Sunday, June 26, 2011

Patuck Polytechnic Trust::Educational Institute

You might find this article interesting and informative. 
 
Please spread the word around to let other Zarathushtis know about it, and
avail themselves of the education opportunities. 
 
50% of the seats are allocated for Parsis...However, currently only 2 Parsi
students out of a total of 3,500 students are registered. 
 
Thanks,
 
Regards,
Sam M.Billimoria


Patuck Polytechnic Trust::Educational Institute 


How many of us Parsis know that there is a reputed school and college of commerce and management in Mumbai, which provides free education to Parsi students? As a minority community institution 50% seats are reserved for Parsis.  This article is written to make our community aware of the opportunities provided by Patuck Polytechnic Trust in the field of education.


History: Late Mr. Rustomji Hormusji Patuck was the founder and sole settler of Patuck Polytechnic Trust in 1932.  He was a Parsi businessman settled in Manchester, U.K.  He was a merchant prince turned technical educationist.  He was groomed at the Manchester College of Technology.  He became a philanthropist in the cause of vocational and professional education on his return to India.  He was born on 12th November 1860 and passed away on 20th October 1936.  Rustomba Patuck as he was popularly known to his close associates started Modern Industrial School in 1934 to impart technical and vocational training in weaving and carpentry.  He ran the school in Gujarati medium, in hired premises with eight students.  He himself was the founder principal, chief instructor and caretaker all rolled into one.  He established the Trust with a corpus of Rs. 9 lakhs for the running of the Institutions managed by the Trust.  He was the preceptor of the concept of work experience and vocationalisation of technical education at the secondary and higher secondary levels.  His credo was "Work is worship".

Patuck Complex is situated at Vakola, one km. away from Chhatrapati Shivaji Domestic Airport, Mumbai off the Western Express Highway.  The road adjoining the campus is named Rustomba Patuck Marg since 17th July 2004.  It consists of its own 4-acre plot and houses the campus under its Integrated Education system viz. K.G. to P.G. (Kindergarten to PostGraduate).  Its students feature in the merit list at S.S.C., H.S.C. exams and have won laurels in various fields.  The following institutes are conducted by the Trust catering to the educational needs of over 3500 students:

1. Patuck Play School

2. Patuck Pre-Primary School (1994)

3. Patuck Primary English School (1994)

4. Patuck Technical High School (1945) and Jr. College (Science - 1982), (Vocational - 1986), & Commerce

5. Patuck Gala College of Commerce & Management (2002)

6. Yeshwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University Study Centre for Diploma course in Engineering (1998)

7. Gala Infotech Centre (2000)

8. Patuck Industrial Training Centre (1981)


Patuck Gala College of Commerce & Management was started in 2002.  It is affiliated to the University of Mumbai for teaching Commerce (B. Com.) and Management (BMS – Bachelor of Management Studies).  Dr. C. M. Sankaran Kutty is the Principal.  The Trust is starting a Law College from June 2005, and also Master of Management Studies (M.M.S.) courses shortly.

Organising Board: Mr. Adil J. Patuck, grand nephew of the founder is the chairman. Professor Rustom Kaikhushroo Mody, former Principal and Secretary, VJTI is a director. Mr. J. J. Goiporia is the Honorary Secretary. Principal K. G. K. Kurup is the administrator. Postal address is 100, Nehru Road, Vakola Bridge, Santacruz (East), Mumbai 400 055. Tel. no. 26680939, 2668 3806.

Junior College -Science (1982)


Students desirous of going for higher studies in Engineering, Medicine or Para-Medical courses and other science faculties can opt for Jr. College-Science.

1. Pure Science

2. Science with information Technology

3. Science with Vocational Subject – Computer Science or Mechanical maintenance


Junior College – Vocational (1986)

Objectives:  Govt. of India in its National Education Policy contemplated Vocational Education at plus two stage (after SSC) having minimum competencies in various fields. On completion of these two-year courses as vocational technicians with NCERT certificate, the trainees directly enter the world of work. Patuck has several courses in which well-qualified teachers in its own well-equipped laboratories and workshops impart training.

Special Features:   (1) On the Job Training of six weeks compulsory.  (2) Computer Awareness is an added competency.  (3) Received National Award for School Industry Linkage in 1998 from NCERT, Govt. of India.


A. Accounting and Auditing

Subjects: English, Hindi, Financial Accounting, Cost Accounting, Auditing.

Job Opportunities: Accounts assistant, Cashier, Ledger clerk, Audit clerk, Audit assistant. Can render services independently on accounting activities as self employed in any of these jobs.

