition to these 'physical' services, T&L includes all sorts of planning, organisational and management services in the area of transportation and logistics of Ammunition and POL. It is in this field that ASC can modernise and with innovative and cost reducing technologies. There is a greater need to reduce corruption while entering into contracts with Civilian and Politically connected big wigs who are forever trying to cheat the Armed Forces of quality products which the Soldiers truly deserve. Modernisation and elimination of corruption can save the National exchequer of hundreds of crores of Rupees annually.

Vibrant Gujarat: Model of development through people’s participation

Mr Modi believes in the fact that good infrastructure is the driver of economic development. He therefore, paid utmost attention on physical and social infrastructure and involved private sector in their development. The rapid and qualitative development of ports, roads, railways, LNG terminals, gas distribution and water distribution networks and other infrastructure facilities are being discussed nationwide. He has also created excellent infrastructure at tourist and religious places. Urban sector has been enlivened by up gradation of civic amenities and emphasis on cleanliness and greening and reduction of vehicular pollution. The well conceived, meticulously planned and professionally organized Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Biennial Summits held in 2003, 2005 and 2007 have put Gujarat as a preferred investment destination among global investors. These summits have not only attracted investments worth billions of USD but also created huge employment opportunities in the state. Its logical fall out is skill development for various class of people on a massive scale. To ensure all round, all inclusive and uniform development, comprehensive and well conceived packages like Vanbandhu kalyan (tribal welfare), Sagarkhedu (development of coastal dwellers), Garib samruddhi (upliftment of urban poor) are under implementation.

A leader who believes in team-work and a good work culture, Mr Modi has launched an ambitious training programme for the 500,000 government employees in Gujarat which is being watched in awe by every other state. Many of his initiatives like evening courts, interlinking of rivers, jyotigram, grievance redressal through SWAGAT online and others are being viewed as models for replication at the national level. The state is now rated as the best e-governed state in the country. With his focus on cent per cent computerization of the villages and emphasis on quick disposal of people’s grievances, the state is set to usher into village level e-governance. Narendra Modi government has bagged more than five dozen awards in the last five years including the ones at the international level like the UN Sasakawa award for disaster reduction, CAPAM Gold award for able governance, World Bank’s Green award for environment friendly work during rebuilding after the earthquake, UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award and award from Global Interpolis, Singapore. Gujarat is today rated as the best state in bio technology initiatives too.

Modi’s model of good governance is being applauded within the country and beyond. The way he has won the hearts of people of Gujarat and his popularity at the national level show that ‘Good governance is also good politics’
Extracted from: Model of development through people’s participation