B. Auto Engineering Technician

Subjects: English, Hindi, Mechanical Technology, Auto and Diesel Cycle, Engineering Drawing, Garage Management & Motor Vehicle rules.

Job Opportunities: Auto mechanic, Service mechanic, Vehicle surveyor and loss assessor, driver, auto fitter.

C. Building Maintenance

Subjects: English, Hindi, Construction technology, Estimating and costing, Construction management and accounts, Building yard practice.

Job opportunities: Supervisor, contractor, plumber, consultant for maintenance, entrepreneurship.

D. Electronics Technology

Subjects: English, Hindi, Basic electricity materials, Basic electronics, Applied electronics, Electronic instrumentation, Consumer electronics, Industrial electronics & Line Communication.

Job opportunities: Maintenance and repair of electronic equipment, sales and service centre for electronic equipment, manufacture of electronic equipment, mobile service centre for sales and service in rural areas.

E. Maintenance and repair of electrical domestic appliances

Subjects: English, Hindi, Material and workshop practice, Domestic appliances, Elements of electrical technology.

Job opportunities: Manufacture, testing, repair, selling domestic appliances. Dealership / Agency, repair shop of electrical domestic appliances.

F. Mechanical technology

Subjects: English, Hindi, Mechanical technology, Engineering Drawing, Operation and Maintenance of machine tools, Engineering science.

Job opportunities: Skilled worker in turning, fitting, welding, chargeman supervisor, instructor.

G. Medical Laboratory Technician

Subjects: Anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, clinical biochemistry, microbiology and parasitology, clinical pathology and haematology, Blood Bank, Histo technology, Laboratory management and ethics.

Job opportunities: Laboratory technician in colleges, hospitals, pharma labs, health centres. Self employment as distributor for lab chemicals, wares, equipment and spare parts.

H. Tourism and Travel Techniques

Subjects: Introduction to tourism, Heritage of India, Economics and geography of tourism, transport, hospitality industry and business communication, travel agency operations.

Job opportunities: Tour organiser, tour operator, travel counsellor, transporters, tourist cars, buses, Pilgrimage tour organisers.


At present only two Parsi students are availing of this golden opportunity. It is hoped that more and more Parsi students become aware and take advantage of this renowned institution.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

TheParseeVoice ANAHITA YAZDI DESAI – THE SOCIAL CRUSADER

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Parsee Voice
Date: Sat, Jun 25, 2011 at 12:32 AM
Subject: TheParseeVoice ANAHITA YAZDI DESAI – THE SOCIAL CRUSADER
To: the-parsee-voice@googlegroups.com


We reiterate with all the emphasis at our command that a vote for Ms Anahita Desai is a vote for progress, a vote for stability, a vote for traditionalism.

 

·         Put aside all your doubts and worries about the takeover of the BPP Board by the WAPIZ trustees. It is neither true nor practical.

·         Do not heed the charge of it being a gher-no-ghambhar, for it is definitely not! Remember, it is you and me who will cast our votes and decide and not the Board.

·         It is not nepotism either, for there is no element of internal favouritism involved on the part of the BPP Board. She is a competent and accomplished lady in her own right and nobody can deny her the opportunity of serving the community as best she can.

·         She is honest and forthright.

·         She is a grassroots level worker and understands the aspirations and problems of the ordinary bawaji.

           

The second round of voting for the vacancy in the BPP Board is due to take place as under :

 

Saturday, 25th June 2011 – Cusrow Baug

Sunday, 26th June 2011 – Rustom Baug

 

            So dear humdeens, please shake of your lethargy and make it to the polling booths this weekend. You owe this much to yourself and to your community. Please rewmember to take your voters'registration certificates and photo identification.


Regards

The Editor
The Parsee Voice


Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The betrayers of Zoroastrianism

From: Geve Narielwalla
Date: Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 7:39 PM


I have been thinking of this for several days, and I keep getting the feeling I should put my thoughts down in writing. 

These BPP elections, presently and in the future, seems to be also a well camouflaged fight between those who are traditional and very religious or who consider all our heritage and traditions precious and worthy of preservation on one hand, and those who have developed disrespect and mockery for our heritage and religion, well hidden in a front image that these things are of no interest or value, a waste of time.  

Those who are bent on getting inter marrieds' spouses and their children into the Zoroastrian fold, and also do away with the system of dokhmenishi, are not just the enemies, the worst hidden enemies are those who display very disrespectful, indifferent and confrontational  attitude to all  Zoroastrian religious practices and rituals/tarikats. These are ready market for the liberals

Not only do they avoid these rituals and tarikats, but they also criticize and discourage and mock those who wish to practise these.

This is the acid test of who these people are. They look down and criticize everything, the nirang used before the Navjote, to the ceremonies for the dead, the difficult and strenuous rituals to become a navar martab, total disregard of holy places, even the house holy objects/shrine can be approached close by a women in menses........everything is poohpoofed.

These are the real enemies of the religion, not just our Zoroastrian religion, but any religion, because these are probably atheists need not be posing as liberals, but more as indifferent individuals, that religion is very oddly out of place in this age, without being these so called liberals. 

Use every logic one can use for deliberating this very curious phenomena in our community:

If an individual does not find that rituals and tarikats are of any good use, spiritual or otherwise of benefit, at least respect and display  pride and magnanimity towards the religious institutions, above all respect the wishes of those who want to be traditional or orthodox. Why run down all those who do not suit their views? 

A decent human being would disagree, but not climb on those and try bully and scoff and ridicule those who differ from their views. 

This senseless and arrogant push to mock and look down on our Zoroastrian institutions, rituals, ceremonies is in fact that these individuals wish to destroy all these millennia old heritage of Zoroastrianism. They have proudly discarded wearing the sudreh-kusti, gloatingly sharing their secret with their cronies of like mind. 

These will scoff at the current writing s in various media etc that Zoroastrianism was the world's first monotheistic religion, or that Iran was once a great power .......these are "westernised" or "Bollywood films, and/or only Indian history only is great" types, to the point where anything relating to their own ancestral heritage is an embarrassment!    

Then there is, curiously, this further arrogant attitude from this group.......they have no fellow feeling for their Zoroastrian community members, they will only rub shoulders with those who are 'high society' within the community, no desire to help the poor in the community or run charities on a genuine basis of helping the real needy, accommodation allotted to the wrong people,  and more showcase charities to non-Parsis, to get a mileage in the country.

They could also be counted amongst the middle middle class, one can easily spot them, because they will avoid any talk on religious or community issues, or when pressed to give opinion, display total indifference, or turn on you and say they are not interested. 

If you try and count the number of these who are already stabbing and betraying Zoroastrianism, may be find they are pretty big numbers.

Geve Narielwalla
                        

Sunday, June 19, 2011

BPP Elections -You Must Vote

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Neville Gandhi
Date: Sat, Jun 18, 2011 at 7:39 PM
Subject: BPP Elections -You Must Vote


June 18, 2011.
 
Dear Humdins,
 
The First Round of BPP Elections for the post of Trustee is scheduled for tomorrow
ie June 19, 2011 at Khareghat Colony, Hughes Road, Mumbai.
 
In an Adult Franchise, it is the duty of every Eligible and Able Voter to Vote.  So please
exercise your Right to Vote.
 
Voters should ensure the following credentials in a candidate when you cast your vote:
 
1. The Candidate is Active in our Community because "Actions Speak Louder Than Words"
2. The Candidate has proved in preserving and defending our Religious Institutions and Traditions.
3. The Candidate has the support of our Vada Dasturjis / High Priests.
4. The Candidate is easily accessible and available for the community
5. The Candidate has sufficient knowledge and experience of Charitable Trust Matters.
 
So VOTE YOU MUST.
 
Regards,
Neville S. Gandhi


Saturday, June 18, 2011

Friday, June 17, 2011

Bapsy Dastur writes

From: Karl Sahukar
Date: Fri, Jun 17, 2011 at 2:40 AM


Bapsy Dastur, an international lawyer of repute says:

"......... Other than an irrational personal belief there is no
intellectual rationale for not permitting a husband and wife from
being trustees together.

 The criteria for election should be merit, integrity, commitment,
tradition; all of which Anahita meets with flying colours so she
should not be prevented just because of her marital status.

 For hundreds of years there has been no such prohibition in trusts,
institutions, politics, corporations, so why the BPP?

Do not be deceived.  The real reason these folks do not want Anahita
is because she is traditional and will protect the religion and defend
the poor.  If Anahita comes into the BPP, the liberals will lose their
grip to create dissent through Munchi Cama.  If you want an effective
Punchayet, which can actually make a difference, elect Anahita so that
the BPP does not become fragmented and weak.

A vote for Anahita is a vote for upholding the Tradition.  If you
don't vote for her for any reason, you are supporting the
anti-Tradition lobby."

TheParseeVoice THE PEOPLE’S TRUSTEE – ANAHITA YAZDI DESAI

From: The Parsee Voice
Date: Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 10:31 PM
Subject: TheParseeVoice THE PEOPLE'S TRUSTEE – ANAHITA YAZDI DESAI
To: the-parsee-voice@googlegroups.com


THE PEOPLE'S TRUSTEE – ANAHITA YAZDI DESAI

 

            Once again, the community will go to the polls, starting Sunday, 19th June 2011, to elect a representative to the Board of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet, the apex body of the community.

 

            With the introduction of adult franchise, the ordinary Parsee has now been empowered to place the candidate of his/her choice on the Board, a candidate who has interacted frequently with the community at the grassroot level and, hence, is aware of its needs and requirements, one who has the courage of conviction, the passion and the belief to fulfil their dreams. This proud but beleaguered community requires a dynamic go-getter, one with a proven track record.

 

            It is our firm belief, based on experience, that Mrs Anahita Yazdi Desai fits the bill completely. She has all it takes to make a success of this job. More importantly, she enjoys the confidence and support of four High Priests of the community, who have unabashedly endorsed her candidature. It is no wonder that she has been christened 'The People's Trustee'.

 

            Dear Parsees, we live in bad times when deceit and falsehood are ruling the roost. We caution all of you, please do not fall prey to false propaganda. Resist all attempts to delay the election process on false pretences. It is now our right to elect worthies of our choice, so do not let anyone take the same away. Please turn out in large numbers, even if it means braving the rains, and exercise your right and cast your vote for Mrs Anahita Yazdi Desai. After all, it is our collective good which is at stake. We deserve the best and we should get the best!!

 

The Election Schedule is as under :

 

Venue

Day & Date

Time

Khareghat Colony, Hughes Road

Sunday, 19.6.2011

 

 

 

10.00 a.m.

to

6.00 p.m.

Cusrow Baug, Colaba

Saturday, 25.6.2011

Rustom Baug, Byculla

Sunday, 26.6.2011

Dadar Parsi Gymkhana

Saturday, 2.7.2011

Bharucha Baug, Andheri West

Sunday, 3.7.2011

 

Voters are free to go to any of the above venues, irrespective of the place of their residence. Please remember to take your BPP membership certificates with you when casting your secret ballot. If the same does not bear your photograph, please take a photo id like PAN card, Passport etc. with you for purposes of identification.



--
Regards
The Editor
The Parsee Voice


Wednesday, June 8, 2011

An Incredible Parsi boy

An Incredible Parsi boy !

25 May, 2011 — Support AN INCREDIBLE BOY: During my recent trip to Mumbai in February 2010, I had a great privilege of meeting a very gifted Parsi boy, who completely won my heart. While I was reciting my prayers at the Wadiaji Atash Behram am energetic young boy entered the prayer room, stood in front of the Atash Padshah and loudly began reciting some prayers. This little boy prayed like a veteran dastoorji. His powerful and mesmerizing voice echoed through the prayer room.
Outside the prayer room, I waited curiously to talk to him. His name is Rooyintan Mehenty and not Rohinton as he quickly corrected me and he was all of 6 years old!. When I asked if he had undergone his Navar ceremony because he prayed like a true champ, he quickly corrected me that he still did not have his Navjote. Rooyintan confirmed he was reciting prayers from the Khordeh Avesta. He claimed he could recite by heart all the prayers in the entire Khordeh Avesta. His father Ervad Nozer (lead boiwalla at the Atash Behram) & mother Monaz Mehenty joined us and could not stop praising Rooyintan as a 'small wonder' often referring to him as a 'miracle child.'
As explained by his parents, Rooyintan started reciting prayers at home with his dad at 4 years of age. Still unable to read Rooyintan learnt his prayers by listening to his father reciting them. His parents confirmed that he now has completed the entire Khordeh Avesta and recites all the prayers by heart. The boy was working on the 9th Ha of Yasna also known as the Hom Yasht, but would eventually master it as well.
The parents continued that not only he is outstanding and proficient in the religious education, but Rooyintan stands first in academics as well as in sports. His elated proud parents continued to tell me the little boy's stories and that if I am lucky to be around as Rooyintan grows up, he will perform "Chamatkar" for our Zoroastrian community.
On April 9, 2010, we were honoured to be invited to witness Rooyintan and his sister Shahrevar's Navjote ceremony at the Wadiaji Atash Behram. All the prayers were recited by his father Ervad Nozer in the background as Rooyintan reciting the prayers aloud with his chest full of passion and pride for prayers. Not only that, Rooyintan is on his way to master the geh sarwa prayers recited as funerals and is currently trying to learn Ha 28-34 of Ahunavar Gatha, says an update from his parents.
I consider myself very fortunate and honoured to meet this amazing "miracle child" Rooyintan and his lovely parents.

This email was forwarded by Farah Wankadia.